Paide winter swimmers hold Independence Day 'penguin parade'
Shortly after the Estonian Defense Forces and NATO parade concluded in Tallinn on Independence Day, Monday, no fewer than 20 winter swimmers gathered on the shores of a reservoir in Paide to hold their own "penguin parade."
The event kicked off with the participants taking to a red carpet to sing the Estonian national anthem, followed by a festive speech by winter swimming organizer Jüri Hiiemäe. After all that was done, it was time to finally put off any further the initial pain of the icy plunge.
Once out of the cold water, swimmers could also dive right into a hot tub or sauna to warm up (see gallery).
Hiiemäe told "Aktuaalne kaamera": "There's nothing to fear about the cold. The water temperature itself is always in the plus, even if the air temperature is negative. Today's conditions were excellent — the water was +2.5 degrees Celsius, while the air was 8 degrees. So all told, it was a great day; the ice is already melting in any case."
"But genuinely, there's no reason to be afraid. When we have people around us, we all look out for each other, so there are no problems," Hiiemäe added.
Participant Margit Udam said: "The feeling is fantastic. I've been winter swimming for a year and a half now, and it's great for your health."
Only designated, organized winter swimming zones should be used when pursuing the hobby.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Merili Nael
Source: "Aktuaalne kaamera," reporter Olev Kenk
