Ski Center Offers Unusual ‘Punishment’ After inflatable Santa Vandalized
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A Norwegian ski center is taking a surprisingly forgiving approach after its beloved inflatable Santa Claus was deliberately damaged, offering those responsible a chance at redemption – and a day on the slopes.
The incident, which occurred the night of December 15th, left the operations manager of Kirkerudbakken ski center disheartened, but determined to find a constructive resolution. “It was sad when we got up and saw that it had collapsed,” said the operations manager to VG, a Norwegian news outlet. “We realized right away that it was vandalism.”
Seven Years of Holiday Cheer Disrupted
For the past seven years, “The Kind Santa,” as the inflatable figure is affectionately known, has been a welcoming sight for skiers and snowboarders arriving at Kirkerudbakken. The decoration was originally a gift from a Europris store in Sandvika,which found itself without space to display it.
The inflatable Santa had become a yearly tradition, but this year, it wasn’t left to stand alone. Surveillance footage revealed two individuals tampering with the decoration during the night. According to the operations manager, the santa was not simply displaced, but intentionally damaged – “stung,” as he described it – and a nearby lantern was torn down and discarded.
santa in the Garage, Awaiting Repair
Following the act of vandalism, the operations manager was left with no choice but to remove “The Kind Santa” from display. The deflated decoration is currently stored in the garage, awaiting repairs.
“You can say that it is indeed for repair, and we need another seamstress to fix the Santa,” the operations manager explained. “But we haven’t,so we’ll see what happens. If there is someone who has a Santa that they would like to give away, we will gladly accept one.”
A Day Pass for Confession
Despite the frustration, the ski center is offering a unique proposition to those responsible. Rather than pursuing legal action, the operations manager has announced a surprising “punishment” – a free day pass to Kirkerudbakken.
“You can come here and confess your sins,” he stated. “But they can come here and confess their sins, we’re not mad or anything.They will get a day pass if they speak up,so that they understand how much fun it is indeed on this hill.”
The operations manager expressed skepticism that reporting the incident to authorities would yield any results, stating, “I don’t want to report, it leads nowhere and will be dropped anyway.” This unconventional approach reflects a desire to turn a negative experience into an chance for community engagement and perhaps, a newfound thankfulness for the joy of winter sports.
Why it happened: On the night of December 15th, two individuals intentionally vandalized Kirkerudbakken ski center’s inflatable Santa Claus, known as “The Kind Santa,” damaging it and a nearby lantern. Who was involved: The perpetrators were two unidentified individuals caught on surveillance footage. The operations manager of Kirkerudbakken is central to the response. What occurred: The inflatable Santa was “stung” and deflated,disrupting a seven-year tradition. how it ended: The ski center offered the vandals a free day pass in exchange for confessing, opting for restorative justice over legal action. The Santa is currently awaiting repair.
