KABOOM!

Nick Eloe and Aiden Klakse might just be responsible for more smiles and laughter from children in North Idaho than St. Nick himself.

“Not many people have the opportunity to light off fireworks on the lake for a cruise at the North Pole, with Santa, so it’s a pretty awesome experience,” Eloe said as the Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruises boat approached the North Pole.

Santa, of course, is the main attraction.

But when he’s done greeting guests with songs, jokes, showing off his turbo-powered, flame-throwing sleigh, and reading the names of every child on the nice list, there's a countdown to the lighting of one of the world’s largest floating Christmas trees.

Unseen behind that Christmas tree and Santa’s house, on a dock in the dark, lurk Eloe and Klakse.

“Wait until the fireworks go off,” Klakse said. “You’ll hear some cheering and screaming.”

As the final notes of “Carol of the Bells” disappear into the night, it’s time for the Nick and Aiden show.

“The first note before the last, we light it,” Klakse says.

The two are pyrotechnicians behind the 90-second fireworks show that fills the sky with colorful explosions. Kids scream with delight as they watch. Their cries of joy can be heard across Lake Coeur d’Alene.

On this night, it’s a 10.

“That’s called a perfect finale, when the finale goes off right when the tree turns back on,” Eloe said.

“Good cheering after the fireworks,” Klakse said. “That’s always enjoyable.”

It’s a highlight for all on board.

“I love it. I feel like it’s something all ages can enjoy,” Eloe said on an unseasonably warm Tuesday night. “There’s a thrill for everyone out there. Everybody enjoys fireworks no matter how old you are.”

The fireworks explode with each cruise ship’s visit. Eloe and Klakse are behind them seven nights a week, with up to six shows a night. There is no one else.

Both men believe they might just have the best holiday jobs around.

And it’s an important one.

Journey to the North Pole Cruises across Lake Coeur d’Alene to celebrate Christmas, visit Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves, and see a magical winter wonderland come to life, run from mid-November to Jan. 2.

Before the last ship has sailed, there will be more than 400 fireworks shows, with 418 shells going airborne with each show.

This Holiday Light Show season, 170,126 shells will be fired.

All told, it’s a $75,000 investment by the Hagadone Corp.

“From the fire-breathing dragon to Santa’s supercharged sleigh, the annual Holiday Light Show is magically unique from start to finish,” said John Eloe, director of engineering at The Coeur d’Alene Resort. “The nightly fireworks are truly the cherry on top of the entire program — it’s fun, colorful and over-the-top — which is exactly what the holidays should be.”

For the pyros, it’s pretty cool to be the two guys who light up Christmas every night for thousands of children.

“I like the job and how entertaining it is,” said Nick Eloe, son of John Eloe.

Being a pryotechnician isn’t as dangerous as it sounds. This is Eloe’s third year and Klakse’s second. Each has undergone safety training procedures. Neither has been hurt.

The fireworks come ready to go in boxes. For each show, they prepare three boxes. They basically unwrap the boxes and set up the fireworks on a counter on the dock outside their small shack, which has a protective plexiglass window.

Most nights the two work together. Some nights, they go solo.

Wearing ear and eye protection, they reach through a small opening to ignite, in order, the fuse for each “cake” of fireworks.

When it’s over, they grab the boxes of spent fireworks, carry them to a dock house, and return with new ones.

“It’s pretty straightforward,” Eloe said.

Each night, they also check the 500-gallon propane tank that provides fuel for Santa’s super sleigh, and make sure the system is operating well. During the show, they hit the switch three times — when Santa says, “We’ll see what this baby can do,” when he speaks of the turbo drive, and then says, “afterburners” — so the sleigh spits out 40-foot flames.

The fireworks go off in the cold, snow, sleet and rain. Strong wind is the only condition that cancels them.

They're careful on the dock, which can get slippery in winter.

“Common sense,” Eloe said. “You've got to be safe.”

Eloe was born in Hayden and raised in Post Falls. Klakse moved to the area from Illinois in 2014.

The two are friends and work full-time day jobs in construction.

Each is a fan of fireworks and recalled their families spending hundreds of dollars to celebrate holidays.

They know they’ve done their night job well when they hear the cheers following the fireworks.

“That’s the only feedback we get. Nobody really knows we’re doing it. It’s kind of like we’re Santa’s elves,” Eloe said.

“When you like what you do, you don’t get tired of it,” Klakse said.

They get the never-ending gift of bringing joy to young and old.

“When kids hear their names, that’s really entertaining,” Eloe said. “There’s something about kids being happy.”