Do you dare to take the dip?
Organizers of Coney Island’s annual New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge officially opened registration for the teeth-chattering event on Monday.
Locals willing to brave the frigid waters can now sign up through the day of the plunge, according to plunge co-sponsors the Alliance for Coney Island and the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, who encourage daredevils to register in advance via the club’s website.
The free fund-raiser benefits local organizations including the Alliance, the New York Aquarium, Coney Island USA, and the Coney Island History Project, among others. Its organizers suggest divers donate a minimum of $25, and recommend that prospective plungers sign up ahead of time online, but added that participants can register in-person between 10 am and noon on Jan. 1, before the ocean dip begins at 1 pm sharp.
Swimmers will meet at the beach near Boardwalk and Stillwell avenues, before sprinting towards the bone-chilling watery abyss in groups of 500 to jump in for a good cause.
Organizers hope to collect at least $80,000 this year — nearly double the amount last year’s 1,200 swimmers raised on a day that saw icy ocean temperatures of 37 degrees — according to reps.
And the hosts recommend all plungers plan to bring a set of warm clothes, a towel, a camera to document the moment, and old sneakers to protect their feet in the cold.
Polar Bear Plunge [Riegelmann Boardwalk near Stillwell Avenue in Coney Island, (917) 533–3568, www.polarbearclub.org]. Jan. 1 at 1 pm. Free.
