You better watch out and you better not cry because Santa Claus is water skiing down the Potomac. Every Christmas Eve since 1986, a group of warm-blooded water skiers brave the afternoon’s freezing cold and put on what just might be the “longest-running water ski Christmas show” in the world. There are reindeer a-flipping, Grinches a-gliding, and elves elevating. And, of course, there’s Santa spreading holiday joy on water skis while zipping down D.C.’s main waterway.

“I mean, we are a little crazy,” says “Kerry Claus,” the now-retired original water skiing Santa who is now co-announcer of the proceedings. “We’ve done it in heavy rain and snow. We’ve moved big chunks of ice floating down the Potomac. But the show must go on.”

Like all the water skiers in the show, Kerry remains anonymous. “It’s not being about any one person, but just spreading good cheer during the holiday season,” he says.

It was more than three decades ago when Kerry, who’s an amateur water skier and office equipment salesman by day, joked with friends during a holiday party that it would be funny to see Santa water ski on Potomac. Everyone else also loved the idea and designated Kerry their first skier. “It was my idea and I did draw the short straw. I mean, you know how holiday parties go,” Kerry says with a hearty hohoho.

So, a few days later on a cold, rainy Christmas Eve, a Santa suit-clad Kerry found himself on water skis in the Potomac near the Columbia Island Marina. There were only two people watching from the shore: a cameraman from NBC4 who Kerry had tipped off, and Kerry’s mother. No, his friends didn’t show up. “It was 34 degrees and pouring rain,” says Kerry, “No one in their right mind really wanted to be out there.”

Nonetheless, Kerry was a trooper and sped down the river while waving to his mother. That evening, his festive watery jaunt made the news and, the next year, many more people showed up to watch Santa take to the water. The show has continued ever since.

After stints at Columbia Island and National Harbor, the show relocated to the Alexandria waterfront in 2014. Today, the operation is much more substantial. Planning begins in July. Between 50 and 70 people volunteer every year to be skiers, boat drivers, dressers, and spotters (who help skiers who fall in the water). The performance is an hour long and there are no rehearsals or practices prior. As Kerry puts it, the show is “one and done.”

Over the years, the crowds have significantly grown: In previous years, more than 2,500 people watched the show. The performance integrates all different forms of water skiing, from slalom skiing to wakeboarding to barefoot skiing. There are aerial tricks galore like flips, inverts, and corkscrews. This year, according to the show’s organizer and director, “Papa Noel,” the first act is going to be unlike anything that’s ever been done before. “I don’t want to spoil it, [but] their feet are going to be more than really cold.”

Winter water skiing on the Potomac isn’t for the risk-averse. Water skiing, in general, is perilous. According to 2017 U.S. Coast Guard report, water skiing mishaps were responsible for 13 deaths nationally that year.

“It’s inherently dangerous,” says Kerry, “There’s always a risk for injury or worse.” Both Kerry and the show’s organizers say Santa’s water skiing routine is meticulously planned, including a number of safety measures, and they work with participants who are vetted, talented, and experienced.

No matter a water skier’s skill level, falls do happen. All skiers learn early on how to do it properly. “A lot of times [a run] ends with a crash” says Kerry. As a water skiing reindeer—who also requested to stay anonymous—tells DCist, “If you aren’t falling, you aren’t skiing hard enough.”

As expected, the biggest challenge for these holiday water skiers is the wind and the cold. To prevent hypothermia, organizers strongly suggest everyone wear a waterproof dry suit and other protective gear under their costumes. There are boat heaters, buckets of hot water, and certified safety personnel on hand to make sure everyone stays safe. But challenges still are numerous.

For one, Santa, his reindeer, and the Grinch all wear off-the-rack costumes, which become very heavy when wet. If that’s not enough, the exposure to the elements makes it even harder to stay balanced on the water.

“The wind and cold definitely has an effect on your muscles,” says one of the water skiing reindeer, “Your hands can freeze to the rope and your fingers stay curled. It’s an interesting experience to have your fingers not move the way you want them to.”

Weather, too, can affect many of the acts. In the past, organizers have had to scale back aerial tricks due to strong winds. But the show has never been cancelled. Kerry Claus makes sure of that. “One year, we were completely iced over. The river was frozen from Georgetown to Woodbridge,” Kerry says. “So I had a couple of reindeer pull me through a park with snow on the ground. It was fun for me, but not for the reindeer pulling.”

After the show, Santa, the reindeer, the Grinch, and the rest of the show’s characters will briefly greet kids looking to see the big guy one more time before he leaves for his annual jaunt.

“Everyone’s been in the water and we are very conscious of that,” says Papa Noel, “We tell the kids that Santa needs to get back to the North Pole. But, between you and I, Santa’s pretty cold.”

Water Skiing Santa show is free and takes place Dec. 24 at 1 p.m. A pre-show starring the Grinch starts at 12:45 p.m.