{"id":267310,"date":"2025-09-05T10:59:35","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T08:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/?p=267310"},"modified":"2025-09-05T10:59:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T08:59:41","slug":"jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeffreys Bay&#8217;s first Polar Bear Swim a splashing success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>JEFFREYS BAY<\/strong> &#8211; The first-ever JBay Polar Bear Swim has been hailed as a triumph, with organisers reporting an impressive turnout across the four swim time slots hosted on Monday, 1 September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"699\" data-attachment-id=\"267314\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/img_3422-2_81620\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3422-2_81620.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"1200,819\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_3422-2_81620\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;A group of swimmers entering the ocean water.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Swimmers from many of the town\u2019s clubs and groups joined the icy plunge. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3422-2_81620-1024x699.jpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3422-2_81620-1024x699.jpeg\" alt=\"A group of swimmers entering the ocean water.\" class=\"wp-image-267314\" style=\"width:583px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3422-2_81620-1024x699.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3422-2_81620-300x205.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3422-2_81620-768x524.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3422-2_81620.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Swimmers from many of the town\u2019s clubs and groups joined the icy plunge. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>According to organiser, Rian Grobler, swimmers from many of the town\u2019s clubs and groups joined the icy plunge, along with fitness enthusiasts from across the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said the event was not only about braving the cold water but also about uniting people with shared passions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was a great unifying event,\u201d Grobler noted, adding that many participants had the chance to meet others within the broader swimming community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He expressed excitement that the swim had created such a strong sense of camaraderie among participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the success of the Polar Bear Swim, Grobler confirmed that the event would become a yearly tradition in Jeffreys Bay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, he announced that monthly get-togethers would now be organised, giving swim groups and fitness enthusiasts more opportunities to connect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These gatherings would include chances to help each other train for upcoming galas and swim events, ultimately strengthening the town\u2019s swim culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grobler said he was excited to see this event take root, explaining that the Polar Bear Swim had been a glimpse of what could grow in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe people loved it,\u201d he reflected, adding that the swim community in JBay was set to build momentum and expand together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He confirmed that he looked forward to planning more events, building on the success of this inaugural plunge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Organisers declared the inaugural JBay Polar Bear Swim a resounding success with strong participation across four sessions on 1 September.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":267311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"80","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"60","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"2025-09-04","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"2","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"1","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"1","article_feature_type":"normal","article_main_image_caption":"Swimmers from many of the town's clubs and groups joined the icy plunge.                      PHOTO: JANKE NEL","article_media_icon":"1","article_template":"news","author_byline":"Marcia Boyens","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"Polar Bear Swim a splashing success","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":["mbJbay_P1","mbJbay_P2","mbJbay_P3","mbJbay_P4","mbJbay_P5"],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[93],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-267310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-featured"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Jeffreys Bay&#039;s first Polar Bear Swim a splashing success | Kouga Express<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Join the excitement of the first polar bear swim at JBay, bringing together swimmers for a thrilling icy plunge.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jeffreys Bay&#039;s first Polar Bear Swim a splashing success\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Join the excitement of the first polar bear swim at JBay, bringing together swimmers for a thrilling icy plunge.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Kouga Express\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-05T08:59:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-05T08:59:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3481-2_81698.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"736\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Marcia Boyens\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kouga Express\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kouga Express\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d1ca9a7485fc5ec64ff4daf5b9e211aa\"},\"headline\":\"Jeffreys Bay&#8217;s first Polar Bear Swim a splashing success\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-05T08:59:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-05T08:59:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":273,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/IMG_3481-2_81698.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"Featured\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\\\/\",\"name\":\"Jeffreys Bay's first Polar Bear Swim a splashing success | Kouga Express\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/IMG_3481-2_81698.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-05T08:59:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-05T08:59:41+00:00\",\"description\":\"Join the excitement of the first polar bear swim at JBay, bringing together swimmers for a thrilling icy plunge.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/IMG_3481-2_81698.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/IMG_3481-2_81698.jpeg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":736,\"caption\":\"A group of people at the first-ever JBay Polar Bear Swim.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Jeffreys Bay&#8217;s first Polar Bear Swim a splashing success\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"Kouga Express\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Kouga Express\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/kouga-express-site-icon-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/kouga-express-site-icon-1.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Kouga Express\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PEExpress1\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/express_newspapers\\\/\"],\"description\":\"Kouga Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of the Kouga area since 2004. Established with the goal of keeping the Kouga and Koukamma communities informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 20,000 free copies delivered mostly door to door every week. Kouga Express\u2019 distribution area includes Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, St. Francis Bay, Cape St. Francis, Aston Bay, Patensie, Hankey, Storms River, Tsitsikamma, Misgund, Joubertina, Krakeelrivier, Louterwater, Kareedouw, and Uniondale.\",\"email\":\"kougaexpress@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"042-992 5650\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d1ca9a7485fc5ec64ff4daf5b9e211aa\",\"name\":\"Kouga Express\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f47e9234fbd437508ffebc42bafee4a1f7b8b5fc5b5e58a3881ac4edc0688cdd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f47e9234fbd437508ffebc42bafee4a1f7b8b5fc5b5e58a3881ac4edc0688cdd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f47e9234fbd437508ffebc42bafee4a1f7b8b5fc5b5e58a3881ac4edc0688cdd?