CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Sam Kingston knew this had to be the year.
The P.E.I. native skipped a chance to do the chilly deed years ago, so on New Year’s Day, after being back home for Christmas after three years living away, he finally took the plunge.
Kingston and a couple dozen other brave—or depending who you ask, foolish—people ran through the ice at the Charlottetown Yacht Club to go for a quick swim at the annual Polar Bear Dip to bring in the new year.
The morning was mild for the crowd watching on the shore, bundled up in their winter clothes, but the water was still plenty cold, said Kingston.
“To be honest, everybody says it’s the warmest one in a long time, but the ice says different.”
For veterans of the event, like Craig Knickle who has done it five times before, the polar dip has become a great way to let go of last year and start the next, he said.
“It’s almost like a cleansing ceremony, if you will, to start the new year, sort of wash away last year’s negative things maybe and start fresh.”
Eddie MacKenzie, another repeat dipper, was inclined to agree, though some people are initially drawn to it for a simpler reason, he said.
“I think people probably come into it for something interesting to do, a little challenge.”
For Kingston, the challenge was his main motivation, he said.
“I feel it’s kind of a Canadian thing to do, right? You have to try it at least once, or at least I felt I needed to. And I’m happy I did.”
This video of the polar bear swim was captured by a resident:
Happy New Year! Great Day for a swim.
Posted by Jamey Smith on Wednesday, 1 January 2020
Happy enough, he’ll likely do it again and he had some hard-won advice for those planning on trying it for themselves.
“You’re not going to be able to feel your feet, so flipflops are not an acceptable option. You don’t know whether they’re still on or not.”
You also can’t be afraid of it, he said.
“You go in hard and you’ll feel better afterward.”
Perhaps some words of wisdom many of us could follow in the new year.
