The "End of Days" Polar Bear Plunge Is Moving To The Other End Of The Lake This Year

The brave “plungers” of 2012

By Martin Taylor

You can say “I Survived!” twice over if you take part in Orcas Island Rowing’s “Polar Bear Plunge” on New Year’s Day. You will have survived the “End of Days” on December 21st and the icy grip of Cascade Lake on the first day of the New Year of 2013.

So start the New Year with a jolt; take part in an Orcas Tradition: The Orcas Island Rowing “Polar Bear Plunge.” The hearty souls of Orcas will charge headlong into Cascade Lake en masse. Within a few seconds they will re-emerge shocked into a clearer perspective on the world and ready for what 2013 may bring.

This year the Plunge will take place at a the other (south) end of the lake from its usual location at the north end of Cascade Lake, because Kokanee salmon have been seen laying eggs in the swim area there. For the past few years, a partnership between the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Moran State Park, and Long Live the Kings (LLTK) has aimed to introduce a new stock of hatchery-reared kokanee to Cascade Lake. This is the first time in recent history that salmon have been known to spawn in Cascade Lake. Kokanee salmon are non migratory salmon that stay in fresh water lakes year round.

To avoid disturbing any salmon eggs the Plunge has been relocated to the ELC beach in front of Orcas Island Rowing club’s boathouse. The new location will offer a chance for people to see the Orcas boathouse and small fleet of rowing shells.

The “Plunge” event is a low key fundraiser for the Orcas Island junior rowing club (OIR). Donations are accepted at the Plunge. Each year a commemorative tee shirt is created. This year features a very cool design by the team captain Max Blackadar. The tee shirts will be available at the Plunge, or by contacting the club. Some rare historical shirts from past years will also be available. There are sponsorship forms available from the rowing club website, www.orcasislandrowing.org in case you need some motivation to “take the Plunge.”

OIR rowers model the 2013 tee shirts

Let your friends and family know how brave you are and raise a few bucks for the junior rowing club. The club is in particular need of funds as they are buying a new “straight quad” to allow their junior team to be competitive under new rules in the NW region. In this coming season, Varsity quads will be “straight” or “coxless” where previously they had been coxed. This is an exciting new turn but costly for the small club. The new boat will set them back over $13,000. They will sell one of their older boats, but that will only not bring in anything like the cost of the new boat. The team is hopeful they have a good enough varsity boys crew to go to nationals this year.

This will be the 16th 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:

1999 – Winter Luau
2000 – Millennium Morning Toga Party
2001 – Soggy Prom
2002 – Soggy Super heroes
2003 – Washed-up Rock Stars
2004 – Frozen 50’s Soggy Sock Hop
2005 – Masquerade
2006 – Frozen Farmers
2007 – Freeze Your Booty
2008 – Hypothermic Haberdashery & Frigid Frocks
2009 – Save the Polar Bear
2010 – Hippy Nippy Dippy
2011 – Glacial Getaway
2012 – Frozen In Time
2013 – I Survived!

Be sure to use your imagination by dressing in costume for the “I Survived!” theme for 2013. The plunge happens promptly at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday 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! Be sure to go to the right location at the OIR boathouse on the south end of the lake. Take the turn off for the south end camp grounds. Parking will be VERY limited so please carpool if you can. There will be plenty of parking at the swim area at the north end of the lake so be kind and pick up folks needing a ride to the other end of the lake.

To buy shirts call Max Blackadar at 376-4507 or email maxblackadar@gmail.com. For information about the Plunge event call Martin Taylor 376-6935, email m artin@orcasdigerati.com or check on the club website www.orcasislandrowing.org.