Okay so the nick name, lol
Several years ago about March / April I was at a friend's house, and he has an above ground pool. He told me that the pool was clean but very very cold. But if I wanted to swim I could. So I did... It was 50-49F - So very cold. I got in and swam for about an hour. I got out and came in the house and he started calling me Polar Bear. And the name stuck, and everyone started calling me that. Also, the name "Zvend" comes from my heritage - I'm over half-Norse, - Danish, Norwegian and also North German. I spell it "Zvend" (The German way), not "Svend" the more Nordic version. Why? I just like the way it looks Z instead of the letter S. Also it's a nod to my North German heritage as well.