Uniquely NYC
"Polar Bear" Swim
On New Year's Day, members of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club and other
cold water swimming enthusiasts strip down to their trunks and take a
plunge into the frigid waters of the Atlantic.
The swim begins with the President of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club
blowing a conch shell and asking for King Neptune's permission to enter
his domain. Once the swimmers hit the water, almost everyone screams at
the shock of cold waves hitting their skin. Club members swim every
Sunday from November through April, rain or snow. The biggest event of
the season is the New Year's Day splash, which gathers crowds of
cheering onlookers.
The Coney Island Polar Bear Club, founded by Bernarr Macfadden in 1903,
is considered the oldest of its kind in the country. Macfadden believed
that taking a dip in the ocean during winter was beneficial to one's
health and immunity. He published over 100 books on the subject of
fitness and became a millionaire publisher in the process. Many of his
influential friends were people like FDR, Will Rogers, Shirley Temple
and Rudolph Valentino. Among early Polar Bear Members were the then NYPD
Deputy Police Commissioner George Dougherty and Supreme Court Justice
Crater.
Today, the Polar Bear Club is housed at the New York Aquarium. As part
of its community outreach efforts, the Polar Bears have partnered with
Camp Sunshine. This organization provides support, hope and relief to
children with life threatening illnesses and their immediate families
through medical and psychological support. In 2009, the Polar Bears
raised over $25,000 to support Camp Sunshine.
Source:
PolarBearClub.org