Waterskiing Santa Continues Into 40th Year On Alexandria Waterfront

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Before Santa heads out to deliver toys to good girls and boys on Christmas, he likes to spend his Christmas Eve waterskiing. But his location of choice isn't the warmer waters to the south. Santa and other holiday characters brave the chilly waters of the Potomac River to waterski, jet ski and wakeboard on the Alexandria waterfront.

The volunteer-run Waterskiing Santa show will return for a 40th year at 1 p.m. on Dec. 24 in Old Town Alexandria. Thousands of spectators typically line the waterfront from Founders Park to the north to Ford's Landing to the south. Spectators often show up early, because the pre-show starring the Grinch is held about 15 to 20 minutes before the regular show's start time. Santa Claus and other characters will greet spectators after the show at the gazebo near Blackwall Hitch.

The show's organizer, who wanted to be identified by nickname Cippy, told Patch that Waterskiing Santa started with a bet in 1986. A group of friends picked straws, and the loser had to waterski on the Potomac River on Christmas Eve. However, the loser of the bet decided to waterski again the following year. Soon, media were covering the show.

"While you might say he lost the bet, he definitely won for the sake of children and families, and 40 years later, here we are still doing it in a bigger production than a single skier back in the mid 80s," said Cippy.

The main show brings more favorite characters, from Jack Skellington, Sally and Oogie Boogie to tin soldiers, wakeboarding reindeer and of course, Santa Claus. One of the highlights this year will be the return of some original volunteers, including the original Santa.

But it wouldn't be Waterskiing Santa without the Grinch stealing the show. The Grinch will attempt to "steal Christmas" during the pre-show on his jet ski, joined by fellow Whoville characters, Frosty and more.

"I think most of the kids like that better than all the characters that we have until Santa Claus," Cippy said.

Putting on a show in cold waters takes preparation and coordination between volunteers and local partners. Characters that waterski wear dry suits, which Cippy says prevents water from getting onto their body. But it doesn't mean that the water skiers don't feel the cold.

"It's very different for a water skier that is used to skiing during the summer, versus somebody's trying to ski in 30 degree weather," said Cippy. "You've got the dry suit on, you've got a big, heavy pair of gloves on, and you've got a costume over top of it that's weighing you down when you get into the water. Even though your body's not wet, you're immediately cold."

To keep volunteers safe, the show uses radio communications and works with the Coast Guard and the Alexandria Fire Department's fire boat.

"We do have boats in the area to make sure that anyone gets into any distress, that we get to them and get them out of the water very quickly," said Cippy.

A few years ago, volunteers were dealing with colder-than-average conditions, with temperatures hovering around 22 degrees on Christmas Eve. The show went on, but volunteers took extra precautions like getting water skiers indoors and out of their costumes immediately after leaving the water. The Alexandria Fire Department had several personnel with dry suits on hand to help if needed.

"Everything just froze on contact. The docks were frozen, ice on boats, ice on ropes, ice on costumes," said Cippy. That was the worst, absolutely the worst. The water was the warmest place to be. The water temp was 39 degrees."

Another challenging year was the COVID-19 pandemic when in-person events were on hold. Volunteers still provided a recorded version of the show to watch virtually.

The next year, Cippy said the city revoked the event's permit on the day before. The volunteers found a way to continue the tradition by getting Santa on a boat at Columbia Island Marina.

Cippy attributes the show's lasting power to a passion for waterskiing, volunteerism, and a dedication to keeping the Christmas Eve tradition alive. While the show has largely remained the same in 40 years, Cippy says volunteers continue to step up.

"We'll ski year round if we can, and to do it dressed up as a holiday character is pretty fun, and to do it in front of a crowd is even more fun," said Cippy. "And to see the smiles on the kids and the family faces as we go by and waving is a real thrill."

The show also receives support from local partners along with the boat patrols. The Old Dominion Boat Club provides space for volunteers to get dressed and to use its docks, and local businesses often donate food to volunteers. The show also gets a permit from D.C. police to waive the "no wake" rule in the D.C.-owned part of the Potomac River.

There is a fundraiser this year to support the outfits and fuel required for the show, as well as the Lake of the Woods Adaptive Watersports Foundation.