Become “Frozen In Time” — Take the Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day

Glacial Getaway Plunge 2011 by Marte Jager

By Martin Taylor

If you want to start the New Year with an electrifying jolt participate in an Orcas Tradition: The Polar Bear Plunge. It’s a simple event, the master of ceremonies will give the shout and the hearty souls of Orcas will charge headlong into Cascade Lake. Within a few seconds they will re-emerge shocked into a new perspective on the world and ready for 2012. Fortunately there will be moral support from the local crowd, a hot fire, hot drinks and snacks awaiting and hopefully you remembered to bring a change of clothes! This year there is an extra motivation by way of a hot pancake breakfast served after the Plunge. You can feel good inside and out.

The event is a low key fundraiser for the Orcas Island junior rowing club (OIRA). Donations are accepted at the Plunge. Each year a commemorative tee shirt is created. This years very cool design was created by the team captain Max Blackadar. There are sponsorship forms available from the rowing club web site www.orcasislandrowing.org in case you need some motivation to “take the Plunge”. Let your friends and family know how brave you are and raise a few bucks for the junior rowing club.

Junior crew members will also take your reservations for the Rowing Clubs’s annual dinner which is a very fun event being held at Camp Orkila on January 20th. Live music, appetizers and libations will be served up from 5:00 p.m. The affair is strictly fun and a great deal at $35 with free child care on site. Sign up and pay the kids or conatct Martin Taylor at 376-6935 or martin@orcasdigerati.com. More info on the OIR web site.

This will be the 15th annual Plunge. The first one was on Jan 1st 1998. That year local sheriff’s deputies Ray Clever, Ed Commet and Herb Crowe were auctioned off to jump in the lake.

Since then there has been a theme for each Plunge:

1. 1998 – Untitled first Plunge
2. 1999 – Winter Luau
3. 2000 – Millennium Morning Toga Party
4. 2001 – Soggy Prom
5. 2002 – Soggy Super heroes
6. 2003 – Washed-up Rock Stars
7. 2004 – Frozen 50′s Soggy Sock Hop
8. 2005 – Masquerade
9. 2006 – Frozen Farmers
10. 2007 – Freeze Your Booty
11. 2008 – Hypothermic Haberdashery & Frigid Frocks
12. 2009 – Save the Polar Bear
13. 2010 – Hippy Nippy Dippy
14. 2011 – Glacial Getaway
15. 2012 – Frozen In Time

Be sure to show your timeless  side for  “Frozen In Time” by dressing in an appropriate (or inappropriate) costume for this quintessential Orcas affair. The plunge happens very promptly at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday January 1st at Cascade Lake. Be sure to turn up early so you don’t miss the event. Once folks are dressed to jump in a cold lake they don’t like to hang around for long!

To buy shirts catch the kids at the Market at the above times or contact Max Blackadar at 376-4507 or email maxblackadar@gmail.com. They will of course also be on sale at the Plunge on January 1st,but they do make good Christmas presents!  For information about the Plunge event or the rowing clubdinner call Martin Taylor 376-6935, email martin@orcasdigerati.com  or check on the club website www.orcasislandrowing.org.