Arbroath’s New Year dookers made the 2014 event the best yet.
Noon on New Year’s Day saw more than 150 folk take the plunge into North Sea high tide, cheered on by hundreds of onlookers in an event for Cancer Research UK.
Organiser Alana Loudon was delighted when she was deluged by participants on Wednesday and said the total was 159 dookers more than double last year’s number.
The dookers gathered around Arbroath lifeboat station at the harbour before being piped by dook regular Jack Newth to the new slipway nearby, where they were able to step safely into the waves for a bracing start to 2014.
Arbroath RNLI crew members were also in the water to give a helping hand to those who were caught off-balance by the swell or the shock of the chilly water.
“The Angus local committee is also pleased to announce that £1,270 has been raised so far for Cancer Research UK,” said Alana.
“We ran out of T-shirts due to the massive increase in dookers and will be getting more printed.”
Anyone who did not get a T-shirt should email alanaloudon@hotmail.co.uk.
Those with sponsor money still to be collected should also contact Alana.
Alana expressed her gratitude to everyone who had helped to make the dook such a major event, including the RNLI, the St Andrews Ambulance Association, piper Jack Newth, the Lifeboat Ladies Guild, the Glencadam Distillery in Brechin, “and all our wonderful volunteers who help make these events such a success.
“And, of course, a huge thank-you to our brave, daft dookers who made the event great fun and raised so much for Cancer Research UK,” she added.
Thoughts are already turning to 2015 with the aim of making next year’s event even bigger.
Anyone thinking about participating can contact Alana for an entry form.
Alternatively for more information on the event, visit www.dookarbroath.weebly.com.