Hardy swimmers brave the cold for Christmas Day dip

(25 Dec 2012) Oranke Lake 1. Swimmers arriving 2. Men enlarging the ice hole 3. Bathers in the water, more preparing to join them 4. Bathers in Father Christmas hats, in the water (includes brief rear view of naked man) 5. Medium, bathers 6. Close up, woman looking through a piece of ice 7. Bather Hartmut Kuse, with King Neptune crown and trident, and other bathers 8. SOUNDBITE: (German) Hartmut Kuse, veteran Christmas bather: "It is as always wet and chilly but not cold. It is wonderful, it is very nice and refreshing. It is Christmas and it's nice to be here with the Berlin seals." 9. Bathers (includes brief rear view of naked man) 10. Close up, man bathing in icy water 11. People climbing out 12. SOUNDBITE: (German) Ursula Karol, bather: "It was nice, very nice. It is unseasonably warm outside but the water is nice." 13. Wide, lake, with lone bather 14. Medium people leaving 15. Bathing cabin 16. Wide, lake STORYLINE: Some forty hardy Germans - who are known as the Berlin Seals - dipped their toes in the water of the city's Oranke lake on Christmas Day, a tradition which goes back to 1984. Many performed the icy plunge in little more than Santa Claus hats, whilst others decided to dress up for the occasion. Hartmut Kruse - King Neptune for the day - travelled from the Baltic island of Ruegen as he does every year. "Wonderful," he said, "It is very nice and refreshing." Ursula Karol who's been taking the annual swim for more than thirty years was a little bit disappointed by the unseasonable weather however. "It is unseasonably warm outside... but the water is nice," she said. Hoping for colder weather and more ice, the Berlin Seals will meet again on New Years Day. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...