A polar bear swim really has nothing to do with polar bears, except for the icy cold waters that you may find a polar bear swimming, in the northern Arctic.

A polar bear swim is a swimming event that usually takes place on New Years Day.

Generally, a group of people will organize a New Years Day Polar bear swim in a city with freezing cold water.  The swimmers run into the water for anywhere, from a few seconds to a few minutes, as a New Years Day challenge and as a fun, social way to start the New Year. People usually run in for a quick dip, and then run out just as quickly to warm themselves up.

There has been a New Years Day Polar Bear Swim in Vancouver, British Columbia for the past 90 years.

There are also "Polar Bear Clubs" all over the world, that meet every week to take a dip in the ocean.  Polar bear clubs are usually formed in regions where the ocean water temperature remains uncomfortably cold for most of the year.