According to a local resident (see thread below) the water is still quite cold.

My thought was a possible tradition of toughness and strength that involved seeing how long a person can stay in the frigid waters without a wetsuit, a la the polar bear dives you hear about in the northern latitudes. It'd be a way to test a persons dedication to their commitments and thank the polar bear king.... And, frankly, an excellent excuse for magazines to get half naked starlets on the magazine covers for new years.

that sound acceptable?