GL’s Meg Greene checked out the Polar Bears on Saturday at Coney Island and came away with a bunch of photos and a lot of observations. She wrote us:

Today was a perfect day to take pictures at Coney Island, the light was great and it was a bit warmer than yesterday. After taking a depressing series of pictures of the destruction of Astroland we were cheered up by the sight of a procession of people in their bathing suits. Sunday’s are “winter bathing” day for the Coney Island Polar Bear Club and they were out in full force today enjoying the rather balmy 40 degree weather. The crowd was bundled up in their hats, gloves, and scarves, cheering on their friends and trying to keep warm. The most surprising thing to a new observer is not that all these people get into the water, it’s that they get out and socialize on the beach in their dripping wet swimsuits and dangling towels like it’s the middle of August.

There’s more about it on her own blog.