Inside Vancouver

Plunge into the New Year at the 2015 Polar Bear Swim!

by Carrie Leslie in Uncategorized on December 29, 2014

Image courtesy of GoToVan | Flickr.com

There’s nothing quite like shaking off a hangover by plunging into the frigid waters of English Bay with thousands of other like-minded (read: crazy) individuals. This year, why not kick off 2015 right — with a mild case of hypothermia and an endless stream of shivers?

First started in 1920, the Polar Bear Swim was organized by the Polar Bear Swim club (if you want to join and get a free button, membership is free) who got 10 people to plunge into the water on New Years Day. Nowadays, more than 2,000 people are likely to show up (2014 had the record year with 2,550 official participants) and costumes are highly encouraged.

Continue reading:
Plunge into the New Year at the 2015 Polar Bear Swim!

Vancouver New Year’s Eve Top Events

by Vikki Leung in Uncategorized on December 29, 2014

Vancouver New Year's Eve Top Events

Still need ideas for your ultimate New Year’s Eve Vancouver experience? Ring in 2015 with a bang with our top picks!

Translink is offering free fares from 5:00PM December 31st – 5:00AM January 1st. Leave your car at home if you’ll be drinking.

Tourism Vancouver’s Visitor Centre and Tickets Tonight will be closed on January 1st.

Continue reading:
Vancouver New Year’s Eve Top Events

Vancouver New Year’s Eve Top Events

by Vikki Leung in Uncategorized on December 24, 2013

Vancouver New Year's Eve Top Events

Have you started planning for your ultimate New Year’s Eve Vancouver experience yet? Ring in 2014 with a bang with our top picks!

Continue reading:
Vancouver New Year’s Eve Top Events

Will You take the Plunge at the 93rd Annual Polar Bear Swim?

by Carrie Leslie in Uncategorized on December 19, 2013

The faces say it all.
Image courtesy of GoToVan | Flickr.com

The Polar Bear Swim is an icy, scream-inducing tradition that happens every New Year’s Day on the frigid beaches of English Bay. An event for the fearless, the adventurous and yes–the crazy, the 93rd annual Polar Bear Swim in Vancouver is being held at 2:30pm, January 1st, 2014 at English Bay Beach for those of you that want to kick off the new year shivering, half-naked, and freezing.

Continue reading:
Will You take the Plunge at the 93rd Annual Polar Bear Swim?

Best New Year’s Hangover Remedy? Vancouver Polar Bear Swim: Jan 1, 2013

by Remy Scalza in Outside on December 22, 2012

Photo credit: wanderunghike | Flickr

The extended forecast in Vancouver for Jan. 1, 2013, calls for strong thunderstorms and a high of 5 degrees Celsius.

Perfect weather for a swim.

For the last 92 years, the Vancouver Polar Bear Club has marked New Year’s Day with a frosty dip in the city’s English Bay. This year will be no exception. Thousands of hardy swimmers – many of them fresh from New Year’s Eve parties – are expected to gather on English Bay Beach on the afternoon of Jan. 1 to take the plunge.

The tradition started back in 1920 when local legend Peter Pantages led 10 swimmers into the icy water as part of the inaugural Polar Bear Swim. That number has grown steadily over the last century, with a record 2,246 registered swimmers turning out for the 2011 Polar Bear Swim (The actual number of total swimmers each year is estimated to be as high as 10,000).

As veteran Polar Bears know, the annual dip is as much a party as it is a test of wills. Continue reading:
Best New Year’s Hangover Remedy? Vancouver Polar Bear Swim: Jan 1, 2013

Dive into 2012: Vancouver Polar Bear Swim January 1

by Dana Lynch in Events on December 28, 2011

Vancouver Polar Bear Swim. Photo: The Korea Times

Feel like doing something totally different—and definitely invigorating—to welcome in the New Year? How about diving into 2012 with thousands of other Vancouverites by taking a plunge into the chilly waters off English Bay Beach this Sunday, January 1, during the 92nd annual Vancouver Polar Bear Swim?

Though there’s a global tradition of Polar Bear Plunges—winter swims usually organized as charity fundraisers—Vancouver’s beloved and crazy Polar Bear Swim is one of the largest and oldest in the world. First held in 1920, the Vancouver Polar Bear Swim reached its zenith in 2011, with 2,246 swimmers!

Continue reading:
Dive into 2012: Vancouver Polar Bear Swim January 1

Dive into 2011: The 91st Annual Vancouver Polar Bear Swim on January 1

by Dana Lynch in Events on December 30, 2010

Vancouver Polar Bear Swim 2010. Photo: Steve Bosch, PNG / Richmond News

If there’s one New Year’s tradition that will definitely shock your system, it’s the annual Vancouver Polar Bear Swim. Join over a thousand Vancouverites at this crazy, beloved tradition and plunge into 2011 with a dip in the chilly waters off English Bay Beach this Saturday, January 1.

Polar Bear Plunges–winter swims often organized as charity fundraisers–happen all over the globe. But when it comes to New Year’s Day Plunges, the Vancouver Polar Bear Swim is one of the largest and oldest in the world. First held in 1920, the Vancouver Polar Bear Swim reached its zenith in 2000, with over 2,000 swimmers.

Continue reading:
Dive into 2011: The 91st Annual Vancouver Polar Bear Swim on January 1