Thousands of people flocked to the beaches Monday to ring in the New Year as only Downbeach can.
After meeting at Robert’s Place for a last one, hundreds of early morning toasters took the block-long walk to the beach at Essex Avenue to ring in the New Year by jumping in the ocean.
Rachel Rotteveel of Longhorn, Pa. and has a place on the Ventnor-Atlantic City border, said she has participating in the plunge for four years.
“We got here last night and made the rounds in Atlantic City,” she said. “We went to the Irish Pub, Cardinal Restaurant, Knife and Fork and then we wound up here.”
With one foot in Ventnor and the other in Atlantic City, her friend Pete Stanford joined his friends who were wearing T-shirts designed specially for him. Stanford said he plans to be the next mayor of Atlantic City.
Six young boys came all the way from Northfield to take the plunge. Michael Pepper, 12, said he was going to dive in. Most of the boys were pros at it, while two of them said it was their first time celebrating the New Year on the beach.
As thousands of revelers waited for the clock to chime the noon hour, Davida and Marty Ross stood atop the Margate Pier to witness the scene.
“I can’t believe all these people are here,” Davida Ross said. “I thought it would only be people who were athletic or in good shape.”
A firefighter estimated as many as 4,000 people showed up.
“Well, maybe 3,000,” he said.
“This is the most people I have ever seen,” Marty Ross said. “This is truly a post-COVID event.”
Ted Costa, the guy with the big flag who usually runs across the beach to start the plunge, noticed the plungers did not wait for him this year. It was his 18th year carrying the flag. He wound up spending about 15 minutes fully submersed in the water.
“I love it, it’s so much fun. I like to pump up people because it means a lot to them to be in this huge crowd doing it together safely,” he said.
Asked why people would even think of jumping in the ocean on New Year’s Day, Costa said, “Because they can.”
An hour later, the festivities moved to Ventnor where the crowd was smaller, but just as festive.
It was the third year for John Dowd to jump in the water. Of course, he donned full polar bear gear for the day.
The star of the show was Ryan Palma, a sixth grader at the Ventnor Educational Community Complex, who was participating in the plunge for the first time after designing the artwork on Polar Bear Plunge T-shirts avalable for purchase through the Ventnor Business Association.
His mother, Erin McDevitt said her son is on the autism spectrum and was non-verbal for the beginning years of his life, but his love of art and creativity brought him out of his shell.
Barb Marple, a special education aide at Atlantic City High School said when she saw the artwork of a surfing polar bear she knew she wated to take the plunge in Ventnor.
“I’m a surfer too, and when I saw his design, that’s what made me want to come here this year,” she said.
Ventnor Commissioner Tim Kriebel watched as the wave of humanity went into the water and returned seconds later.
“There’s no reason to do this,” he said. “It’s just fun.”
