The Polar Plunge

So there I was, already freezing cold, standing in my shorts and running shoes next to a hole in the ice, a harness belt around my waist with everyone yelling 1-2-3! Without thinking I let loose into a cannonball that soaked those at the ice edge. The water was shocking, and it was the saltiest water I had ever tasted. My plan was to try to play it cool- yeah right! Involuntarily the body seizes and all available air is immediately pushed through the mouth and nose. I waited about ten seconds for a guy to snap this picture, nine seconds too long. The water beneath the ice is 28 degrees (salt water freezes at 27), so it froze immediately in my beard as I climbed up the ladder. My coat was waiting there to greet me along with others cheering. Everyone who is stupid enough to jump in the water hollars a little because they can feel your pain. As I was walking the path back to the overlook my shoes froze.

The tradition of the Polar Plunge is carried on each year by the Kiwis (New Zealanders at the nearby base). I suppose lawsuits and safety warnings aren't as common in New Zealand as in the states. I had looked forward to this day since I first heard about the plunge. There were about fifty people stupid enough to plunge on Sunday, and after I got feeling back in the toes I was glad I was one of them.