Polar Impressions

 LOCATION: SUNSHINE COAST, BC

Model cum polar bear swimmer ringing in the new year with vigour.

Astrid Fiverson, model, photographer, and actress extraordinaire, also happens to be my partner in crime. Together, we have a shared history of approximately sixteen years, and with that, as you can probably imagine, a great pile of memories, inside jokes, and traditions. One such annual event is our January 1st polar bear swim, which usually involves ocean water, old bathing suits, and a lot of, shall we say, high-pitched communication with respect to the rather low temperature of the sea. Though I can't remember when exactly I first decided this was a good idea, I believe I've been doing this swim for six years consecutively. I've even done it whilst be-flued, which was a bad idea but not so much so that it was worth breaking my streak.

Though I've definitely had years where the weather was uncooperative to say the least, on the first day of 2018, the light was the very definition of glorious. The sunshine was so richly golden that it nearly matched the hue of a late August evening and so strong that there was actual warmth to be felt. So what else to do but to seize this polar bear swim as a photographic opportunity?

So we grabbed gown and gems and, completely neglecting makeup or even shoes, dashed down to the water's edge. The glare off the water, like a trail of diamonds, made it impossible to see how the photographs were turning out so it was a game of blind trust with myself. As the sun dropped first behind some wispy clouds, and then near the edge of the mountains, the temperature dropped accordingly, and we realized at the same instant that the swim had to happen right away or hypothermia was a legitimately likely outcome. So off came gown and gems and into the water went my model while I documented it all with purple-tinged fingertips. It lasted all of fifty seconds, plus the mandatory for-Instagram posing period that followed. A stunning stripe of bright, warm light accented the water behind us while the vestiges of sunset streaked the sky above the mountains. If I am to make any predictions for 2018 based on that first day of the year, I believe this may very well be, so far, the best year of my life.

Happy New Year to you all, with much love.

Photography & Styling: Annika Jordan | Model: Astrid Fiverson | Astrid wears a secondhand Gown