L-C Valley residents jump into 2024 (WITH VIDEO)

Jan. 2—Refreshing. Exhilarating. Cold.

Those were a few of the words used to describe the chilly water dip that numerous people took to ring in the new year. The first jumpers started at noon Monday near the Red Wolf Crossing Bridge, and in about 10 minutes all had taken the annual Polar Bear Plunge. The event's organizer, Jett Vallandigham, printed out 175 certificates for those participating and all the certificates were gone after a few late arrivals jumped in. By those calculations, there were a total of 180 "polar bears" for 2024.

Some of those jumpers were first-timers, like Lewiston's Erik Walter, who was peer pressured into participating by a friend. He'd never even thought about doing it before.

Canon Johnson had no one pressuring him to go in the water. The 9-year-old from Lewiston made the decision all on his own.

"I don't know, just for fun," he said, explaining why he made the decision.

Canon's mind didn't change after the plunge. He enjoyed his experience even though it made his heart drop. He also became so cold he couldn't move and received some help to avoid sinking.

But that's not deterring him from doing it again. He plans on being there next year.

"Yes, I'm definitely gonna do it," he said.

Canon didn't convince either of his parents, RJ and Valerie Johnson, to go into the 38-degree Snake River with him. Neither his mom nor his dad have ever taken part in the event as both prefer staying warm on dry land than doing a shivering swim.

"He's the brave one in the family," Valerie said of Canon.

That was also the sentiment of Charity Walter, Erik Walter's wife.

"I'm cold enough without being in the water," she said, with the outside temperature in the low 40s.

However, other families braved the frigid waters together. Kayla and Josh Flerchinger, with their daughter Joelyn, all went in together. Kayla and Josh did the jump in 2020 and Josh said it was refreshing and they wanted to get the New Year off to a good start.

"It was a tough year," Kayla said of 2023, and the plunge will help make 2024 better.

Joelyn was doing it for the first time and was having fun waiting to take the plunge but said "it's a little cold."

Her mom offered one piece of advice she learned at her last plunge.

"Get out of the water as fast as you can," she said.

That's more or less what members of the Lapwai girls basketball team did when they arrived to the plunge after most of the jumpers had gone. They initially went to the wrong location, but once they arrived they had the dock all to themselves. Then they jumped in, coming up out of the water as fast as they could, grabbing towels to quickly warm up.

Samara Powaukee, of Lapwai, described the experience as "refreshing," as did most of her teammates, who were all laughing and excited even as they were shaking in the cold.

Their coach, Joslyn Leighton, had the team go to the event to help them bond. Leighton herself was a "double dipper," going into the cold water twice, once with the team.

Leighton has been going to the plunge for a few years and wanted to do it this year with her team. She wanted to "start the new year off fresh" and bring the team together. The plan seemed to work, as the team was bonded by the cold experience, declaring "go wildcats" and talking excitedly about the plunge.

"It's an awesome feeling," Leighton said of the cold water.

It's that feeling that led Vallandigham to help organize the event for 22 years and why it's gained such a following.

"It's a great way to start the new year," she said. "It's such an exhilarating experience."

She said the temperature for this year was warm — by January standards, that is. However, safety measures were still in place with an ambulance and medics on site, along with a lifeguard from the Asotin County Family Aquatic Center, Gabe Charles.

Charles volunteered to be the lifeguard on duty for the plunge.

"I think I was the only one," he said.

He was hoping for a safe plunge for many reasons, including being able to avoid the cold water himself, but he was prepared to jump in if needed.

"If someone is legitimately drowning, I will jump," Charles said.

He managed to stay dry during the plunge and no rescues were necessary other than some loose footwear in the river.

Vallandigham remembers in 2021 when the event was canceled because the river was iced over, but some people still made the jump.

That shows just how the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley Polar Bear Plunge has grown over the last two decades. Vallandigham said even if she wanted to stop organizing the event it's become such a tradition that people would still show up. After all, many of those who went into the numbing waters to start 2024 were already looking forward to 2025.

Brewster may be contacted at kbrewster@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2297.