This past Saturday marked the 14th Annual Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge. Dubbed "The World's Largest Plunge," the event raised $3 million for Special Olympics Maryland. Temperatures were in the mid to late teens during the afternoon of the event, with water temperatures at 35 degrees and winds at 13 mph. On top of that, it was the first time in the event's history that it snowed.
Would you take this plunge to raise money for a worthy cause? Also, can you think of some captions for the above photos? Go ahead, get your feet wet.
Please note that the water temperature was warmer than the air temperature. Participants went into the water to warm up.
I am heading to the Fitness Center in a few minutes. The air temperature is 14 degrees. I'm taking my own Polar Bear Plunge this morning as I am wearing workout shorts.
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 05:48 AM
Don't know about any of you, but a couple of lines from the movie, "Jaws" came to mind as possible post photo captions, i.e., "Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water" and "We're going to need a bigger boat."
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 05:50 AM
Wyoming Special Olympics tries to raise money with a massive number of repeat phone requests. For that reason, I might caption these photos:
"A great alternative to telemarketing!"
Posted by: PEACEsista | February 01, 2010 at 09:27 AM
That's the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the background of the bottom photo, by the way.
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 09:27 AM
No way would I do that. No matter what the cause. I'll sign up for the koala bear plunge: http://www.financejobsabroad.com.au/images/australia/gallery/koala%20bear.jpg
Posted by: Jerseysista | February 01, 2010 at 09:28 AM
Great caption, PEACEsista!
There's got to be a caption for the first photo. I think the woman on the right is wearing pajamas or a bathrobe with gloves and a hat. All that is missing is the Alexander McQueen shoes.
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 09:29 AM
Jersey, you wimp! (though the photo is endearing). You wouldn't do the plunge for an enticing kitchen gadget?
http://gadgether.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/kitchen-gadgets-microwave-smores.jpg
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 09:32 AM
Only once have I jumped in freezing water and it was at the North Pole!
I was on an ice-breaker trip with my parents and 13-year-old twin sons. The boys were definitely planning to jump in at the pole, but I had no intention to do that, until I saw an 80-year-old British woman in her swim cap and suit. CRAP! If SHE could do it, certainly I could, too. I wanted to be as brave and risky as her when I was 80. (I was in my early 40's.)
The crew tied a rope around my waist before I jumped in and the young doctor stood by with the defibrillator in case my heart stopped! They did this for each person ... except one hot-shot Russian, polar explorer, crew member who just dove in. All survived ... quite a party after ... and, of course, I have pictures to prove it!
Would I do it for a cause? Not just for any ol' cause, but maybe to raise money for a family member or Sassistas!
Posted by: PEACEsista | February 01, 2010 at 10:06 AM
I can't imagine doing this, but perhaps if I was acclimated to northern temps? Right now, we don't go into the ocean water unless it's warmer than 75-80 degrees F. Betcha you could find a bunch of Canadians who'd do it - I recall watching sunburnt Canadians diving into the ocean during wintertime and thinking they were out of their minds ;-)
That one dude could pass for a polar bear if he had a white woolly suit on...
Posted by: Chrysosistah | February 01, 2010 at 10:12 AM
PEACEsista -- are any of those photos of you at the North Pole digitized? If so, please send one to me and I'll post it here. Seeing is believing, my friend.
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 10:24 AM
It's on FILM! I am not tech-savvy enough to scan and send, but if noway can help me with that tonight, I'll add a photo.
Posted by: PEACEsista | February 01, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Nope, I'd never do it to raise money or prove I was brave and risky, but I'd do it to save a life. Otherwise, I'll go without a shower for days if the hot water is out.
Can't think of a caption, but the lady in the black one piece in the middle photo was in line in front of me at the Winn Dixie this morning. I'm telling you, it was her! She barely had more on than that too, so she must be one hot mama.
Posted by: babysis | February 01, 2010 at 11:56 AM
PEACE, I'm completely impressed! Not only that you took the plunge, but that you went to the North Pole. Flann and I laugh about how you and noway must chuckle about our "terrible" weather.
I'm such a wimp when it comes to cold weather. (I got frostbite on my finger tips as a kid, but if I'm dressed warmly I can deal with it.) I always tell Flann that I'm made for warm, weather climates. Just looking at those photos makes me shiver. Although I must admit, in the top photo of the burly man, he doesn't look all that cold.
Would I do this? No way! Would I pay someone else to do it for a worthy cause?! Yes.
The only time I would take the plunge would be to save someone. You don't have time to think about it; you just react. (I see now that babysis and I think alike.)
Posted by: Matissta | February 01, 2010 at 12:11 PM
Well, being that I'm such a competitive sista, I would plunge into the frigid waters of the North Pole in my late 50's just to top PEACE doing it in her early 40's. That's kind of an outrageous thing for me to say because I don't even like to take hot showers.
babysis -- you could NOT have seen that hot mama at the Winn Dixie this morning because I saw her at the Fitness Center up here -- getting ready to do laps, wearing the same suit.
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 01:20 PM
No one have a caption for the bottom photo in which that girl on the right has her hand over her heart?
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 01:20 PM
One more thing -- I posted a poem about a bear yesterday. Today it's the Polar Bear Plunge . . . what will tomorrow's post bear?
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 01:22 PM
Where's the defibrillator?!
Posted by: Matissta | February 01, 2010 at 01:22 PM
Not bad, Matiss. How about this one?:
"I guess I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue."
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 01:28 PM
"I've lost my breasts! I think they snapped off from the cold!"
Posted by: Matissta | February 01, 2010 at 01:46 PM
Wow, Matiss -- your last caption may be closer to the truth than we realize. Those two girls clasping wrists in the same photo have probably just spied that girl's breasts and don't want to step on them.
And now I'm wondering if, unbeknownst to me, I lost my own breasts during a cold snap.
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 01:52 PM
I can bearly stand the wait, Flannista! ;-)
Posted by: Chrysosistah | February 01, 2010 at 02:46 PM
Grin and bear it, baby doll . . . kinda like the Harley Davidson dude in the top photo.
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 02:58 PM
Found another photo of Jerseysista's idea of a polar bear plunge:
http://www.wholistichealingresearch.com/user_files/images/.resized/.resized_306x228_polar_bear_sleeping.JPG
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 03:00 PM
Speaking of bears, haven't seen ours in a few weeks, although a few other neighbors in the community have spotted at least one bear about one week ago. Not sure what's up with that, as our bears do not hibernate, to my knowledge...
Posted by: Chrysosistah | February 01, 2010 at 03:16 PM
We'll have to defer to Jerseysista on this, Chryso, as she is our expert on hibernation. Of course, we can't be certain when she'll wake up and read the sass feed. Maybe I'll head over to her house with a bucket of ice water.
Posted by: Flannista | February 01, 2010 at 03:18 PM