Santa surfs Cocoa Beach to kick off Christmas season

COCOA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Santa kicked off the Christmas season surfing on Coco Beach

Florida Today  reported Saturday that Santa Claus wore red board shorts and red long-sleeve shirt to ride the waves before putting on his traditional red hat and handing out candy canes while posing for photos with children.

Cocoa Beach officials say the display was a small preview of the town’s Christmas Eve Surfing Santas event.  The city hopes as many as 500 surfing Santas will take part in festivities.

Last year’s event in downtown Cocoa Beach attracted nearly 300 surfing Santas, 18 skydiving Santas and more than 4,000 spectators.

Proceeds benefit the Florida Surf Museum; Grind for Life, a nonprofit that helps cancer patients make long commutes to medical facilities; and the Life is Good Kids Foundation.