Everglades Challenge 2014!

Posted by Greg on February 27, 2014

Watertribe members converge on Tampa, Florida for the start of the 2014 Everglades Challenge

On March first (Saturday) at 7AM, a record 142 entrants across six different boat classes will rush off the beach at Fort Desoto, in Tampa, to begin the next Watertribe adventure! I will be participating in the 300 mile Everglades challenge (Tampa to Key Largo) this year but there is also a 60 mile Ultra Marathon and a 1200 mile Ultimate Challenge running concurrently.

I won my class last year and hope to do well again. This year I will be in class 1 (expedition kayak and canoes), and being a minimalist I will be one of the few people in that class without a sail. Currently winds are predicted to be light, so I hope to pass some of the sailboats that were flying by last year in strong winds!

These events are grueling, but are great fun. They are an eclectic mix of expedition and race. The camaraderie is great, but after the first day I rarely see any fellow competitors until I stop at a checkpoint.  The Everglades Challenge gives you the feel of an expedition — being “out there” and “living in the moment; wave by wave”, without even having to take a leave of absence from work!

Please follow along at http://www.watertribe.com/Events/ChallengeMapper.aspx . My tribe name for the event is “KayakVagabond”.

Good luck and safe travels to everyone participating!