02:46Come on in, the water's... freezing! Yakutsk ice swimmers start winter season
The Russian ice swimmers' club 'Sakha morzhi' welcomed winter with a dip in the ice-hole in Yakutsk, as part of the traditional winter festival in Yakutia on Thursday.
The air temperature dropped to -32 degrees Celsius (-25.6 degrees Fahrenheit), while the water temperature much warmer; a balmy -3 degrees Celsius (26.6 degrees Fahrenheit)!
The footage shows participants preparing to jump in, getting into the water and splashing around. In addition, the video also shows emergency workers on standby near the ice-hole.
The swimmers commented that the water was 'lovely' and shared their impressions of the swim.
"It's much warmer in the water, but when you get out of the water, it's cold, even your hair freezes," said ice swimmer Oleg Popov.
Participants also noted that extreme swimming was the result of regular training, but said it came with health benefits too.
"I have been doing this [ice swimming] since 2020. That means [I am doing it] for the third year, and I haven't had a cold," shared Gavriil Lukovtsev.
The 'Winter Starts with Yakutia' festival has been held annually since 2012. Competitions, fairs, a food festival, concerts and sports contests also take place as part of the event.
02:46The Russian ice swimmers' club 'Sakha morzhi' welcomed winter with a dip in the ice-hole in Yakutsk, as part of the traditional winter festival in Yakutia on Thursday.
The air temperature dropped to -32 degrees Celsius (-25.6 degrees Fahrenheit), while the water temperature much warmer; a balmy -3 degrees Celsius (26.6 degrees Fahrenheit)!
The footage shows participants preparing to jump in, getting into the water and splashing around. In addition, the video also shows emergency workers on standby near the ice-hole.
The swimmers commented that the water was 'lovely' and shared their impressions of the swim.
"It's much warmer in the water, but when you get out of the water, it's cold, even your hair freezes," said ice swimmer Oleg Popov.
Participants also noted that extreme swimming was the result of regular training, but said it came with health benefits too.
"I have been doing this [ice swimming] since 2020. That means [I am doing it] for the third year, and I haven't had a cold," shared Gavriil Lukovtsev.
The 'Winter Starts with Yakutia' festival has been held annually since 2012. Competitions, fairs, a food festival, concerts and sports contests also take place as part of the event.