The tradition of bringing in the New Year with a dip into an icy local waterway continues this year with the Squamish Polar Bear Swim 2022.
In 2021, the Jan. 1 group plunge was a wash due to the pandemic, though some hardy folks did individual dips.
This year, the event shifted from its traditional oceanfront spot at what is now Sp’akw’us Feather Park, to Alice Lake Provincial Park due to the ongoing construction of the oceanfront. But then, it shifted again in late December to Porteau Cove because Alice Lake froze over.
As always, the event is free and open to everyone.
Mike Wight, who has been organizing the event since its early ragtag days about a decade ago, says this is the first time the event has had to change locations.
The plunge will take place right at noon on New Year’s Day at the provincial park.
Because it is at a provincial park, unlike at the oceanfront, there won’t be a bonfire.
Porteau Cove has plenty of parking and a nice open beach so there are advantages to the temporary move this year, he said.
Wight described the annual icy start to the year as “super fun.”
“It is kind of like a fresh start for everybody,” he said. “It is a hangover cure for some people, but I just love the idea that it is completely free. It is a good laugh. People come to watch if they don’t want to swim.... It is just a really good Squamish vibe.”
He added that it is also fun that some folks don costumes and that in communities across Canada, folks are having their own polar bear swims.
“It is kind of fun that everybody is jumping in the water at mid-day,” he said.
For those who have always wanted to try the polar bear swim but have been hesitant, Wight says to remember, “It is all in the mind.”
“Everyone who does the polar bear swim tends to do it again... It is never as cold as you think it is going to be in your brain; it is just a real good endorphin rush after.”
He also notes that it is wise to bring shoes to wear into the water — to avoid numb bare feet on the gravel — and dress quickly after leaving the water.
“Have your clothes ready and your towel ready to change at the beach,” he said.
Follow the event on Facebook.
**Please note, this story was updated after the organizers shifted from Alice Lake to Porteau Cove for the event, due to freezing ice at the lake.
