Sunshine and swimsuits were the order of the day for some locals who wanted to ring in 2017 with a dip in Lake Washington.
“It felt like a super way to start the new year,” Kara Trella of Kenmore said after emerging from the water at Marina Park in Kirkland alongside her friend Tiffany Butts of Lynnwood. “We did it last year for the first time, and it was super refreshing.”
Trella and Butts were two of dozens of people who participated in the 15th annual Polar Bear Plunge on Jan. 1. The event also drew dozens of spectators to watch what participant Carol Schultz of Redmond called the “insanity.”
Shin Nishimura of Kirkland previously participated in the Polar Bear Plunge, and this year, he recruited his adult son Jordan Nishimura and a friend of his, Galen Knapp, to come along.
“It’s a tradition,” Shin Nishimura said after coming out of the water.
Jordan Nishimura admitted he was a little reluctant about participating, but he ultimately had a good time. “It’s fun,” he said. “I’ll do it again next year.”
Polar Bear Plunge participants enter Lake Washington at Marina Park in Kirkland. CATHERINE KRUMMEY/Kirkland Reporter
Polar Bear Plunge participants prepare to enter Lake Washington at Marina Park in Kirkland. CATHERINE KRUMMEY / Kirkland Reporter
Polar Bear Plunge participants prepare to enter Lake Washington at Marina Park in Kirkland. CATHERINE KRUMMEY / Kirkland Reporter
Polar Bear Plunge participants enter Lake Washington at Marina Park in Kirkland. CATHERINE KRUMMEY/Kirkland Reporter
Polar Bear Plunge participants enter Lake Washington at Marina Park in Kirkland. CATHERINE KRUMMEY/Kirkland Reporter
Polar Bear Plunge participants enter Lake Washington at Marina Park in Kirkland. CATHERINE KRUMMEY/Kirkland Reporter
Polar Bear Plunge participants enter Lake Washington at Marina Park in Kirkland. CATHERINE KRUMMEY/Kirkland Reporter
Some Polar Bear Plunge participants were brave enough to take a longer swim in Lake Washington at Marina Park in Kirkland. CATHERINE KRUMMEY / Kirkland Reporter
