As a way to get his body acclimated to cold water, George Wangemann used to start every morning from September to Jan. 1 with an ice cold shower.

But as it turns out, he said, very little can prepare a person for a full-body plunge into a 45-degree lake. That won't stop him, though, from taking a jump this New Year's Day Saturday during the Lake Lanier Polar Bear Swim.

"The body just adjusts to whatever circumstance you're faced with," said Wangemann, a Gainesville city councilman who has participated in the swim for the last 11 years.

"So if it gets really cold outside, I think your body adapts to that. But if it's really hot your body adapts to that. But there is no real preparation."

The Lake Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club will host its 14th annual Polar Bear Swim, which last year attracted about 100 brave souls.

Proceeds go to the club and are vital for paying coaches and maintaining equipment, said club
president Tim Watson. He said the money is especially necessary for promoting the youth teams.

"Without the youth program we don't have a club," Watson said. "...I mean, gosh, if we're not bringing new kids into the organization and teaching them the art of sprint canoe and kayak, then this club is not going to produce a future Olympian."

Some jumpers take the plunge just for the fun of it, but others strive to win one of the day's contests like "Best Costume" and "Biggest Splash."

Last year, the biggest splash award went to the 6-foot, 9-inch owner of a Marietta barbecue restaurant who jumped into Lake Lanier in a speedo and yellow Crocs with the word " ‘cue" shaved into his chest and back hair.

Previous swims also included a "Most Jumps" competition, but organizers canceled that event a few years back.

Wangemann, who holds the record of 40 jumps, said that decision was just fine by him.

"I did get a case of hypothermia," he said. "One guy passed out from hypothermia. The funny thing is you don't realize you're getting that until it's too late."

Watson's 17-year-old son, James Watson, has jumped for the past three years.

"The first time I did it, it was really bad. It was really cold," he said. "Last year when I did it, it was still cold but it wasn't terrible because I knew what to expect. The first year is definitely the hardest."

He likened the sensation to "a brain freeze times 10," but still said the event is "just a blast," especially jumping into the available hot tub after crawling out of the lake.

Wangemann will kick off this years swim at 2 p.m. with the ceremonial first jump. In previous years, organizers have started the event in the morning, but they thought letting the docks warm up a bit might be a good idea.

"It allows people to wake up a bit from the previous night of whatever everyone was wanting to do," Watson said. "It's a brisk start to the New year."