There's something about jumping into freezing or even frozen water on New Year's Day that appeals to warmblooded Central New Yorkers.

The Aurora Polar Bear plunge went off like clockwork at 11 a.m. Thursday as it has annually since 1991, when people first plunged into Cayuga Lake.

“The water is fine for 2009,” their slogan says.

A couple other maverick groups have also appeared on the radar, one at Smith's on Pulsifer Drive in Auburn and one at Martin's Point.

Nancie Tengi-Saphara, originator of the Aurora Polar Bears, got the idea in 1991 when only she and a fellow waitress at the Aurora Inn, Terri Carter, jumped into Cayuga Lake near the Wells College dock.

“The guys down at the bar said, ‘Let's go,' and then didn't show up,” she said. “They wimped right out and didn't even come to watch.” But 16 other spectators were there and took pictures, so Tengi-Saphara has a record. She has personally participated every year since.

To celebrate 2009, 54 people shed their outer clothes and swam, five at a time, among chunks of ice lining the shore. A few tiptoed in, others dove, but most took a quick dunk and scurried back to warm blankets and cars.

Among the “Bears” were Matt Moscov and Jim Wride.

“It's a great way to start the New Year,” Moscov said, dripping wet from the lake.

“It's a big thrill,” Sarah Homick, of Aurora, said. “When it's over I go home, get in bed, cover up, and don't move for a couple of hours.”

She's jumped in almost every year except when she took time out to have her three babies.

The Headd family, of Camillus, was out in force as Katie, a sophomore at the College of St. Rose, in Albany, Annie, a sophomore and Madeline, a senior, both at West Genesee High School, got wet for their third year. Their uncle Terry, from Syracuse also went in.

Fulton residents, 10th grader Nathan Palson and Mike Smith, a long-time “Bear” repeater, also took the plunge.

“A piece of cake,” Smith said, “I'm just a little cool.”

Chris Yorkey, of Union Springs, had thought about jumping in for a while and finally decided to do it this year. His wife, Kelley, said she's supportive and might do it herself some day. His four children, Morgan, 1 1/2, Molly, 3, Haley, 6, and Hannah, 9, didn't think it was a good idea, though.

Cathy Cornell, of Fayetteville, went in for the third time, while it was the first for Stan Speers of Manlius.

Tengi-Saphara said 1998 was the coldest year with an air temperature of 16 degrees, windchill of -6 degrees, and water temperature of 3 degrees.

“We had to cut a hole in the ice and lower a ladder,” she said, but the plunge took place. Last year, with the air temperature at 40 degrees, 39 people showed up, and in 2007, there were 65 people with a temperature at 49 degrees.

A former member of the Aurora Fire Department, Tengi-Saphara has an ambulance ready at the scene and encourages people to donate if they wish.

“They have been there every year for me,” she said. “If nobody else shows up, my son and I will go in.”

Although the location has changed over the years and Tengi-Saphara has since moved from Aurora, she continues to organize the swim. Her scrapbook of pictures has been catalogued by the Aurora historian.

Friends and neighbors of Greg Smith, a second Polar Bear group, took a dip in the Owasco River behind Smith's home at 95 Pulsifer Drive, Auburn, at noon, as they have for the past few years.

“This is a group effort,” Smith said as a bunch of about 15 children and adults took a quick dunk. There were one or two stragglers who jumped in just as the children headed for the hot tub inside Smith's home.

“I don't have the guts to do it myself,” Smith said. “We got together one New Year's Eve about six years ago and decided to do it. We don't do anything on New Year's Eve, so instead a bunch of us do this and hang out all day, watching football. I just host.”

From year to year, the group ranges between 15 and 30, with friends and family watching and taking pictures.

“The adults go for a beer or a Bloody Mary,” Smith said.

He said the river has a current, so people keep to the shore. His friend, Bernie Sheftic, a member of the Cayuga County Dive Team, was on hand and Smith had life jackets and a pole handy in case there's a problem. He said one year, people dove off the deck in his back yard and swam in.

Pat Mahunik and Connor Mahunik went in, while William Graney, Charles Weed, Eric Springer, Cannon Springer and Ray Lupo participated. They had all been in last year, too.

Kaleigh Smith and Kaitlyn Amodei were a minority of two girls who went in.

The Martin Point Polar Bears, a third group organized by Susan Scheuerman, also jumped from Sunset Beach at Martin's Point at noon into Owasco Lake. Scheuerman said that four people participated. This year, her husband Ralph De Masi, Steve Miller and Eric and Tracey Miller went in. Scheuerman said anyone is welcome to join.

Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net