'White beaches' event might not be what you're expecting
Yes, people are wearing swimsuits and paddleboarding in December. No, they're not enjoying the weather of a Caribbean getaway. These people are reveling in the weather of one of the world's coldest places.
By
Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer &
Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather meteorologist and senior weather editor
Published Dec 8, 2021 1:00 PM EDT
|
Updated Dec 8, 2021 1:19 PM EDT
Paddle boarders wearing only swimsuits took part in a White Beaches of Siberia event on the Ob River in Siberia, Russia, on Dec. 1.
When you think of Siberia, what comes to mind? Probably cold and snow. Co-founder of “I'm Siberian” Evgeny Starostenko traveled the world and found out that the 13-million-square-mile plot of land, home to 33 million people, was treated as a legend, a place where nature rules everything. While that is largely true, he believed there was so much more to tell.
With temperatures approaching 100 degrees below zero Fahrenheit in the winter in parts of the region, you might wonder how people can stand the cold. Starostenko describes the residents as “hearty” people who live in harmony with nature. Frost unites Siberians, he says, because “together it is warmer.”
Starostenko’s first goal was shipping 50 T-shirts – and now “I’m Siberian” has sold more than 50 thousand items online and has 15 brick-and-mortar stores. The sales of promotional items are meant to unite Siberians and those who have visited the region.
Starostenko also hires local people to do recurring publicity stunts to promote the brand. For example, “I’m Siberian” hires taxi drivers to wear bear costumes when they pick up people who have flown into the various airports of the region.
Siberia’s beaches are white not with sand, but with snow most of the year, and Siberians enjoy beach activities in the winter, despite the frigid temperatures. Starostenko leverages this idiosyncrasy to help promote tourism in Siberia by hosting “White Beaches of Siberia” press events each winter in various Siberian cities, one of which took place on Dec. 1, 2021, the first day of meteorological winter in Novosibirsk.
A group of participants in the "White Beaches of Siberia" event on December 1, 2021. (TASS/Reuters)
"Novosibirsk is deep within the greatest landmass on Earth, [which is] Eurasia," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews explained. "Thus, the climate is continental in nature. Winters are certainly cold, but pale next to the notorious 'Pole of Cold' in the far-northeastern region of Yakutia."
The coldest time of the year for Novosibirsk comes in late January to early February, where high temperatures reach 8 degrees Fahrenheit and lows plummet to 2 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.
As part of the White Beaches of Siberia event, paddle boarders made their way through the river, but it wasn't easy finding a channel that wasn't frozen in December. One participant explained that the water is clean enough for many people to fish in, and the flow down the channel is very warm due to the power stations.
"After we ran into the cold almost naked, you put on a fur coat and it seems like May," a participant explained. "It's warm and nice, wonderful."
A 'White Beaches of Siberia' participant explains what it's like to swim in frigid water. (TASS/Reuters)
Wearing only a swimsuit in single-digit temperatures may sound unbearable to many, but a group in Russia who call themselves "walruses" believe it has health benefits and even go as far as diving into freezing water through holes in the ice. One of the walruses, Instagram user Victoria Tsuranova, told AccuWeather in 2019 that diving into freezing water provides benefits to her skin and health -- and gives her a rush of adrenaline.
“After the swimming, my skin is softer than baby's skin. I can’t even describe it,” Tsuranova told AccuWeather. “And the main purpose are emotions! I feel rush, adrenaline and hormones of happiness!"
According to environmental physiologist and director of the University of Manitoba's Laboratory for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, who is also known as Professor Popsicle due to his expertise in low temperatures, the feeling of being cold is heavily influenced by a person's mindset. Someone with a negative attitude about the cold will feel it more strongly than someone with a positive mindset.
“The attitude you have does make a difference. There's no question about it. If you are gonna say, ‘Oh, I'm going to freeze,’ you'll just be really uncomfortable as opposed to if you say, 'It might be cold out here but I'm going for a cross-country ski.' and 'This is going to be great. We're going to have a snack at the end. We're going to see some beautiful scenery,'" Giesbrecht said, "Your mind is taken off the cold because you're into the activity."
Despite the harsh temperatures in Novosibirsk, which reached 4 degrees below zero Fahrenheit the day of the activities, the participants of the project did not seem to mind.
"People living in Siberia are fun and positive and not afraid of cold, and our beaches are the most snow-white beaches in the world," the first participant said.
The latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Travel
'White beaches' event might not be what you're expecting
Yes, people are wearing swimsuits and paddleboarding in December. No, they're not enjoying the weather of a Caribbean getaway. These people are reveling in the weather of one of the world's coldest places.
By Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer & Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather meteorologist and senior weather editor
Published Dec 8, 2021 1:00 PM EDT | Updated Dec 8, 2021 1:19 PM EDT
Paddle boarders wearing only swimsuits took part in a White Beaches of Siberia event on the Ob River in Siberia, Russia, on Dec. 1.
When you think of Siberia, what comes to mind? Probably cold and snow. Co-founder of “I'm Siberian” Evgeny Starostenko traveled the world and found out that the 13-million-square-mile plot of land, home to 33 million people, was treated as a legend, a place where nature rules everything. While that is largely true, he believed there was so much more to tell.
With temperatures approaching 100 degrees below zero Fahrenheit in the winter in parts of the region, you might wonder how people can stand the cold. Starostenko describes the residents as “hearty” people who live in harmony with nature. Frost unites Siberians, he says, because “together it is warmer.”
Starostenko’s first goal was shipping 50 T-shirts – and now “I’m Siberian” has sold more than 50 thousand items online and has 15 brick-and-mortar stores. The sales of promotional items are meant to unite Siberians and those who have visited the region.
Starostenko also hires local people to do recurring publicity stunts to promote the brand. For example, “I’m Siberian” hires taxi drivers to wear bear costumes when they pick up people who have flown into the various airports of the region.
Siberia’s beaches are white not with sand, but with snow most of the year, and Siberians enjoy beach activities in the winter, despite the frigid temperatures. Starostenko leverages this idiosyncrasy to help promote tourism in Siberia by hosting “White Beaches of Siberia” press events each winter in various Siberian cities, one of which took place on Dec. 1, 2021, the first day of meteorological winter in Novosibirsk.
A group of participants in the "White Beaches of Siberia" event on December 1, 2021. (TASS/Reuters)
"Novosibirsk is deep within the greatest landmass on Earth, [which is] Eurasia," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews explained. "Thus, the climate is continental in nature. Winters are certainly cold, but pale next to the notorious 'Pole of Cold' in the far-northeastern region of Yakutia."
The coldest time of the year for Novosibirsk comes in late January to early February, where high temperatures reach 8 degrees Fahrenheit and lows plummet to 2 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.
As part of the White Beaches of Siberia event, paddle boarders made their way through the river, but it wasn't easy finding a channel that wasn't frozen in December. One participant explained that the water is clean enough for many people to fish in, and the flow down the channel is very warm due to the power stations.
"After we ran into the cold almost naked, you put on a fur coat and it seems like May," a participant explained. "It's warm and nice, wonderful."
A 'White Beaches of Siberia' participant explains what it's like to swim in frigid water. (TASS/Reuters)
Wearing only a swimsuit in single-digit temperatures may sound unbearable to many, but a group in Russia who call themselves "walruses" believe it has health benefits and even go as far as diving into freezing water through holes in the ice. One of the walruses, Instagram user Victoria Tsuranova, told AccuWeather in 2019 that diving into freezing water provides benefits to her skin and health -- and gives her a rush of adrenaline.
“After the swimming, my skin is softer than baby's skin. I can’t even describe it,” Tsuranova told AccuWeather. “And the main purpose are emotions! I feel rush, adrenaline and hormones of happiness!"
According to environmental physiologist and director of the University of Manitoba's Laboratory for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, who is also known as Professor Popsicle due to his expertise in low temperatures, the feeling of being cold is heavily influenced by a person's mindset. Someone with a negative attitude about the cold will feel it more strongly than someone with a positive mindset.
“The attitude you have does make a difference. There's no question about it. If you are gonna say, ‘Oh, I'm going to freeze,’ you'll just be really uncomfortable as opposed to if you say, 'It might be cold out here but I'm going for a cross-country ski.' and 'This is going to be great. We're going to have a snack at the end. We're going to see some beautiful scenery,'" Giesbrecht said, "Your mind is taken off the cold because you're into the activity."
Despite the harsh temperatures in Novosibirsk, which reached 4 degrees below zero Fahrenheit the day of the activities, the participants of the project did not seem to mind.
"People living in Siberia are fun and positive and not afraid of cold, and our beaches are the most snow-white beaches in the world," the first participant said.
In other news
The latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
Report a Typo