Just after midnight on Jan. But on New Year's Day on Brooklyn, New York's Coney Island beach, the sound of chattering teeth will fill the air, as thousands of people gather in preparation for a ceremonial wintry dip in the Atlantic Ocean. The event is organized by the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, a group of dedicated open-water swimmers who brave the numbing ocean every Sunday from November through April. It has steadily grown in popularity since the club was founded, in An estimated 2, swimmers participated in , with around 6, to 7, spectators looking on, said Dennis Thomas, the club's president and a member for three decades. You don't have to be a member of the club to participate in the New Year's Day dip. Newcomers are welcome, as long they sign a waiver, although the club does recommend on its website that people consult with a physician before attempting winter swimming. Taking the plunge Thomas described preparation requirements for the dip as "rigorous" — participants must be able to put on a bathing suit. And perhaps dive shoes or gloves, for additional extremities protection.
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The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest winter bathing organization in the United States, whose members regularly take polar bear plunges in the winters. The club began using the event to raise funds for Special Olympics starting in , [3] and Camp Sunshine in Every New Year's Day , the Club is joined by participants from around the country, who partake in an annual swim.
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Formed in , the band underwent multiple line-up changes. Vocalist Jimmy Stadt and lead guitarist Chris Browne oversaw each iteration of the band. The band released four studio albums and toured internationally before entering a permanent hiatus period in Polar Bear Club formed in summer with its members coming from a variety of upstate New York -based hardcore punk and indie rock bands. The band's name comes from a song of the same name by Silent Majority. Quickly after forming they released a five-song demo CD-R , which has since gone out of print. The EP received rave reviews by webzines and made a number of year-end "best of" lists, topping the list on Australian radio Triple R's Bullying The Jukebox program.
It is 6. Mist hangs over the water and the mountains. No geese this morning, just a couple of seagulls on Bird Poo Island at the southern end of the lake. My feet are bare; I am wearing a swimming costume and have a tow float strapped around my waist. My swim buddy is similarly clad. I am practising for the Polar Bear Challenge Classic, which is to swim metres twice a month between November and March, dressed only in swimsuit, goggles and silicone swim hat. I question my sanity as I walk into the water. Why am I doing this challenge? As the cold bites into my thighs I remember why.
