POSTED: Friday, Jan. 01, 2010

Whatcom residents take plunge into 2010

The weather conditions seemed more appropriate for ducks than polar bears, but the traditional New Year's Day plunge was still a big hit for hundreds of revelers at both Lake Padden and Birch Bay.

At Bellingham's Lake Padden, many participants who had finished up the 11 a.m. fun run were anxious to take the plunge into the water. While the air temperature was in the 50s, the gusty winds producing white caps on the lake provided a bit of a chill, especially for those who had just worked up a sweat jogging more than two miles around the lake.

"We just felt so cold waiting that we decided to get it over with early," said Micah Bartlett, who jumped into the lake at 11:30 a.m. along with Anika Ahmed.

When the announcement came that it was one minute before noon, hundreds of people dressed in swimsuits and costumes threw caution to the gusty winds and jumped right in, to the amusement of hundreds of others who had come merely to watch. By the time it was 20 seconds after noon, there were only a few dozen people still in the water.

"The water itself was much colder than I remember it the past three years," said Molly Fay, who joined seven other women in Cat-in-the-Hat costumes into the waters of Lake Padden.

"It really just sucks the air right out of you when you jump in, but we still love it," Jessica Johnson, also sporting a Cat-in-the-Hat costume. The group has been dressing up in different costumes and taking the plunge for the past nine years, with many in the group saying it's just a great way to kick off the New Year. After they plunge, they planned to go home and warm up again with soup.

At the Birch Bay Polar Bear Plunge, there were more than 300 registered participants and hundreds more unregistered people that decided to brave the waters, said Lisa Guthrie, president of the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce. She said people also lined the road from the Bay Center Market south past the Blue Fish Restaurant to watch.

"I would have thought that the economy would have meant a lighter turnout, but this was bigger than last year," Guthrie said.

The oldest registered participant at Birch Bay was 80 years old, while the youngest was 18 months, Guthrie said.

Reach Dave Gallagher at 715-2269 or dave.gallagher@bellinghamherald.com. Visit his business blog online at http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/business or get updates on Twitter at twitter.com/BhamHeraldBiz.