STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Last we saw Santa he had arrived in Ketchum on a big giant fire truck for Ketchum’s Christmas Tree Lighting, reindeer in tow.

On Monday the jolly ol’ fellow was spotted back in Ketchum—this time in a tiny Japanese fire truck decked out in Christmas wreaths, bells, ornaments, garlands and twinkling lights.

You heard that right!

Yup, Santa’s having to learn to drive a vehicle after centuries of driving a sleigh.

Santa is driving up and down the streets of Ketchum and Sun Valley in a fire-red Kei mini-truck, handing out Randimals toys to children. And after using reins to drive for centuries, he’s still trying to get used to driving with a steering wheel—a steering wheel on the right, no less.

“Rudolph’s getting up there in age so I thought I’d let him rest up before the Big Night,” he said as he tried to navigate the streets clogged with Christmas visitors. “When we were dropping off presents in Japan, I saw some firefighters riding around in one of these and I thought it would be perfect.

“I might even use it on Christmas Eve if Ketchum gets a heavy snowstorm because, you know, Rudolph’s nose doesn’t shine as bright as it used to,” he added.

The little red mini-truck was quick to turn heads and bring smiles to the faces of Christmas shoppers who dropped their bags and pulled out their cellphones to record it.

Santa greets Paige Wieduwilt at Ketchum Town Square.

And Santa was quick to respond to each and every acknowledgement with a “Ho, ho, ho” and “Merry Christmas!”

The faces of adults and children, like John and Jess Lane and their children Oakes and Arlo, also lit up when he stopped in at the Limelight Hotel for its Christmas cookie decorating party.

“Being in Sun Valley for the holidays—there’s no place I’d rather be,” he said.

Santa pulled up in Ketchum Town Square for a few moments where he handed out Randimals to Victoria Shane and Paige Wieduwilt, who used to live in the Wood River Valley but now lives in North Carolina.

Santa gifted Paige Wieduwilt and Victoria Shane with a Randimal.

The plush and plastic toys feature animal combinations, such as Hork, a horse and shark, plus an accompanying book that celebrates difference, whether it be different races, cultures or backgrounds.

“I’ve heard of the Randimals,” said Wieduwilt.

“The Randimals had a great year,” said Santa. “They opened up distribution in the United Kingdom and Germany. And they’re going to Japan so I thought we’d celebrate by handing them out to all the little children.”

Santa added that he liked the message behind the Randimals: “What makes us different makes all the difference in the world.”

Santa loaded a variety of Randimals in the bed of the mini-fire truck.

“I visit children around the world every Christmas Eve and, believe me, they’re all different.”

After spotting the red firetruck, Santa was able to pick one up from a dealer in Texas, meaning Rudolph only had to spend three days flying it to Ketchum as opposed to the many days it would have taken for him to ferry it all the way from Japan.

The truck, built in 1995, has only 3,000 miles on it meaning firefighters put a hundred miles a year on it.

The Japanese lettering spells out Tsuruoka City Volunteer Fire Corps, said  Ketchum resident Perry Boyle, who performed a nifty Google search on his cell phone after spotting the truck in Ketchum Town Square.

The tiny trucks are common for volunteer fire units, he added, because they can easily navigate the narrow streets and rural paths often found in residential areas of Japan.

“I have to get my CB radio worked on if I want to keep in contact with Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole,” Santa said. “But, other than that, it’s in tip-top shape.”

The man behind the big white beard in the red suit was Nick Harman, who created the Randimals with Casey Fineegan.

He introduced the Randimals right as the COVID pandemic began to shut down the world and so staged a pop-up Snow Globe on Ketchum’s Main Street during Christmas 2020 so he could visit with schoolchildren safely, while showing them the Randimals.

“I had so much fun being Santa I wanted to do it again!” he said.

Harman said the little red fire truck’s use will extend beyond the Christmas season.

He plans to take it to schools and libraries as he shares the story of the Randimals with children. And, come summer, Harman intends to outfit it with surfboards and park it next to a tiny home in Stanley where he can introduce the Randimals to whitewater rafters and other summer vacationers.

“In England where I grew up, I was always chasing the ice cream man down the street in his little truck so I was quickly drawn to this,” he said.

In the meantime, keep your eyes out, kids. You might just spot Santa driving his little fire truck down the street in the next week. And he comes bearing gifts.