More than a thousand take the plunge into 2026 in Coeur d'Alene
CAROLYN BOSTICK | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 days, 14 hours AGO
Spectators watch from the beach and a nearby boat as the Polar Bear Plunge gets underway on Lake Coeur d'Alene. Some quickly grew cold after venturing into the water and some were invigorated by the chill.
CAROLYN BOSTICK/Press
Jessica Griffith and Debbie Hardwick celebrate their Scandinavian heritage by wearing crocheted Viking helmets during the Polar Bear Plunge at Lake Coeur d'Alene.
A man grimaces as he gets out of Lake Coeur d'Alene during the Polar Bear Plunge.
The Bright family prepare to go into the waters during the Polar Bear Plunge, with Sam Bright dressed in a polar bear costume. Pictured: Sadie, Jenny, Will, Weston, Seth, Sam, and Ellie Bright.
Wearing a blue wig and posing for a picture in the water, Chad Bennett ran into the waters of Lake Coeur d'Alene Thursday during the Polar Bear Plunge.
Some participants took a dip into Lake Coeur d'Alene and then left to warm up during the 2026 Polar Bear Plunge.
The Guzman family wore costumes and started a karaoke party on Sanders Beach Thursday morning while people waited for the Polar Bear Plunge to begin. Liz Guzman treated plunge participants to "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman before she and her husband, Joe Guzman, broke into the Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash duet, "Jackson." From left to right: Joe Guzman, Cruz Guzman and Liz Guzman.
Shoes came off in the water Thursday as participants bathed themselves in the chilly waters of Lake Coeur d'Alene.
A man proudly wears a Happy New Year headband while preparing to take a dip in the lake Thursday for the Polar Bear Plunge in Coeur d'Alene.
Casey Jerome wore a plunger hat embodying his interpretation of the Polar Bear Plunge while taking the dip into Lake Coeur d'Alene to celebrate 2026.
A drummer keeps time from Lake Coeur d'Alene as those participating in the Polar Bear Plunge move in and out of the water.
Carolyn Bostick has worked for the Coeur d’Alene Press since June 2023. She covers Shoshone County and Coeur d'Alene. Carolyn previously worked in Utica, New York at the Observer-Dispatch for almost seven years before briefly working at The Inquirer and Mirror in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Since she moved to the Pacific Northwest from upstate New York in 2021, she's performed with the Spokane Shakespeare Society for three summers. | January 2, 2026 1:09 AM
COEUR d’ALENE — Music played, costumes were donned and an inflatable crocodile made the 2026 Polar Bear Plunge a memorable one as more than 1,000 people showed up at Sanders Beach for a dip in Lake Coeur d'Alene to celebrate the New Year.
At the 15-minute mark before the start of the plunge at noon, Rathdrum resident Chad Bennett handed out beaded necklaces to passersby.
“You guys going in? This is your trophy,” Bennett said.
He had a supply of about 100 necklaces to give out to first timers and eager children.
The Guzman family welcomed newcomers to Sanders Beach in their own way by breaking out their favorite karaoke tunes.
Liz Guzman sang Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” before joining in for a duet of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s rendition of "Jackson" with her husband, Joe Guzman.
“We love karaoke, we’ve done it for years. We do it at home a lot. I have a big family and we’re all singers,” Liz said. “We figured, why not bring it here?”
When choosing his outfit to enter the water, 10-year-old Cruz Guzman just considered his favorite things and settled on a banana costume.
When asked why, Cruz shrugged.
“I like bananas,” Cruz said.
The Polar Bear Plunge began in 1978 and draws a large crowd each year.
Bennett said conditions were just right Thursday. The air temperature was 35 degrees, and the water temperature was 44 degrees.
“It’s perfect, it’s 44 degrees, it’s easy,” Bennett said.
Pinehurst resident Casey Jerome said he’s made the trip to take part since 2011.
“It’s a good way to ring in the new year and this year, my 5-year-old daughter said she’s going to do it, too,” Jerome said.
Jerome’s plunger hat added height and trapped heat around his head as he readied himself to go into the water.
As the 5-minute call rang out, people began removing clothing. Two friends wore crocheted Viking helmets and shared a special name for the event to invoke their Scandinavian heritage.
“For us, it’s the Shield Maiden Polar Bear Plunge,” Debbie Hardwick said. “I decided when I turned 60, every year, I’m going to do one thing each year out of my comfort zone.”
Jessica Griffith said they have worked together at MultiCare Valley Hospital for 23 years and in that time, Hardwick has become her mentor.
As Griffith got more in touch with her Norwegian roots and Hardwick with her Danish heritage, they decided to experience new things together.
“I had nobody local to celebrate with, so we decided to start going out as Vikings,” Griffith said.
Last year was their first plunge.
“People think you’re crazy and we are, but you’re in good company,” Hardwick said of the people lining up on the shoreline to jump into the water.
After the first wave of bodies passed into the lake, exclamations of excitement or surprise were heard throughout the beach. Raised arms and thumbs up were seen as people celebrated their personal accomplishments of braving the water in addition to the new year.
Sarah and David Glenn took their time enjoying the water but were happy to get out and dry off after they hit their personal limits.
“It was cold. It was just a blur, you just get it over with," Sarah said.
“I can’t feel anything below here,” David said, gesturing to his waist.
After his family did the plunge, Casey Jerome recapped his daughter’s first time in the 44-degree waters of the lake.
“She did not like it. She got up to her shins and had second thoughts and then I dunked her a little,” Jerome said.
Shoshone County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Allen enjoyed the holiday by taking part in the plunge with his family.
“Your body just goes into a shock and goes numb and then you get warm when you get out,” Allen said.
Allen said it was worth the cold to start the year by connecting with other people through the fun of the event.
“This is really just a part of the North Idaho community,” Allen said.
Jessica Griffith and Debbie Hardwick celebrate their Scandinavian heritage by wearing crocheted Viking helmets during the Polar Bear Plunge at Lake Coeur d'Alene.
A man grimaces as he gets out of Lake Coeur d'Alene during the Polar Bear Plunge.
The Bright family prepare to go into the waters during the Polar Bear Plunge, with Sam Bright dressed in a polar bear costume. Pictured: Sadie, Jenny, Will, Weston, Seth, Sam, and Ellie Bright.
Wearing a blue wig and posing for a picture in the water, Chad Bennett ran into the waters of Lake Coeur d'Alene Thursday during the Polar Bear Plunge.
Some participants took a dip into Lake Coeur d'Alene and then left to warm up during the 2026 Polar Bear Plunge.
The Guzman family wore costumes and started a karaoke party on Sanders Beach Thursday morning while people waited for the Polar Bear Plunge to begin. Liz Guzman treated plunge participants to "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman before she and her husband, Joe Guzman, broke into the Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash duet, "Jackson." From left to right: Joe Guzman, Cruz Guzman and Liz Guzman.
Shoes came off in the water Thursday as participants bathed themselves in the chilly waters of Lake Coeur d'Alene.
A man proudly wears a Happy New Year headband while preparing to take a dip in the lake Thursday for the Polar Bear Plunge in Coeur d'Alene.
Casey Jerome wore a plunger hat embodying his interpretation of the Polar Bear Plunge while taking the dip into Lake Coeur d'Alene to celebrate 2026.
A drummer keeps time from Lake Coeur d'Alene as those participating in the Polar Bear Plunge move in and out of the water.ARTICLES BY CAROLYN BOSTICK
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