Elf Supervisors to Meet

The Elf Supervisors will meet beginning this Friday and into the weekend as they work to schedule events for the upcoming tracking season.

They will first receive training on the new website here at SantaTrackers.net. Once that training is complete we expect to see them posting news in short order.

They are also discussing elf recruiting goals, the status of Santa’s sleigh, new technologies to be used in flying Santa around the world this year and updates from Flight Command about what information will be needed to track Santa for Santa.

There are rumors going about of a North Pole Chat to be held with all the Elf Supervisors at the same time. We don’t know if that is going to happen or when but we will keep you posted.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Status Update on Operation Merry Christmas

Hi Trackers, with Leon Day upon us we mark the second half of the year – and that means we have a lot of work to do.

With the work of Elf Max and team mostly complete you will begin to see an uptick in the news and direction coming from the Elf Supervisors.

To catch you up, each Sector has been working hard to identify locations for the Regional Tracking Centers this year. I am pleased to announce that those decisions have been made and that officials from the North Pole are finalizing contracts right now.

We anticipate announcing those locations one by one over the next few weeks.

The target opening dates for each sector will vary slightly. Some will open we hope by around the middle of July. ALL will be open by July 21st.

I know there is some question, if not controversy, about Santa’s sleigh. I urge you to be patient while that news comes out in the weeks ahead. I don’t know yet when the tracking map for the test flights will be available. I can tell you the primary reason you don’t have that information right now is due to security concerns. That is about as much as I can say about it at the moment. We anticipate Santa himself will likely share news updates on the new sleigh during Christmas in July.

Speaking of Santa and Christmas in July, we have been asked about chats that might be made available. We’re working on that right now and Elf Winslow will be posting up a new schedule soon.

With the changes in the website some are asking if we will be pushing to get new elves signed up this year. The short answer is yes. More details on that coming soon.

As part of Leon Day and Christmas in July you can expect some North Pole Radio News reports from me and Elf Frank Myrrh. We’re anxious to catch you all up on everything.

See you on the radio!

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Changes to Elf Membership Levels

We are pleased to announce some enhancements to the Tracker Elf program in advance of the Christmas 2025 tracking season. These enhancements have been included in a recent overhaul of the SantaTrackers.net website, which you have no doubt noticed.

After hours of discussion with Santa, and hearing your feedback as asked for in my last post on May 5th, we present the following changes:

1. New elf registrations at SantaTrackers.net will be set as “Junior Tracker Elf”. This will give new elves a chance to learn the art of Tracking Santa for Santa. If after six months at that level and successful in their efforts, their Elf Supervisor may extend to them an invite to join the Elf Community as a North Pole Tracker elf.

2. The existing community of tracker elves – now known as North Pole Tracker Elves – remains a small and dedicated group. All accounts previously inactive since January 1, 2025, have been removed. If you had an account used before that date, but not since, you will need to re-apply as an elf to begin again as a Junior Tracker Elf.

3. The freelance elf community remains unchanged. Freelancers who choose not to participate in the Elf Community or to become a North Pole Elf can continue to track Santa for Santa without having a login in for SantaTrackers.net. As with others who track Santa for Santa, they can read instruction from their Elf Supervisor and submit reports that aid Santa. But as before they will not be able to participate in the Elf Community or advance to a North Pole Elf experience.

Santa and the North Pole support team of SantaTrackers.net remain committed to providing a free and orderly community for believers out there with a desire to become an elf at the North Pole.

The Internet presents challenges in maintaining such an online experience. We believe these new changes will improve that experience to ensure our ongoing operation.

These changes, as well as other updates to the SantaTrackers.net website, are effective immediately. Having completed them we can now move forward with the business of tracking Santa for Santa 2025.

Elf Crash Murphy and the Elf Supervisors, as well as the North Pole News Department, will from this point forward, resume their duties at SantaTrackers.net.

We welcome your comments and questions below. Our thanks go out to you for your patience and to Elf Max and his team of web experts for their good work in implementing these changes.

