The Sweet Life of Diamond Pete
by dawn
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 3:30pm (PST)
I never dreamed that one day I would be dressed up as a penguin for any reason. When I told a friend I was going to be a penguin for a Halloween event in Incline Village, she laughably assumed I meant “The Penguin” from the Batman series, and not an actual over-sized penguin. Then I explained that Diamond Pete the Penguin is the Diamond Peak mascot and maybe even more laughable is that I would be wearing his suit, as I have done a few other times for events (one of the perks of being a Diamond Peak employee, who just happens to fit just right). Without being familiar with Pete, people look perplexed when you try to explain the details of the huge penguin costume, complete with the giant head. But in spite of the images it conjures up, Pete is quite handsome and with the big penguin grin, not at all intimidating to look at.
Having small children and being a frequent theme park visitor, I often wondered what it would be like to wear a character costume like that, but I more often wondered about the person that was inside. Who were they? Were they young? Old? Who is this “inside person” who wants to hug on my kids? Can they be trusted? Are they for real or is it some crazy person? Now as I have had the opportunity to turn the tables and see what life is like from the inside out as a Character-or Mascot named Diamond Pete-I can understand what the allure is.
The best part about being a loveable character is all of the love you get. You get sweet baby kisses, on your knee toddler hugs, grown up bear hugs and even running full force tackle hugs. Looking back on last week’s Halloween Trail of Treats and Terror event, I can say that the toddlers were definitely my favorite part. Little ones outfitted as butterflies, ladybugs and teddy bears with arms open wide, following Pete around just enthralled with him. At one point, I was having trouble walking and realized there was a small child attached to my leg, looking up longingly. That is melt your heart stuff. And it’s not just the toddlers who love Pete; it’s the teenagers and the adults too. Seeing Pete is like seeing an old friend. A young teenager came running up chanting Pete’s name and gave him a huge hug. Then he told us that he remembers Pete from when he was about 3 years old at Diamond Peak and that was his earliest memory of Tahoe and skiing.
I would say when something touches people’s lives like that; it is more than just a penguin costume. Diamond Pete is now a true part of Diamond Peak living history.
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