Thousands return for Vancouver Polar Bear Swim on New Year's Day 2024 - Action News
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Thousands return for Vancouver Polar Bear Swim on New Year's Day 2024

People from across Metro Vancouver descended on English Bay beach on New Year's Day as part of the annual Polar Bear Swim, which has run for over a century. Here are some of the best pictures from the event.

Annual tradition at English Bay has run for over a century

A person in a black dragon costume stands next to three women wearing bikinis standing in waist-deep beachwater.
A dragon is seen in the water as three women take a photo during the Polar Bear Swim on New Years Day at English Bay Beach in Vancouver on Monday. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)

People from across Metro Vancouver descended on English Bay beach on New Year's Day as part of the annual Polar Bear Swim, which has run for over a century.

Thousands of swimmers braved the cold waters, with the cool winter breeze making it feel like 6 C.Many of them were wearing costumes.

Last year, around 6,000 people showed up to have a dip in the chilly waters of English Bay, which is located in the West End in Vancouver's downtown peninsula.

The Polar Bear Swimtradition was started in 1920 by Peter Pantages, who had recently immigrated from Greece. He used to swim at least once a day in honour of his home island of Andros in Greece,according to his granddaughter Lisa.

WATCH | Vancouverites brave the chilly waters of English Bay:

Vancouverites dive into the new year with Polar Bear Swim

9 months ago
Duration 2:30
Following a tradition that's now more than a century old, brave swimmers flooded a Vancouver beach to ring in the new year with a chilly plunge at the annual Polar Bear Swim.

Pantages,who owned the Peter Pan Cafe on Granville Street, died in 1971, but the event he started has endured through the years only being interrupted by the pandemic.

Here are some of the best photos from the 2024 edition of the swim, with many participants calling it a refreshing way to start the year. Similar events took placethroughout the province.

Lines of people wearing bathing suits wait behind yellow tape. One older man stands in front of them.
Zhidong Yu, front right, 91, waits to participate in the Polar Bear Swim. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)
People in bathing suits run at full tilt across a beach.
Thousands have participated in the Polar Bear Swim the last two times it was organized 2020 and 2023. It was cancelled for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)
A man wearing a shark's head costume smiles as he emerges from beachwater, with lines of other people behind him taking a dip.
The tradition of a polar bear swim was started in Vancouver in 1920. (Chris Helgren/Reuters)
A woman floating in an inflatable pink flamingo, on beachwater, smiles for the camera. Behind her, other people also dip in the water.
A bather uses an inflatable pink flamingo on Monday. (Chris Helgren/Reuters)
Lines of people run in and out of beachwater.
Peter Pantages, who had recently immigrated from Greece, first started the tradition 104 years ago. (Chris Helgren/Reuters)
Hundreds of people crowd a beach, with skyscrapers behind them.
When Pantages first started the event, just over 10 people participated. Last year's event drew 6,000, and the previous year's event which marked 100 years since it was first started saw 7,000 people participate. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)
People wearing bathing suits and costumes run into beachwater, causing foam and water to splash.
Pantages,who owned the Peter Pan Cafe on Granville Street, died in 1971, but the event he started has endured through the years. (Chris Helgren/Reuters)
Three women wearing elaborate coloured wigs and glam-era costumes smile while partially submerged in beachwater. Others are visible behind them.
Bathers hold hands as they walk into the chilly waters on Monday. (Chris Helgren/Reuters)
Three people wearing costume antlers, and one person wearing a Santa costume, pose at a beach while others are behind them in the water.
People wearing Christmas costumes interact as bathers run into the chilly waters of English Bay. (Chris Helgren/Reuters)
Dozens of people smile and yell as they splash around in waist-deep water.
The temperature in Vancouver was around 6 C on Monday. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)
Dozens of people mill around in waist-deep water while a row of people behind them watch.
Hundreds of people take part in the annual polar bear swim to ring in the new year at Glass Beach in Sidney on Monday. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press)

With files from Priya Bhat