Florida is well known for the ridiculous actions of its residents.
A Floridian decided to embrace the state’s reputation.
And one wild and crazy competition was held to determine who was the top Florida man.
The second annual Florida Man Games celebrated the state’s wild reputation
Florida has provided an endless number of stories about the zany antics of its residents.
The Florida Man Games celebrates the state’s wild reputation with a competition featuring events that could only be found in the Sunshine State.
St. Johns County Fairgrounds was the site of the second annual Florida Man Games, where teams competed to prove that they were real Florida men.
Ten teams from around the state strove to win the coveted snakeskin belt given to the champion.
The competition included uniquely Florida events like the Evading Arrest Obstacle Course, Beer Belly Sumo Wrestling, Hurricane Party Prep: Grocery Aisle Brawl, and Weaponized Pool Noodle Mud Duel.
Croix Bruns, a 29-year-old Dave & Buster’s employee and a lifelong Florida resident, battled in the pool noodle competition.
Bruns argued that a “true Florida Man” does not prepare for the games.
“They’re just born ready to be great,” Bruns explained. “They’re born ready for the trophy and ready for the title, and each year, someone new has to be born for it.”
The Florida Man Games has events that cannot be found anywhere else.
“We’ve got the Olympics, and they’ve been around forever, but they don’t have gator tossing,” Bruns stated. “They don’t have a contest where you’ve got to hold your beer and fight someone else at the same time.”
The Florida Man Games has something for everyone
Spectators could take in midget wrestling, ride a mechanical alligator, and watch lawn mower racing in addition to the competition.
Florida Man Games announcer Che Durena called the event a celebration of the state’s wild side.
“It’s exactly on-brand the way I thought it would be,” Durena said. “It’s the right level of grimy and extravagance and debaucherous. It’s exactly what I want. It’s a lot of people day drinking, a lot of people getting sunburnt, a lot of people just partying and acting foolish in the best way.”
Organizer Pete Melfi said before last year’s games that the event was a way to experience the life of a Florida man.
“We kind of give a person an opportunity to live a day in the life of ‘Florida Man’ without ending up in a cop car,” Melfi stated.
Florida Man Games Champion Larry Donnelly, who has wrestled alligators when he is bored, said the event was a chance to tune out the world and have fun.
“You have so much stress in life. There’s so much garbage day in and day out with politics. And, you know, all the all the nuances going on in the world. This right here, this allows people to just be people,” Donnelly explained.
The Florida Man Games are a cheeky celebration of the wild stories that make the state beloved around the country.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