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kouga Express\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/kougaexpress\\\/author\\\/kougaexpress\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Jeffreys Bay's first Polar Bear Swim a splashing success | Kouga Express","description":"Join the excitement of the first polar bear swim at JBay, bringing together swimmers for a thrilling icy plunge.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Jeffreys Bay's first Polar Bear Swim a splashing success","og_description":"Join the excitement of the first polar bear swim at JBay, bringing together swimmers for a thrilling icy plunge.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/","og_site_name":"Kouga Express","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/","article_published_time":"2025-09-05T08:59:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-05T08:59:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":736,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3481-2_81698.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Marcia Boyens","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kouga Express","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/"},"author":{"name":"Kouga Express","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/d1ca9a7485fc5ec64ff4daf5b9e211aa"},"headline":"Jeffreys Bay&#8217;s first Polar Bear Swim a splashing success","datePublished":"2025-09-05T08:59:35+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-05T08:59:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/"},"wordCount":273,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3481-2_81698.jpeg","keywords":["Featured"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/","name":"Jeffreys Bay's first Polar Bear Swim a splashing success | Kouga Express","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3481-2_81698.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-09-05T08:59:35+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-05T08:59:41+00:00","description":"Join the excitement of the first polar bear swim at JBay, bringing together swimmers for a thrilling icy plunge.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3481-2_81698.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3481-2_81698.jpeg","width":1200,"height":736,"caption":"A group of people at the first-ever JBay Polar Bear Swim."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bays-first-polar-bear-swim-a-splashing-success\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Jeffreys Bay&#8217;s first Polar Bear Swim a splashing success"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/","name":"Kouga Express","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#organization","name":"Kouga Express","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/kouga-express-site-icon-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/kouga-express-site-icon-1.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Kouga Express"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/express_newspapers\/"],"description":"Kouga Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of the Kouga area since 2004. Established with the goal of keeping the Kouga and Koukamma communities informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 20,000 free copies delivered mostly door to door every week. Kouga Express\u2019 distribution area includes Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, St. Francis Bay, Cape St. Francis, Aston Bay, Patensie, Hankey, Storms River, Tsitsikamma, Misgund, Joubertina, Krakeelrivier, Louterwater, Kareedouw, and Uniondale.","email":"kougaexpress@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"042-992 5650","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/d1ca9a7485fc5ec64ff4daf5b9e211aa","name":"Kouga Express","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f47e9234fbd437508ffebc42bafee4a1f7b8b5fc5b5e58a3881ac4edc0688cdd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f47e9234fbd437508ffebc42bafee4a1f7b8b5fc5b5e58a3881ac4edc0688cdd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f47e9234fbd437508ffebc42bafee4a1f7b8b5fc5b5e58a3881ac4edc0688cdd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kouga Express"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/author\/kougaexpress\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3481-2_81698.jpeg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":267058,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/jeffreys-bay-set-to-host-first-ever-polar-bear-swim\/","url_meta":{"origin":267310,"position":0},"title":"Jeffreys Bay set to host first-ever Polar Bear Swim","author":"Kouga Express","date":"28 August 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Jeffreys Bay hosts its first Polar Bear Swim on 1 September at Kitchen Windows Beach, with three swims at 06:55, 13:00 and 17:15.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A polar bear.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/polar-bear-9320260_1280.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/polar-bear-9320260_1280.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/polar-bear-9320260_1280.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/polar-bear-9320260_1280.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/polar-bear-9320260_1280.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57915,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/gear-down-for-icy-swim-20180627-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":267310,"position":1},"title":"Gear down for icy swim","author":"Kouga Express","date":"28 June 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"SPEEDO . . . GOGGLES . . . SWIM CAP.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":58057,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/gear-down-for-icy-swim-20180611\/","url_meta":{"origin":267310,"position":2},"title":"Gear down for icy swim","author":"Kouga Express","date":"14 June 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"SPEEDO . . . GOGGLES . . . SWIM CAP.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/9a3bf818bfba4d2c8ef4e8344b4bffbc.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/9a3bf818bfba4d2c8ef4e8344b4bffbc.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/9a3bf818bfba4d2c8ef4e8344b4bffbc.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/9a3bf818bfba4d2c8ef4e8344b4bffbc.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58036,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/gear-down-for-swim-20180611\/","url_meta":{"origin":267310,"position":3},"title":"Gear down for swim","author":"Kouga Express","date":"14 June 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"SPEEDO . . . GOGGLES . . . SWIM CAP.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/820e71cb18254768b1e4c7acc6a23065.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/820e71cb18254768b1e4c7acc6a23065.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/820e71cb18254768b1e4c7acc6a23065.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51267,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/open-water-swim-champs-takes-off-in-jbay-20210224-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":267310,"position":4},"title":"Open water swim champs takes off in JBay","author":"Kouga Express","date":"25 February 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"MARINA Martinique will once again be the venue for the Nelson Mandela Bay Open Water Swim Championship, as swimmers from all over the country dust off their goggles to participate in the Swim South Africa-sanctioned event.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":49049,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/first-easter-swim-a-success-20220420\/","url_meta":{"origin":267310,"position":5},"title":"First Easter swim a success","author":"Kouga Express","date":"21 April 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The action-packed Kouga Easter Festival for 2022 saw close to 50 swimmers take to the canals of Marina Martinique in Jeffreys Bay on April 17 for the inaugural Easter Swim.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/aaf75d5316974ece80f4d5a3fa4f920b.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/aaf75d5316974ece80f4d5a3fa4f920b.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/aaf75d5316974ece80f4d5a3fa4f920b.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/aaf75d5316974ece80f4d5a3fa4f920b.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/aaf75d5316974ece80f4d5a3fa4f920b.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/aaf75d5316974ece80f4d5a3fa4f920b.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Kouga Express","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=267310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/267311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=267310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=267310"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=267310"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=267310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}