Event: 2018 Sons of Ireland Polar Bear Plunge
This man’s sign pretty much says it all for this year’s version of the Sons of Ireland Polar Bear Plunge.
Yes indeedy. It was cold.
Like, really cold.
Really, really cold!
Hard to believe, but this was my 10th SOI Polar Bear Plunge to shoot. It was back in January 2009 that I was looking for some interesting people to shoot.
And while the day was clear, this was by far the coldest. Heck, other New Jersey towns cancelled their plunges.
No the Sons of Ireland though. They soldiered on to raise money for the charities benefiting this years plunge.
Truth be told, numbers were down. Plungers numbers were less, as were the typical day-of walk-through numbers. It was just so dang cold in Asbury Park, less people ventured out.
Overall though, this was one of my best plunge events: The gear stayed dry, I stayed dry, and I got some good photos. (I’m working on a post that will detail how I get ready for these type of events. Might help someone else looking to do it.)
A big thanks needs to go out to the Asbury Park Surf Guards. I’m sure there was much discussion about what can happen when people exit the water (which was about 42 degrees, normal for this time of year) into 19 degree air temps. As usual, the surf guards kept close watch on everyone and, from what I understand, there were no issues.
Yup, this one pretty much sums up the day.
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