Polar Bear Swim 2010 (90th Annual)

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
January 1, 2010

• History
• Safety Tips
• Statistics

The Vancouver Polar Bear Swim Club is one of the largest and oldest Polar Bear Clubs in the world. Its initial swim was in 1920 when a small number of hardy swimmers took the plunge into English Bay on New Year's Day. Led by their founder, Peter Pantages, the swim has grown from around 10 swimmers in that year to the record number of 2,128 official entries in 2000.

Today, the swim takes place at 2:30pm on the first day of each new year. Costumes and the Peter Pantages Memorial 100 yard swim race are the highlights of this event. To be a club member you must register before the swim. Registration takes place in front of the English Bay Bathhouse from 12:30pm - 2:30pm each New Year's Day. You may also register by clipping out the coupon in the Province Newspaper and presenting it at the registration desk the day of the swim. Donation of non-perishable food bank items will be accepted.

Your free membership includes a commemorative button after you take the plunge. Prizes will be drawn from the entry forms filled out or turned in from the Province newspaper at the Swim registration table.

For further information about the Vancouver Polar Bear Swim Club, contact: Glenn Schultz of the Vancouver Aquatic Centre.

• Top

2010 Event Photo Gallery

Photos courtesy Cliff Lemire  -  Click on thumbnail to view full-size image

It's a great Canadian tradition, eh!	The Peter Pantages Memorial 100 yard Swim is a go ...	Swimming in a bubble zone.	I earned my Polar Bear Swim souvenir button.
2010 is going to be a better year!	"Elvis" sighted at the Polar Bear Swim.	Traffic control at the Swim.	Penguins getting their lunch.
Sarah and Sean, the on site 99.3 The FOX staff team.	Some of the staff Lifeguard team.	The Vikings have returned for their annual dip.	Raring to go at the start line ...
... and they are off!	You don't have to stay in for a long time!	You're only a rookie once!	Just rolling along.
Lisa & John Pantages enjoying the family tradition.	Santa recruiting elves for next Christmas.	Oh baby!	It's a family endeavour.
Once again, clowning around at the swim.	Ian Young accepting the Pantages Trophy from Lisa Pantages & Park Chair, Commissioner, Aaron Jasper.	Trophy winners Kristy McIntyre & Ian Young.	Sean, Natasha, & Janka, reviving the old style swim outfits.

• Top

2010 Event Statistics

	2009	2010
Air Temperature	4°C / 40°F	9°C / 48°F
Water Temperature	6°C / 43°F	7°C / 45°F
Weather	Drizzle/Sun	Rain
No. of Registered Swimmers (record 2,128 in 2000, previous record 2,095 in 1983)	1588	1876
Winner of the Peter Pantages Memorial Trophy	1st: Trevor Olson 2nd: Michael Wendt 3rd: Herman Wagner 1st female: Agatha Soful	1st Ian Young 2nd Loughlan Rycroft 3rd Alamy Liu 1st female Kristy McIntyre
President Polar Bear Swim Club	Lisa Pantages	Lisa Pantages
Past President	Basil Pantages	Basil Pantages
Announcer	Peter Henderson	Sarah Goodman
Promotion and Commemorative Buttons	Province Newspaper, Vancouver Park Board, Pantages family, 99.3 the FOX	Province Newspaper, Vancouver Park Board, Pantages family, 99.3 the FOX
P.A. and Music	99.3 the FOX	99.3 the FOX
Safety and First Aid	Vancouver Park Board	Vancouver Park Board
Event Information	Glenn Schultz Vancouver Aquatic Centre 1050 Beach Avenue Vancouver, BC, V6E 1T7 Phone: 604-665-3418 Email: glenn.schultz@vancouver.ca

2010 Polar Bear Swim Prize Winners

Many thanks to the following companies who donated prizes to the 2010 swim :

99.3 THE FOX
AQUABUS
COCA-COLA
DULCINEA CHOCOLATE CAFÉ ON DENMAN
MAC'S CONVENIENCE STORE #1070 ON DAVIE
PROVINCE NEWSPAPER
STEPHO'S SOUVLAKI GREEK TAVERNA
VAN DUSEN GARDENS
VANCOUVER PARK BOARD

The following names were drawn for prizes from the signed entry forms received at English Bay Beach:

Nickolas Baric Vancouver Rudy Bartel Vancouver Bridie Bradley Vancouver Jenafor Bevans Vancouver Angel Dayupay Vancouver Julius Goes Vancouver Jason Humeniuk Surrey Hollis Johnson Fort Langley

Ralph Jahn Langley Jeff Jones Richmond Shane Karset Port Moody Terry Kelly Surrey Brian Latimer Vancouver Edwin Lee North Vancouver Robert Lee Chilliwack Robin Furby Port Moody

Trish Rescorla North Vancouver Garth Rohlenberg Vancouver Kristen Sivertz Vancouver George Smeltzer Vancouver Kai Sockville-Hii North Vancouver Sean Tynan Vancouver Ken Vimalesan Vancouver

 

• Top