(sikunews.com)"Polar Bears" going strong in Finland
[30.11.06 01:30]
Joensuu has its own club for hardy ice swimmers.
This photo from the Helsingin Sanomat shows that the the ice swimming club known as Joensuun Jääkarhut (Joensuu Polar Bears) is going strong.
For years, the hardy swimmers had to make do with spartan accomodations on the shores of Pyhäselkä, 30 kilometres by 14 km, reports the newspaper.
But, the Polar Bears' new ice swimming centre opened last year.
And now they have a truly magnificent venue.
In the warmth of the main building, there are dressing rooms, showers, a room with a roaring open fireplace, and a kitchen.
The lakeside sauna, with an electric sauna stove, is a mixed affair, for men and women.
The route from the sauna to the hole in the ice leads down a path with sub-surface heating and onto a heated jetty. The rails on the steps leading down into the water are also heated, and the individual rungs are covered in a heated mat to prevent them freezing and accumulating ice.
The centre is located three km from the centre of Joensuu, and there is a bus stop right outside the door.
Anyone who wants to swim and go to sauna here can do so on purchase of a five euro tecket.
About 140 people a day do as Raassina does and take advantage of the facilities. This adds up to around 50,000 visits a year.