While on Martha’s Vineyard, I attended Hyatt’s event honoring 80 years of one of the island’s most storied traditions: the Polar Bears.

Formed in 1946 by a group of African American seasonal residents who wanted to exercise together in the water, the Polar Bears have provided 80 years of physical fitness and fellowship at Inkwell Beach in Oak Bluffs, the first desegregated beach on Martha’s Vineyard. The group began when the two Black O’Brien sisters bought a cottage and ran it as a bed and breakfast; nine Black guests who had come to the Vineyard to work became the first Polar Bears. Every summer since, from July 4 through Labor Day, members gather every morning at 7:30 to exercise, swim, and have fun in the water.

At the celebration, I connected with Malik Yoba, Hyatt’s Tyronne Stoudemire, and more, honoring the exercise, meditation, prayer, and play that define the tradition. Longtime group leader Caroline Hunter, pictured below, has been taking the plunge for nearly 30 years and remains one of its most beloved figures.

The gathering was a reminder of what this tradition represents: joy, resilience, and a legacy that continues to bring people together, 80 years strong.

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📸 R3yan