Polar Bear Swim 2007 (87th Annual)

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
January 1, 2007

• History
• Safety Tips
• Statistics

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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. Your free membership includes a commemorative button after you take the plunge.

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

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2007 Event Photo Gallery

Photos courtesy Cliff Lemire, M Pepin (#8,9)  -  Click on thumbnail to view full-size image

1. Sombreros are us!	2. Penguins for the swim	3. Tigger, Tigger why do I see two of you?	4. Laughing Hats
5. New Viking recruits	6. Blueman Group	7. 1st registrant R Fromow from the UK	8. Get Ready ...
9. Go!	10. It's a close race	11. The winners are ...	12. 1st Male & 1st Female
13. Repeat Champion Trevor Olson	14. Pantages Clan tradition continues	15. Province Staff and Volunteers handing out buttons	16. All for the sake of a button???
17. Councillor Suzanne Anton, Lisa Pantages and Commissioner Korina Houghton after the event	18. President of the Lifeguard Association with all the buttons ...	19. Have you found my missing red nose?	20. The last swimmers of the day.

2007 Event Statistics

	2006	2007
Air Temperature	10°C / 50°F	8°C / 46 °F
Water Temperature	8.5°C / 47°F	8°C / 46°F
Weather	Cloudy	Rain
No. of Registered Swimmers (record 2,128 in 2000, previous record 2,095 in 1983)	1,560	1,601
Winner of the Peter Pantages Memorial Trophy	1st: Trevor Olson 2nd: Richard Buckley 3rd: Erik Reid 1st Female: Alysha Loney	1st: Trevor Olson 2nd: Erik Reid 3rd: Harley Binder 1st Female: Mabel Elmore
President Polar Bear Swim Club	Lisa Pantages	Lisa Pantages
Past President	Basil Pantages	Basil Pantages
Announcer	Dave Bobenic	Mike Cohen
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 / MOJO	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

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2007 Event Prize Winners

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

Chantal Seguin Vancouver, BC Marix Massyn Vancouver, BC Joe Mongatal Vancouver, BC Rita Robinson New Westminster, BC Melissa Mendoza Vancouver, BC Barry Weinbaum Vancouver, BC Ryan Mickey Langley, BC

Ted Williams Burnaby, BC Ran Guin Vancouver, BC Martin Skala Vancouver, BC Ed Wou Vancouver, BC Flo Dyck Vancouver, BC Jackson Washington Vancouver, BC Maria Fredricksson Vancouver, BC

Don Jackson Surrey, BC Madeline Smith Vancouver, BC Tyla Rosmini Vancouver, BC Jessye Jacob-Ferman Vancouver, BC Shannon Mortimer Burnaby, BC Lisa Robinson New Westminster, BC

Many thanks to the following companies who donated prizes to the 2007 swim

AQUABUS COCA-COLA COMMERCIAL AQUATIC SUPPLIES    99.3 THE FOX PROVINCE NEWSPAPER SPECTRA FOODS THE BOATHOUSE

ROMANO'S GRILL MILESTONE'S STEPHO'S SOUVLAKI GREEK TAVERNA SYLVIA HOTEL VANCOUVER PARK BOARD WATERMARK RESTAURANT AT KITS BEACH

2007 Polar Bear Swim T-Shirts

There is still a limited supply of T-shirts available at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, 1050 Beach Ave. Cost reduced to $15 each.

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