Sullivan's Island Winter-Spring 2018-19

12 www.SullivansIslandMagazine.com | www.SullivansIslandHomes.com [ Feature ] hard on bare feet, and, as you splash into the water, it gets harder to run because you can’t feel your toes. And when you reach your ultimate destination, the cold water takes your breath away. The rule with my team is that we all have to get our hair wet, so committing to going underwater is perhaps the most challenging part of the day – until you get out. On colder days, the walk back to your towel can seem like a thousand miles as the wind stings your wet skin. The silver lining is that it doesn’t take long to warm up – after all, it was only a quick dip, and the invigorating feeling that you started the New Year off clean and refreshed in a “baptism” of sorts, conquered fear and did good things for a good cause makes it all worthwhile. It keeps us coming back every time. See you in the water! clever current-event ensemble you can imagine. Bill Dunleavy and his family lead the crowd in a half-mile parade to the beach. That’s when the excitement begins to build – it’s usually cold, and peeling off layers down to a bathing suit in the frigid air stirs the adrenaline. Those who don’t plan to swim line up to watch, while the brave – or crazy – couple hundred polar bears gather together, shivering and jumping up and down as one unit, perhaps to stay warm, perhaps out of nervousness and eager anticipation and, from my perspective, all of the above. The crowd is bigger on “warmer” days, and scarily small on days like last year’s when the wind chill was 20 degrees. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” probably goes through the minds of most during the 10-second countdown before everyone runs into the water. The sand is cold and chris@chrisbracebuilders.com www.chrisbracebuilders.com 843-557-9003 Building and Remodeling with YOU in mind. 2018 Prism Award Winner for Home Remodeling Category Photo by Reid Green.