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Polar Bear Swim 2009 (89th Annual)

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
January 1, 2009

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. 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.

2009 Event Photo Gallery

Photos courtesy Cliff Lemire, except as noted  -  Click on thumbnail to view full-size image

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Registering? Yes, you can be a prize winner
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New Westminster "Katimavik" team jump to the swim
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You boys be good now!
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It's a family event
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(L-R) Parks General Mgr. Susan Mundick, MLA Spencer Herbert, Commissioners Stuart MacKinnon, Raj Hundal (Chair), and Aaron Jasper
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Ahoy, we have a boat
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Peguins fish for their meal
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Sombrero team "Photo op" tradition continues
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Polar Bear Police support team
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Clowning around!
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The flag drops, the swim starts
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Peter Pantages Memorial swim dash to the buoy
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Trouble! An overturned kayak
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Even "Superman" is already out of the water
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Winter frolics!
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Should we drop the puck? Where's our goalie?
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Happy New Year! The water is fine!
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Parasols - for sun protection
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Police dive team get their "Polar Bear" buttons
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Final button presentations by The Province's Daryl Palmer
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Check out his buttons
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Trophy Winners Agatha Soful and Trevor Olson
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The Presentation Team (L-R) MLA Spencer Herbert, Polar Bear Club Pres. Lisa Pantages, Agatha Soful, Park Board Chair Raj Hundal, Trevor Olson, Commissioners Constance Barnes, Aaron Jasper, Sarah Blyth and son.
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Our team

2009 Event Statistics

 
2008
2009
Air Temperature 5°C / 41°F 4°C / 40°F
Water Temperature 6.5°C / 44°F 6°C / 43°F
Weather Cloudy Drizzle/Sun
No. of Registered Swimmers (record 2,128 in 2000, previous record 2,095 in 1983) 1,787 1588
Winner of the Peter Pantages Memorial Trophy 1st: Trevor Olson
2nd: Tom Springer
3rd: Erik Reid

1st female: Khristie Zychowka
1st: Trevor Olson
2nd: Michael Wendt
3rd: Herman Wagner

1st female: Agatha Soful
President Polar Bear Swim Club Lisa Pantages Lisa Pantages
Past President Basil Pantages Basil Pantages
Announcer Jeff Low Peter Henderson
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

2009 Polar Bear Swim Prize Winners

Many thanks to the following companies who donated prizes to the 2009 swim :

99.3 THE FOX
AQUABUS
CELESTIAL SEASONINGS TEA
COCA-COLA
DULCINEA CHOCOLATE CAFÉ ON DENMAN
NANDO'S CHICKEN
PROVINCE NEWSPAPER
STEPHO'S SOUVLAKI GREEK TAVERNA          
SYLVIA HOTEL
VANCOUVER PARK BOARD
VAN DUSEN GARDENS
WATERMARK RESTAURANT AT KITS BEACH

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

Troy Beckingham
Maple Ridge

Laura Braaten
Vancouver

Caylem Chambers
Vancouver

Philip Di Tomaso
Vancouver

Mazyar Emami
North Vancouver

Melanie Flynn
Vancouver

Cindy Graves
Vancouver

Claire Hamilton
Vancouver
Cierra Harris
Surrey

Jason Hendrikson
Vancouver

Allyson Hood
Vancouver

Robert Ingram
Vancouver

Mill Jawed
Burnaby

Angela Johnston
New Westminster

Cathie McMillan
Delta

Tom Merth
Anmore

Darko Mihaslovic
North Vancouver
Naidan Lhamsuren
Coquitlam

Thu Pham
Vancouver

Syd Russell
Burnaby

Caratia Sherwin
Vancouver

Shawn Stewart
Vancouver

Fred Swindells
Burnaby

Guo Wei Si Tu
Vancouver

Darren Wong
Surrey

Winners will be notified by mail