The warrants have been cleared, the jorts ironed, and the final Seneca 100 butted out.
Let the Florida Man Games begin.
Ringmaster Pete Mefli’s annual showcase of indigenous Sunshine State talents — including arrest evasion, pork butt consumption, and fighting in supermarkets — will detonate at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds in Elkton Saturday morning.
The Florida Man meme originated with a seemingly unending torrent of headlines chronicling the uniquely deranged antics of the state’s residents from Interlachen to Hialeah.
Recognizing the entertainment potential behind the arrest reports, Melfi crafted a forum for some of Florida’s most outlandish characters to apply their skills without fear of zip-ties and criminal histories.
“Some event organizers edit down their crazy ideas. Me? Not so much,” said Melfi ahead of the event. “I like to keep it fresh and weird. If a great Florida Man headline pops up or I get some ridiculous shower idea, there’s a really good chance we’ll make it work ASAP! Our athletes are as real and as Florida as it gets – they love a good challenge.”
Last year’s inaugural Florida Man Games took place in St. Augustine’s Francis Field. But the extravaganza proved so popular that Melfi moved the event to the far larger fairgrounds to increase capacity.
“It made sense to move out to the St. Johns County Fairgrounds, where we’ll have more space, a covered arena, and this year, we’re excited to introduce an RV tailgating area,” Melfi said.
Crowds will delight in a variety of Florida-specific challenges, including a Sumo wrestling variant where brawlers must stabilize a cup of beer during combat.
The “Gator Throw” competition blends marksmanship with reptile rasslin’, as contestants try to hurl a gator through a drive-thru window and topple an employee.
Women will shatter the Florida Man gender glass ceiling this year like their baby daddy’s cell phone after a suspect text.
Melfi devised a truly inspired scenario where a mom catches her boyfriend recklessly smoking near their young kid. Grabbing the only weapon at hand — a bra — she uses it as a slingshot to knock the smoke from his mouth with silicone projectiles.
Organizers added some additional celebrity wattage to Saturday’s spectacle, tapping NASCAR royalty Jeffrey Earnhardt — Dale’s grandson — to supervise lawnmower races.
The Florida Man Games will benefit the Jimmy Jam Community Outreach, a local 501(c)(3) that helps local residents in need. General admission tickets are $45, and VIP tickets are $145.
