Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Groundhog Day celebrated with a swim
Chilly water doesn’t deter beachgoers
HOLLYWOOD — Dozens of beachgoers took a dip in the ocean early Thursday for a good cause, and maybe a little jolt of adrenaline.
The Groundhog Day swim, now in its 13th year, attracts thrill seekers not afraid to brave chilly waters, said organizer Jeff Hansen, who donates proceeds to the Hollywood Beach Lifeguard competition team.
The ocean plunge came at 7:30 a.m., about the same time Pennsylania’s famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow to predict the end of winter.
Handlers in Pennsylvania say Phil saw his shadow. That means another six weeks of winter, according to legend.
The swim in Hollywood had its own human-sized groundhog, with a man dressed in a furry tan suit doing pushups at the shoreline.
“It’s fun and zany and a great way to start the day,” Hansen said of the event, which attracts locals and tourists of all ages.
“This is my first year doing this,” said Clive Taylor Jr., a Hollywood resident who took a break from his usual morning beach run to jump in the ocean. “It was beautiful. I’ll never miss a year now.”
Boston snowbird Burt Kagan, 77, says he’s been a regular for the past six years.
“It’s 22 degrees in Boston and the water is 42 degrees,” he said. “Try to swim in that kind of water. My wife is sleeping. She thinks I’m crazy. You gotta have some fun in this life.”
Hansen said he always goes in, no matter how nippy the water.
“We have 80-year-old women going in,” he said. “There’s no way I could not go in. I’d never hear the end of it.”
A $12 donation included breakfast at Ocean Alley Restaurant and a souvenir T-shirt for swimmers. The money will go to the Hollywood Beach Lifeguard Competition Team to help cover travel expenses for a national competition in August in Daytona Beach.
Even Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy showed up, donning a surf shirt and swim trunks.
“This is my second year,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun.”