Re-surf-ace into 2022

A quick dip into the Pacific, a dash and dive into a lake or a well-deserved post-race dunk: the coast offers an ocean of opportunity to start the new year with a bracing bit of cold water. From Manzanita to Newport, the following are your best options for an immersive experience to remember on Saturday, Jan.1.

Manzanita

The motto of this long-standing and enduringly popular Polar Plunge at Neahkahnie Beach is the Dr. Seuss quote:

“If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good.”

Having fun shouldn’t preclude safety though, urges founder Janice Gaines.

“We’re looking at a king tide and fairly high surf,” she said. “There might also be debris in the water. People should plan to not stay in the water for very long and to be very aware of what the water is doing.”

Cancelling, Gaines learned, isn’t very effective for this local tradition.

“I tried to not have it last year because of COVID, but people came anyway,” she said. “I’m still going to do it, but I’ll be keeping my distance.”    

Plungers begin to gather at roughly 10:30 am and plunge at 11 am.

Costumes are highly encouraged, because the only thing better than a photo of you diving into the water on a frigid day is doing it dressed as a superhero, storybook character or mythical creature.

Neahkahnie Beach is located just north of the intersection of Reed Road and Nehalem Road in Manzanita. For more information, call 503 368-4777.

Lincoln City

Turn off NE Devils Lake Road at the big dragon statue and make like a crocodile by slipping into Devils Lake, surrounded by screams of joy instead of fear. The event is sponsored by Lincoln City Parks and Recreation, who will show up with hot refreshments following the dunk to help you get your core temperature back to normal as quickly as possible.

The dunk begins at 10 am at Regatta Park, located at 2700 NE 14th Street. For more information, go to the Lincoln City Parks and Recreation page on Facebook.

Newport

For the first time in its nine-year history, the Newport Resolution Run and Polar Bear Plunge will be held on New Year’s Day. Your next chance to do this event on the first day of the new year won’t come until 2028.

There are three races to choose from to warm up before crossing the finish line at the beach and continuing on into the ocean: a 5k, 10k and half marathon. The 5k and 10k races are on paved surfaces, while the half marathon is a challenging course consisting of paved road, mixed single-track trails and dirt road.

“I was a little skeptical when I opened the registration to hold this the day after New Year’s Eve,” Race Director Ed Cortes said. “But people are for sure signing up. I guess fewer people than I expected are thinking they will need to sleep in."

The start and finish line have been moved from the Newport jetty to the South Beach State Park day use parking lot.

“I wanted to eliminate the longer run on the sand because a lot of people complained about it,” Cortes said. “It’s now going to be an even faster course for the five- and 10-kilometer distances. I will have some propane heaters so people can change into dry clothes and get warmed up and we’ll have beer and music right there at the finish area.”

Well-behaved and leashed dogs are welcome on all three courses.

Proceeds of the event will benefit the Newport High School swim team.

For more information and registration, go to ardoradventures.com.