MAKING THE LIST, AT A MALL NEAR YOU SMOOTH-FACED SANTAS NEED NOT APPLY.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

Every kid knows Santa Claus lives at the North Pole with Mrs. Claus, his eight reindeer and a dedicated crew of toy-making elves.

But if you manage a shopping mall and you need someone to bring in the crowds during the holidays - Santa stand-ins are just a mouse-click away.

Many Santa recruiters have gone online and they say business is brisk.

Bob Mindte, owner of Santaforhire.com in Newport Beach, has 220 Santas on call, and he dispatches them to all corners of the nation.

``It's really booming this year,'' Mindte said, adding that he's earning twice as much as last year. A retired wireless computer network specialist, Mindte started recruiting Santas five years ago, lured by the dependable year-end demand.

From the intoxicated parade float Santa on ``Miracle on 34th Street'' to Billy Bob Thornton's ``Bad Santa,'' Hollywood has cast Kris Kringle impersonators as drunken dropouts, willing to do anything for a buck. In reality, Santa recruitment is more rigorous, complete with DUI and Megan's Law background checks.

Once recruiters have weeded out the naughty from the nice, they're left with two basic types: the white-bearded grandfatherly types, who don the red suit and hat for the fun of it, and aspiring actors who do it for money.

The shopping mall is Santa's typical home away from home. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, an average of 8,760 children visited Santa per mall in 2002, and the average number of photos was 4,638.

Increasingly, however, Santa is being called on for appearances at private parties, corporate events and television and print advertisements.

Mimi Dahle, owner of All Seasons Promotions in San Dimas, has sent her 65 real-bearded Santas to everything from city parks and independent strip malls to large corporate parties and major department stores.

``This year was excellent. I just think people are more in the spirit,'' said Dahle, who has been in business for 20 years.

What's the latest trend in Santa recruitment? Real beards, say the experts.

``I don't think there's a mall in Southern California that doesn't have a real-bearded Santa,'' Dahle said. All but two of Mindte's 220 Santas have their own whiskers.

Kris Kringle specialists say fake beards just don't cut it anymore with kids.

``Kids really look at Santa, and they're pretty detailed, too,'' said Ron Garcia, 33, of Sylmar, who works for Cherry Hill Photo, a New Jersey-based company that provides Santas to shopping malls. ``We try to get it as close as possible.''

In addition to having a real beard, it helps to be bilingual if you're looking for a Santa gig in the Los Angeles area. Jess Ordaz, 58, of Piru, who plays Santa at the Westfield Shoppingtown Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks, said many Spanish-speaking children are pleasantly surprised when he speaks to them in their own language.

At the Panorama Mall in Panorama City, Santa is a Belgian who speaks five languages: Dutch, French, English, Spanish and German, said Robert Carmen, property and marketing manager at the mall. Dahle has one Santa who speaks French, German, Russian and English.

Santa salaries range from about $12 an hour to $100 an hour, depending on experience and the venue. Santas who do private parties earn the most.

In the end, though, all agree it's all about the kids.

``They truly are so delightful sometimes,'' said Bob Kokol, 66, of Santa Ana, who works as a handyman when he's not playing Santa. ``I did a party one time for UCLA's burn center, and the minute they saw me, their little faces just lit up and the burn and the pain just went away. It was hard to keep the tears back.''

Lisa M. Sodders, [phone]

lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Jess Ordaz, dressed as Santa Claus, shares a merry moment with Nicholas Myers, 8, at the Westfield Shoppingtown Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks on Friday. As well as having the right look, Ordaz speaks Spanish, thereby adding to Santa's bag of tricks.

(2) Two basic Santas are the white-bearded grandfatherly types, who don the red suit and hat for the fun of it, and aspiring actors who do it for money.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer