Current:Home > My‘Totally cold’ is not too cold for winter swimmers competing in a frozen Vermont lake-LoTradeCoin
‘Totally cold’ is not too cold for winter swimmers competing in a frozen Vermont lake
View Date:2024-12-24 00:03:28
NEWPORT, Vt. (AP) — Plunging into a frozen lake and swimming laps may not be everyone’s good time but for winter swimmers who return year after year to a northern Vermont lake near the Canadian border, there’s nothing better.
The 10th annual Memphremagog Winter Swimming Festival kicked off Friday with the 200-meter (218-yard) freestyle race in a narrow pool cut from the ice. But the festivities started Thursday and on Friday morning some of the 180 participants swam a lap wearing a decorated hat.
“It was amazing. It’s the highlight of my year,” said Andie Nelson, of Arlington, Virginia, after swimming 25 meters (27 yards) in the hat competition. “It makes me happy.”
She planned to compete in all events over the three days and said it’s more about the people and comradery than the icy water.
Ted Hirsch, 63, of Boston, and Ed Gabriels, 62, of Germantown, New York, have been competing against each other for about seven years This year, Gabriels beat Hirsh in the 200-meter freestyle.
A group of women from Canton, Ohio, called the Buckeye Bluetits range in age from 40 to about 80 years old and returned for their fourth year. They swim year-round at Meyers Lake at home but wouldn’t miss the chance to swim in Vermont in what organizers say is some of the coldest winter swimming in the world.
“It’s the vibe. We have so much fun here and we’re amongst friends,” Margaret Gadzic said.
Winter and ice swimming is defined as swimming in water at 41 Fahrenheit (5 Celsius) or below, according to organizers. The International Winter Swimming Association lists nine such events around the world this season on its website, with Memphremagog being the only one in the U.S. Other competitions happened in Sweden, Poland, Switzerland and Belgium with one coming up in March in Estonia.
“Our water temperature is 30.5 degrees (negative 0.8 Celsius). It’s microscopic slushy. We call it ‘totally cold’ and it is the coldest — some of the coldest water, coldest swim in the world,” said Phil White, the director of Kingdom Games, who added it’s the only competitive, 25-meter ice pool in all of the Americas.
Swimmers were escorted out onto the frozen lake in robes and stripped down into their suits just before plunging in. Once they finished, escorts handed them towels and robes before they were walked to a nearby warming building.
This year, swimmers came from as far away as Mexico and England as well as from California, Arizona, Texas, the Northeastern U.S. and British Columbia.
Nelson, of Virginia, was so excited she didn’t get much sleep Thursday night before the 200-meter swim. She said she inhaled some water and felt nauseous after eating lunch an hour earlier so she had to slow down her pace.
“It was still fun,” she said.
veryGood! (66)
Related
- Conviction and 7-year sentence for Alex Murdaugh’s banker overturned in appeal of juror’s dismissal
- Bill Belichick thanks 'Patriots fans everywhere' in full-page ad in Boston Globe
- Japanese embassy says Taylor Swift should comfortably make it in time for the Super Bowl
- The Chiefs Industry: Kansas City’s sustained success has boosted small business bottom lines
- Barbora Krejcikova calls out 'unprofessional' remarks about her appearance
- Taylor Swift website crashes, sending fans on frantic hunt for 'Reputation' Easter eggs
- Mayorkas is driven by his own understanding of the immigrant experience. Many in GOP want him gone
- 'It sucks getting old': Jon Lester on Red Sox, Cubs and his future Hall of Fame prospects
- 1 monkey captured, 42 monkeys still on the loose after escaping research facility in SC
- Edmonton Oilers winning streak, scoring race among things to watch as NHL season resumes
Ranking
- The Masked Singer's Ice King Might Be a Jonas Brother
- Funeral held for 7 of the 8 victims in Joliet-area shootings
- Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Inter Miami hear boos after Messi sits out Hong Kong friendly
- Mahomes’ father arrested on DWI suspicion in Texas as Chiefs prepare to face 49ers in the Super Bowl
- Jelly Roll goes to jail (for the best reason) ahead of Indianapolis concert
- This Top-Rated Amazon Back Pain Relief Seat Cushion Is on Sale for Only $30
- You’ll Adore These Fascinating Facts About Grammy Nominee Miley Cyrus
- 9 inmates injured in fight at Arizona prison west of Phoenix; unit remains on lockdown
Recommendation
-
24 more monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina lab are recovered unharmed
-
Oklahoma’s oldest Native American school, Bacone College, is threatened by debts and disrepair
-
Biden projected to win South Carolina's 2024 Democratic primary. Here's what to know.
-
Another ‘Pineapple Express’ storm is expected to wallop California
-
Travis Kelce's and Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Houses Burglarized
-
Red carpet looks from the 2024 Grammy Awards
-
See All the Couples Singing a Duet on the 2024 Grammys Red Carpet
-
Joni Mitchell Makes Rare Appearance Ahead of First-Ever Grammys Performance