Hearty Souls Take Ice Dive Into Lake Minnetonka
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- When Mother Nature gives us the cold shoulder, some bundle up -- while others jump!
"I wear my idiot hat every year just because. I mean, you're an idiot if you jump in every year [laughs]!" diver Megan Johnski said.
The ALARC Ice Dive began in 1990. Now in its 26th year, the event has put Minnesota on the map as the ice dive capital.
It also attracts people across the globe to put on a robe and leap into the New Year, like London-native Charlie Owr.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'll never going to be able to do something like this again," Owr said.
Every jump comes with bragging rights. First-timer divers are referred to as "guppies." After 10 jumps, they are tagged as "sharks." And after 20, they are called "orcas" -- the highest ranking.
"I'm seven-months pregnant, and so because I'm an orca I'm allowed to just have water poured over my head instead of actually jumping in," Johnski said.
Every dive helps charity. The money this year benefits the Wounded Warrior Project, Minnetonka's fire and police departments and the city's high school.
The ice dive also included some warm treats. Everyone who participated received a breakfast burrito, coffee and hot chocolate after getting out of the lake.