With a balloon elf perched on his head and a hearty “Ho, ho, ho,” Greg Taunton charged into the churning Gulf of Mexico, proving that even Santa’s helpers aren’t afraid to make a splash at the annual Cotton State Santas Polar Plunge.

“I’ve got a dive buddy to go with me,” Taunton, 58, of Millbrook said with a smile, pointing to the creative headgear.

Known as “Twist Kringle” because of his balloon twisting skills, Taunton temporarily lost the hat as he plunged into the Gulf and had to chase it down. Undeterred, he chased it down like a true Santa on a mission, ultimately retrieving it and gifting it to a delighted youngster who had watched the spectacle with a smile.

The scene was a highlight of a weekend gathering on the Alabama Gulf Coast of Santa Clauses, Mrs. Clauses, and other Christmas season performers.

Approximately 60 attended Saturday’s annual post-holiday season luncheon at the Gift Horse Restaurant in Foley. The plungers included a group of eight performers — seven Santas and one Mrs. Claus — who gathered outside the Hampton Inn in Orange Beach and ran into the Gulf of Mexico.

Other weekend highlights included smaller networking gatherings at local restaurants, and an evening of Christmas caroling inside the Hampton Inn lobby.

“Fellowship and networking, it’s a good thing,” Taunton said about his experiences meeting with the Santas and Mrs. Clauses. It was the first time Taunton had attended the Gulf Coast gathering.

“This is about chilling and having fun,” he said.

The Cotton State Santas are a group that, when together, are hard to miss, given that almost every Santa Claus is sporting a white, bushy beard. The group has been around for the past 12 years, and is an affiliate of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas (IRBRS), the world’s largest organization of professional Santas, Mrs. Clauses and supporting spouses.

Rich Patsios, president of Cotton State Santas, said the group has about 320 Christmas performers from Alabama and is looking to add more to their ranks as the Santa business continues to be in high demand following the pandemic.

For prospective Santas, as long as someone has a beard and “has a few years on them,” Cotton State Santas are willing to provide training and mentorship, Patsios said.

In fact, the group is preparing for its first Cotton State Santas Academy, taking place June 21-22 at the Holiday Inn Express in Fultondale.

Patsios, 78, of Trussville and who has been a Santa for five years, said the academy will help offset costs for Cotton State Santas seeking to get training and advice. He said the training he received outside of Alabama cost him $650, for a weekend course. The academy will cost Cotton State Santa members $50, he said.

The training costs are on top of the climbing expenses of outfitting as Santa. A good Santa suit can cost at least $1,200, with more elaborate outfits climbing well over $2,000.

Cal and Diane Brown of Huntsville said the training it essential. The two have been a professional Santa and Mrs. Claus for the past seven years in the Huntsville area and believe that weekends like the one on the Gulf Coast are important for maintaining a level of Kris Kringle professionalism.

“One of the key things about this weekend is the mentoring process,” said Cal Brown, 72. “The new experiences from the other Santas is that they learn some things and pass them on to the other Santas. We are trying to make the Cotton State Santas a very professional organization so that when someone gets a Cotton State Santa, they know they will get a professional who does a good job and is one we can recommend to their friends.”

But the fun can be infectious and draw plenty of sightseers like at the Polar Plunge where visitors to the Hampton Inn applauded and waved at the brave Santas during their watery adventure.

“It was just happenstance we saw this,” said Stephanie Infalt of Atlanta, said after her son, Brady, was presented with Taunton’s balloon twist following the plunge. “We just loved it.”