By David Rogers. January 28, 2012. BLOWING ROCK -- With comforting words like, "Those creatures causing the bubbles are down there on the bottom of the lake and don't usually come up until April", Winterfest Polar Plunge emcee extraordinaire Tracy Brown greeted a record 96 "plungers" on Saturday morning at Chetola Lake, hosted by Chetola Mountain Resort & Spa.

An estimated 1800 people rimmed the shores and docks the lake, eager to see the costumes, antics and "splashes" made by the assorted characters from all age groups.  With Brown telling the jumpers they were "lucky" this year, what with the usual six inches of ice not formed across the top of the lake, the brave, timid, and intrepid alike braved the 45-degree waters.  Many put on a brave face as if to say, "this will be nothin'", but they were among the first to scream, "Oh my God!" or "Oh, #@)&*($!" upon their immersion.

At one point, Brown noted the many couples and father-daughters who jumped, saying, "Chivalry is dead in Blowing Rock.  I've never seen so many guys shove their girlfriends, wives and daughters out of the way to get to the ladder first!"

Shortly after a couple of middle-age guys jumped in wearing "Depends" diapers, something brown emerged at the surface of the lake, just below where the emcee stood.  "Look," he told the next jumpers waiting their turn, "I bet that floated out of the guys' 'Depends'!"

It was all in great fun, and jumper and spectators alike were from all over the countryside, from Cleveland and Chicago, to Boston, and Lakeland, Florida (to mention a few faraway places), and many locals.

This year's Winterfest Polar Plunge was in benefit of Watauga County's own international non-profit, Wine to Water, and executive director Doc Hendley was on hand with a team to "take the plunge" -- after taking the microphone from Brown to thank the crowd, the Chamber of Commerce, the Fire & Rescue staff and volunteers standing by, and Chetola Mountain Resort.

Blowing Rock News was there, and captured these special images, organized into five slideshows.

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