I Did The Polar Bear Dip !
Imagine a young (approximately) 12 yr old boy in a banana costume, some adult dwarfs, and a lot of screaming people in swimsuits (or t-shirts and shorts), all running into frigid Lake Ontario waters in barely above zero temperatures. For years I’ve seen these events on the news, and never once did I want to participate. That is, until this year. And I’m so glad I did. It was a wild and zany experience doing something crazy with a bunch of crazy people.
First the Costume Contest
My teammate was a Polar Bear; there was also a “crazy Mexican,” Donald Trump, a banana costume and many more. The group costumes were even funnier, I was lining up at the time, but I did spot a fisherman with his teammate dressed as a giant fish. The funniest group costume was the long-bearded seven dwarfs who took first in the group costume category. And the winner of the solo costume contest was the guy in the Maple Leafs shirt holding up the Stanley Cup. I believe he called it a “New Years Dream.”
Then The Dip
In case you’re thinking of going to the Courage Polar Bear Dip to raise money for World Vision next year, here are my observations from the Polar Bear Dip last weekend:
- There were more people than I expected. (about 800 dippers plus their spotters and family members)
- I fussed way too much about what to wear and what to bring. The organization tells you everything you need to know – no need to do massive research. Some even dipped in costume! (I was right behind you, Banana Kid!)
- I thought I was in for a lot of suffering. But once I got out of the water, my first thought was, “hey, that wasn’t so bad“. In fact, my teammate and I would have gone back in!
Overall, the Courage Polar Bear Dip was a lot of fun and for a great cause. We raised over $110,000 for World Vision! I want to send a big congrats to the Courage family and all the volunteers for making this freezing and fun charity event happen.