Why did the U.S. ambassador to Russia dip in ice water?

To understand the Russians better and to get closer to the fighting nation, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman learned Putin to dip in ice water, then.　

[GlobeNewswire] Russian President Vladimir Putin recently celebrated Epiphany by dipping himself in a frozen lake at -7 degrees Celsius to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River 2,000 years ago. U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman, who recently said he "wanted to get close to the Russians," also practiced the custom in the cold.

The Hong Kong Eastern News reported on January 22 that Huntsman, wearing shorts, walked into the Istrian River at the New Jerusalem Monastery outside Moscow, braving the cold weather, as seen in the footage. In front of a large media audience, he repeatedly submerged his entire body in the icy water.

After getting out of the water, he put on a bathrobe and sipped hot tea, saying it was "an experience I will never forget". He said that after seeing footage of the practice online, he decided to experience it for himself to gain a better understanding of the Russians