There was no giant group photo and no post-swim potluck lunch. Dozens of brave people from across the county gathered Friday for a scaled-down, pandemic version of one of their favorite traditions: celebrating the new year by splashing in cold ocean water at La Jolla Shores beach. While many traditional elements were missing from the annual Polar Bear Plunge, the event — started locally in the 1980s — took place in a less formal way with smaller groups of swimmers practicing social distancing both in and out of the water. Kristin Jensen from Bay Park said she was fine with 2021’s more low-key, freelance version.