Fluff up your mullet, pull on your best pair of jorts and abandon all rational thought with an all-new event that promises to be the wildest competition sporting event on Earth. The Florida Man Games are coming to Francis Field in downtown St. Augustine on Feb. 24 and will feature the most unconventionally talented people around.
“These games are just like the Florida Man headlines,” says Pete Melfi, festival organizer and owner/founder of St. Augustine-based news outlet The 904 Now. “As someone who covers Florida news, you think you’ve seen it all, and then something comes along that still manages to surprise you! I thought, let’s embrace this and make it fun. This is a legal way for all to enjoy the Florida Man lifestyle. And we’re doing some good while we’re at it.”
The Florida Man Games will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at Francis Field, 25 W. Castillo Drive in downtown St. Augustine. The festival features a host of crazy and irreverent games, including the Evading Arrest Obstacle Course; A Catalytic Converter, Two Bikes, And A Handful Of Copper Pipes Race Against Time; and Beer Belly Sumo Wrestling, to name a few. The festival will also feature entertainment like a mullet contest, as well as cultural demonstrations featuring alligators, datil peppers, SWAT vehicles and more.
The Florida Man Games will benefit the Jimmy Jam Community Outreach, a local 501(c)(3) that helps local residents in need. Tickets are currently available for purchase. Field tickets cost $45 per person and are limited. For the true Florida Man experience, grab VIP tickets at $145 per person that guarantees reserved bleacher seating during the games, plus drinks, climate-controlled VIP area and restrooms and celebrity meet & greets. For an additional $50, festivalgoers can get a selfie and an autograph with the esteemed judges.
“With a competition this off-the-walls, we knew we needed some refs that were used to wild situations,” said Melfi. “Who better than the hardest-hitting former American Gladiators in the game: Dan "Nitro" Clark and Lori "Ice" Fetrick? As crazy and wild as this all sounds, these will be some intense games! Our competitors will have to really let their inner Florida Man loose.”
Tickets for The Florida Man Games are on sale now. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to thefloridamangames.com.
Looking to compete? Teams of five can sign up for a chance to compete at the games — only those with peak Florida Manliness (and Womanliness!) will be considered. Teams must consist of five members, and all must be 18 years of age or older, with at least one being 21 years of age or older. To sign your team up, go to thefloridamangames.com/about-4.
