Take A Dip: Iche Nippy Dip Day

TAKE A DIP

By Hayli Zuccola

Gazing into the crystal blue refl ection of the Ichetucknee Springs, it’s easy to appreciate its natural beauty and maintain the desire to submerge oneself into the breathtaking 72-degree waters, but not just anyone would dare take the plunge while the outdoor temperature plummets to 50 degrees or below. Nevertheless, every January, crowds gather at the springs to shed their mittens, jackets and scarves and dive in for the beloved Iche Nippy Dip Day.

The history of this chilly, organized event dates back to 2014, but its inspiration stemmed from Earl Kinard who worked for the Ichetucknee Springs State Park back in the ’60s and started a tradition of taking an annual dip in the springs every New Year’s Day. In 2014, multiple groups including Our Santa Fe River, the Ichetucknee Alliance, Friends of Ichetucknee and park management opted to mirror Eral’s ritual for an annual fundraiser benefi ting the park, held on the fi rst Saturday of January.

Earl Kinard

“Earl was happy to share his idea with the park, and every year since then we’ve been holding Iche Nippy Dip Day,” said Irene “Trini” Johannesen, who is the current President of the Friends of Ichetucknee nonpro t.

Trini, a Fort White public school teacher, rst gained love for the local springs by participating in PARKnership program, which was developed to bring middle and high school environmental education classes to the park once a month to encourage hands-on learning.

After being involved through the school, Trini took it a step further and joined Friends of Ichetucknee Spring State Park, which invites volunteers to help support the park whether it be removing invasive plants on the park’s surface level with the showy rattlebox or under the water with a record-breaking removal of 365 5-gallon buckets worth of water lettuce; planting a whopping 10,000 longleaf pines; planning educational events like the Spring Fling environmental showcase; appearing at local events like the High Springs Market; or hosting fundraisers like the Halloween-themed Spooky Springs and, of course, Iche Nippy Dip Day, which has expanded in attendance every year since its inaugural debut in 2014.

“Every year, we’ve been able to hold it, and it has grown, you know; every year it has increased. We started out with, probably, that rst year I think we had like 70, 72 attendees and then over the years we’ve managed to get up close to 200 people that have come out and jumped in,” Trini said.

Pre-registration or tickets aren’t required to participate in the swim, but park admittance grants access to the much-anticipated dip as well as other elements for those who prefer to stay dry.

“The last few years, we started with the bon re and the hot chocolate and the co ee, and Dunkin Donuts always supplies us with donuts for the event. Sometimes we’ve made chili and provided chili for kind of a little bit of a fundraiser. One year we celebrated the park’s 50th year as a state park, so every year, depending on what’s going on, we kind of add a new event to the function to attract more people,” she said.

Irene Johannesen Friends of Ichetucknee President

BECOME AN Iche Nippy Dipper!

Join the fun! Start your new year with a “dip” in the headspring!

The headspring is located at the North Entrance, 8294 Elim Church Road, Fort White.

Pre-registration or tickets aren’t required to participate in the swim. Park admittance grants access to the much-anticipated dip as well as other elements for those who prefer to stay dry.

To learn more about the 2023 event, follow Friends of the Ichetucknee on Facebook, or visit the state park website at oridastateparks.org.

Though each occurrence brings new activities to the table, the 2023 event will take a more honorary tone as it will be the rst year originator Earl Kinard won’t be involved due to his passing in 2022. Instead, this year will serve as a tribute to Earl, who spent his childhood into his nal years enjoying the warmth and beauty of the springs.

“That rst year, I think we had like 70, 72 attendees and then over the years we’ve managed to get up close to 200 people that have come out and jumped in.”

—Irene “Trini” Johannesen,

Friends of Ichetucknee President

“Every year, Earl Kinard would be there and he would be taking that dip with everybody…He just loved talking to everyone and supporting the Friends group—he served on our Friends group for about 4 years and then his health started to kind of go down. But every year he would still show up, up until the last one, which he came on January 8, 2022, and passed away—I think it was March of that year,” Trini said.

Whether you attend for the comradery, to nd motivation in Earl’s legacy or simply want an excuse to cozy up by the bon re to ring in the New Year, Iche Nippy Dip Day is a unique tradition you won’t want to miss. ■

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