The Florida Man Games are coming to St. Augustine next month, and tickets are selling out.
Floridians can be strange. Some of us say things like “jiffy feet,” we might ask Google questions like “What do I do if there’s a gator in my yard?” and we’re known nationwide for spawning the “Florida man.”
If you haven’t paid attention to Sunshine State news headlines within the past 10 years: “Florida Man” isn't just the title of a Netflix series. It’s what we call the kind of person who would attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a hamster wheel or throw a live gator into a Wendy’s drive-through window.
Now, there’s a chance for 16 teams of Florida men to prove themselves worthy of the name. And you can buy tickets to watch them brawl in the mud with pool noodles and “evade an arrest.”
Here's what the Florida Man Games are, where they are and how to buy tickets to watch Florida's unofficial version of the Olympics.
What are the Florida Man Games?
The Florida Man Games will be held at Francis Field in downtown St. Augustine on Saturday, February 24, beginning at 10 a.m.
At the games, you'll have a chance to watch Florida men go head-to-head in challenges like weaponized pool noodle mud dueling, an “evading arrest” obstacle course, a category 5 hurricane winds cash grab, beer belly Florida sumo wrestling and much more.
And as every Floridian knows, behind every wild Florida Man is a Florida Ma'am. That being said, there will also be a pin-up competition at the games, hosted by @FloridaMaamOfficial.
You can expect appearances from Florida-loved social media stars, like Josh “Wicks” Robinson, or @OmgItsWicks, who has officially signed on as a host and MC for the festival after putting himself on the TikTok "For You Page" map with his “Only in Florida” videos.
The Florida Man Games will be presented by FloGrown and are organized by the owner and founder of St. Augustine-based news outlet The 904 Now, Pete Melfi. The Florida Man Games will benefit the Jimmy Jam Community Outreach, a nonprofit that helps local residents in need.
“Florida man is feeling the love far and wide! Tickets are going fast,” Melfi said in a Jan. 8 press release. “We just released more VIP tickets, but there are only 75 left. And with the team submission videos we’ve been getting – you’re not going to want to miss this.”
How much are tickets for the Florida Man Games?
Tickets to the Florida Man Games are about $50 for general admission and $175 for VIP tickets.
VIP tickets include drinks, access to a climate-controlled VIP area, access to air-conditioned bathrooms and reserved bleacher seating for the Florida Man Games and a celebrity meet and greet. There are limited tickets left for both general admission and VIP, as of Jan. 8.
You can buy tickets to the games here.
Here are the main events for the Florida Man Games in St. Augustine in February 2024
Weaponized Pool Noodle Mud Duel – “Test your strength inside the Florida Man Games Colosseum (Massive Above Ground Pool).”
Evading Arrest Obstacle Course – “Jump over fences, through backyards, and away from actual police officers to earn your freedom!”
Category 5 Cash Grab – “Subject yourself to category 5 winds as you scramble to catch as much real cash as you can.”
A Catalytic Converter, 2 Bikes and a Handful of Copper Pipes: Race Against Time – “Compete head to head in a race that lets you live a day in the life of a Florida man headline.”
Beer Belly Florida Sumo – “Dive into the beer belly of the beast as you try to blast your opponent out of the ring.
Here are some other events that you can watch at the Florida Man Games:
Mullet Contest – “Florida is well known for being the home of the most outrageous mullet cuts on the planet. Watch and pick the winners of The Florida Man Games Mullet Contest!”
Florida “Ma’am” Pinup – “@FloridaMaamOfficial hosts the 2024 Florida Ma'am Pinup Girls, showing off the wild and wonderful women of Florida in this fun and entertaining show. Judged by some of Florida's most notable women.”
Chicken Coop Bingo – “Two chickens will decide whether you win or lose in this fun, dirty game inspired by our Floridian family in places like DeLand or Interlachen, where they literally do this for fun because they don't know that cell phones exist yet…”
911 Fight Night: Brawl of the Badges – “Watch officers take on firefighters in the Brawl of the Badges main event as the Florida Man Games comes to a close. This epic showdown promises to be intense as these heroes clash in battle to prove who's the toughest behind the badge."
What does the winner of the Florida Man Games win?
The winning team wins bragging rights, $1,000 and a chance to win another $1,000 in the Cat 5 Cash Grab event, a champion's belt, medals and a Florida flag decoration.
First, 2nd and 3rd places all get a swag bag with another $1,000 in prizes.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: FloGrown is hosting the Florida Man Games and tickets are selling out.
