Whether it’s riding a human-sized hamster wheel across the Atlantic Ocean or wielding a machete in a road rage incident, the notorious Florida Man always seems to be making headlines for another “truth is stranger than fiction” kind of story.
Next year, a Florida-style competition aims to give Sunshine State residents a chance to compete in tests of beer belly sumo wrestling, evading the police and knocking each other into the mud with pool noodles. The Florida Man Games are coming to St. Augustine for the first time on Feb. 24.
The event was dreamt up by Pete Melfi, a St. Augustine native who owns The 904 Now, a media outlet covering St. Johns County. He said he envisioned a “0.5K Beer Run” of sorts before expanding his vision to a broader contest.
“We thought, ‘How can we really play on these Florida Man headlines that we hear so much about?’ Someone gave me the idea to make it into an athletic competition,” he said. “It’s going to be a wild day of mud games and Florida-style obstacle courses. It’s going to really be an opportunity to live that Florida Man life for a day.”
Just as quickly as Melfi’s idea was made public, he experienced a surge of interest from people far and wide, including American Gladiators stars Dan “Nitro” Clark and Lori “Ice” Fetrick, who will both serve as judges at the event. Although yet unconfirmed, there might be some other recognizable celebrities with Florida ties at the games.
The events planned are as follows, according to the Florida Man Games’ website:
Tickets, which cost $45 for general admission (before taxes and fees), are now available for the event at Francis Field in St. Augustine.
Melfi and his fellow event organizers are currently seeking contestants for the games to represent different cities around Florida. Teams interested in participating must submit a promo video for consideration.
“We’re picking whoever has the wildest, craziest Florida Man videos,” Melfi said. “We got a guy who sent us a video of him pulling an alligator out of a lake. You don’t have to go that far; please don’t put your life at risk.”
Ultimately, the inaugural Florida Man Games aim to provide a day of light-hearted competition and fun that celebrates the whacky and wild side of Florida.
“If you had a fever and you really had Florida on your mind when you went to sleep, this would be your fever dream,” Melfi said.
To learn more, visit thefloridamangames.com.
www.orlandosentinel.com
Next year, a Florida-style competition aims to give Sunshine State residents a chance to compete in tests of beer belly sumo wrestling, evading the police and knocking each other into the mud with pool noodles. The Florida Man Games are coming to St. Augustine for the first time on Feb. 24.
The event was dreamt up by Pete Melfi, a St. Augustine native who owns The 904 Now, a media outlet covering St. Johns County. He said he envisioned a “0.5K Beer Run” of sorts before expanding his vision to a broader contest.
“We thought, ‘How can we really play on these Florida Man headlines that we hear so much about?’ Someone gave me the idea to make it into an athletic competition,” he said. “It’s going to be a wild day of mud games and Florida-style obstacle courses. It’s going to really be an opportunity to live that Florida Man life for a day.”
Just as quickly as Melfi’s idea was made public, he experienced a surge of interest from people far and wide, including American Gladiators stars Dan “Nitro” Clark and Lori “Ice” Fetrick, who will both serve as judges at the event. Although yet unconfirmed, there might be some other recognizable celebrities with Florida ties at the games.
The events planned are as follows, according to the Florida Man Games’ website:
- Weaponized Pool Noodle Mud Duel — Test your strength inside the Florida Man Games Colosseum (an above-ground pool filled with mud). Melfi added that contestants will be wearing drunk goggles.
- Evading Arrest Obstacle Course — Jump over fences, through backyards and away from actual police officers to earn your freedom.
- Category 5 Cash Grab — Subject yourself to Category 5 winds as you scramble to catch as much real cash as you can.
- A catalytic converter, two bikes and a handful of copper pipes: Race against time — Compete head-to-head in a race that lets you live a day in the life of a Florida man headline.
- Beer Belly Florida Sumo — Dive into the beer belly of the beast as you try to blast your opponent out of the ring.
- Mullet Contest — Florida is well-known for being the home of the most outrageous mullet cuts on the planet. Watch and pick the winners.
- Florida Ma’am Pinup — A contest of wild and wonderful women of Florida, judged by some of Florida’s “most notable women.”
- Chicken Coop Bingo — Two chickens will decide whether you win or lose in this fun, dirty game.
- 911 Fight Night, Brawl of the Badges — Police officers and firefighters square off to close the inaugural Florida Man Games.
Tickets, which cost $45 for general admission (before taxes and fees), are now available for the event at Francis Field in St. Augustine.
Melfi and his fellow event organizers are currently seeking contestants for the games to represent different cities around Florida. Teams interested in participating must submit a promo video for consideration.
“We’re picking whoever has the wildest, craziest Florida Man videos,” Melfi said. “We got a guy who sent us a video of him pulling an alligator out of a lake. You don’t have to go that far; please don’t put your life at risk.”
Ultimately, the inaugural Florida Man Games aim to provide a day of light-hearted competition and fun that celebrates the whacky and wild side of Florida.
“If you had a fever and you really had Florida on your mind when you went to sleep, this would be your fever dream,” Melfi said.
To learn more, visit thefloridamangames.com.
Inaugural ‘Florida Man Games’ seeking contestants
The Florida Man Games land in St. Augustine on Feb. 24 for pool noodle jousting, outrunning the police, beer belly sumo wrestling and more.
www.orlandosentinel.com
