Two jump into new year, taking a polar plunge

This year's New Year's Day Swinomish Channel polar plunge almost did not happen. At 1 p.m. spectators Lucy Martin, Pieter VanZanden and J. Lonee were looking expectantly but the shore and water at the beach just north of Pearle Jensen Way were empty of people. Calls were made to Rick Dole and John Leaver, who in 2021 led a group of four males into the water. Ollie Iversen, an observer last year, had been called earlier. He had no solid information to share.

But then Martin's sister, Anna Rose Martin, and her friend Michelle walked into view holding a beach bag of warmed towels. Without hesitation they stripped off their outer clothes and, well, plunged in. Almost as quickly they were back on shore. "Oh, it felt so good," Martin exclaimed. Michelle chimed in: "I recommend it." The sibling Martin videoed it all on her phone, streaming it to their mother along with reportage, proclaiming "You were the inspiration."

Michelle's backstory: she has extensive polar plunging experience from living in Colorado. She noted that there they had to break ice before plunging in.

The two polar plungers returned to their car parked on Pearle Jensen Way to change their clothes. They then returned to Conway, their day's starting point.