Weekend events include Mike's Seafood Polar Bear Walk-Run for Autism at noon Sunday.
By Donald Wittkowski
Kevin Campbell is preparing himself for the shock that 40-degree ocean water is sure to have on his body.
Poking fun at his age, the 55-year-old engineer from Allentown, Pa., quipped that this may be his last chance to take a dip in such frigid water without it killing him.
“I think I can make it,” he assured, letting out a hearty laugh.
Come Saturday, Campbell will discover just how cold 40-degree water really is when he and thousands of other self-styled “polar bears” charge into the ocean during a madcap annual event in Sea Isle City.
The Polar Bear Plunge is the centerpiece of a weekend-long celebration of partying, dining and shopping that will draw tens of thousands of visitors to the beach town in the dead of winter.
“It’s like the Fourth of July in February. That’s the holiday I would compare it to, but with coats,” said John Korechko, a Bethlehem, Pa., resident who is planning to spend the entire weekend at his summer home in Sea Isle.
Korechko, his wife, Beverly, and their friends Sue and Frank Olshefski, also of Bethlehem, have no plans to jump in the ocean, but that won’t stop them from having fun over the weekend.
“We’re ready,” Korechko said.
From left, John and Beverly Korechko and Frank and Sue Olshefski, all of Bethlehem, Pa., are planning a fun-filled weekend.
Meanwhile, Kevin Campbell, who also has a summer home in Sea Isle, will take part in his first Polar Bear Plunge. He will be joined by his wife, Michele, his daughters, Shannon Campbell and Lindsay Nester, his son-in-law, Bob Nester, and a family friend.
Although many of the plungers dress up in outrageous costumes, Campbell plans to wear a simple Penn State University T-shirt in honor of his alma mater. He pretended to shiver Friday afternoon while talking about the 40-degree water temperature awaiting him and the other polar bears.
“That’s 8 degrees above freezing,” he mused.
About 1,000 plungers had pre-registered for the event, but many more were expected to sign up on Friday and Saturday. A list of pre-registered plungers showed names from not only New Jersey, but also Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, Maryland, Virginia and even Florida.
Organizers estimate that between 2,000 and 2,500 people will take the plunge at 2 p.m. Saturday off the beach between 38th and 40th streets.
Thousands of plungers charged into the chilly surf during last year's madcap event.
The weather forecast Saturday calls for cloudy skies in the morning giving way to rain in the afternoon, with air temperatures in the high 30s and the water temperature a nippy 40 degrees. Organizers are hopeful the rain will hold off until after the plunge.
At noon Saturday, there will be a Polar Bear Plunge costume contest at the LaCosta Lounge, which is serving as the social and entertainment epicenter for the weekend festivities.
Workers were making last-minute preparations Friday afternoon at LaCosta to accommodate the expected surge in visitors. LaCosta is surrounded by large outdoor tents at the corner of John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Landis Avenue.
James Bennett, who owns the LaCosta Lounge and serves as chairman of the Sea Isle City Tourism Commission, estimated the town will be packed with about 45,000 visitors for the weekend.
Bennett recalled that the very first Polar Bear Plunge 24 years ago attracted just 25 participants and about 500 spectators. Now, the event has grown into a wildly popular spectacle and a blockbuster for the local economy.
“It shows that people who are suffering from cabin fever in February can get out and have a great time,” Bennett said.
Luke Brahmi, a worker for Petrosh's Big Top, puts up one of the large tents at the LaCosta Lounge to accommodate the crowds.
Many of Sea Isle’s businesses, normally closed for the winter, have reopened just for the celebration. The timing of the Polar Bear Plunge with the Presidents Day weekend should allow the town to capitalize on the extended holiday weekend, city officials said.
“We go from having about 15 businesses that would normally be open to maybe 50 that will be open,” Councilman William Kehner said.
Typically, during this time of year, Sea Isle is a “graveyard,” Kehner noted. Like Bennett, Kehner said Polar Bear Weekend taps into everyone’s desire to shake off their cabin fever.
Virtually the entire town emerges from its winter hibernation to capitalize on the economic boom created by the festivities. To welcome the thousands of visitors to town, some of the businesses have customized their storefronts and signs to feature a Polar Bear theme.
“Because of the holiday weekend, many of the people will stay here until Monday,” said Amy Cossaboone, manager of the Lobster Loft restaurant on 42nd Place.
Cossaboone said Sea Isle is usually so deserted in the middle of winter that “you’re lucky to see any cars driving on the streets.”
But with Polar Bear weekend, “It’s a blast,” she said. “From a business standpoint, it brings volumes of people to town.”
Weekend events include Mike's Seafood Polar Bear Walk-Run for Autism at noon Sunday.
Listing of weekend events:
SATURDAY:
Plunge registration and pre-registration pickup, 8 a.m. at LaCosta Lounge.
