Published on August 06, 2010

Floatzilla

Help Set A New World Record Aug. 21 in QCA

In her dreams, Kathy Wine sits on a crescent moon and looks down on Rock Island’s Lake Potter to a spectacular site.

It’s 2 p.m., Aug. 21, 2010. On this day, more than 2,000 kayaks and canoes are bobbing on the water. Wine, who is executive director of River Action, Inc., watches from above as participants link hands, paddles and boats to form a single raft.

They hold this for 30 seconds, breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest flotilla of canoes and kayaks.

The crowd is cheering, united in its love for water sports and the Mississippi River waterways. Participants from across the nation discover the Quad Cities and its river assets.

It’s a dream that members of River Action Inc., the Quad City Convention & Visitors Bureau, and local elected officials and water enthusiasts hope to see become a reality at the first annual Floatzilla, a paddle-sports festival to promote the Quad Cities’ river offerings.

The sanctioned Guinness World Record attempt will occur on the calm waters of Lake Potter at 2 p.m. Aug. 21. In addition, the festival will include group trips, beginning at 9 a.m., on the new Quad Cities water trails, beginner-friendly paddling lessons and other programs.

River Action is coordinating the event, with the help of community sponsors including Genesis.

“The recreation gods have been kind to us in the Quad Cities,” Wine says. “We not only have a lot of water, but we have a lot of accessible water, including sloughs for backwater canoeing and kayaking. With this event, we wanted to attract people to the Quad Cities and showcase our recreational opportunities and the great quality of life we offer here.”

Participants from at least 14 different states across the nation have signed up, she adds.

The current record of 1,104 vessels was set in Inlet, New York in 2008. On June 5 of this year, an unofficial record of more than 1,700 canoes and kayaks was set at Paddle at the Point in Pittsburgh, Penn.

“We want Quad Cities’ pride to kick in and have everyone come and participate,” Wine says. “If you have an extra kayak or canoe that you can’t use, then loan it to someone. There also are opportunities to rent canoes and kayaks, and you can go to the website www.floatzilla.org to learn more.”

Floatzilla also is a memorable way to get active for “Let’s Move Davenport,” an initiative supporting First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to end the nation’s epidemic of childhood obesity. Genesis is among a coalition of community providers working toward a fit generation of Quad Cities’ children.

Registration fee is $10 per paddler, which includes a Floatzilla t-shirt, commemorative boat sticker, registration wrist band, free parking and free shuttle to and from off-site parking for “floats.” To find out more about the Floatzilla event, go to www.floatzilla.org.