On Saturday morning, Dr. William McDuffie once again led an intrepid group into the chilly, rushing waters of Bear Creek as Robbins celebrated the start of the 2011 season of outdoor adventures.

The "Brrr Creek Plunge" has become a tradition. Everyone wore as garish a costume - all washable, of course - as possible. McDuffie himself was in drag as usual, though this year he did forego the ballet tutu he's been known to sport.

Sunny skies and a light breeze greeted plungers as they gathered about 11:30 a.m. under the bridge at the edge of town where the Bear runs beneath the Pottery Highway (N.C. 705). This was the third annual plunge.

McDuffie has long been active in outdoor recreation. He is president of the North Carolina Canoe Racing Association. McDuffie and his family helped former Robbins Commissioner Mark Garner and Cynthia Reeves organize Foothills Outdoors. It is a nonprofit organization to develop and promote opportunities for outdoor recreation in the Robbins area.

Foothills Outdoors develops and maintains hiking, biking and paddling trails in the Robbins area foothills. The organization also promotes local outdoor recreational opportunities and sponsors events and free activities for young people. It sponsors the annual Bearathlon.

That outdoor event along the Bear Creek involves running, canoeing, kayaking and other activities. Last year, it attracted several hundred spectators and 80 participants ranging in age from 6 to 78.

"It's approaching its maximum practical size," McDuffie told town commissioners recently. "We are going to have to limit entry to no more than around 120 people."

The idea of both Brrr Creek Plunge and Bearathlon is getting people outdoors and enjoying the creek to start with, while at the same time helping Robbins move from mill town to popular destination for outdoor adventure.

Robbins was one of the first 33 communities selected to take part in the state Rural Center's experimental North Carolina Small Town Economic Prosperity (NCSTEP) program. As part of that three-year trial, Foothills Outdoors began during one of Robbins' first STEP planning sessions.

It sponsors a number of other popular events throughout the year, including the Pumpkin Run, the Dam to Town canoe and kayak race, the Recycled Regatta, in addition to the Brrr Creek Plunge.

McDuffie is enthusiastic about paddling.

"It's the perfect sport for the whole family," he said. "Whether you're 5 or 95 years old, you can take part."

These events strengthen the community in more ways than one, the Rural Center says. For one thing, they bring people from out of town who patronize local businesses and so boost the local economy.

"They promote outdoor tourism," Robbins Mayor Theron Bell told the Center. "When you bring people into town, they buy gas, they buy groceries, they visit the coffee shops, they go on the hiking trails."

Robbins has focused on Bear Creek, which has its headwaters above the town and flows through mountain-like terrain, finally passing at the edge of downtown where Foothills Outdoors has helped develop a canoe/kayak access point.

That's where McDuffie assembled this year's motley crew of intrepid plungers. At his signal, they all rushed laughing and shouting - and some screaming - into the Bear to splash about and (apparently) enjoy themselves.

It didn't take long, however. For some reason, everybody came right back out after only a few minutes.

Contact John Chappell at jfchappell@gmail.com.