I love this event so much.  Sure, the Alki Polar Bear Plunge was fun last year, but this year it was even better.

Not only was it warmer (no ice on the beach this year to deal with), but there were more people.  And while the water was still a nippy 46 degrees at least the morning was sunny and calm.  Perfect for relaxing with a nice warm cup of complimentary calm chowder afterwards.

I showed up just before the plunge this year, which meant that I didn’t have to wait awkwardly in the cold like I did last year.  Once again, I came with a shore team: people willing to hand me towels and take pictures but who wouldn’t go in the water with me.

And once again, it was wonderful.  Don’t get me wrong, it was freaking freezing.  But here I was doing something kind of batshit crazy with a bunch of other like-minded fools.  I was being silly and weird en masse.  It’s the same kind of feeling that makes flash mobs so enjoyable for me, the same reason PT never really bothered me in City Year, and I milked that feeling for everything it was worth.

And then I heard a call from down the beach and my coworker, drenched and shivering, ran up to give me a hug.

I had convinced someone to do the Polar Bear Plunge!  Mission Freaking Accomplished.  It was a good way to start the New Year.