Santa’s Reindeer Begin 2nd Event

Welcome back to the Games! It’s time for our second event - the ski jump.

Our first event was speed skating, won by Comet, for the first gold medal of the games. And we have seven more fun events in the games, including the ski jump, figure skating, the luge (really fast sleigh rides), the high jump, the around-the-world race, snowboarding and the last and final competition, just before Christmas, the cross-country skiing event.

And so for today, we have the first round of the ski jump event. Santa’s hardworking elves have worked as hard as they can for many days and days to build the large ski jumping tower on Elf Mountain. And, just in time, it’s ready for the competition!

The ski jump tower is just enormous. It’s very high and built right into the side of the mountain and has a platform for the reindeer at the very top. And there’s also a very large track that the deer will slide down and down and down before making the big jump in the air and down the mountain. Yes, at the end, the deer will jump off the track (just as it evens out), and soar in the air and down the mountain as far as they can go. Whoever goes the farthest will win the gold medal!

It looks scary, but the deer have practiced and practiced and will be safe. All of our great eight reindeer will compete in today’s first round. The top four will move to tomorrow’s semifinal round, and the gold medal jump will be the next day.

Ok here we go!

First it’s Donder. Donder is at the starting gate at the top of the mountain. And Donder is off! Through the gate and now sliding down the mountain track, very smoothly, on specially made reindeer jumping skis. And Donder is sliding down the track, sliding, sliding, sliding, waiting for the right moment, and…

Whoosh! Donder is off! Way up in the air and floating and floating down the mountain. And it’s a very soft landing at the bottom of the Elf Mountain. A very nice jump for Donder. The elves are out to measure, and that’s 1 mile and 2,054 feet for Donder. That will be very hard to beat!

And now it’s Blitzen. Blitzen’s at the starting gate and Blitzen is off! Sliding down the track on the special skis, down, down, down to the very end and then whoosh, up in the air! And Blitzen is soaring up and up and up, until landing at the bottom of the hill. Another good jump at 1 mile and 1,987 feet.

Then it’s Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet and Cupid with very long jumps as well. All of our reindeer make superb jumps. The competition was close, but our top four are Donder, Blitzen, Prancer and Cupid.

Those four deer leaped the longest in today’s round and will return for tomorrow’s second round of the ski jump.

Check back tomorrow to see who will advance to the final round of the Ski Jump and win the second gold medal of the games.