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JPBC Home Page

The Jacksonport Polar Bear Club invites you to join them in Jacksonport, Wisconsin, each New Year's Day at 12 Noon sharp for a refreshing dip in the icy water of Lake Michigan as they have for the past 20 years. Most of the members survived, and you can too!

We have a new page and pictures for our 2008 swim! Click on the 2008 button on the top banner to this page.

If you are planning to be a Polar Bear, here are Important instructions and helpful hints you should read before next New Year's Day!

So once a year isn't enough for you? Now you can help raise funds for local Special Olympics athletes, with swimming events in Wisconsin February thru March. Click on the happy diving bear above to visit their site.

ROAD TRIP!!!

The Polar Bears were 20th Century-Fox's special guests on March 12, 2002 for the "Outdoor Frozen Premiere" of the fun film ICE AGE.

Click on the big group photo below to see 3 more pages of pictures!

Jacksonport Polar Bears depart on a road trip

Wisconsin Trails Magazine wrote about our trip in the June 2002 issue, page 14. See the article with our picture in Wisconsin libraries now!

Read Heidi Hodges' Door County Advocate article about the 2000 event!

Annual Date Number of
"Swimmers"
Air
Temp
1st 12/26/1986 1 +22°F
2nd 12/26/1987 1 +28°F
3rd 12/26/1988 1 +19°F
4th 12/28/1989 3 +29°F
5th 12/27/1990 12 +27°F
6th 12/27/1991 14 +9°F
7th 01/01/1993 23 +4°F
8th 01/01/1994 52 +33°F
9th 01/01/1995 71 +18°F
10th 01/01/1996 106 +22°F
11th 01/01/1997 110 +25°F
12th 01/01/1998 290 +34°F
13th 01/01/1999 175 +10°F
14th 01/01/2000 600 +33°F
15th 01/01/2001 700 +26°F
16th 01/01/2002 700 +30°F
17th 01/01/2003 800 +28°F
18th 01/01/2004 600 +32°F
19th 01/01/2005 700 +29°F
20th 01/01/2006 500 +37°F
21st 01/01/2007 800 +38°F
22nd 01/01/2008 ??? +33°F
23rd 01/01/2009 ??? ???
(L-R) J. R. and Jon Jarosh.
Does cold water shrink heads?

"Any idiot can throw himself in freezing water, but it takes a real Polar Bear to do it 16 years in a row."
– J.R. Jarosh
"Isn't the lake beautiful?"
– Irma Schira Tucker
"Is that an icicle in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?"
– Mae West
"Your poor heart. There's not enough room in your body for it when you hit the water."
– Bob Brauer
"Our lives are not measured by the number of breaths we take, but the times that take our breath away."
– Tom Minahan

Where is Jacksonport, Door County, Wisconsin? We're glad you asked. Here are some maps courtesy of Mike's Port Pub.

For more information about the Jacksonport Polar Bear Club, contact:

COOL LINKS


The Boulder (Colorado) Polar Bear Club, including lists of Other Polar Bear sites in USA and world-wide

Polar Bear Club of Coney Island, NY

The Polar Plunge in New York

"Winterschwimmen" in Germany


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