On New Year’s Day, some brave people will be welcoming in the new year with a plunge in the Puget Sound at Golden Gardens. It’s called the Polar Bear Plunge, started four years ago by Ballard resident Rick Sandvig. The brave polar bears will be out at 11 a.m. this year.
Last year was a record turnout for the plunge, with over 200 suited up for the chilly dip. Sandvig says he started the tradition after seeing it happen in Vancouver, B.C. a few years ago.
Liv, who did her first polar bear plunge last year, told My Ballard that it wasn’t too bad. “It wasn’t as cold as I thought it was going to be. It was the shock, oh my god it’s so cold, but once you got out, it’s so warm out, it’s like summer on the beach.”
Click here for a video of last year’s polar bears.
![](https://www.myballard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-My-Ballard-Tile-Ad-Troop-100.png")
![](https://www.myballard.com/wp-content/uploads/My-Ballard-ad-1.png")
