Polar Plunge draws smaller crowd
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POLSON — The sun was shining, the sky was blue and chunks of ice floated in Flathead Lake on New Year’s Day. It was time for the 12th annual Polar Plunge at Riverside Park. Only five people gathered to dunk themselves, and the temperature was 5 degrees on the First Citizen’s Bank reader board at 1 p.m., the traditional time for people to immerse themselves in the cold water of Flathead Lake.
Dave and Connie Bull have spearheaded the event for many years, and they were plungers as were Anita Big Spring, Nichole Davey and Colter Bull.
Dave broke his water temperature thermometer so no one knew how cold the water was, but Dave estimated it was near freezing because of the frozen pieces of ice floating in the water and rimming the shore.
Connie added that before this year, the coldest the temperature has been for the Polar Plunge was 15 degrees.
The Bulls commented that this was the smallest turnout for the event ever, adding that extreme cold may have kept plungers away. They noted there were more people for the inaugural polar plunge 12 years ago.
Two groups of brave plungers jumped into the lake after the Bulls’ group left, bringing the total to 11 folks for 2011, Dave added.
Regardless of the lower turn out, plungers tend to agree that jumping into frigid water is a good way to start the New Year and sluice off last year’s problems.
