Think the Olympics, but Florida style with events ranging from an “evading arrest” obstacle course to beer belly wrestling.
Florida residents are bringing the first-ever “Florida Man Games” to life on February 24, 2024 in St. Augustine, according to the Florida Man Games website. The Florida Man Games will poke fun at all of the weird and strange headlines that have come out of the Sunshine State.
The event is described as being the “most insane athletic showdown on Earth.”
“We thought, ‘How can we really play on these Florida Man headlines that we hear so much about?'” Pete Melfi, the owner of The 904 Now, a media outlet covering St. Johns County and the creator behind the Florida Man Games told the Orlando Sentinel. “Someone gave me the idea to make it into an athletic competition.”
Beer belly wrestling, 'evading arrest' obstacle course on tap for inaugural Florida Man Games https://t.co/18KfMf2JVh
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 25, 2023
Contestants can take part in events such as; the weaponized pool noodle duel, where they will be able to test their strength “inside the Florida Man Games Colosseum,” otherwise known as a “Massive Above Ground Pool” or even the Evading Arrest obstacle course, where they can “jump over fences, through back yards, and away from actual police officers” in an effort to earn their freedom, according to the event website.
Other events include the Category 5 Cash Grab in which contestants can “subject” themselves to “category 5 winds” as they attempt to “catch as much real cash” as they can, the Beer Belly Florida Sumo, and a race that allows contestants to “live a day in the life of a Florida man headline.”
The inspiration behind the Florida Man Games comes from the @_FloridaMan account on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which real-life news stories about Florida men, such as, “Florida man recorded himself having sex with his dog, deputies say” and “Florida Man Drives Ferrari Off Dock and Into Sea” were posted.
“It’s going to be a wild day of mud games and Florida-style obstacle courses,” Melfi added. “It’s going to really be an opportunity to live that Florida Man life for a day.”
Tickets for the event cost $45 for general admission. The event will be refereed by Dan Clark and Lori Fetrick, two stars who competed on the television show “American Gladiators,” according to the event website.
IJR reached out to the Florida Man Games for a comment but did not hear back by publication.
