Thousands of brr-ave swimmers descended on Coney Island to ring in the new year Monday — with an icy dip in the North Atlantic Ocean as a part of the 121st annual polar bear plunge.
A mix of Speedos and winter coats dotted the Brooklyn beach and boardwalk for the event, which the Coney Island Polar Bear Club has hosted since 1903.
Organizers said they anticipated “record-breaking numbers” for this year’s plunge into the frigid, but still unseasonably warm, depths — with temps in the mid-40s.
One gate agent said the attendance was “definitely more” than the 4,000 that had registered.
Participants had different ways of psyching themselves up for the chilly submersion, like Robert, 49, who showed up in shorts with no coat.
“Why wait for the ocean when I can embrace the cold air now?” he said of his strategy.
Shannon Douglas, a born and bred Brooklynite, said the polar bear plunge had long been on her “bucket list,” and was excited this would be her first year taking part.
“Every year I tell myself I’m going to do it and never get to. This year I wasn’t missing out. Knocking things off my bucket list one day at a time beginning with this!”
By 10 a.m., the line to check in for the plunge already stretched for blocks down Stillwell Ave. and around the corner, showing no signs of getting shorter even as the first wave of plungers trudged their way down the beach and into the water at exactly 11 a.m.
Some people who showed up for the frosty swim opted just to watch because of the massive lines.
“The line is too long, man. It’s like Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest out here,” said Hermen, a New Jersey native who made the trek out to Coney Island for the event.
“I took the train from New Jersey by myself to do the plunge for the first time. But I think I’ll sit this year out because the line is way too long.”
For those who endured the lines, however, the plunge was worth the wait due to the unseasonably mild weather and water temps.
“If you’re doing it for the first time, this was the year to do it because it wasn’t even that cold,” said Derrick, 49, a New York native making his inaugural plunge.
“I was inspired because all my friends do it every year and post it on social media and they’re from tropical countries so, like, what’s my excuse?”
Rebecca, whose father used to take her to Coney Island for the polar plunge “all the time” when she was a kid, braved the wintry water with her own pint-sized plungers, ages 10 and 7, to continue the tradition.
“I’m just glad I can keep up the tradition with my own kids this year,” she said, describing their dip as “easy peasy.”
“The water was so much warmer than previous years. Don’t let the air fool you,” she said.
The brave swimmers were greeted with smiles and cheers from the crowd as they quickly made their way back to shore to towel off and retrieve jackets and robes.
To officially mark the occasion, each plunger was presented with a certificate of completion that said “I did it.”
“Wasn’t that bad!” one man said as he ran out of the water.
