Our funky nearby community of Birch Bay pulls out the stops for New Year excitement with a Ring of Fire and Hope and a rousing shot at breaking a Guiness World Record Polar Bear Plunge!
Growing up in our “far corner” of the Pacific Northwest, I loved our family outings to Birch Bay, which boasts one of the few actual sandy (not rocky) beaches in the area, with sprawling tide flats for playing when the waters go far out. Thor, who grew up on the East Coast, loves to sneer at our version of a resort town – “You call that a beach?” — but now that we’ve moved nearby, he’s grown attached to the eclectic vibe.
During the summer, when the tide comes in over the warm, sandy flats on a sunny day, I enjoy a swim without shivering. And the winter high tides bring exciting storms and community celebrations to lighten the dark days. This year, we enjoyed the annual New Year’s Eve Ring of Fire and Hope, when crowds flock in the evening to plant red flares around the perimeter of the bay and ring in the new year.
Exuberant family groups shot off some impressive fireworks, while rising high in the sky above the bay, candle luminaria carried the hopes for a brighter new year. May our besieged world and people find some relief!!
Then on New Year’s Day came the big event: The 43rd annual Birch Bay Polar Bear Plunge had gone all out to recruit plungers to break the Guiness World Record.
(photo credit: Cascadia Daily News)
In 2025, Birch Bay had 1,600 plungers, so the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce decided we could beat the existing record from the Czech Republic, which boasted 2,461. A signup campaign started, but late-breaking news put on the pressure: A group in Norway had just broken the record with 3,134 plungers. Those Norwegians have some serious winter credentials, so the gloves (and clothing) were off! I can testify that my half-Norwegian hero-husband Thor seems oblivious to cold, coatless and gloveless when I’m bundled up and shivering, so we Pacific Northwesterners needed to show our mettle.
“It’s time to show Norway how Birch Bay does winter — with heart, hype and a whole lot of community spirit,” the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce announced.
To my surprise, Birch Bay rose to the challenge in a big way, and on noon, January 1, 2026, more than 4,910 people from near and far had signed up for the plunge into the frigid waters of the Salish Sea. Luckily, the recent flooding rain and windstorms had taken a break, so the waters were calm and spirits high as the crowds packed the beach in readiness for the official launch.
(photo credit: Cascadia Daily News)
The Guiness World Records rules for the participants:
- Must wear only a swimsuit and shoes, no costumes or wetsuits
- Everyone must enter at the same time, when ordered
- Stay waist-deep for 60 seconds
- Exit together and cross a timing mat (plungers wear a numbered bib with RFID chip)
The event proved to be a wild success and plungers exuberant. Here’s a YouTube video from Adventures in Awakening Academy of the high-jinks:
We’re waiting for official confirmation of the record-breaking, so stay tuned. Way to go, Birch Bay!!
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You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Café is Pause, a First Place winner of the Chanticleer Somerset Award and an International Pulpwood Queens Book Club selection. “A must-read novel about friendship, love, and killer hot flashes.” (Mindy Klasky). It’s also a love letter to the stunning beauty of her native Pacific Northwest wild places. Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com