Thank you.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

New Podcast Episode

In a joint episode of the North Pole Podcast and the Santa Trackers Podcast Elves Frank and Crash discuss the start of Operation Merry Christmas 2025.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Elf of the Year Announcement

In a final wrap to the 2024 Christmas season I am pleased to announce the Elf of the Year.

Elf of the Year

This year’s honoree is known to just about everyone. In fact, when I asked for recommendations from the Elf Community I was overwhelmed with the number of people suggesting this one particular elf.

This elf is likewise highly recommended by other key elves you know. He was recommended by Elf Ed Zachary, Elf Moe, Elf Max, Elf Frank Myrrh. And he carries my hearty endorsement as well.

This is not a popularity contest. This is recognition of elves who go above and beyond to serve the elf community with their talents and their Christmas Spirit. This is a serious award, one that is duplicated in departments all over the North Pole.

For example, just this week, Elf Bernard at Santa’s Workshop named the Elf of the Year in the Workshop an elf who goes by the name of Elf Dave “The Whistler” Jepsen. He’s called the Whistler because that’s what he does while he works. He’s always bright, positive and filled with Christmas Spirit. He lifts the elves around him.

That’s what the Elf of the Year here does for us too as part of the tracker elf community. He constantly looks at the bright side of things and he works hard to keep spirits up.

He is anxious to serve. He wants everyone to have a good time with their Christmas celebration, no matter how they celebrate it. He jumps to aid new elves and works hard to acknowledge elves with experience. Year round he is here, spreading a vital influence and doing all he can to help people understand Santa and how tracking Santa for Santa works.

Speaking of Santa, when I presented him with the list of candidates after weeks of talking to people, he very anxiously said: I hope Elf Westover is at the top of the list.

Elf Westover is our Elf of the Year. He is a tracker elf in Sector 5, a member of the Senior Elf Board here at SantaTrackers.net, and a news caster and podcaster for the North Pole News Department.

We thank him for his many efforts and for all the time he puts in for Operation Merry Christmas. He works on it year round, despite keeping a busy schedule.

He’s a young man, but our newest Senior Elf. He has a very mature sense of giving. He asks regular and good questions. He is eager to help in any way we ask.

He is also so very patient with the North Pole Elves he works with. He is part of the North Pole News Department, which is no easy thing considering he’s NOT at the North Pole. He has to wait on us for answers.

But nothing phases him. He’s patient, kind and helpful.

I personally believe he’s got a bright elf future. When I tell people of a great example of an elf who follows the Elf Code I always point them to Elf Westover here at SantaTrackers.net.

Elf Westover, thank you for your service. We enjoy your enthusiasm, your ideas and your constant desire to do good things. Your talents in writing news, presenting videos and group leadership will be valued a great deal in the years ahead.

Please join me in congratulating Elf Westover as our Elf of the Year.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Please Send in a Nomination

It has been an excellent year in tracking Santa and one that taught us many things. We are grateful for all we experienced.

Before we move on to the year-in-review and in planning exciting things for 2025, we want to do a few things in wrapping up 2024. First of all, a performance review process for each of us as elves will take place. Even i get to go through that. We will have more details on what that means for you before long.

But there is one item of business I really need your feedback on: our Elf of the Year.

The Elf of the Year is an award recognizing the member of the Elf Community who performed at an exceptional level. Not only is the Elf of the Year an example of good execution against the Elf Code but they inspiring other elves to be better.

The Elf of the Year can be anyone. It can be me! Hahaha – no it can’t, I’m just kidding. I’m exempt because it would look pretty bad if I gave the award to myself.

Frank, I don’t want this responsibility. I like all of you and think you’re all great. There are many elves I think could be named Elf of the Year.

But this is a community award. You all should have a voice in this. You all should be included. Actually, you all should name the Elf of the Year.

So I’m taking nominations.

Here’s what I want you to do: please private message me who you think is the elf who most deserves Elf of the Year and why. Just a quick note. Now, to send me a message you need to friend me, but you should be my friend anyway, right?

After I hear from all of you I’m talking to each of the Elf Supervisors. I’m talking to other elves. I’m talking to Santa.

In a few weeks, we’re going to make the announcement.

