Keswick Tourism Associations Santa Splash event made a triumphant return this week (December 1^st) after being forced to cancel last year due to the uncertainty around Covid restrictions.

The much-loved event saw 8 teams of Santas and elves, plus a reindeer and a gorilla, in Canadian canoes battling it out in a race to claim the coveted “Santa Cruz” trophy.

Teams from Castlerigg Hall, Go Ape, Allerdale Borough Council, Keswick YHA, Lake District Hotels and Keswick Tourism Association plus a guest team from The Quiet Site at Ullswater took to the lake and raced around a pre-set course. Crowds of spectators cheered the teams on as they battled for position. Unfortunately, the Allerdale team took the events name rather too literally when they capsized their boat at the first turn. They were quickly rescued by the safety boat and whisked away to get dried off. The first team across the line and winners of the trophy were the Quiet Site.

Keswick Tourism Association’s Tourism Manager, Vanessa Metcalfe presented the winner’s trophy, congratulating them and joking that they shouldn’t get too attached to it as it would be returning to Keswick next year.

Daniel Holder, owner of The Quiet Site commented “I have always enjoyed taking part in the Santa Splash as part of the Castlerigg Hall team because it signified the start of Christmas. To have had our own Quiet Site team taking part this year and to have actually won is just the icing on the cake. The trophy has taken pride of place next to our Queens Award.”

Vanessa said “It was a fantastic event, and everyone was just so pleased that we were able to go ahead with it this year. It was a bit of a concern when the Allerdale team went in the water, it must have been freezing. I have checked in with them and they are all fine thankfully. We are very grateful to Derwentwater Water Marina for helping us to put the event on and for keeping us all safe and to the Lakeside Café for providing our teams with refreshments afterwards.”