Dan Welden tried to explain the logic of submerging oneself in a frigid body of water on New Year’s Day like this: Do your most foolish thing of the year on the first day of the year.
“Get it out of the way,” he said.
Welden is the organizer of the popular Port Angeles Plunge, which is held every Jan. 1 at Hollywood Beach.
He estimates that between 50 and 100 participants will take the community plunge Sunday, with another 150 or so looking on.
The plunge will take place at 10 a.m.
Some participants warm up by running the Port Angeles Waterfront Trail before galloping into a 45-degree Port Angeles Harbor.
Welden said he inspected the beach Wednesday and liked what he saw.
“Right now, it looks really good,” he said. “There was a lot of sand there and not a lot of kelp and seaweed.”
In past years, participants would find pieces of seaweed in their hair days after the plunge, Welden said.
Now in its 24th year, the Port Angeles Plunge started with three people the first year and grew exponentially in subsequent years, Welden said.
Nordland Polar Bear Dip
Meanwhile, the 18th Nordland Polar Bear Dip at Mystery Bay will take place at the Nordland Store dock Sunday at noon.
The store will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for dippers to warm up and get hot chocolate, and plungers can get a hat or towel commemorating the event.
Nordland Store clerk John Malcomson has participated in the past just for the T-shirt, he said.
“It was very invigorating,” he said with a laugh.
No wet suits will be allowed, but Malcomson offered a few tips for a more pleasant dip.
“Wear water shoes so you can get out right away and not wait for the ladder,” he said.
And hold your breath no matter what, Malcomson warned.
“When you hit the water, you’ll be tempted to gasp,” he said.
At just that moment, the water closes over the dipper’s head, he explained, and gasping will result in breathing water, not air.
West End
On the opposite end of the North Olympic Peninsula, Neah Bay Polar Bear Plunge organizer June Williams said she will challenge the state champion Neah Bay High School football team to participate this year.
“We’ll see if they have what it takes to take on the water,” Williams said.
The Neah Bay plunge will be held at noon off Bayside Avenue near the senior center.
The Lake Pleasant Polar Bear Plunge will happen at 10 a.m. Sunday at Lake Pleasant Community Beach County Park.
Last year, about 30 people participated, said Carin Hirsch, mother of founding Polar Bear Sonja Hirsch.
The park is off U.S. Highway 101 in Beaver, 10 miles north of Forks.
The National Weather Service forecast for Sunday calls for a chance of rain with highs in the mid-40s on the North Olympic Peninsula.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
