SLEIGH-BLOWN LOOK SANTA'S STYLIST KEEPS HIS BEARD WHITE AS THE SNOW.

Byline: PATRICIA FARRELL AIDEM Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- It's usually the moms and dads who tug on this Santa's beard to see if it's real.

The kids upon his lap don't. They know it is.

What they don't need to know is that Santa Clarita's Al Hodek, an official member of the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, gets a ``touch up'' every four or five weeks at a Newhall salon.

At 61, Hodek, like any mere mortal, loses a little luster in his natural mane, not to mention the facial hair. He turns to Gary Alexander of Mirage Hair and Nail Studio on Lyons Avenue.

``He's amazing,'' said ``Ho Ho'' Hodek, clad in a red velvet vest, a red-scripted ``SC'' monogram on the cuffs of his white shirt. ``I come in here looking great. He makes me look even better.''

It's all in a day's work for Alexander, who spends about three hours touching up the color in Hodek's near shoulder-length white hair and 7-inch beard. He scrunches, fluffs, conditions and sprays the trademark whiskers, and trims and curls his hair.

``You've got to have some know-how for this,'' Alexander said. (He actually has two Santa customers with natural assets.)

The twinkle in Hodek's eyes needs no work; he pinches his own cheeks for a little rosiness. Add the deep-red fur-trimmed suit, and even a jaded, middle-age reporter believes.

``You have to love to do this,'' Hodek said as Alexander trimmed and primped him for the evening's kickoff of the local Sheriff's Department toy drive.

``I love the children. I love the whole concept. This is just a short period in their lives. It's magical.''

This Santa, who runs a newspaper distributorship in the off-season, melds the roles of Kris Kringle and Grandpa. He's soft-spoken, insisting that little ones are frightened by Santas who bellow ``ho, ho, ho.''

And he never uses the words ``scared'' or ``afraid'' when kids are tentative about climbing to his lap.''

``I tell the parents they're just a little nervous, and I tell the kids I'm just like an old papa.''

Hodek, a grandfather of 11, has been a mall Santa but prefers to freelance, portraying St. Nick at public and private parties. The Illinois native, who settled in Santa Clarita 33 years ago, has been portraying the jolly old elf for 22 years, since his son was in preschool.

``I can be at Home Depot in my weekend work clothes, and kids are staring at me,'' Hodek said. ``When I put my suit on, even I tend to believe who I am.''

He shares with others through AORBS, the real-bearded Santa group that holds annual conferences. There are about 300 members who met in Branson, Mo., this year to talk about all sorts of Santa Claus issues.

``They have experts who talk about what to say, what not to say, where not to put your hands,'' Hodek said. ``You never make promises.''

And their beards are real, not like the Santas Hodek calls ``synthetics.''

``Did you see the Santa Claus in the Macy's parade?'' he said. ``His beard was golden. Santa's beard isn't golden.

``And I believe it was a glue-on beard.''

pat.aidem(at)dailynews.com

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CAPTION(S):

6 photos

Photo:

(1 -- ran in Valley edition only) Al Hodek, 61, of Santa Clarita -- an official member of the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas -- gets a trim from Gary Alexander of Mirage Hair and Nail Studio on Lyons Avenue. Hodek has to take care of his natural mane to play Santa.

(2 -- color in SAC edition only) Santa, aka the real-bearded Al Hodek of Santa Clarita, chats with 5-year-old Hannah Chavez about her Christmas list.

(3 -- ran in Valley edition only) Al Hodek of Santa Clarita takes on his Santa role every December, right down to the monogram on his shirts.

(4 -- color -- ran in SAC edition only) Santa, also known as Al Hodek of Santa Clarita, a member of the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, is ready for action after his trim at the Mirage Hair and Nail Studio on Lyons Avenue in Newhall.

(5 -- color -- ran in SAC edition only) Al Hodek of Santa Clarita leaves the Mirage Hair and Nail Studio after getting his beard trimmed. ``I can be at Home Depot in my weekend work clothes and kids are staring at me,'' Hodek said. ``When I put my suit on, even I tend to believe who I am.''

(6 -- color -- ran in SAC edition only) Al Hodek of Santa Clarita gets a trim from Gary Alexander at the Mirage salon. Hodek sports a real beard for Christmas.

David Crane/Staff Photographer