I Tried the Polar Bear Plunge
Participants ran straight into the freezing cold water. Photo: Lucas Paschke
By LUCAS PASCHKE
A bitter wind rushes across my frozen, bare body as I await the countdown and say my last prayers. Hundreds of people surround me on the sand while the chilling raindrops hit my back. The cold, barren ocean almost seems to pull me closer. Yet this was no torture chamber — it was merely my experience in New York City’s 119th annual Polar Bear Plunge in Coney Island, Brooklyn.
The Plunge is an event run by Coney Island’s own Polar Bear Club, an organization dedicated to raising money for the community and providing members with a once-in-a-lifetime, or for some, once-per-year, goosebump-raising experience. So what exactly goes on during the Plunge itself?
Occurring on New Year's Day, the act of running into the frozen depths of the Atlantic Ocean serves the purpose of cleansing away one’s actions from the previous year to start fresh for the new one. Hundreds of participants, and even more spectators, gather around to complete this act of bravery and celebrate the new year together.
Following the event, a large celebration takes place on the Coney Island boardwalk, with food, drinks, music, and a whole lot of fun for those bold enough to make the trek to the beach in the middle of winter.
From lawyers to grocery store workers, people of all ages and backgrounds make the attempt at the Plunge. Finally resuming after a year’s pause from the pandemic, many people were excited about the event and had a fantastic time completing it.
“2021 sucked. Like it really sucked,” said Michael, 43, a tax attorney from Tribeca, after coming out of the frozen water. “I want to start 2022 off right for my sake and everyone else’s.”
“I plunged to have a good time with my family,” said Enrique Diez, 34, a bookkeeper from Bensonhurst who took the Plunge with his family. “My wife and two little girls are with me today, so stuff like this is something you don’t get to do every day. I want to give my kids a good memory to grow up with.”
I attended the 2022 Polar Bear Plunge, and I can say for sure that this was a day I will remember my whole life. Through pouring rain and clammy 50-degree weather, it was a test of everyone’s comfort zone and how far people were willing to push themselves.
The scene was a mixture of pure chaos and excitement from those thrilled to be outside with other people after a two-year pandemic. With Frank Sinatra’s “Happy New Year” blaring through massive speakers on the boardwalk and organizers shouting directions to those entering the beach, being anywhere on Coney Island was something out of a movie.
A trio of unique plungers flex for the camera. Photo: Lucas Paschke
It was hard not to become overwhelmed with shirtless strangers in Santa hats running by you screaming at the top of their lungs. Rainbow speedos and people in dresses who still hadn’t been home since their New Year’s party were all you could see.
But then came a dark moment, when the joy of the scene was overshadowed by the sudden hush of the crowd as dive police dragged an unresponsive man out of the icy water. According to rumors that were later confirmed by the news, the man had suffered a heart attack while attempting the Plunge. It was an unfortunate tragedy that set an ominous mood for the remainder of the day.
After the event resumed and I was instructed to get ready, I slowly shuffled down to the shoreline, where the calm waves splashed against the moist sand. I waited for a couple of minutes, praying in my head that I was going to be okay, scared of what was in store for me.
But then my worries cleared, and my thoughts finally hushed with the sight of the people around me beginning their dives. With a sudden rush of adrenaline, I launched myself into the water with a large smile on my face — until everything went dark.
I “awoke” just a few seconds later, in shock, standing in the water about waist height. My limbs felt as stiff as cement. My fun was over, and it was time to get out. I pushed my numb legs to their limits and left the water, retreating to where a warm towel and clothes awaited me on the beach.
With great certainty, I can say that the Plunge is an experience that everyone at the event will never forget. Bodies were pushed to their absolute limits in this extreme New Year’s celebration.
“I did this for my health, you know,” said Murphy, 52, a fireman from Jamaica, Queens. “I’m getting old and I need to keep my muscles and bones sharp!”
As I left the beach, walking down Stillwell Avenue towards the famous Nathan’s Hot Dogs, I could still hear the cheers from over three blocks away. After being canceled last year, the Polar Bear Plunge had returned stronger than ever, to Brooklyn’s enjoyment.
One anonymous plunger summed it up well. “I think everyone should try this at least once in their lifetime,” he told me. “Try new things, no matter how outlandish they may seem at first. Your comfort zone is all that’s holding you back.”