The weather last Saturday was warm enough for a swim — and that’s the problem, said members of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, who protested the summery weather by walking to the water’s edge, bowing their heads in silent protest, and walking away.
On a typical January weekend, of course, the Polar Bear Club, the Arctic Ice Breakers, and several other winter-swimming clubs would have been neck deep in the drink. But with the mercury hitting 71, the bathing beauties went public with their disgust.
“This is ridiculous,” said Tony Nastro, a five-year Polar Bear, who participated in Saturday’s protest and experienced a reverse form of seasonal affective disorder.
“I know a lot of people enjoy warm weather, but somebody had to take a stand and say, ‘This is wrong.’”
Nearby on the sand, two girls frolicked as if it was mid-summer. Nastro just shook his head in disgust and walked away.
An hour later, the Arctic Ice Breakers had its own “non-swim.”
The irony of the warm weather was not lost on club members.
Polar bears, after all, are one of the species that are now considered endangered because of global warming — but clearly, it’s not just the kind in the arctic.
Saturday’s non-swim didn’t raise any money for the world’s imperiled polar bears, but it did put their plight on the weather map.
“This is not about raising money,” said Polar Bear club spokesman George Shea. “It’s about raising awareness. Anyone can raise money, but raising awareness, ah, that’s much more important.”
