NEWRY – Despite all the “Ho-Ho-Hos” echoing off the lifts Sunday, none of the 170 Santas at Sunday River Ski Resort were convincing enough for the youngsters.

Their Wal-Mart beards slid off their shaved faces. Zooming down the slopes, Santa hats fell off revealing full heads of blonde and brown hair.

And not one was quite fat enough.

Kayla Eaton, 10, of Ipswich, Mass., believes the real Santa Claus does know how to ski.

He was probably just too busy making toys.

The Santa look-alikes turned up for Sunday River’s seventh annual Santa Sunday. For a $10 donation to the Bethel Rotary’s Christmas toy drive, the Santas could ski for free.

Resort communications manager Alex Kaufman said the event is held annually as a way to get people into both skiing and the Christmas spirit.

When it started, “people were coming out as Santa Claus anyway,” he said.

Plus, “it’s held early enough in the year that people aren’t sick of Santa yet,” Kaufman added.

Men and women of all ages came out for the event. A few of the ladies dressed as Mrs. Claus, but, “Some of the girls had beards,” observed Kyler Walker, 10, of Newry.

Some wore costumes from Wal-Mart or a dollar store. Others took a more elaborate approach.

Standing on top of a 3,200-foot hill with the Presidential Range mountains in the background, Liz Rollins of North Yarmouth didn’t expect her red and green eyeliner to last the trip. Still, it complimented her outfit nicely.

Rollins said she made the Mrs. Claus outfit herself. A red skirt with white fuzzy trim fits over her skiing tights. A candy cane is stitched onto her shirt, and she wears a red glittery shawl. The outfit is topped off with wreath earrings.

“I guess I just like wearing this stupid suit,” Rollins joked as she prepared to head down.

As she spoke, a snowboarder wiped out around the bend.

“We’ve got a runaway Santa!” someone yelled.

Jim Cannell of Mattapoisett, Mass., brought his family out as a way to get into the Christmas spirit.

“It’s just a fun, festive day,” he said.

Woody Woodward of Concord, N.H., said he and his buddies also come every year.

“It’s fun to see the different costumes,” Woodward said. “There are some pretty ingenious costumes – people use their imaginations.”

For the past two years Mac Richardson of Windham and his 13-year-old son Ben have made it a father-son tradition.

“It’s fun to dress up,” Ben said as he relaxed in the lodge after his run, pushing his Santa hat aside. “But it’s also nice to get out of this bulky suit.”