Hundreds Gather In Russia For Annual Swimwear Ski Event

Hundreds of winter sports fanatics wearing nothing but swimsuits braved the cold during the Boogel Woogel festival in Russia on Saturday.

Participants traveled from all over the country to take part in the annual alpine event, held on a ski slope at Krasnaya Polyana, near the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

As well as swimsuits, some of the skiers and snowboarders wore brightly colored pajamas and costumes, turning the event into a carnival.

The temperature hovered around zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), but that did not stop the brave hearts from making the most of the snow.

Others even ski-jumped into a pool of icy water, to the delight of the crowds.

The festival was canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Organizers said that virus restrictions meant they had little time to prepare for this year's event.

Turnout was big, however, with many participants eager to shake off the months of restrictive measures and have fun.