It was a cold start to the 2009 yesterday morning as Captain Curt and I participated in the Cape Elizabeth polar dip to help benefit Cape Elizabeth High School’s senior class. When I woke up yesterday morning and looked out the window I thought it was going to be cold but it wasn’t until I opened the front door and the wind literally took my breath away that I knew getting in the water was going to hurt bad. When we got down to Kettle Cove there was already a group of about 100 people ready to take the plunge. Walking down the beach toward the crowd in my bathing suit was sheer torture and any exposed skin turned red within seconds. There was a crew from a local news channel filming and as I passed them I heard the reporter say the temperature was -15 with the wind chill. This did not help. As I heard the countdown 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…I remember pretending that I was on a warm beach in the Caribbean and that I was running into crystal clear blue water surrounded by palm trees. The rule is you have to go all the way under the water before you can come back out and as I went under any thoughts of the Caribbean were quickly replaced with tunnel vision as I ran back out of the water in search of my towel. As I wrapped myself in the towel I vaguely remember seeing other people in the same state of misery and I thought (as I do every year) “There is no way I will ever do this again.”
You’ll notice that there are no pictures to document this event…there is a reason. The cameraman (who shall remain nameless) got too cold on the beach and missed Curt and I going in the water!
Happy New Year!!
-Captain Brendan