Plunging into the new year

Mike Sciacca

The whoops and hollers heard at the south side of the Huntington

Beach Pier on the morning of Jan. 1 were a war cry, a psyching-up

ritual, for those about to take the New Year’s Day Polar Plunge.

A crowd of more than 50 -- twice the amount of brave souls in 2003

-- eyed the water from about 20 yards out as a countdown from 10

began the fourth annual event.

Just before those participating in the Polar Plunge took to the

water, another group -- family and friends associated with the

Huntington Beach Unicorn Rugby Club, who called themselves the

“halibuts” for this day -- held their New Year’s Day swim for the

25th consecutive year at the north side of the pier.

Both events were preceded by the annual New Year’s Day Paddle Race

around the pier.

It wasn’t as frigid as a polar bear swim might be in other icy

waters, but that didn’t cool the enthusiasm of those participating in

the event.

The air temperature New Year’s morning was 54 degrees. The water

temperature was just one degree warmer.

“We’d like to continue to make the Polar Plunge a growing New

Year’s Day tradition here,” Huntington Beach resident Dave Pierce

said. “This is the biggest crowd we’ve had for this plunge, and we’d

like to get as many people out as we can every year.”

Pierce, along with friend and fellow Huntington Beach resident

Mike Park, 26, founded the Polar Plunge in 2001.

Polar Bear clubs are located throughout the country, with the New

York Coney Island Polar Bear Club, founded in 1903, laying claim to

being the nation’s oldest.

Lee Love, of the Huntington Beach Sunrise Rotary Club that

sponsored the Polar Plunge, presided over the event. After addressing

the crowd, Love stripped out of her dress to reveal a swimsuit

underneath.

She then joined the crowd for a dip in the water.

“Huntington Beach is an international destination point for the

holidays and we are pleased to let the world see how much we care

about our community and global causes,” Love said.

Although there was no registration fee involved, donations from

$10 to $20 to benefit local groups, were accepted.

All proceeds benefit local charities including El Viento,

International Surfing Museum, Huntington Dog Beach, Therapeutic

Riding Center, Project Self-Sufficiency, Hugs for Health Foundation

and Rotary International.

“I immediately envisioned the plunge as a way to start the year,

recognizing contributions of, and contributing to, volunteers and

nonprofit organizations in Huntington Beach,” Love said.

The only rule required to complete the Polar Plunge, Love said,

was that a participant had to get the entire body wet.

The youngest person to take the plunge was 4-year-old Justice

Campos.

Four participants, among them, 37-year-old Dave Stefanides of Los

Alamitos, not only took the plunge, but swam around the pier.

“Once my body got accustomed to the cold water and my breathing

calmed down, it was great,” said Stefanides, a first-time participant

who does triathlons.

The first person to emerge out of the water was Ruth Camera, 44,

of Sacramento.

Camera, her husband, Joe, and two children, Alma, 16, and Joey, 15 took part in the plunge.

A third child, Tina, 14, opted to watch from the shoreline.

“We are in town visiting family, and we learned about this on the

Internet,” Camera said. “I thought we’d do it for the fun of it.

“To me, the water wasn’t that cold. It felt good and it’s like

starting out the New Year with a fresh start.”

Brad Morris not only plunged into the water, but also into his

40th year on New Year’s Day.

Terri Morris had organized getting a group of “about 20 family and

friends” down to the beach, to surprise her husband on his 40th

birthday and join him for the plunge.

Brad Morris was the most dressed for the event, complimenting his

swim trunks with a birthday hat and a bunch of black helium birthday

balloons, which he released upon impact with the ocean.

“I did this last year, so this is a re-enactment,” he said. “This

was a lark for most of our group. The water was icy cold, there’s was

no way around that. I’d say it was even colder than last year but

it’s a great way to celebrate my 40th birthday and the start of the

New Year.”