Friends and family rejoice in clear skies and cold water on New Year’s Day
- Jasz Garrett
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Record snowfall only enriches the spirit of annual community polar bear dip
By Jasz Garrett and Ellie Ruel
Juneau Independent
On New Year’s Day, about 50 brave souls stripped their snow pants for swimsuits during the 35th annual Juneau Polar Bear Dip at Auke Recreation Area.
Capital City Fire/Rescue Capt. Jayme Johns was the first to wade into the water while organizers gave a three-minute warning.
“It’s warm!” he called out to the crowd on the shore with a smile.
A countdown ensued at 10 seconds to go before the plunge at 1 p.m. Screams quickly followed as people ran and submerged into the cold ocean.
As always, CCFR was on standby for anyone experiencing hypothermia or injuries from sharp rocks and barnacles. Thankfully, the tide was high, and not many people spent a long time in the water, although Johns said they kept a close eye on two women who stayed in longer than most. The firefighters were impressed with the pair, who they said dip weekly without fail.
Carey Akagi and her friend stayed in the freezing water for about 10 minutes. Ocean dips have been their early morning ritual since November 2024 and both say that enduring the chill is a mental game.
“We come at eight in the morning. There's something about coming really early in the morning, and you don’t have time to really think about it. You’re kind of warm from getting out of bed,” Akagi explained.
She’s lived in Alaska for 55 years, but the weekly cold plunges were her first time getting in the ocean here. For Akagi, the group plunge was a great way to close out a year focused on wellness.
“It makes everything easier in comparison,” she said. “I’m finding a lot of things in my life have dulled in comparison. All kinds of things, not just physical.”
The polar dip was a shock to the system for seasonal employees at Eaglecrest Ski Area, but a warm introduction to the community they’ll live in until March.
“I heard it was a tradition here,” said Alysia Moreno, a Michigan resident. She was drying off on the rocky beach with her coworkers, whose teeth were chattering. Later, they gathered around a fire inside the Raven Shelter.
Uziel Rojas, from Costa Rica, and his coworker Ignacio Montero, from Chile, said they had never seen so much snow fall in such a short time.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Montero said about the dip. “Just your feet hurt when you get out of the water. The rocks are like ice.”
“This was my shower for today,” Rojas said with a laugh. “But yes, I have always wanted to experience something like this. There are only warm waters where I’m from.”
The annual polar bear dip is usually spread by word-of-mouth and is a cherished tradition to ring in New Year’s Day. Some Juneauites arrived early to shovel a path down to the water, saying it was a good way to warm up before the plunge. The last month of 2025 brought a total of 82 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service in Juneau, making it the snowiest December in recorded history.
De Hennes moved to Juneau in August and heard about the plunge from others in the community. She said briefly submerging herself was enough, and rushed back to the beach where warmer clothes were laid out on a tarp.
“It felt really good to run with everybody, but I’d never do this on my own,” Hennes said, laughing.
Denise Wiltse said she carries the community tradition with her family throughout the year.
“I do it with my sister when she comes to visit, it’s our tradition,” she said. “I started it here with Natalie and Patrick. It’s a great activity for renewing friendship in the new year.”
Raina Dudley, 14, ran in with five of her friends, who immediately rushed back out to grab their towels.
“Teamwork makes the dream work,” she said. “It was cold!”
Her New Year’s resolution is to go out to her cabin more and have more fun “living life.” But as some people rushed in for their second dip, Dudley shook her head rapidly with a laugh. It was time to go warm up.
For another first timer, she did all she could to make the plunge.
“We moved to Juneau almost four years ago, and I always fly home to the East Coast for Christmas, and I haven't been here for New Year’s at all,” Catherine Schleck said. “My husband Chris has come every year to do this, and this year I made sure to be back in time. Almost missed it, though, because I got stuck in Seattle.”
She was supposed to fly in on Tuesday night and was stuck in Seattle for 24 hours due to the record snow, landing in Juneau late on New Year’s Eve. The couple trudged through the deep snow, reaching the beach with 30 seconds to spare.
The Schlecks said they will be moving this summer. Chris Schleck is in the U.S. Coast Guard, but he said Juneau will always be home, and he plans to come back someday. Last year, when Chris Schleck also participated, there were 100 more people in the water.
“It meant a lot to get to do this together,” Catherine Schleck said.
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356. Contact Ellie Ruel at ellie.ruel@juneauindependent.com.
