Jump into the frigid ocean … without a wetsuit?! Are you crazy?

There are plenty of people who will be shrieking and screaming as they rush into the chilly water on the north side of the Huntington Beach Pier at noon on New Years Day, washing off the old and getting a good cleanse for 2012.

Hundreds of people show up on the sand – some wearing wild and wacky costumes – to do the 2012 Surf City Splash, where organizers do a 10-9-8… countdown, and revelers sprint into the water and take a dunk.

CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM LAST YEAR’S EVENT:

“We’ll be washing off the old of 2011,” says organizer Lee Love.

The event is a great way to do something fun and different with friends and family, and it sounds like weather will be wonderful for this year’s event. People who just want to watch,  line the pier and sand to cheer for the splashers. The event is open to the public.

It also serves as a fund-raiser, with a pancake breakfast and T-shirts and certificates available before the event. The funds benefit several charities, including the International Surfing  Museum in Huntington Beach, Canine Companions for Independence, Lions Hearing Clinic and Research Center, SightFirst Foundation, Therapeutic Riding Center, and Project Self-Sufficiency.

The event started about a decade ago when Huntington resident Michael Parks and a few friends jumped in the water on New Years Day, and the event just caught on like wildfire.

Some revelers come dressed up with party hats, others in full blown costumes. There are pirates, clowns, and people trying to shock the hangovers out of their systems.

There are a lot of cultures that partake in similar “Polar Plunges,” mostly in colder temps like New York or Chicago. Many plunges serve as a fund-raiser for Special Olympics.

While we might be called chicken for gripping about the balmy 50-something waters in So Cal, it’s still a bit of a shock to jump into the water!

Information: www.HBSurfCitySplash.com

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