2022-2023 Polar Bear Results

Dec. 21, 2022 to Mar. 21, 2023

Multiple atmospheric rivers brought heavy rains, severe floods, and damaging winds to the Bay Area in the winter of 2022-2023. Temperatures and overall weather conditions throughout the 2022-2023 Polar Bear season have not been seen since the 80’s. This season had a record breaking 35 days where combined air and water temperatures were under 100, while usually we recorded only 10-15 days in the past. Coldest combined temperatures were 89.8 on 2/23. The coldest water temp was recorded on 2/16 at 51.3. Another record was 17 straight days of under 100.

The temperature and weather conditions may have created extra challenge for the 300 dolphin swimmers who attempted this season’s Polar Bear, but still 162 swimmers were able to finish, many for the first time. In this season, Chris Wagner is the first swimmer to pass the 40-mile mark on January 7th, 2023, and Oliver Fader is the first to get to 100 miles on February 16th, 2023. 

In honor of Joe Illick, who was unable to finish his miles due to his passing away, many swimmers donated some of their miles to his final tally.  Rest in peace, Joe.

While we remember the challenges, and highs and lows of the 2022-23 Polar Bear season, the 2023-2024 season will mark the 50th anniversary of this club tradition, which we shall look forward to with celebrations, festivities, and a little bit of madness not unfamiliar to Dolphin members.

Index        First Name            Last Name                       # of miles       Virgin/Old Goat?     PB Notes

1                 Oliver                    Fader                               190                                                           100 on 2/16

2                 Joe                          Illick                                  167                                                           includes all donated miles

3                 Rick                        Perez                                111                                                            

4                 Rich                        Roth                                  111                  V                                      

5                 Chris                      Wagner                          111                  OG                                 40 on 1/7

6                 Thomas               Neill                                  101                  OG                                  

7                 Cesar                     Manzano                      90                                                               

8                 Christophe       Crombez                       85.5                V                                      

9                 Mamoun            Alassouli                        80.5                V                                      

10              Randy                   Edwards                        80.5                                                          

11              Peter                     Cullinan                          76                     OG                                  

12              Joe                          Spallone                        65.75                                                       

13              Kati                         Hopman                        64                                                               

14              Neal                       Powers                           62.5                OG                                  

15              Michael               Thoresen                      62                     OG                                  

16              Chris                      Igo                                      60                     V                                      

17              Claire                    Perry                                60                                                               

18              John                       Stassen                           60                                                               

19              Bianca                  Liederer                         58.5                                                          

20              Michael               Tschantz-Hann         56.5                                                          

21              Ryan                      Hedum                           55                     V                                      

22              Ian                           McColl                            55                     V                                      

23              Renzo                   Sereni                              54                     OG                                  

24              Alice                      Ma                                     53.5                                                         SERC member

25              Pejmun               Haghighi                        53                                                               

26              Eric                         Reed                                 52.5                V                                      

27              Thorsten            Anderson                      52.25                                                       

28              Daniel                   Handler                          52                                                               

29              John                       Ottesberg                     52                     OG                                  

30              Tatyana               Ovcharova                   51.5                                                          

31              Jason                     Shaeffer                         51                     V                                      

32              Kamran               Ataba                               50.5                                                          

33              Lisa                         Domitrovich               50.5                OG                                  

34              Eliana                    Agudelo                         50                                                               

35              Fasica                   Alemayehu                  50                                                               

36              Steve                     Carlson                           50                                                              5th PB in a row

37              Lawrence           Remstedt                      50                                                               

38              Jamie                    Robinson                      50                     OG                                  

39              Bobby                   Tandler                           50                     OG                                  

40              Ted                         Tilles                                 50                                                               

41              Caius                     Vannouhuys               50                                                               

42              John                       Gibbon                           48                                                               

43              Pieter                    Kruit                                 48                                                               

44              Cort                        Eidem                              47.5                V                                      

45              Jim                          Barron                             47                                                               

46              David                    O’Reilly                           46.5                                                          

47              Kalani                   Leifer                               46.25                                                       

48              Morgan               Kulla                                 46                     OG                                  

49              John                       Mervin                            45                                                               

50              Arnie                     Oji                                      44.75             OG                                  

51              Gary                       Arabatyan                    44                                                               

52              Tony                      Payne                              44                                                               

53              Natazha              Raine O’Connor       44                     OG                                  

54              Beth                       Stein                                 44                     OG                                  

55              Carter                   Seddon                           43.5                                                          

56              Johan                    Duramy                          43                     V                                      

57              Jeffrey                  Wagner                          43                                                              first full polar bear

58              Jonathan            DePriest                         42.75                                                       

59              Amanda              Ernzer                              42.75                                                       

60              Sean                      McFadden                   42.5                                                          

61              Joey                       Murphy                          42.25                                                       

62              Ryan                      Dalton                             42                                                               

63              Maria                    Sereni                              42                                                               

64              Egon                      Terplan                           42                                                               

65              Juan                       Zinser Lopez               41.75                                                       

66              Jeff                          Citron                              41.5                OG + V                         

67              Larry                      Scroggins                      41.25             OG                                  

68              Alex                        Buehlmann                 41                                                               

69              Karin                     Christenson                41                                                               

70              Kathleen            Duffy                                41                     OG                                  

71              Vince                     Huang                             41                     OG                                 45 Consecutive PB

