BURGHAUSEN, Germany — Burghausen Castle, perched on a hill high above this scenic Bavarian town, was still bathed in a white morning fog when the first swimmers of the day approached the Wöhrsee, a sickle-shaped lake that curls along the medieval fortification’s western flank.
It was 29 degrees outside, and as the seven women descended a set of ladders to touch the water, their clipped exhalations — “Whew, whew, whew!” — sliced through the quiet on the jetty. Moments later, there was an electronic beep, then a collective splash, and with a spurt of cheers from a few dozen spectators, the first meet of the International Ice Swimming Association’s new season was underway.