Vineyarders plunged into 2019 Island-wide on Tuesday, as many indomitable souls took part in the annual tradition of washing away the previous year and welcoming the new one with a dip in the soothing, 40-degree waters of the Atlantic and Vineyard Sound.
At Lambert’s Cove Beach in West Tisbury, longtime polar bears Wayne (Duke) Smith, Jeff Ciciora and Mark Baumhofer stripped down to their bathing suits and sprinted through the New Year’s Day fog on their way into the Vineyard Sound. The trio said this was nearly their 20th annual plunge, with the weather on Tuesday being some of the best they’ve encountered. Although the water was frigid enough to cold-stun both sea turtles and humans alike, it was comfortable on the beach at 53 degrees.
“You know, it’s actually not too bad,” Mr. Ciciora said, a towel loosely draped around his neck.
Mr. Smith had shoulder surgery in 2018. For the first day of 2019, icing those muscles wouldn’t be necessary. The plunge took care of that. With teeth chattering and pecs flexed (from cold, not vanity) he posed for a photo with his penguin neighbors. He said the 2019 plunge may be his last.
“My girlfriend doesn’t want me to get a heart attack,” he said.
Over on the south side of the Island, about 40 joggers raced through the mud and washed off in the water during the first annual Freezin’ For A Reason 5K and Polar Plunge. The event was organized by the Martha’s Vineyard Hurricanes and the Martha’s Vineyard Running company to raise money for the West Tisbury School PTO scholarship fund.
The course wound up and down Long Point nature preserve in West Tisbury, ending right where it started: at the beach. After winner Corbin Buchwald finished the race with a time of 21 minutes, 43 seconds, the rest of the runners came trickling behind, some of whom were ready for a quick rinse in waves. Equipped with a thick layer of sweat and little else, about 10 runners raced to meet the eight-foot ocean swells. After running five kilometers, a sprint into the water wasn’t a problem for most. The real race was to see who could get out the fastest.
“It’s actually quite lovely,” said runner and plunger Avery Stern.
Chris Shafer agreed. “I’m warm. I’m actually warm,” he said, his towel serving a dual purpose as both a sweat and sea sopper.
“When it’s this warm outside, and it’s that cold in the water, your body achieves a, shall we say, homeostasis,” Ms. Stern added.
This was Ms. Stern’s first 5K after multiple surgeries on her leg. It was Mr. Shafer’s first 5K ever.
After trudging across the finish line, Mr. Shafer had a lot less trouble sprinting into the ocean. He found the water so pleasant he went in twice, adding that he was already excited for the 2020 plunge.
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