Sixty-nine-year-old Len Homenchuk opens his raccoon coat to show off his original 1920s bathing suit, worn from Polar Bear swims gone by.
He's been a regular sight on Davis Bay's waterfront every Jan. 1 for the past 15 years.
"I get a real kick out of it. I've been doing it ever since I moved here," Homenchuk said.
He drops the coat, keeping on his raccoon skin hat, and proudly struts in his bathing suit to the water's edge, awaiting his turn to dive in.
This was the 20th annual Polar Bear Swim in Davis Bay sponsored by the Lions Club and local merchants.
The roadway in front of Pier 17 was blocked off to allow swimmers and fans to crowd the roadway and nearby pier, vying for an unobstructed viewpoint.
Fourteen-year-old Katherine Short shivered at the registration table as she found out she was in the 13- to 18-year-old category, meaning a longer swim for her.
The swim in Davis Bay is more than just a dip or a battle to see who can brave the cold the longest.
Participants are divided into three categories, 12 and under, 13 to 18 and adult, to swim out to a buoy (placed farther away for the older swimmers) and back to shore. The first three to complete the task and step foot back on the beach win prizes from local merchants.
"I didn't even know there were prizes," said a shivering Katherine.
She has been taking part in the Polar Bear Swim for the past six years, even when her friends bailed on her at the last minute."It's something about the challenge. I just have to do it," she said.
Another pair of friends said they "pinky swore" to show up and swim on Jan. 1 at Davis Bay.
Michelle Schoor and Samantha Mills dressed up for the event as they've seen others do in years past. There have been men dressed as women, women dressed as men, people dressed as animals and some less-describable outfits over the years.
Mills and her new fiancé Bill Drinkwater were taking the plunge with Schoor and her boyfriend to commemorate the new engagement.
They joked about the cold and how they swore not to back out before getting close to the water's edge.
Some decided to test the water with a toe or a finger, only to wish they hadn't. One man decided he was finished after having a wave splash over his foot and causing it to go numb.
But many stayed and awaited their turn in the icy water. First the 12-and-under category took off from the beach with screams of delight - or pain - it's not clear which. Once they finished safely, a much smaller 13- to 18-year-old group set out, and all made the effort to make it to the buoy and back. Finally the adults took to the beach with a little bit more apprehension. On the word "go," some simply stepped into the waves before running back for the beach, while others had bets with friends to dunk their heads beneath the surface. Once that was accomplished, they quickly retreated as well. And some were determined to make it out to the buoy and back, swimming the distance of the pier in the frigid ocean water.
In Gibsons, a similar event took place, the Polar Boar Plunge, organized by John Rainer and the Gibsons Pigs Rugby Club. About 60 people came to Armours Beach to take the plunge.
Participants followed Bob Curry, affectionately dubbed the "old boar," into the cold ocean, took a dip and came back out to warm up in the clubhouse nearby with turkey soup and hot drinks.
"Each Polar Boar received official documentation and a prize for their heroics," said Rainer.
This is a tradition that has stood the test of time on the Coast and won't soon end.
