A Wide World of Alternative Sports

By Sam Jordan
Published: May 27, 2011
Last Updated On: June 30, 2011

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Jacksonville

Amelia Island

West Palm Beach

Naples

Orlando

Kissimmee

Pensacola

Tallahassee

St George Island

Water Sports

Sports

Festival

They're outlandish, offbeat and sometimes downright outrageous, but you won't want to miss the excitement and entertainment offered by Florida's alternative sports scene.

They arrive in crates. Dozens and dozens of crates of Palm Beach County-grown sweet corn are being unboxed and prepared for consumption by some of the best competitors in the world. No, LeBron James isn’t expected to show up at the South Florida Fairgrounds; nor is Maurice Jones-Drew or Evan Longoria. Today, the stars will be people such as Joey Chestnut, Sonya Thomas and Crazy Legs Conti. 

Haven’t heard of them? Then you haven’t witnessed the splendor of the International Corn Eating Contest, held each year in April at the Sweet Corn Fiesta in West Palm Beach. Professional eaters and amateur corncob-gobblers race to eat as much corn as they can while those with sensible stomachs simply watch the show. The versatile yellow – or sometimes white, or white and yellow – veggie is also the star of the show at the annual Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival, where great food and family fun converge every spring. 

Sure, Florida is overflowing with America’s most popular sports – professional teams and Division I collegiate athletics abound – but beneath that surface is a wonderfully wacky world of alternative activities. Read on and you’ll see competitive corn-eating is only the tip of the offbeat iceberg.

Watching a pro team’s mascot run around the field during a game is pretty entertaining, so imagine the entertainment you’ll glean from three days’ worth of full-on mascot competition!

You may have seen flowboarding on a cruise ship, but it’s also alive and well at Fantasy Surf in Kissimmee. Riding the artificial waves is a natural thrill! Check out this video to see it in action.

Pickleball, a racket-based game that’s like badminton and ping-pong played with a wiffle ball, is picking up steam, especially with older folks. It’s played in cities all over Florida, so click here to find a spot where you can play or witness this one-of-a-kind game.
  
Kitesurfing or kiteboarding is another example of man’s ability to harness the waves, combining surfing with, well, flying (or being pulled by) a kite! Lessons are available all over the state, or just pull up a chair and watch it from the beach. You haven’t seen “big air” until you’ve seen a kitesurfer on a windy day. 

Watching a pro team’s mascot run around the field during a game is pretty entertaining, so imagine the entertainment you’ll glean from three days’ worth of full-on mascot competition! A tradition in Orlando, the Celebrity Mascot Games pits dozens of MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL and NCAA mascots against each other in a nonstop parade of hysterical hijinks! In 2011, the gauntlet will be thrown from July 28-30 at various Orlando venues.

While I can’t figure why anyone would want to throw a dead fish – rather than season it, fry it up and eat it – the annual Mullet Toss in Pensacola at the Flora-Bama border draws a huge crowd each April for the fish-tossing, live music, and beach party. The Blue Parrot Oceanfront Café in St. George Island also hosts a similar event, typically held the second Saturday in June.

Held three times a year at Florida Sports Park in Naples, the world-famous Swamp Buggy Races are a fan favorite. Imagine the excitement of NASCAR, except the vehicles are hydroplaning the whole time! The upcoming dates for races include: Oct. 29-30, 2011; Jan. 28-29, 2012; March 3-4, 2012 and October 27-28, 2012.

If you like your racing a little more homemade, check out the Central Florida Soap Box Derby. With race dates scheduled throughout the year, the CFSBD gives you plenty of chances to see some of the most amazingly bizarre creations on four wheels.

For some truly rough-‘n’-tumble, head-to-head action, sample the rock ‘em sock ‘em roller derby bouts of the Tallahassee RollerGirls, or check out the other leagues across Florida in Tampa, Jacksonville, Bradenton and more. To complete your fierce competition fix, check out Jacksonville’s Dixie Blues, the Orlando Anarchy and other all-female football teams that tear up the field throughout the Sunshine State.

Also in northeast Florida, check out the action at the Petanque American Open to be held Nov. 11-13, 2011 in Amelia Island. Petanque is a simplified version of an older outdoor bowling game, with the goal being to toss or roll a number of hollow steel balls as close as possible to a small wooden target ball. Players take turns, and the team that ends up nearest to the target ball when all balls are played wins.

Of course, this is just a small sampling of Florida’s alternative sports universe, so feel free to chart your own course in discovering the next great competition!

If You Go:

Sweet Corn Fiesta
West Palm Beach
sweetcornfiesta.com

Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival
Zellwood
www.zellwoodcornfestival.com

Flowboarding
Kissimmee
ultimateindoorwave.com         

Pickleball
Various Florida cities
www.usapa.org/ptp/index.php?code=FL       

Kitesurfing
Fort Lauderdale and various Florida coastlines
www.eastcoastkiteboarding.com

Celebrity Mascot Games
Orlando
www.mascotgames.org
          
Flora-Bama Mullet Toss
Pensacola
www.florabama.com

Annual Mullet Toss
St. George Island
www.blueparrotcafe.net

Swamp Buggy Races
Naples
www.swampbuggy.com

Central Florida Soap Box Derby
Orlando
www.centralfloridasoapboxderby.com

Roller Derby
Tallahassee and various Florida cities
www.tallyrg.com

Dixie Blues
Jacksonville and various Florida cities
www.jaxdixieblues.com
  
Petanque
Amelia Island
www.petanque-america-open.com