Santas Shake it Up at Annual Summer “Congress”

"I think I will be doing some more Zumba in my spare-time," says D.C.-based Santa

If Santa looks thinner than usual come Christmas, it may have something to do with Zumba, the Latin-inspired dance fitness craze.

A Zumba exercise class with hula hoops was a novelty at this year's World Santa Congress, which brings St. Nicks from around the globe to an amusement park in Copenhagen this week.

"It was a sweaty experience and it didn't help having an extra 10 pounds of clothing on but now I'm hooked. I think I will be doing some more Zumba in my spare-time," chuckled Douglas Gowin, a 57-year-old Santa from Washington, D.C.

Now in its 55th consecutive year, the four-day World Santa Congress has more workouts on the schedule, including an obstacle course in which Santas must go down a chimney and climb an ice mountain.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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