12.22.2009

yes, virginia, there is a santa claus. he's chinese.

Did you know that there's a World's Best Santa competition? And as it turns out, the best Santa ain't a fat white man. 44-year-old Hong Kong native Jimmy Chan recently beat rival Santas around the globe to win the title of World's Best Santa in the annual competition in northern Sweden: World's Best Santa weaves Hong Kong magic.

Ironically, Santa Chan had apparently never even seen snow until last month. The event took place in sub-zero temperatures in the Swedish town of Gaellivare and included contests such as chimney-climbing, present-wrapping, porridge-eating, kick-sledding and reindeer-racing.

Chan, a slim guy who fills out his costume with large chunks of sponge, apparently impressed the judges with his magic tricks, acrobatics, and snowball-juggling along with his more traditional Santa skills. This is no ordinary Santa Claus. More here: The world's best Santa is a Hong Kong man.

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