Last year, Jan Stroosma escaped from Alcatraz. Next up, he’s headed to Canada. But Jan “Sam” Stroosma is no outlaw—he’s a swimmer. What’s more, he prefers to dip in icy waters.
After diving into Naples Bay with some friends a few summers ago, Stroosma discovered his preference for chilly currents. “Everyone left, and I remember thinking, ‘I feel fine’—I prefer it,” he says.
Whereas most outdoor swimmers might find themselves stuck waiting for summer to arrive, Stroosma now swims regularly in the winter months. “The colder the better,” he says.
But don’t expect to see Stroosma in a wetsuit. He rolls without one, relying solely on his trusty Endurance Speedo. “I don’t need a wetsuit,” he declares. “I am one.”
Stroosma’s polar plunges are more than just an unusual hobby—cold-water swimming is a calming ritual he takes quite seriously. “I jump in somewhere around Naples and immediately swim as deep as I can until everything stops,” he explains. “When you finally come back up, it’s like you’re waking up again; everything else subsides.”
Unfortunately, however, Stroosma, along with many other Long Beach swimmers, has been unable to swim as often as he’d like to in Naples recently due to the high levels of bacteria. The need for awareness about the city’s pollution problems is something Stroosma strives to initiate among fellow swimmers.
“I want to start a bay swim club for other swimmers in Long Beach,” he says. Stroosma envisions the club actively working to make a difference by cleaning up both the city’s beaches and its waters.
“I just want to enjoy the bay,” he adds.
Last summer, Stroosma’s chilly infatuation led him to a swimming race near Alcatraz Island. Later this year, he’ll head up to Toronto for another frigid adventure. “The best month to swim is January,” he says. Why? “You just gotta try for yourself!” // LOUIE HUESMANN
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