Wild winter fun: Water-skiing Santa returns!

By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com

Among the unique holiday events in our area is one that is — literally — a splashing good time: if you are in Northern Virginia or the DC metro area for Christmas, one must-see event is the annual “Water-skiing Santa!”

This free, fun, family-friendly community event has been taking place since 1985 and takes place each year on December 24. The one-of-a-kind Washington DC tradition features a water-skiing Santa, of course, along with a Jet-skiing Grinch, Frosty the Snowman in a dinghy, Flying Elves, Kneeboarding Reindeer and more, all on the Potomac River. And they are not just passing through, either — this is an action-packed show featuring chases, flips, and other stunts, with a narrator providing a play-by-play and fun music playing in the background.

The event starts at 1 pm sharp, with pre-show entertainment at 12:45 pm; after the show, the characters usually stay around to greet visitors and take photos. NOTE: In previous years, this event took place at National Harbor in southern Maryland. In 2015, the show takes place on the waterfront of Old Town Alexandria, VA. According to the event’s organizers, the best viewing is along the waterfront from King Street south to Prince Street, including City Marina, King Street and Waterfront Park. The Water-skiing Santa website has a map and more details. The entire performance takes about 40 minutes.

This is a rain-or-shine event, and it’s worth seeing in any kind of weather. We’ve attended this show several times in the past, and one year in particular (2012) was particularly chilly: drizzly and a bit windy. Our young son, who normally would not have wanted to stay out in that weather, was so amazed by the stunts that he didn’t mind (it helps we were WAY bundled up and had bought hot cocoa beforehand!). Below is a video from that day: in this scene from theWater-skiing Santa 2012, Santa’s Elves rescue Frosty the Snowman, under attack by The Grinch.

Photo courtesy and (c) Water-skiing Santa; video by and (c) Patricia Hall