10:50 a.m.
Call them brave, adventurous, or downright crazy. A bunch of people started 2017 with a chilly dip at Venice Beach on January 1st, plunging into the Pacific Ocean at noon for the annual Venice Penguin Swim.
The swim takes place every year at the Venice Breakwater. The Penguin Club, which is part
of Southern California Aquatics (SCAQ), organize the event. After 57 years, 2017 was the first year the organization has charged a participation fee. Adults paid $10, children $5. The reason, LA County now charges a fee for beach events and organizers must apply for a permit to hold an event.
Swimmers were able to choose between two courses. A fun, 50-yard splash, or a more intense 500-yard race. Venice Paparazzi were on the scene to catch the action.
