Chicago Polar Plunge 2023 (costumes)
Mar 15, 2023 08:45:38 #
The 23nd Annual Chicago Polar Plunge happened March 5 at North Avenue Beach on Lake Michigan, Chicago. The Polar Plunge benefits the thousands of local athletes in the Special Olympics Chicago / Special Children’s Charities program.
Polar Plunge 2023 by Paul Sager, on Flickr
Participants were encouraged to register in groups and to compete for individual and team awards for costumes.
Polar Plunge 2023
The Chicago Polar Plunge attracts people of all ages, demographics, and abilities, just like the athletes of Special Olympics Chicago. Corporations, longtime supporters, family members, friends, and public figures “Take the Plunge” each year in support of Special Olympics.
Polar Plunge 2023
Plungers of all ages participate, with the majority of people between ages 25-34.
Polar Plunge 2023
More than 7,500 athletes participate in Special Olympics Chicago. Special Olympics Chicago serves athletes in all 50 city wards.
Polar Plunge 2023
All images were captured in RAW from an EOS 5D III and the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM. Processing was performed in Adobe Lightroom 6. The title of each image is a URL link to the host Flickr page for the EXIF details of each image.
Polar Plunge 2023
At 23-years, the Chicago Polar Plunge has become the must-attend winter event in the city.
Polar Plunge 2023
Chicago's Special Olympic athletes compete and train in 17 sports throughout the year in Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Park District locations in the city.
Polar Plunge 2023
The main idea of the 'plunge' is to rush into the icy cold lake and then jump right out of it smiling. There is no need to take the full plunge. You can just go ankle high or knee deep and you're done for the day.
Polar Plunge 2023
Personally, I hadn't thought about people and groups repeating, not just in annual participation, but also the same outfits. In reviewing images from 2023, I realized many people from 2022 were here again in 2023.
Polar Plunge 2023
The original 2000 Plunge was a group of about 50 plungers who got together and raised about $20,000 for the Special Olympics of Chicago.
Polar Plunge 2023
Jackson National Life Insurance Company has been the presenting sponsor of the event since 2020.
Polar Plunge 2023
ComEd, Peoples Gas, Old National Bank, and a host of Chicago's corporations are annual sponsors with teams that participate every year.
Polar Plunge 2023
Polar Plunge 2023 by Paul Sager, on Flickr
Participants were encouraged to register in groups and to compete for individual and team awards for costumes.
Polar Plunge 2023
The Chicago Polar Plunge attracts people of all ages, demographics, and abilities, just like the athletes of Special Olympics Chicago. Corporations, longtime supporters, family members, friends, and public figures “Take the Plunge” each year in support of Special Olympics.
Polar Plunge 2023
Plungers of all ages participate, with the majority of people between ages 25-34.
Polar Plunge 2023
More than 7,500 athletes participate in Special Olympics Chicago. Special Olympics Chicago serves athletes in all 50 city wards.
Polar Plunge 2023
All images were captured in RAW from an EOS 5D III and the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM. Processing was performed in Adobe Lightroom 6. The title of each image is a URL link to the host Flickr page for the EXIF details of each image.
Polar Plunge 2023
At 23-years, the Chicago Polar Plunge has become the must-attend winter event in the city.
Polar Plunge 2023
Chicago's Special Olympic athletes compete and train in 17 sports throughout the year in Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Park District locations in the city.
Polar Plunge 2023
The main idea of the 'plunge' is to rush into the icy cold lake and then jump right out of it smiling. There is no need to take the full plunge. You can just go ankle high or knee deep and you're done for the day.
Polar Plunge 2023
Personally, I hadn't thought about people and groups repeating, not just in annual participation, but also the same outfits. In reviewing images from 2023, I realized many people from 2022 were here again in 2023.
Polar Plunge 2023
The original 2000 Plunge was a group of about 50 plungers who got together and raised about $20,000 for the Special Olympics of Chicago.
Polar Plunge 2023
Jackson National Life Insurance Company has been the presenting sponsor of the event since 2020.
Polar Plunge 2023
ComEd, Peoples Gas, Old National Bank, and a host of Chicago's corporations are annual sponsors with teams that participate every year.
Polar Plunge 2023
Mar 15, 2023 08:53:38 #
Mar 15, 2023 09:08:51 #
Mar 15, 2023 10:27:14 #
Mar 15, 2023 10:43:56 #
Mar 15, 2023 11:15:54 #
Mar 15, 2023 11:16:18 #
Great images of these CRAZY people Paul (you don’t participate, do you?). My question is how many, if any, end up in the ER due to hypothermia or heart attack? 
Mar 15, 2023 12:37:07 #
TriX wrote:
Great images of these CRAZY people Paul (you don’t participate, do you?). My question is how many, if any, end up in the ER due to hypothermia or heart attack?
Thanks Chris! I've now been present for 8000+ people into the water over two years. There were plenty of emergency responders, both in and out of the water. I've seen more people go down (and stay down) at recent concerts than the zero at the Plunge.
Mar 15, 2023 12:44:37 #
Thank you Sarantis, diclam, BillMck, AndyT, Andy, Jerry, Chris! Another difference in 2023 was the costumed participants were overall less. Seems more people wasn't the prize in 2022.
Mar 16, 2023 06:41:24 #
Thanks, Paul. Loved seeing the costumes, especially loved a few that looked like they were dressed for work and took a detour for a plunge.
Mar 16, 2023 07:30:51 #
Mar 16, 2023 08:27:35 #
Mar 16, 2023 08:45:16 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
Thank you Sarantis, diclam, BillMck, AndyT, Andy, Jerry, Chris! Another difference in 2023 was the costumed participants were overall less. Seems more people wasn't the prize in 2022.
I just wonder if the skilled photographer took the plunge to get close to the action.
Mar 16, 2023 09:03:01 #
Thank you Joe, Elliott, John, Mainridge! I was prepared / expecting as many costumes in 2023 as were out in 2022. But, they were less overall and seemed less elaborate in the current year. The llama group is a repeat and one the first for me to realize that some people and groups were repeats between the years.
Mar 16, 2023 09:04:29 #
Mainridge wrote:
I just wonder if the skilled photographer took the plunge to get close to the action.
Thanks Mainridge! I came prepared with a 400mm lens and just needed to get as close to the water as possible. I lost a lot of early images to people partially block my view / frame.
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