WASHINGTON — Some people like to extend the New Year’s Eve craziness into New Year’s Day, and that explains a southern Maryland tradition: The annual North Beach Polar Bear Plunge into the Chesapeake Bay.
Hundreds came out for this year’s event and spectators lined up along the boardwalk to watch.
The water temperature was just above freezing — 33 degrees — for the 1 p.m. plunge.
“It was cold, and fun,” said 12-year-old Alex after he emerged from his very first plunge.
Vicki Turner, another newbie, took the plunge while wearing a “Happy New Year” tiara.
“This is my first year doing it. It was on my bucket list to do, and I’ve put it off every year, and this year I just did it.”
She says getting out of the water is harder than getting in.
“It wasn’t that bad until your feet got cold. Once your feet got cold, it was like, ‘Okay, I’ve got to turn around now because I can’t get back to shore.'”
William Bronson says the plunge is a time to start fresh and forget the past.
“Believe me, you go in the water, you won’t remember anything from last year.”
