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Taking a final Polar Bear Day plunge

Bee Staff Reports
First timer to the Polar Ski Day, Trevor Dixon, age 17, of Modesto gains air as he does a wakeboard trick at the 60th and last Polar Bear Ski by Mid-Valley Ski Club held at Modesto Reservoir, Jan. 1, 2015.
First timer to the Polar Ski Day, Trevor Dixon, age 17, of Modesto gains air as he does a wakeboard trick at the 60th and last Polar Bear Ski by Mid-Valley Ski Club held at Modesto Reservoir, Jan. 1, 2015. Debbie Noda dnoda@modbee.com

Polar Bear Day used to bring hundreds of bathing-suit-clad enthusiasts to Modesto Reservoir, but with numbers dwindling over the years, the Mid-Valley Water Ski Club decided this would be its last New Year’s Day plunge. Several people turned out Thursday to take part in water sports on the lake east of Waterford or to admire the fortitude of those who did. A wakeboarding boat took skiers and boarders out for the frigid fun, and when the shiver-inspiring conditions became a bit too much, participants could bask in the warmth of a fire pit back on shore and down a hot beverage.

This story was originally published January 1, 2015 at 8:33 PM with the headline "Taking a final Polar Bear Day plunge."

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