Chris Burkard is a Houdini of sorts. He prefers being neck-deep in the freezing cold waters of the arctic to sun-bathing on the beaches of Mexico, uses a futuristic combo of light and mirrors to masterfully capture other’s attentions and blow their minds, and perhaps best of all, knows how to deliver an unbelievable presentation to a room full of people that have never shared his experiences.

In the TED Talk you’re about to witness above, Chris channels all of his mind-boggling abilities to show us how a human can not only enjoy swimming and surfing in the deathly frigid waters on the planet, but also how they become obsessed with the experience and end up pursuing it for the remainder of their lifetime.

Note: There’s been reports of people watching Chris’ presentation and then attempting to field test the joy of cold water via wetsuit and large, natural swimming pools. We would just like to say that we approve.

If you’re interested in hearing more from the man, check out our Insta Interview with Chris on what to do with $20 in NYC, eternal life, and where you should book your plane ticket to next.