NEWPORT BEACH : Christmas Boat Show Is Illuminating

Looking for Santa Claus?

On Thursday evening in Newport Harbor, he could be seen riding a pirate’s ship, fishing for sharks and even riding on top of a shark in the 84th annual Christmas Boat Parade.

Those are just some of the many scenes created from strands of thousands of lights that decorate the more than 195 boats in this year’s parade that continues through Wednesday.

Before thousands of spectators, boats of all sizes were navigated down the waterway with varying degrees of decoration--from the simple strings of lights around the vessels and up the masts--to elaborate scenes with toy soldiers, Santa and his reindeer, and illuminated Christmas trees.

One boat carried Santa in a boat, perched atop a Christmas tree, with a shark at the end of his fishing pole.

But after dozens of vessels had passed, 7-year-old Jake Sansone of El Toro was impressed by only one. “My favorite one was the one with Santa on the shark,” he said.

First-time parade viewer Melinda Crawford of Houston said she was impressed by the pirate ship that used smoke, the sound of cannons and purple and pink lights to create a mystical effect against the dark sky. “That’s wild; that’s the best one,” she said, clapping.

But hoping to steal the show for the fourth year in a row was Geoff Landon and his characters from “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.”

Using giant balloons in the shapes of the Grinch, The Bumble, and floppy-eared dog Max piloting a World War I airplane, Landon and his crew called their entry “Fly Air Grinch to Who-ville.”

Landon’s boat, which has won the parade’s sweepstakes title the past three years in a row, also used sound effects, smoke and music to create the storybook fantasy.

Even if he loses when winners are announced on Tuesday, Landon said he will not be disappointed.

As the founder and organizer of “Kids Night,” an event that brings 500 needy children to the Christmas Boat Parade, he said that makes all the months of planning and thousands of dollars spent on the boat worthwhile.

“Next year’s theme is already in our heads,” he said.