Polar Bear Plunge

3^rd year I’ve done it. This year was more brutally cold than any previous year. It was snowing — a wet, fluffy, get everywhere and freeze ya snow — and the beach was coated with it. Let’s put it this way, a friend of mine who wasn’t plunging said that the fog horn that started the (1pm) plunge… FROZE!
They had to cancel the 3pm plunge because of road conditions and mediccal concerns. Thankfully, not as many people showed up as in previous years. I would’ve liked to check out the music and beer gardens, but the roads were horrible, and I just wanted to get back home. I think they still did a good job and I’ll be out again next year! This time I didn’t catch anything… except a lack of feeling in my fingers, hands, feet, body, brain…

I have to agree with Michael H. The second-​most fun I have had without my clothes on in a long long time, and it is all about the people, the drink, the food and the plunge. Eight hours of solid tailgate partying took their toll on me but here is what I remember:
Tim; «oh my god — this is like the best day of my life»
Thing #1: «Dad — is that guy Venu one of your facebook friends?»
— Yes
” Ahh — I knew he was — he is exactly what I thought someone from facebook would be like”
— Why do you say that?
” Because he is the craziest guy I have ever met in my life“
Lydia M — 11.00am «y’all are crazy I am so glad I am not doing this»
Lydia M — 2.30pm «sign me up — next year I am goin’ in «
Lydia H: «does anyone have a lemon zester with them, I only brought a peeler for the fresh ginger ?» (I mean come on Lydia H, wtf? We have standards you know).
Venu: «I love you guys, I really really really really love you guys»
Michael H: «what can I say, gorgeous women just love smearing food on my face»
add on Im Han’s hot buttered rum, Lydia H’s cranberry-​ginger-​rum, (Todd Thrasher eat your heart out) Michael H’s Black Bush, Venu’s 12 year old Macallan, Lydia M’s and Zach’s microbrew beers. We did not even get to the Hot Toddies. Five Star tailgate cocktails.
In all we had 17 plungers and a total party of about 35, thanks to friends, SOs and even children, all of whom received lots of hugs and high fives from their new Uncle Venu. We raised over $ 2500 for the Special Olympics — which is not bad in the 10 days or so since Im Han originally came up with the idea — and next year we are going to be back in force — and Lydia M and Michael H are both plunging too !!
A brief word on the plunge itself — i was expecting the water to be agonizingly cold, but whether it was the generous application of pre-​plunge medicine, the adrenaline, or us all doing it together it really was not problem at all — a quick in and out, dry off and back to the tailgate pleasure. Fabulous.
And oh yeah — the amount of alcohol consumed at this UYE certainly made up for the dearth of it at the previous three.

So, I have always wanted to do one of these. And doing one with a bunch of people you don’t know, for charity, seems even more fun. This was only my second Unilocal event, but the first where I really hung out with Unilocalers and not just people I brought.
The PBP was so awesome, and I second (or third?) everyone who said the people made the event. And the libations. And the cupcakes. Though I will say that later Saturday evening when I thought of all the things I mixed together (cranberry, rum, champagne, LOTS of cupcake icing, brats, chips, etc.), I realized that only sub-​freezing temperatures had warded off that stomach-​ache for so long.
But I digress. From the moment I first spotted the Irish flag strung from a barren tree branch to the daunting walk to the beach to the stripping down OUTSIDE of a heated tent to the stinging bare feet to the celebratory cigars to the great conversation and lots of laughs to the packing up, it was one hell of a day.
I have never had so much fun with a bunch of restaurant critics, poker players, and whiskey sippers (or in Venu’s case, gulpers). Can’t wait till next year!

SUCH a good time! The event itself is great, but what really made this for me was the amazingness of fellow Unilocalers. I’ve never seen so much gourmet food at a tailgate party before: Who makes hot buttered rum and hot cranberry & ginger drinks at a tailgate party? Paul M and Paul’s friends in particular made this event incredible. Im Han, Bassey, Zach, both Lydias and the rest of the crew made this something I’ll never forget! All I can say is that I feel extremely fortunate to have met everyone there and I had a fantastic time! Oh yeah: And before you can compliment me, I’ll post pictures of you that will cause you to sue me!