72              Kerry                     LaBelle                            41                                                               

73              Sean                      Lavelle                            41                                                               

74              Lauren                 Lesyna                             41                                                               

75              Tim                         Melano                           41                                                               

76              Wafaa                  Sabil                                  41                                                               

77              Rebecca              Tilley                                41                                                               

78              Nihan                    Tiryaki                             41                                                               

79              Rosa                      Zapatero                       41                                                               

80              Joni                        Beemsterboer          40.5                OG                                  

81              Pia                           Hinckle                           40.5                                                          

82              Catherine          Singstad                         40.5                V                                      

83              Elaine                   Van Vleck                     40.5                                                          

84              Tom                       Brown                             40.25                                                       

85         Sean               Badessa                         40                                                               

86              Peter                     Bostelmann                40                                                               

87              Eric                         Boyle                                40                     V                                      

88              Andrew               Braithwaite                 40                                                               

89              Eileen                   Buckley                          40                                                               

90              Michael               Caniglia                          40                                                               

91              Charlie                 Cross                                40                     OG                                  

92              Jim                          Frew                                 40                                                               

93              Joe                          Gannon                          40                     OG                                  

94              Erin                         Gasser                             40                                                               

95              Mark                     Harrold                           40                                                               

96              David                    Holscher                        40                     OG                                  

97              Gavin                    Jefferies                         40                                                               

98              Bobby                   Lu                                        40                                                               

99              Tor                          Lundgren                      40                                                               

100           Sunny                   McKee                            40                     OG                                  

101           Camila                  Pesce                               40                                                               

102           Derrick                 Rebello                           40                                                               

103           Holly                      Reed                                 40                     OG                                  

104           Jeff                          Russell                            40                                                               

105           Dan                        Ryan                                 40                     V                                      

106           Julian                    Sapirstein                     40                     OG                                  

107           Philip                     Scarborough              40                                                               

108           Christy                 Simpson                        40                     V                                      

109           Ben                        Springwater                40                                                               

110           Noah                     Springwater                40                                                               

111           Mike                      Walsh                              40                                                              

112           Ken                         Miller                               35.5                OG                                  

113           Gabriella            Cross                                34                     OG                                  

114           Joe                          Mannion                       31.75             OG                                  

115           Duke                      Dahlin                              30                     OG                                  

116           Kate                       Matthay                        29                     OG                                  

117           Julie                       Marcus                           28.5                OG                                  

118           George                Robin                               27.5                OG                                  

119           Brian                     Johnson                         27                     OG                                  

120           Mickey                 Lavelle                            27                     OG                                  

121           Bill                           Burke                               26.5                OG                                  

122           Diane                    Campbell                      26.5                OG                                  

123           Keith                     Howell                            26                     OG                                  

124           Lolly                       Lewis                                25                     OG                                  

125           Kent                       Myers                              25                     OG                                  

126           Naphtali             Offen                               25                     OG                                  

127           Lee                          Smithson                      24.5                OG                                  

128           Stu                          Gannes                           24                     OG                                  

129           Steve                     Hanson                           24                     OG                                  

130           Elizabeth            Ozer                                  24                     OG                                  

131           Wolf                      Richter                            24                     OG                                  

132           Denise                  Dugan                              23.75             OG                                  

133           Sal                           Balistreri                       23                     OG                                  

134           Dorian                  Dunne                             22                     OG + V                         

135           Nancy                   Lange                               22                     OG                                  

136           Andy                      Stone                               22                     OG                                  

137           Anne                     Hamersky                     21.5                OG                                  

138           Peter                     Neubauer                     21.5                OG                                  

139           Krist                       Jake                                   21.25             OG                                  

140           Jon                          Nakamura                    21.25             OG                                  

141           Daragh                 Powers                           21.25             OG                                  

142           Lindsay                Casablanca                  21                     OG                                  

143           Terry                     Huwe                               21                     OG                                  

144           Sergei                   Khorochev                   21                     OG                                  

145           Michaelynn      Meyers                           21                     OG                                  

146           Rudeen               Monte                             21                     OG                                  

147           Rory                       Enke                                 20.5                OG                                  

148           Tom                       McGraw                        20.5                OG                                  

149           Joanne                 Sakai                                 20.5                OG + V                         

150           Kevin                     Shanahan                     20.5                OG                                  

151           Matt                      Leffers                             20.25             OG                                  

152           John                       Dugan                              20                     OG                                  

153           Elspeth                Farmer                            20                     OG + V                         

154           Sue                         Garfield                          20                     OG                                  

155           Marlin                  Gilbert                            20                     OG                                  

156           Terry                     Horn                                 20                     OG                                  

157           John                       Hornor                            20                     OG                                  

158           Heidi                     Howell                            20                     OG                                  

159           Aniko                    Kurczinak                      20                     OG                                  

160           Kevin                     McAlea                           20                     OG                                  

161           Will                         Powning                        20                     OG                                  

162       Deb                        Sullivan                          20                     OG                                  

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