Surfing Santas catch waves at Cocoa Beach

COCOA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Hundreds of surfers dressed as Santa caught the waves and celebrated on the beach in what has evolved into an annual tradition in Cocoa Beach.

Organizers of the seventh annual Surfing Santa event say they distributed 500 wristbands Thursday for surfers who wanted to ride the waves dressed as St. Nick.

A singer with a ukulele led the crowd of hundreds of people in singing Christmas carols, and some Santas glided onto the beach via parachutes.

The event was started by George Trosset seven years ago from his beach house. It got so big that the event was moved to the public beach.

Trosset says one of his goals is to get in the Guinness Book of Records for holding the biggest surfing Santa event.