WORKING -- Stanley Tudor

Story by Andrew Glazer, Photo by Brian Pobuda

HE IS

Making his list and checking it twice.

SOUTH NORTH POLE

While Tudor, 58, is in character as St. Nick, he tells young lap sitters

he is from the North Pole. But the man behind the red velvet suit, black

belt and pointed hat -- his white beard is real -- is Costa Mesa born and

bred. In fact he was born in a home just a block away from the Daily

Pilot offices on West Bay Street. Tudor is a third generation Costa

Mesan.

INQUIRING MINDS

Naturally, children stopping by the stool he set up on Newport Boulevard

between Bay and Victoria streets want to know where he parked his sleigh

and reindeer. Part of being a good Santa is having all the right answers.

“Of course I say the sled is getting polished and the reindeer are at

home, resting and eating before a long flight,” Tudor said.

TOY DU JOUR

Each year, a different toy dominates children’s wish lists, Tudor said.

Pokemon, Power Rangers and Tickle Me Elmo were recent must-have toys. But

as toy trends come and go, Barbie keeps coming back.

“Girls ask for Barbie this and Barbie that,” Tudor said. “A Barbie for my

hair, a Barbie for my nails, a Barbie car.”

HO HO, WHOA!

Tudor -- who sits on a stool next to a boom box playing Christmas songs

including “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” -- said he’s seen some strange

things. On Tuesday night, a man pulled up in an old roadster. He carried

a stool of his own and asked Santa to talk to it while he snapped photos.

Tudor said the man told him he traveled around the country taking

pictures of the stool in strange and exotic locations. Another night, a

woman wearing an overcoat asked if she could sit on Tudor’s lap. A man

took her picture as she removed the coat to reveal she was wearing a

bikini.

“It was for her Christmas card,” Tudor said.

GRINCHES

“I get a lot of hand gestures from passing cars,” Tudor said. “Most of

them are waves. The others come from ‘bah humbugs.’ Imagine who would

take all the energy to do that to Santa. I bet they didn’t get gifts when

they were kids.”

JOB BENEFITS

Tudor -- who also appears as Santa at office parties, charity functions

and stores -- needs to watch his waistline, but not in the traditional

sense. His has to bulge. He said one of his favorite job perks is sharing

food with his clients.

“Santa gets fed,” he said. “I had some of the best Mexican food ever

the other night.”

When it’s not Santa season -- which he said begins the week after

Thanksgiving -- Tudor teaches drama at Newport Harbor High School with a

focus on Shakespeare. He also volunteers with several local AIDS

charities.

MAKING THEM BELIEVE

Tudor said he looks forward to putting on his red Santa hat each year.

“It’s really wonderful to see the hope and faith the kids have,

especially compared to what’s really going on in the world today,” he

said. “There’s nothing more positive than a child saying what they want

this year.”