Pig Man, Shark, And Squid Take The Polar Plunge

“Hello. You guys are all out of your minds.”

So said Dean Falcone of the Shellye Valauskas Experience to welcome the souls who were about to brave the 2015 Polar Bear Plunge at Lighthouse Point Park on New Year’s Day.

The Elm City Parks Conservancy holds the event every year as a fundraiser. Some participants were willing to risk hypothermia to funnel funds toward their own local parks. Others, like Loreen Lawrence, were just there to ring in the new year in freezing style. ​“My sister is one of the organizers and she talked me into it last year,” she said, ​“so now I’m a polar plunger.”

By 11:30 a.m. the bathers and the people who love them had gathered in the carousel building for a quick brunch, with music provided by the Experience.

Those in costume alternated between eating and talking to eager reporters.

At noon a small group of children sprinted into the icy waves while the adults at the shore cheered them on.

A half hour later a much larger group of grown-ups gathered at the edge of the surf. On the count of three, they rushed into the water, cheering and hollering.

Most of them were out again — sensibly — within a half a minute. The hardier among them stayed in the water for a quick swim, cavorting and high-fiving each other.

Afterward the bathers warmed up in hot tubs near the carousel building.

“One of the worst parts was getting salt water in my mask,” said artist Tony Juliano (pictured above), who has done the plunge for the past three years. ​“And I lost one of my shoes. But they were bad shoes anyway. It’s better than losing, you know, your blue suede shoes.”

Last out of the water was Meghan Finley of Morris Cove, who arrived just in time to launch herself into the water.

“It felt like jumping into a slushee,” she said. ​“I recommend it, though. It’s fun!”