Vancouver Polar Bear Swim 2012

Splash in the New Year

Are you brave enough to participate in this year's Polar Bear Swim?

Each city and country has its own special way to greet the New Year. Vancouver, Canada  is no exception. For the past 92 years, thousands of people have celebrated  the New Year by jumping into the freezing waters of English Bay.  This year, the city will host the 92nd Annual Polar Bear Swim. Do you have the courage to carry on the tradition?

 Batman had a good time at the 2011 Vancouver Polar Bear Swim 

The Polar Bear Swim is hosted by the Vancouver Polar Bear Swim Club, one of the largest and oldest Polar Bear Clubs in the world. Its initial swim took place in 1920 when a small number of hardy swimmers took the plunge into English Bay on New Year's Day. The swim has grown from 10 in the first year to thousands today.  For many people who simply continue their New Year's Eve celebration well into New Year's Day, it is the highlight of the year.

The swim takes place at 2:30pm on January 1st. (tomorrow) Costumes and the Peter Pantages Memorial 100 yard swim race are the highlights of this event. To become a club member, you must register before the swim in front of the English Bay Bathhouse from 12:30pm - 2:30pm on New Year's Day. You may also register by clipping out the coupon in the Province Newspaper and presenting it at the registration desk the day of the swim. Don't forget to fill out the prize entry form at registration. Donations of non-perishable food bank items will be accepted.

Your free membership includes a commemorative button after you take the plunge, and who knows, maybe you will win one of the great prizes available. Regardless, you can be proud to say you joined this 'chilly' club and can call yourself truly Canadian after all.

If you don't plan to get cold and wet, come down to English Bay to watch the event. Even watching other people freeze is a fun way to welcome the new year in Vancouver. 

For more infoirmation on the Polar Bear swim go to: http://vancouver.ca/parks/events/polarbear/history.htm