Despite the cancellation of the "official" Squamish polar bear swim, a few hardy locals took a chilly plunge just after midnight on Saturday (Jan. 1) to ring in 2011.
Lars Uunila and Todd Gerhart, continuing a practice that started last year among some residents of the Raven's Plateau area of Valleycliffe, were among those who went for a swim in the Stawamus River, despite temperatures in the -5 degrees C range.
"A brave few" enjoyed a refreshing dip in their skivvies, Uunila wrote in an email to The Chief. This is the second year that a few residents have decided to take the plunge for New Year's, he said. Some have also chosen to do so on other occasions, including Canada's gold-medal victory over the United States in the 2010 Winter Olympics last February, he said.
