The annual Chicago Polar Bear Club New Year's Day Swim is a local tradition that's funnier to watch than to do. Each year, hundreds of wild-eyed, Santa hat-clad loonies congregate at the North Avenue Beach, strip down to their swimsuits (no wetsuits, nudity, or whining allowed), and try to dive into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan. Although many fail to get more than toe-deep before retreating back to shore, the frenzied, shivering crowd of half-drunk spectators could care less. Take the plunge and ring in the New Year with enough goose bumps, hypothermia, and bragging rights to last a lifetime, or at least until next year.