Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette A brave participant plunges into the ciy waters of the Portage Canal Saturday. More people than expected showed up for the Polar Plunge on Navy Street, in Hancock, on Saturday. The event, hosted by the city of Hancock and Visit Keweenaw, returned to Hancock after nearly a decade.

HANCOCK – Sunny skies and temperatures in the low teens greeted crowds of both participants and spectators to the Polar Plunge Saturday afternoon, as the event returned to Hancock after an absence of nearly a decade.

“I talked about hundreds of people showing up and we’re seeing it today,” Jesse Wiederhold, managing director of Visit Keweenaw, one of the event organizers, said. “This is some of the best attendance I’ve seen at a first-time event that we’ve ever planned. The energy here is incredible.”

Wiederhold, said for safety reasons, a cap of 120 online pre-registrants was set on Friday, but people were still able to register at the event.

“We’re getting people through quicker than we expected,” he said, “so, I would be surprised if we had 250 people plunge by the end of the event.”

One participant, who gave his name as Kyle, said the water was only cold for a few seconds.

“Once you get out, it’s fine,” he said.

Kyle said he took the plunge because his friend wanted to do it, but did not want to do it alone.

“It was peer pressure, just peer pressure,” he said.

Hancock High School teacher Jennifer Smith, one of the participants, said she decided to plunge to see if she could do it and because it was there.

“Now, I know what really, really cold water feels like,” Smith said. “I don’t think I knew before.”