Berlin:
A German swimming club kicked off the New Year with a chill - celebrating the first day of 2011 with a winter swim in an ice covered lake.
For more than 40 years the Berlin Seals Club has gathered at the Orankesee Lake in Northern Berlin to cut open the ice for their annual dip.
In recent years the club has grown dramatically, it now has 73, mostly middle aged members.
Around 30 of the members showed up for the New Year's day swim, braving strong winds and temperatures around zero degrees celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).
The tradition started in the late 1960s when a local newspapers sponsored a winter swim for children and young adults.
It was believed that a cold dip would improve the immune system of children, preventing their chance of illness throughout the year.
Some of the original children are still members of the club.
Arno Jensman has been a member for 12 years and says he goes ice swimming for health reasons and because a cold swim leaves him feeling rejuvenated for the rest of the day.
"Other people go to the pub to have a morning beer but we prefer to start the New Year here in this community," he said.
The club hosts regular ice swims throughout the winter, starting in September and ending when the weather warms in April.
For more than 40 years the Berlin Seals Club has gathered at the Orankesee Lake in Northern Berlin to cut open the ice for their annual dip.
In recent years the club has grown dramatically, it now has 73, mostly middle aged members.
Around 30 of the members showed up for the New Year's day swim, braving strong winds and temperatures around zero degrees celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).
The tradition started in the late 1960s when a local newspapers sponsored a winter swim for children and young adults.
It was believed that a cold dip would improve the immune system of children, preventing their chance of illness throughout the year.
Some of the original children are still members of the club.
Arno Jensman has been a member for 12 years and says he goes ice swimming for health reasons and because a cold swim leaves him feeling rejuvenated for the rest of the day.
"Other people go to the pub to have a morning beer but we prefer to start the New Year here in this community," he said.
The club hosts regular ice swims throughout the winter, starting in September and ending when the weather warms in April.
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