Results: Polar Bear Plunge
Published on 01/15/2018
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Source: wikipedia. A polar bear plunge is an event held during the winter where participants enter a body of water despite the low temperature. In the United States, polar bear plunges are usually held to raise money for a charitable organization. In Canada, polar bear swims are usually held on New Year's Day to celebrate the new year. Have you ever done a polar bear plunge?
Yes
7%
159 votes
No
93%
2210 votes
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What polar bear plunge facts are you familiar with?
Canada - In Canada, "Polar Bear Swims", "plunges" or "dips" are a New Year's Day tradition in numerous communities across the country. Vancouver, BC's annual Polar Bear Swim Club has been active since 1920 and typically has 1,000 to 2,000 registered participants, with a record 2,128 plunging into English Bay in 2000. Registration is not enforced and the actual number of swimmers may be significantly higher. Estimates of the number of observers are typically up to 10,000. Suburban White Rock, BC's was founded in 1958, and other suburbs including North Vancouver, Surrey, Delta and Langley also hold swims.
29%
691 votes
Netherlands - Every New Year's Day around 10,000 people dive collectively into the icy cold sea water at Scheveningen, a Dutch beach resort town, since 1960. In 89 locations on beaches and in lakes all over the country, each year around 30,000 people participate in this "Nieuwjaarsduik" (English: New Year's dive), with a record 36,000 participants on January 1, 2012. Since 1998, Unox, a Unilever food brand often associated with winter, adopted the Nieuwjaarsduik and ever since it is tradition to wear Unox branded winter caps and glove.
7%
161 votes
New Zealand - Polar plunges (the local name) are held at various beaches in New Zealand, usually on the weekend closest to the shortest day in late June. Among other places, polar plunges are led at Papamoa Beach (Tauranga), Saint Clair Beach (Dunedin), and Castlecliff (Wanganui).
3%
72 votes
United Kingdom - An annual "Loony Dook" takes place in South Queensferry, Scotland, on New Year's Day. Several thousand attend the event with over one thousand taking the plunge. Participants regularly dress up for the occasion and will usually parade through the local town acting like "loonies" proceeding the "dook". Aside from the regular enthusiasts, most are still inebriated from New Year's Eve celebrations and have more than likely lost a bet.
3%
81 votes
United States - Plunges are now held across the United States. Annual events are held in Seattle (since 1993), Evergreen, Colorado New York's Coney Island Polar Bear Club, Lake George, NY, Boston (since 1904), Milwaukee's Bradford Beach (since 1916), New Hampshire, and New Jersey. Some, such as Minnesota's, are held to raise proceeds for the Special Olympics. Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College also organizes an annual "Polar Plunge for Health Equity" into Occom Pond.
24%
568 votes
Midsummer polar plunge (Antarctica) - A polar plunge is also held every midsummer in Antarctica (a rite of passage for scientists and visitors to New Zealand's Scott Base). It is held in late December.
2%
51 votes
all
3%
67 votes
none
49%
1156 votes
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If you have not done a polar bear plunge, would you like to?
Yes
6%
147 votes
No
75%
1774 votes
Undecided
8%
191 votes
Not Applicable
11%
257 votes
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