Hard to tell if he moved faster going into the water.

Or coming out of it.

Rylan Yargeau, 12, of Vernon was one of close to 30 participants who kicked off 2025 Wednesday, Jan. 1, with a plunge into Kalamalka Lake from the beach in Coldstream.

Although the only part of Yargeau that really got wet was the lower body. He sprinted into the water, turned around, sprinted out, ran right for the safety and warmth of his beach towel, wrapped himself in the towel, then walked up and down the beach trying to get warm.

So how was the plunge, Rylan?

"Not fun," he said with a straight, cold face. "This was all my dad's idea."

Yes, dad Kriss Yargeau, 51, went in ahead of his boy.

"It was good, refreshing," he said.

Mom Shawn Yargeau did not take part.

"I was chicken," she laughed. "But I went in last year."

Carys Brown, 12, was there with some of her Vernon United soccer teammates, as well as some family. She went in twice, the second time to dip her head under the water.

"I can't feel my feet," said Brown upon returning to the sandy beach.

She was one of two people overheard to say they couldn't feel their feet. The other was Missy Morrison, 35, who was at the lake with her son, River, aged two. River did not participate but watched his mom run in and out of the water.

"I've done ice baths in my bathtub, but never in a lake," said Morrison. "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

The husband and wife duo of Gavin and Hayley Johnston took the plunge with friend Valerie Roussin, visiting from Quebec.

"My stupidity, my craziness," said Hayley, when asked what brought her to the lake. Roussin said she participates regularly in polar bear swims during the legendary Carnaval de Quebec in La Belle Province, held each February.

Maybe the longest pair to stay in the water was the mother-son combo of Nealee and Cole Humphreys. They waded out into the water slowly, spent a good few minutes chatting a fair distance from shore, and high-fived one another as they made their way back.

"It was a little chilly," said Mom Nealee. "The water was calm, there was a little bit of snow falling. It was perfect."

Kalamalka Lake was quite shallow. Most of the adult participants had to run out quite a ways from shore before the water would reach above the bottoms of their bathing suits.

Aislinn Harmston arranged for about 15 family members and friends to meet at the beach. And while she didn't take part as she was caring for her youngest child, Harmston hopes to make the impromptu plunge an annual occurrence.

"I just wanted to gather a group of people to go down and ring in the new year," she said. "It would be nice if it could spark some interest in maybe getting an official polar bear swim back on the first of January."

A polar bear swim will be held as part of the 65th Vernon Winter Carnival on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 1 p.m. at Paddlewheel Park beach. Registration will begin at 12 p.m.