All are invited to celebrrrrate the New Year of 2026 at Noon on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, with a refreshing Polar Bear Plunge into the frigid waters of Puget Sound in Burien’s Three Tree Point neighborhood.
Burien’s annual plunge will be held at the south beach in Three Tree Point (map below) at Noon – rain, floods, snow, clouds, wind chill, ice storm or sun – and as usual will involve a costume contest.
And did we mention that there’s a Costume Contest? Wear something fun and clever (this contest is for plungers only), or appropriate to the times we live in. A winner of the coveted Polar Bear Plunge trophy will be determined by a small group of organizers.
“Remember to dress up in your best plunging costume and with the right plunging technique, you could become a champion and get to keep our famous trophy on your mantle for all of 2026,” former champ Joe Hauser told The B-Town Blog. “The judging will be done by last year’s champion, Ginger “orca” Harris. As a past champion myself, I can attest that winning the Three Tree Point Polar Bear Plunge will be the greatest moment of your life. Come one come all and submerge yourself in the frigid waters of Three Tree Point on Thursday, January 1 at Noon!”
Participants are strongly encouraged to practice safety protocols, including wearing waterproof footwear to protect your soles from sharp rocks and shells, bringing big towels or blankets for drying off and warming up afterwards, watching out and taking care of each other, as well as plenty of courage and joy.
Videos
Here’s a video of last year’s plunge, courtesy Pino Verde Media:
And here’s one from 2023:
Three Tree Point’s south beach is located at the intersection of Maplewild Ave SW and SW 172nd Street (be sure to get there early though, as parking is limited):
Curious, where do people park for this event? It’s so limited down there.