Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

When we first learned of Wim Hof years ago, our first impression was amazement and wonder. How could anyone do what he is doing?

Then we learned more and more of the ice swimming and winter swimming communities.

What so impressed us about the Dutchman Hof was that he always said his methods can be done by anyone. Originally, we had a hard time believing that.

But with the growing legions of ice swimmers, winter swimmers and cold water swimmers around the world, Hof’s perspective is correct. His methods – and his converts – have proved himself correct. He has become even more impressive to us than ever before. His words – like his actions – ring so true.

We see people from all walks of life, in all shapes and sizes, from Seal Beach to Sandycove doing seems to be the impossible in freezing cold temperatures. What used to be considered cold (10ºC) seems to be continuously dropping to 5ºC…4ºC…3ºC…2ºC…1ºC with even more brutally cold air temperatures.

While Hof teaches people breathing techniques and focus in order to handle the cold, many of the world’s ice swimmers and winter swimmers “just get on with it“, a saying that is so much more profound than it initially sounds.

Copyright © 2016 by World Open Water Swimming Association