Cruising Santas visit promised land: North Pole

No matter that it's June.

Like all good Santas, they smiled for photos for and with the crowd of North Pole children and adults who turned out to greet them.

North Pole was a special stop for Santas and Mrs. Clauses from all over the United States, who started on their northern journey in Vancouver, British Columbia.

There, they boarded the Diamond Princess ship for a seven-night cruise that included "Schools4Santa," also known as the International University of Santa Claus, for three days of onboard Santa training. Before their docking in Anchorage, each graduated with a bachelor's or master's degree in Santaology.

Another four days of Alaska touring followed before their dream destination of North Pole.

To call any one of the schooled Santas a "Santa impersonator" is akin to blasphemy. These Santa graduates take their roles seriously.

And don't even think of yanking on a beard to see if it is real. None of the curly mustaches or beards are phony, and all are well-groomed.

"I stay Santa all year round," said Dave Smith of Springhill, Fla. "I never leave my home without being dressed in full Santa mode," he said. "I am never, never out of character."

His wife, Mrs. Claus, Carol Smith, also dresses in red.

Why?

"It's the smiles," she quickly responded.

Dave agreed. "We can bring a smile to anyone."

Two of the Claus couples took the occasion to renew their wedding vows in a nearby wooded setting.

Harley Santa, Jerry Julian of Colorado Springs, Colo., was the "ring bearer" ringing special Santa bells for the occasion, and all the Santas joined in. Julian's regular Santa suit is black leather pants, a red shirt and red bandanna tied around his head in lieu of the usual Santa stocking cap.

But that doesn't fool children. His full white beard marks him as Santa Claus, proving that the full red regalia isn't always necessary.

"I can see the power of belief in their eyes," Julian said. "It's a privilege to be Santa Claus."

Many of the Santas, like Charles Clausen of Stillwater, Minn., have their own business or are hired for the holiday season at malls around the country.

Clausen, who has been playing the holiday role for 39 years, appears at private and corporate parties, makes home visits, toy deliveries and writes letters. He got his start in 1970, buying a pair of cheap red pajamas and a fake beard to deliver Christmas presents to a relative's home.

A red Stetson-wearing Santa -- Dennis Quinn of San Antonio -- inadvertently joined the Santa clan about five years ago. He and his wife were on vacation at an RV park, when a 4-year old spotted him and his newly grown Kenny Rogers-style beard he was growing for his karaoke act.

Soon afterward, the girl's grandmother approached Quinn and told him in no uncertain terms that he was "Santa Claus" and he was not to disillusion her granddaughter by saying otherwise.

That started Quinn's sleigh ride, and today he's a member of the Lone Star Santas, a group of serious Santas who meet quarterly for lunch to share experiences and stories when they are not entertaining children and adults.

Quinn's wife, Jane, wears an "I love Santa" pin around her neck and, like many of the other Mrs. Santas, was wearing some red clothing and a Santa hat.

"I'm the official beard fluffer," she joked.

North Pole's Chief Elf, Mayor Doug Isaacson, turned out for the occasion in large red elf shoes to greet the guests and present them with glass mugs etched on one side with Seal of North Pole and the other with "Where the Spirit of North Pole lives year round."