Coney Island Polar Bear Club hosts New Year’s Day ocean plunge

Thousands of people rush into the waters off Coney Island to welcome in the new year in 2023.
Photo by Paul Frangipane/Brooklyn Eagle

CONEY ISLAND — WHILE MANY NEW YORKERS WILL BE RECOVERING FROM NEW YEAR’S EVE REVELRY, a group of hardy swimmers will gather the morning of Jan. 1 to dive into the ocean.

They are the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, which has since 1903 hosted its Plunge, which attracts people from around the world. Its members will participate in the club’s iconic 103rd Annual Coney Island Polar Bear Club New Year’s Day Plunge at 11 a.m. on Thursday, at the Boardwalk and Stillwell Avenue.

Free registration for the Polar Bear Plunge is still open as of Dec. 31, via coneyislandpolarbearclub.com , but many participants donate and have already raised over $60,000 for the local community. Participants donating $50 or more will receive a limited-edition Polar Bear Plunge Beanie. All funds raised will benefit various non-profit organizations in the Coney Island community.

The event’s co-sponsor, the not-for-profit Alliance for Coney Island, Inc. is a private-public partnership dedicated to continuing the year-round revitalization of Coney Island. The Alliance represents local businesses, nonprofits, and the community, with support from the New York City Council, the Brooklyn Borough President and New York City Economic Development Corporation.

✰✰✰