We have many things to talk over in the next month. But let’s start on a high note by recognizing one of our own.

Thank you.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Sector 5 is in the Red Zone

Ok guys, as always, we’re last. But, we’re the best. Flight Command just got off the horn and they confirm we are now in the Red Zone.

Since most of you are hopefully asleep (we have a LONG day ahead of us), there is nothing for you to do right now. So if you stayed up for this announcement, I’m sorry.

Santa will hit the skies soon, that may change things.

But it really won’t be until later tomorrow that Santa gets close to us. So we have to wait and watch. I’ll let you know what they want of us!

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Sector 4 is in the Red Zone

Hola, Tracker Elves. Flight Command just made the call – we’re in the Red Zone.

Santa will be launching before too long. I’m told though that we have other sleighs in the skies of our Sector.

Other than what Elf Roger said earlier, I have no new direction for you. That can change quickly, so please pay attention.

Thanks!

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Red Zone for Sector 3

Friends, Elves and Trackers – lend me your eyeballs! North Pole Flight Command just signaled us that we are in the Red Zone.

All of Europe and Africa marks Christmas Eve now. There are SLEIGHS in the skies right now in Sector 3.

That being said, we’re still hours away from Santa’s launch.

I have no needs to ask of you at this time other than to BE READY.

 

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Christmas Eve Now in Sector 2

Greetings Elves of Sector 2. The signal just came from North Pole Flight Command: we are now officially in the Red Zone.

It’s Christmas Eve!

We do not have any reporting needs at this time.

There are many active sleighs in our sector already. Keep your eyes peeled.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Sector 1 is in the Red Zone

Ok, trackers! This is it. We’re in the Red Zone. Flight Command has sleighs active in our area. We’re now officially on the clock.

There are no reporting needs at this time which is good because most of you are likely still asleep.

I will keep you post.

In the meantime, happy tracking.

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online

Instructions from Flight Command

Elves, Trackers and Believers Worldwide:

No doubt you have heard the news of challenges we have had this past week with Operation Airlift. The news coming out of Flight Command in recent hours has not been any better.

While I am unable to give you an estimate of exactly how far behind we are I can provide you with information of how we are going to deal with this problem. As elves, working together around the world, we are confident we can help Santa deliver on time and safely, regardless of the weather.

Here is the challenge: Operation Airlift is 100% to Sectors 1, 2 and 3. We have deliberately distributed what Santa needs to those sectors first.

That does not mean we can have trackers and support personnel in Sectors 1,2 and 3 rest easy, however. We need you more than ever.

Why?

Because Elf Buck Sanchez and his team in flight operations at the North Pole are changing tactics in their struggle to get sleighs out. We have expanded sleigh launches from the Sleigh Barn and the Reindeer Barn, in addition to what you have heard about the Field House at North Pole High School. We are also working still to free a runway at the Sleigh Port to launch sleighs as well.

That multi-front operation means sleighs are leaving the North Pole under challenging storm conditions in every direction. That means those sleighs, as the surface above the storm, are headed into every sector. This will be true for the next 18 hours at least.

This is not our preferred method of doing this. We are working the sleigh traffic controllers at Flight Command, in every Regional Tracking Center, and on every ship of the North Pole Navy, at a highly complex level.

There are, as of right now, more sleighs in the skies than there ever have been in history. That number will increase and peak in the hours ahead.

Bearing all that in mind, please make it a REGULAR habit today to watch the skies where you are, day and night. If you see what you think is a sleigh, take photos or videos and submit it.

But more important than sleighs, and this is very unusual, is your observance of  ALL AIR TRAFFIC.

I want all elves in each sector, where possible, to submit an AIR TRAFFIC report every six hours. I know this is asking a lot.

In addition, please keep weather reports coming every six hours as well. In fact, do both reports and submit them at the same time.

We’re not just trying to help Santa here: we’re trying to help every sleigh pilot up there in every area as well as every sleigh traffic controller.

I hope this instruction is clear.

If you have questions, please use the comment area below.

Thanks!

SantaUpdate.com - Tracking Santa Online