Winter swimmers dive into new season at Tallinn's Noblessner
A Tallinn winter swim club opened their season Sunday with a bracing dip that, as participants joked, helped clear their heads for Election Day.
The water was a brisk 10 degrees Celsius — mild by winter swimming standards — but organizers said it's a good way to ease back in before the colder months arrive.
"I think it's a great temperature to start with," said Lennusulps leader Märt Lepik. "But for an experienced swimmer, by the end of the season it already feels a bit weak."
Lepik estimated there are now tens of thousands of winter swimmers across Estonia. Some head to winter swim clubs with saunas and warm locker rooms, while others carve their own ice holes in local lakes.
Among Sunday's swimmers was Philipp from Germany, who's been following ERR for years. He said he didn't expect that jumping into icy water is what would one day get him on TV.
It wasn't his first time, either. Philipp said he often swam here in 2023.
"I have one Estonian friend, and he told me that if I want to be a real Estonian, then I need to go winter swimming," he said, confirming he believed it as he warmed up in a hot tub.
Longtime cold-water enthusiast Karl also leads a Sunday swimming group. He said a dip two or three times a week is considered healthy — and added with a grin that it's especially good during election season.
Asked what winter swimmers want most from candidates, Lepik quipped, "More cold water year round."
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Aili Vahtla
