Humour
Polar Bear Sardars
NEWS REPORT
No, it wasn't a scene from Hardwar of brahmins sending water to their ancestors who were supposedly ensconced on the Sun. Nor was it anyone emulating Guru Nanak's tongue-in-cheek response of watering His fields in distant Punjab by splashing water in the opposite direction.
With the snow starting to fall and the temperatures already below zero, a group of young Sardars were simply ringing in the New Year by making waves, polar bear like, in freezing Lake Ontario in Toronto, Canada in the early hours of Friday, January 1, 2010.
The Khalsa Kanucks were lead by
"Captain Kanada" Gill who, at the tender age of 60, proved that you can
have fun at any age.
Not to be outdone, Jas "The-Great-One" Singh Jagpal lead the Khalsa
Kanucks individually raising $949 and the team as a whole fundraising
$2933 towards Habitat for Humanity Toronto, to support local
families in need.
Kulvir "Flaming" Singh Gill says, "I cannot think of a better way to bring in the New Year than doing something to benefit others and having a little fun in the sun ... or, should I say, fun in the cold!"
Kicking off the dip and warm-up was the Dhol Circle, entertaining all participants with amazing dhol rythmns and beats. The Khalsa Kanucks were out in full Canadiana Hockey gear including Kuljit "I-am-off-the-sidewalk" Singh sporting a Winnipeg Jets Jersey and Rana "The-Polar-Bear" Singh Bassi sporting the Quebec Nordiques.
"That
really got my adrenalin pumping." said Pardeep 'Double-Dipping" Singh
Nagra, "it actually made the water feel hot, so hot that I had to take a
second dip only to realize the water was freezing."
Making the biggest splashes were Shamsher "Super-Fly" Singh, Kulbir
"Splashing" Singh Dhillon and Harpeet "Dholi" Singh Bajwa who all can't
wait to do it again next year. A few of the Sardars were so excited they
forgot to take off their shirts, they included the Gurmit "I-am-not-cold" Singh twins and Harry "Dancing" Singh Mann.
Many family and friends were on hand to join the over 400 participants and supporters as they shouted "Eh O Khalsa Kanucks, Go!
[You can visit the Khalsa Kanucks Facebook page for wonderful pictures and videos of the Polar Bear Dip.]
January 2, 2009
Conversation about this article
1: Harnam Singh (Pittsburgh, U.S.A.), January 02, 2010, 10:02 AM.
And, pray, where are the female of the species?
2: Jeet Kaur (Coventry, United Kingdom), January 02, 2010, 10:06 AM.
I trust at home, preparing a nice warm brunch for the boys when they get back, and looking after the kids! These fellows look like they are professionals - when, O when, will they learn to include and welcome their women in ALL activities?
3: Sanmeet Kaur (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), January 02, 2010, 10:23 AM.
There was an open invitation by Pardeep Singh to all Sardarnis on sikhchic.com. Maybe we need to show some initiative ourselves :)
4: Jas Jagpal (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), January 02, 2010, 3:21 PM.
The job to organize and make this happen within a few weeks and get a dozen people jump into sub-zero degree water is hard enough. Pardeep Singh Nagra deserves kudos for all his efforts. My wife, my three kids were all there, taking pictures, video and participating and so were many others. I'm going to leave with a quote ... and maybe Jeet and those with criticisms can join us next time as a volunteer and make it a bigger, better event. "He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help." - Abe Lincoln.
5: T. Sher Singh (Guelph, Ontario, Canada), January 02, 2010, 4:29 PM.
My heartiest congratulations to Pardeep and his motley crew on completing this fun-filled event. I know it isn't easy to get people together for anything, leave alone on a mid-winter Canadian morning ... outdoors ... and get them to JUMP into a half-frozen lake ... for the sheer 'fun' of it! Great event. Great participation. I hope it'll henceforth be an annual event, but I must confess you're not going to see me there, I'm afraid. The last time I did something like this was way back in my youth, when I joined a late Spring (June) trek to Hemkunt in the Himalayas. Once up there at 16,100 feet above sea-level, between the "sapat sring" - the seven snow-capped peaks - a bunch of us chipped away at the ice in the frigid lake and, yes, jumped into the water. All I remember is the numbness ... and a promise to myself to never do it again! But don't let that deter you, Pardeep! You are a better man than I ...!
6: Irvinder Singh Babra (Brantford, Ontario, Canada), January 03, 2010, 9:07 AM.
Congratulations, Pardeep Singh Nagra and company. A fine story. Have fun.
7: Parmjit Singh (Canada), January 03, 2010, 1:18 PM.
Jersies from across the nation, and they even remembered les Quebec Nordiques ... and Sikhs putting Santa on their shoulders instead of sitting in Santa's lap, the only way it should be. Absolutely brilliant; having fun simply for the sake of fun, all the while doing for the Sikh spirit something no ad agency budget could ever achieve. Pardeep Singh, you continue to be awesome!
8: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A..), January 03, 2010, 5:17 PM.
Pardeep, I know sometimes I suggested that you be cool, but I never meant that you take matters this far. Seriously though, congratulations!
9: Jas Jagpal (Canada), January 03, 2010, 9:19 PM.
Just a reminder: Donations can still be made to support the Khalsa Kanucks and Habitat for Humanity. Show your appreciation by donating. We're $600 away from Team #1. http://my.e2rm.com/TeamPage.aspx?EventID=41349&LangPref=en-CA&TeamID=142311
10: Pupinder Kaur (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), January 04, 2010, 2:35 PM.
In response to Jeet Kaur and Harnam Singh, I and other females were at the event, supporting, helping and cheering on those who went into the water. The point of the event was not to point out who physically participated, as all of us helped raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. We all supported each other and were equally involved. Yes, some of us were braver than others, and I am positive there will be females and males jumping into the water next year. Regardless of who jumps in, ALL of us, men, women and children will be supporting each other in hopes of raising money for the real goal and purpose of the event - a great cause. To Jas Jagpal, well spoken. It was truly wonderful to see a family so involved in such a great event!