A more than 70-year-old San Pedro tradition will return to Cabrillo Beach on New Year’s Day — with folks celebrating 2024’s arrival by splashing in the frigid ocean waves.
The annual Polar Bear swim, sponsored by the Cabrillo Beach Polar Bear Club, in which people spend the first day of the year diving into the waters of the outer beach, is one of the most popular and well-attended events in the historic port town.
The swim will begin at noon on Monday, Jan. 1.
The idea is to encourage folks to start the new year with some healthy exercise and outdoor fun.
But because it’s San Pedro, it’s also a reunion of sorts.
Typically, the crowd numbers in the high hundreds — they’re expecting 800 to 1,000 this year, said Polar Bear President Annie Donahue — with people of all ages taking part.
“Some people I only see on New Year’s Day,” Donahue said of the camaraderie that characterizes the event. “It’s a wonderful place to catch up with people you haven’t seen and to do something healthy.
“Someone mentioned it was like a cleansing,” Donahue added. “Dunking your head into the ocean, it’s very cleansing.”
While the club encourages getting wet “head to toe,” swimming isn’t required, though some folks will head out to a buoy and back again. Lifeguards are always on duty for the event.
Afterward, it’s hot chocolate and cupcake time — this year, the club will add coffee as well. The club will also have some new T-shirts, hats and sweatshirts for sale, provided by Calimucho, a San Pedro screen-printing business that’s locally owned.
Water temperatures, Donahue said, have remained a bit warmer this year so far and could be in the low 60s rather than the more typical 50s. But with rain in the forecast for Saturday, there will be a watchful eye on water quality issues, Donahue said, with lifeguards providing guidance.
This year’s king and queen are Jeremy Wehmeyer and his wife, Adriana Martinez Wehmeyer. They will be…
Read the full article here
