OCEAN CITY — An aging real estate agent and his lovely partner, the Greek god Triton, several mermaids, summer Santa Claus, a celebrity hermit crab, local soccer players and assorted other characters came out under a brooding sky to celebrate the opening of the tourism season in America’s Greatest Family Resort.
Ocean City held its annual Unlocking of the Ocean and Business Persons Plunge on May 23 to mark the unofficial start of summer and kick off Memorial Day weekend.
Ocean City Beach Patrol historian Fred Miller provided the key.
Surrounded by dignitaries, including members of City Council, heads of the public safety services, pageant queens and mascot Martin Z. Mollusk, event emcee Michael Allegretto pumped up the crowd.
“Welcome everybody to the greatest beach town in New Jersey, Ocean City,” he said.
Allegretto introduced the city’s public safety leadership — Police Chief Bill Campbell, Fire Chief Bernie Walker and Beach Patrol Chief Erich Becker — who hope to keep everyone free from harm and danger this summer.
Mayor Jay Gillian was excited to welcome another season.
“How lucky are we? It just doesn’t get any better,” he said. “It’s a little overcast, but my grandfather used to say that meant it was going to be a great summer.”
Sporting purple power suits to attend to the business of representing the city, Miss Ocean City Taylor Mulford, Junior Miss Ocean City Sarah Smith and Little Miss Ocean City Teagen Vivarelli were taking part in their first official Unlocking of the Ocean.
“I feel like it’s a lot more festive than the polar plunge,” Smith said.
“Everyone’s in a better mood; it’s a little warmer out,” Teagen added.
They were less than excited about going into the cold water.
Mulford sang the national anthem and the Cumberland Regional High School performing arts club sang “Under the Boardwalk” by the Drifters.
Turning a key in the sand to signal the start of summer is a long-standing tradition started by the Ocean City Beach Patrol Alumni Association, while the plunge was created to complement it.
The farcical event was created in 2004 as part of the city’s 125th anniversary by real estate agent John Walton of Keller Williams Jersey Shore and legendary city publicist Mark Soifer, the brains behind many of Ocean City’s family-friendly events.
Sadly, Soifer is no longer around to share his thoughts but Walton is still hanging in there.
“We are blessed by blue skies. We’re ‘bullish’ on Ocean City, as I read in the Sentinel — up over 200 stores. The real estate market is ramping up once again and we are here to celebrate the 22nd annual plunge,” Walton said. “The key ingredient, the glue to success of the summer, is good weather. Good weather the boardwalk’s packed, the downtown is full and the cash registers are ringing.”
Pointing out that a 14-month-old toddler was taking her first plunge, Walton said, “it’s getting into a multigenerational event.”
He noted in 21 years, it has rained only twice on the parade into the ocean, which is held so local merchants can put the three seasons of sorrow behind them and move forward to summer.
Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, said she was looking forward to another successful season.
“We’re looking forward to 100 days of great weather, good business and smooth sailing,” she said.
Snee Avichal of the Scarborough Inn and Friends of OCNJ History and Culture came out in his signature hat to raise awareness about the historic district. He said the group holds events such as a historic garden tour in August and a holiday home tour, as well as seminars about preservation over demolition.
Dressed as a busy bee, Ashley Gillian of The Beehive Studio, a holistic hair care salon at 616 Asbury Ave., was with massage therapist Michaela Snell, sporting a beehive hairdo. It was her fourth year at plunge.
“I just like the rallying around the community support and I think it’s a really fun way to unofficially/officially open the season up and get people out,” Gillian said. “It’s been great publicity for us; it gets a lot of attention.”
Decked out in full pirate regalia, Doug Jewel of Air Circus Kite Shop and Pirates Argh Us gift store could see no squalls on the horizon.
“Getting ready for another summer, this is it,” Jewel said. “It’s going to be great weather all summer. It’s overcast today but it’s going to be a great weekend.”
Not only business members attend the event. John Schleh of Allentown, Pa., was sitting in a beach chair, high and dry on the sand to watch the festivities.
“We just came to watch them open up the beach for the summer,” Schleh said.
Wife Amanda Schleh said it was their third year in a row at the event and they had been visiting Ocean City all of her life.
Pat Logue of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Fox & Roach Realtors, has been attending the plunge in his Triton outfit for several years.
“King Triton is opening up the ocean and welcoming our visitors back to the area,” he said. “A lot of our local businesses really count on the seasonal visitors, so we’re really excited.”
Director Craig Martin brought about 25 members of the Ocean City High School band out to entertain the crowd.
“We play every year to escort the businessmen in their plunge,” Martin said.
They performed “Pomp and Circumstance” as the crowd marched into the ocean.
“Santa Claus” Robert Lee of Audubon was wearing a baseball uniform and excited to be taking part for the first time. He said he ran into Walton last summer on the beach and he invited him to take part.
Asked if he plays Santa over the holiday season, he said he goes a bit beyond that.
“I’m Santa 24/7 all year long,” he said, noting Christmas in July is coming up and that he spends a lot of time singing the national anthem at minor league baseball games.
Members of the Ocean City Beach Patrol were present to keep the bathers safe, although they could not protect them from the cold. A dozen or so surfers joined the throng heading out to sea.
– STORY by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
– PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
