Flora-Bama Celebrates Four Decades of Cold Plunges
An estimated 4,000 New Year's Day revelers gathered borderline beachfront of the Flora-Bama, spilling over the Florida / Alabama line under forgivingly warm sunshine to welcome in the New Year by jumping into the winter water at noon on January 1, 2024.
Beyond celebrating the turning of the year, the event also marked four decades of the Flora-Bama's Annual Polar Bear Dip, attracting multi-generational clans to share the experience. Costumes were as innovative as they were outlandish. A "Where's Waldo?"group in matching striped shirts and thick glasses parted to let the "Gilligan's Island" characters past, "Mrs. Howell" bringing up the rear balancing her martini with her parasol. A group of locals came ready to graduate in 2024 wearing cap and gowns. Neptune and his wife were there to see and be seen, while Santa lounged with an elf, basking in a relaxed few days off from the North pole office, ostensibly to see who behaved naughty or nice during the dip. A masked "Michael Meyers" even enjoyed threatening swimmers two months after Halloween. And of course, penguins and polar bears were a'plenty.
Co-owners Cameron Price, Pat McClellan, and John McInnis addressed the exuberant crowd. McClellan—his Santa-like beard complemented by wearing a Santa hat—welcomed the eager dippers by showing the event's 40th Anniversary cake available for all participants.
"If we had know so many of you would be here, we would have made a bigger cake," McClellan laughed." but don't worry, you'll all get a sliver—a very thin one, but you'll all get one."
In reality, several much larger version of the birthday cake in the main building ensured there was more than enough for everyone.
Eager to jump in, the swimmers began hitting the waves before John McInnis had even finished his countdown. With sheiks of laughter, shock, and general delight, the colorful costumed crowd—some fully clothed—certainly made a splash. While some jumped out almost as fast as they jumped in, many dove heading into the breaking waves and relished the cold plunge, some doing backstrokes or dunking siblings.
"We were blessed with gorgeous weather," said Jenifer Parnell, the venue's marketing and public relations director, basking in the near 70-degree sunshine. "Polar Bear Dip represents what the Flora-Bama is—the people,"
Beyond Dip's milestone year, 2024 also marks McClellan's 40th year as an owner of the 60-year-old historic beachfront honky tonk. The Flora-Bama's annual Mullet Toss will also turn 40 the weekend of April 26-28.
"All ages and different backgrounds can come and celebrate life together here," Parnell observed, adding, "People were laughing and hugging and setting the tone for what hopes to be a magical and joyous 2024."
