On January 1 of 2021, with pandemic restrictions still swirling around, the Summerland Polar Bear Dip was the only New Year's Day swim in the Okanagan to get the green light.
As expected, the head count was not particularly high. But it was a bigger official number than the year prior, when everything everywhere was outright COVIDly canceled.
Fast forward three years and even with a brand new competitor on the scene (the Naramata Polar Bear Fire Plunge, almost directly across Okanagan Lake), the Summerland event, the oldest Polar Bear in the region and actually held at Sun-Oka Beach in Trout Creek, is looking as healthy as ever.
This January 1st, for the second consecutive year, the swim filled the Sun-Oka parking lot to absolute capacity. Indeed, scores of vehicles were once again forced to park on nearby streets.
Ultimately a crowd of at least 500 hit the beach on what turned out to be a rather balmy day for this time of year – approximately 5 degrees and little wind. Of those, 200-plus had the courage/stamina/craziness to actually enter the water.
But there was a purpose beyond that. Proceeds from the event, organized as always by the Summerland Kinsmen, are destined for the community. And Monday, more than $3,500 was raised.
Not bad considering virtually everything, from admission to hot dogs and refreshments and even T-shirts, was by donation.
Matt Briscoe of Summerland said this was his third time doing the Dip. One of his previous forays happened in 2022, when the temperature, with wind chill, was a ridiculous -20.
"You know, you just have to go for it, and it’s instant cold," said the 63-year-old with a laugh, adding that at one time he too felt the trepidation of jumping in a lake in January.
"We've been here (in Summerland) for eight years," he said, "and for a long time I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it. But I said, 'What the heck, you gotta go for it.' And it's been great."
Mike Harris of Summerland, parading around the beach on this day inside a giant T-Rex costume, said he's been a Polar Dip regular for almost four decades.
"I was born and raised here and I've probably missed a handful over 40 years," he said. "But this is the first time T Rex has come put to play. I'll have to tear out electronics to get in the water."
Cathy MacCoubrey brought along her grandkids Aiden and Kylie. She moved to Summerland from the lower mainland just six months ago, while the kids still live down there.
All three said they "loved" the Okanagana and looked forward to their aquatic immersion.
For Kinsmen past president and longtime Summerland Polar Bear Dip spark plug Frederik Numsen, 2024 carries a little extra weight. It's the year he turns 60.
To celebrate, he was going to leave the sideline and jump in the water.
"I've been helping put on the event for about 20 years, so now's the time," he laughed.
But Numsen is all about the relationship between the swim and the community in which it's held.
"Community businesses help support it," he said. "They help us get the shirts and so forth. Nesters Market helps us with the food.
"We had the local Legion bring down some soup. We Have PENSAR (Pentiction Search and Rescue) here to look after people.
"It’s a community event, and all the funds raised stay in the community. We act on whatever requests we get from the community."
Later, as the last swimmers left the water, PentictonNow rushed to our car to drive to our next destination, the Polar Bear Fire Plunge, starting in just 45 minutes in Naramata.
But even extracting ourselves from the crammed Sun-Oka parking lot proved challenging. Did we make it? Check elsewhere in PentictonNow Tuesday morning to find out.
