Driven by either desire or perhaps a lapse of reason to brave the cold waters of the California Delta, participants and those that wanted to watch others freeze started arriving early on New Year’s Day to the Rusty Porthole on Bethel Island for the annual Frozen Bun Run.
For the 45th year, revelers volunteered to brave the arctic brace of Frank’s Tract in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta around Bethel Island by water skiing, wakeboarding and even efoiling when most people are probably still sleeping the evening off.
(L-R) Kamen Pulver of Brentwood watches Jaylene Ganem, 15, of Discovery Bay and Jess Figueroa of Concord hug before their run. The two met during signups and decided to make a tandem run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)(L-R) Jess Figueroa of Concord and Jaylene Ganem, 15, of Discovery Bay wave to each other during their run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
An hour after 8 a.m., the official start time, it became difficult to move through the crowds that were lined up for wearable memorabilia, breakfast, or a coffee and Baileys to help cut the 40-degree chill– or a Bloody Mary to possibly take the edge off the previous night’s celebration.
(L-R) Julia Humphreys and Gina Schultz man the Bloody Mary bar. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Julia Humphreys mixes makes a Bloody Mary. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
By noon, 34 brave souls had signed up to ski through the 51.8 degree water and around 20 young, old and even blind skiers had already completed the course– Daniel Witte of Castro Valley is blind and has been participating in the Frozen Bun Run since 2007.
Blind skier, Daniel Witte of Castro Valley, waits on the tow boat for his dock start. Witte has been participating since 2007. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Blind skier, Daniel Witte of Castro Valley, makes his run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
Edgar Mora of Discovery Bay, cheers on a skier. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Jennifer Pohorski of Bethel Island reacts to the cold water. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Jennifer Pohorski of Bethel Island makes her run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)(L-R) Nick Wright of Brentwood checks out a zippered hoodie with girlfriend, Kari Barnes of Brentwood and salesperson, Cheryl Bolton. Bolton is a regular at the restaurant and volunteers for the event. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Nick Wright of Brentwood, dressed as Santa makes his run. Wright had participated once before. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Kari Barnes of Brentwood makes her run. Barnes had participated once before. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
(R) Chris McGuire of Bethel Island signs up to ski a run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Kamen Pulver of Brentwood tosses a tow rope from the tow boat, driven by Ryan Brunham, to participant Chris McGuire. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Haleigh McGuire cheers on her father Chris McGuire, both of Bethel Island, during his run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)(R-L) Gemma McKenney of Discovery Bay, signs up her son, Cameron, the 2023 World Wake Association (WWA) National Champion, to make a run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Cameron McKenney, 10, of Discovery Bay, the 2023 World Wake Association National Champion, makes his run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)(L-R) Kamen Pulver of Brentwood, Rob Brunham watch as Levi Morris of Brentwood pulls his Fliteboard eFoil out of its case. Pulver will be assisting on the tow boat, Brunham is co-owner of the Rusty Porthole and Morris works for Fliteboard and will be making a run later in the day. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
Levi Morris makes his Fliteboard eFoil run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Levi Morris of Brentwood jumps off his Fliteboard eFoil at the end of his run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Fans cheer on participants. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Aiden Constantineau, 11, of Bethel Island makes his run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)(R-L) Father and son, Thomas and Kaiden, 12, Wieden head off the dock for their tandem run at the 45th annual Frozen. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)(L-R) Father and son, Thomas and Kaiden, 12, Wieden make their tandem run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
(L-R) Thomas Kaiden hugs and kisses his son, Thomas, 12, after their tandem run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Jianna Ganem of Discovery Bay and boyfriend Cage Russell get into their wakeboards before their tandem run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Jianna Ganem of Discovery Bay sprays her boyfriend Cage Russell during their tandem run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Kenny Williams of Bethel Island makes his run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Deonte Sanchez of Oakley gets ready for his in the buff run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)Deonte Sanchez of Oakley makes his in the buff run. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
