Santas bring holiday cheer on the slopes at Mountain High
It can’t be all work and no play for the big jolly man in the red suit.
A number of Santas hit the snowy slopes at Mountain High on Sunday, a fun sight for visitors of the Wrightwood resort.
Dozens of snowboarders and skiers decked out in costumes joined the fourth annual Santa Sunday, a way to celebrate the holiday season and also give back to charity.
Daniel Murincsak, of Lake Forest, had not been snowboarding in 15 years and it was only his second time ever hitting the slopes.
When some coworkers told him about the Santa Sunday event, he decided to get decked out in costume to give it another shot.
“As soon as they told me Santa gets a free ticket, I was like ‘sold,’” he said while taking a rest after doing two group runs with the other Santas. “I’ve fallen quite a bit.”
Despite some fatigue, he said it was worth the trek up to the resort for the unique event.
“It’s pretty entertaining,” he said. “It was a blast.”
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Those who participated in Santa Sunday earned a free day on the mountain for dressing up, with a minimum donation to Protect Our Winters, or POW, a climate control non-profit group founded in 2007 by professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones.
In order to get the free ticket, participants had to have the full Santa suit costume — everything from the hats, red costumes and beards.
“It’s one of our biggest events,” said John McColly, chief marketing officer for Mountain High. “It’s definitely a sight to see.”
The Santas gathered for photo ops during the day, and people were encouraged to get selfies with them.
One person who uploads their image on Instagram with the hashtag #MHSantaSelfie will win an Arbor Snowboard, with the winner picked on Christmas Day.
The resort will have night sessions, with lifts running until 10 p.m., starting daily on the 21st.
Mountain High isn’t the only resort getting in the holiday spirit.
Snow Summit will have photo ops with Santa every Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. through the end of the month. Snow Valley in the San Bernardino National Forest opened up its resort on Friday, Dec. 14, though the upper portion of the mountain remains closed until temperatures cool to allow for more snowmaking.