Tank Does the Polar Bear Plunge at Coney Island

Happy New Year, one and all.

Starting the year 2020 with a bang, I decided to make good on my pledge to do the Polar Bear Plunge if Pete Alonso became the first player on the New York Mets to hit 50 home runs in a season. So where to do the plunge was the next question, after Alonso set the rookie record with 53 homers. The answer was obvious, Coney Island. It was the Coney Island Polar Bear Club that started the tradition of going in the frigid Atlantic in the middle of Winer, and the most famous plunge is the New Year’s Day Plunge, which has been going strong for 116 years.

I pre-registered last week; if you are to do the Polar Bear Plunge, this is highly recommended. I sent a link out and raised enough money to get a sticker, a shirt, and a free beer glass. Money raised will go preserving Coney Island. With the assistance of Matthew Jason Simonetti, I took to the Atlantic on a 40-degree windy day at Coney Island. Arriving at 10 AM, I was glad to be in the first group of swimmers, as the day as turned into a significant event with some 4,000 taking the plunge in most seasons. With my blue wrist band, we lined up at 12:40 and made the plunge as the clock struck 1 pm on 1/1/2o. The walk was slow and deliberate, and like most swimmers, it was like wading in waist-deep water; some chose to go deeper, though being an average swimmer, I played it safe and kept my feet on the ground.

In total, I was in the water for two minutes, but it was worth it for the experience of saying I did it, and they even gave a certificate to prove it. The cold was not that bad, but the beach has taken a number on my feet, as my dogs are still barking. Speaking of dogs, where else would I go to celebrate a dip in the Atlantic, but Nathan’s, stay tuned for a future Raw Dog episode for that.

Going to Coney Island was affordable and accessible with Uber, but the price was too high for the return trip, meaning I needed to get to Manhattan to get a cheaper ride. The subway station is nearby the beach at Coney Island, but one question what the hell do Metrocards expire, they just rob you at every turn I tell. The absolute worst.