Canadians go for frosty New Year’s Day swim in annual polar bear plunges
VANCOUVER — C.J. Pentland has made it a tradition to celebrate New Year’s Day by experiencing the chilly waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Every year, the 24-year-old and his family and friends dress up as Santa and his reindeer, and join thousands of others in Vancouver’s polar bear swim.
“There’s no better way to ring in the New Year, I think,” said a soaking Pentland, homemade antlers atop his head.
His dad, John Pentland, stood in the surf wearing a wet Santa costume, complete with a hat and white beard, and said the polar bear swim is simply tradition for the family.