A flashback of just 16 winters:

Because many of the SCUM are parents (and now grandparents), we are frequent volunteers, especially for events focusing on kids. So shortly before Christmas 2008, we were asked whether one of our skiers would be willing to dress up as Santa Claus and arrive with a sack full of candy canes to distribute to Junior Nordics skiers after their Candy Cane event. Not willing to let just one SCUM get all the adoration from the next generation of NCAA and Olympic crosscountry skiers, Bill Husby, one of the SCUM who also serves as a trail groomer at Birch Hill, volunteered the SCUM to deliver Santa pulled by eight (or more) tiny reindeer on skis.

SCUM are deemed “uncoachable” for a reason. Everyone wanted to be a “reindeer”, and no one wanted to be Santa until Dermot Cole was strong armed into donning the beard and red suit.

Frank Soos and Tobben Spurkland owned “antlers” of a sort, so they were voted to be our lead reindeer even though I felt that Frank’s antlers were moose like as he was. An additional problem was that our most nattily dressed reindeer were hardly tiny. Frank and Tobben both measured in at 6’5” but they would be in front to guide us. The rest of the SCUM were left with red holiday colored duct tape and whatever antlers they could find in the Birch Hill Recreation Area. Thus, two varieties of tiny reindeer were created with birch and spruce bough antlers, respectively. Hey, what we lack in speed and technique, we make up with adaptability.

Having to orchestrate multiple skis while tied together with a nylon climbing rope would be challenging enough without adding ski poles. So, we determined that Santa would be pulled by reindeer skiing without poles. Seeing as the trail from behind the main ski building, where we had assembled, to the stadium area was flat, even SCUM should be able to negotiate this modest distance. Think again. Eight giggling skiers pulling one resistant Santa wasn’t exactly what the coordinator of the Candy Cane Race had envisioned.

One little guy who couldn’t have been older than 4 or 5, looked at us and then protested, “Those aren’t REAL reindeer!” Even the SCUM needing hearing aids clearly heard the disenchanted Junior Nordic skier and were devastated. We snuck away, leaving Santa with his bag of candy canes.

We weren’t invited back again.