Vancouver’s annual Polar Bear Swim Posted on 24 January 2012 Tags:Vancouver We’ve all heard of starting the New Year off with a bash; but how about beginning with an icy splash. For the past 92 years, residents and visitors to Vancouver, Canada partake in a frosty tradition known as the Polar Bear Swim. The first Polar Bear Swim was initiated by a Greek immigrant, Peter Pantages in 1920. His enthusiasm for swimming was infectious and even though the first Polar Bear Swim attracted only 10 spirited individuals, 2011 totalled a record of 2,246 official entries. The event now attracts anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 onlookers. New Year’s Day 2012 was no exception. With the air temperature a balmy 8ºC (six degrees warmer than last year) swimmers and spectators jostled for pole position on English Bay. Participants, wearing costumes from superheroes to shark fins plunged into the frigid Pacific Ocean. While the shock of the cold water might have caused a couple of swimmers to walk on water, there were a surprising number that remained paddling in the shallows. So whether you dip, dunk or dive you’ll have to wait another year for the annual polar pilgrimage. Related Posts Mesmerising Myanmar and why you should visit now 20 December 2017 Myanmar is still mostly untouched by globalisation. Gillian McLaren shares what it's like to travel... read more In pursuit of paradise: beach hopping in Sri Lanka 18 April 2017 Sri Lanka is the next big destination - it's easier than India, cheaper and less... read more Why you should visit Budapest 5 April 2017 Budapest might be the most uplifting, enchanting city in Europe - and its future is... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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