Wednesday, January 1, 2014, 11 a.m., Cascade Lake
— from Martin Taylor —
Last year’s photographer braved the cold depths to take photographs from 30 feet out in the lake. Photo: Marten Jager
Start the New Year with a jolt! Take part in a wonderful Orcas Tradition—Orcas Island Rowing’s “Polar Bear Plunge”—when the hearty souls of Orcas charge headlong into Cascade Lake en masse. Within a few seconds they re-emerge shocked into a clearer perspective on the world and ready for what 2014 may bring. The plunge is open to all comers. All you need is the attitude! The event starts VERY promptly at 11:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day. It is too cold to stand around in your skivvies. So be there early and ready to go!
This year the theme for the event is “The Morning After.”
There will be a hot fire and hot drinks to help with recuperation after the deed is done.
This year the Plunge will move back to the traditional location at the ‘swim area’ at the north end of Cascade Lake. Easier access and parking and the big fireplace in the day use shelter make for a more comfortable location when there is a big crowd.
There are sponsorship forms available from the rowing club website, 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. The club is always in need of funds.
The “Plunge” event is a low key fundraiser for the Orcas Island junior rowing club, and donations are accepted at the Plunge. Each year a commemorative t-shirt is created, and this year features a very cool design by one of the team’s rowers, Jay Zier. The t-shirts will be available at the Plunge, or by contacting the club. Some rare historical shirts from past years will also be available at the event.
This will be the 17th 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!
- 2014 – The Morning After
To buy shirts call Jay Zier at 376-4507 or via email. For further information about the Plunge event call Martin Taylor at 376-6935, via email, or check on the club website.
