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Join the Jacksonport Polar Bear Club and live to tell about it! |
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All participants should sign the waiver each year. You may do this
at the official PBC tent or download it here.
If you download it and fill it out in advance, you will have more
time to spend on the ice!
Waiver is in PDF format |
by J.R. Jarosh
Protective footwear
- Wear something on your feet, i.e., old tennis shoes or "aqua socks," etc. to prevent cuts on your feet from the ice and to prevent your feet from sticking to the snow and ice on shore.
Warm boots after swim
- Have warm/dry boots or shoes to put on once you get out of the lake. This is an important point – once your feet get cold, your entire body will want to go on strike. Not good for a long walk back to your car.
Blanket to sit on
- Bring an old blanket or towel to put down on the icy shoreline to sit down on and change before/after the swim. I learned this the hard way after my swimming suit froze to the ground with me in it!
Do you wear glasses?
- If you wear glasses, we suggest you obtain an "athletic strap" or something similar to hold them to your face, or not wear them at all! It is quite difficult to find glasses that have been been dropped in the water on a sandy and icy beach, and it you find them, you may not want them after all!
The swim is at noon but arrive early
- The swim itself is exactly at noon – but get there by 11:00AM for food, drinks (non-alcoholic drinks recommended – real polar bears can do this sober) and to get a decent parking place. You'll be glad afterwards when the walk back to your car is 1 block instead of 5 or 6!
Set up camp
- Once you get to the park, make your way to the shore and find a place for your blanket and stuff in the "swimmers only" area marked by two 6-foot polar bears holding a "JPBC" banner. This will save you mass confusion at the last minute and give you a fun photo opportunity.
3...2...1...
- Several minutes before noon, get to your blanket/changing area to begin to disrobe. At 10 seconds before noon, the countdown will be on – when it gets to "ZERO!" we'll hit the water with an enthusiastic yell.
Savor the moment
- Finally, the swim will be over before your goosebumps know what hit them, so savor the moment out in the lake with your fellow Polar Bears – "High Fives" and "Happy New Year" greetings never feel so good and you've got 364 days until next time!
The Jacksonport Polar Bear Club has decided to pre-sell the 2012 Polar Bear Shirts. The shirt this year will be a long sleeved T-shirt in a Indigo blue for Adults in sizes S,M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL and Marine Blue for Youth in size L. All shirts are $20.00. A portion of our sales will go to the Jacksonport Fire Department who have been instrumental in assisting with the annual Polar Bear event.
The "Feed The Fish" DVD will also be available for the sale price of $20.00.
We have had many requests for this DVD. The film stars Emmy award winner Tony Shaloub. Many local people who were in the film have had a chance to see it. Many have requested their own copy to share and show to friends and family.
To order your 2012 Jacksonport Polar Bear Club shirt or "Feed The Fish" DVD please print your order and send your check for the total amount ($20 each item) and made out to Jacksonport Polar Bear Club to:
Jacksonport Polar Bear Club
6275 Hwy. 57
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235920-823-2288
You may also stop at Jacksonport Craft Cottage Gifts to place your order. All paid orders can be picked up the week prior to the swim at the Jacksonport Craft Cottage. Shirts will be available at the swim on a first come basis. To assure that you and family members get a 2012 shirt please place your orders now. If you want shirts or the DVD for holiday gifts please call the Craft Cottage for shipping information.
After January 1, some items may still be available through the year at the Jacksonport Craft Cottage.
Joe Peterson is a burned-out children's book writer who's on the brink of a mid-life crisis. With his career at a standstill and his relationship in shambles, he leaves town with his best friend to do the Polar Bear Plunge in the dead of winter in Northern Wisconsin. On his quest for inspiration, Joe encounters three generations of dysfunctional family that includes an obsessed law enforcement professional, a wise old fisherman and a muse with a pair of hockey skates. With the crew's help, Joe finds his lost passion, survives an assault by a tyrannical ex-girlfriend, and stays out of the way of the law. In the end, he gets the girl and publishes again but not before testing the icy waters of Lake Michigan on a snowy winter day. You did it! Get proof!
- Get your free Jacksonport Polar Bear Club certificate of achievement after the swim at the welcome tent. T-shirts, sweatshirts, towels and hats are also available at reasonable prices, while available. Proceeds go to the Jacksonport Fire Dept.
- Mike's Port Pub across the street from Lakeside Park will be open and jammin' – stop in to warm up. You'll find it a dramatic difference from ice activities! J.J.s will be open – with a live band after the swim.
If you still have questions, contact Joe or Sue Jarosh at (920) 823-2288.
