Individuals from throughout the Midwest begin 2026 with Fortieth-annual ‘Polar Bear Swim’ in Door County

JACKSONPORT, Wis. (WBAY) – What higher strategy to begin off the brand new 12 months than by doing a polar plunge in Door County?

The 40^th-annual “Polar Bear Swim” befell at Lakeside Park in Jacksonport, Door County, on Thursday morning.

On the primary day of 2026, about 600 individuals made the very courageous choice to start out the brand new 12 months by leaping into freezing water.

“It’s a shock,” stated Jan Liesse.

“You know, but your body, in a sense, it does go numb pretty quick, so we just go out until we can’t feel our legs anymore, and then we come around back in,” stated Bonnie Rymer

Sisters Jan and Bonnie jumped into Lake Michigan for the twenty fifth time on Thursday. We requested them why they proceed to do that.

“Cause we’re silly. We don’t know,” stated Jan.

“If you do something crazy on the first, you got it out of the way for the rest of the year,” stated Bonnie.

We additionally spoke with just a few alternatively: those that had been about to expertise the shock for the primary time.

“I think I got peer-pressured by my friends. I don’t know! I guess new year, new me,” stated Gabriel Ayala of Chicago. “I’m expecting to run back to the car. I’m expecting to freeze. I don’t know. I’m scared that my bones are going to ache. That’s what I’m really scared about.”

“I’m more worried about my shoes freezing onto my feet than anything else. That’s my only fear. Cause I’m going to go without socks but with shoes, I’m afraid they’re just going to cling onto my feet,” stated Marc Lopez of Madison. “It’s scary. I don’t know how everyone does it year after year.”

Some selected to go all the best way without delay, whereas others tip-toed their manner into the 31.8-degree water.

“That was amazing. It was better than I expected but way colder than I hoped,” stated Ayala. “I don’t think it’ll ever be this cold again, fingers crossed. Would love to do it again every day. Who knows? New ritual.”

“As you anticipated, cold. But it was a lot of fun, yeah. It was fun, and I don’t know if you saw, but there’s a guy at the very end where you get to high-five. That was a very fun feeling,” stated Lopez.

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