Saturday, August 18, 2:30 p.m.
Sunset Park, 18th Avenue and Sunset Road, Rock Island IL
A day of outdoor fun culminating in an attempt to break a pair of Guinness World Records is set for August 18, when River Action hosts the annual celebration of paddle sports s Floatzilla, with participants and spectators gathering at Rock Island's Sunset Park to see if the Quad Cities can boast the world's “Largest Raft of Canoes and Kayaks” and “Largest Simultaneous Kayak Launch.”
The current “Largest Raft of Canoes and Kayaks” record was achieved by One Square Mile of Hope (USA) in Inlet, New York, in 2014, with 3,150 attached crafts, and the “Largest Simultaneous Kayak Launch” record – also set in 2014 – is attributed to the New Hampshire Lakes Association for its launch of 396 crafts. Floatzilla registrants will attempt to top both watermarks when they covene at Sunset Park's Lake Potter at 2:30 p.m., taking part in the largest paddle-sports festival on the Mississippi River. The day also boasts live music, food and beverage vendors, a trade show, a group photo, a trophy for the largest paddling group, and a post-Floatzilla party, with registration $25 in advance and $30 on the day of the event.
Paddlers can launch their canoes and kayaks directly from Lake Potter or from one of five additional sites along the Mississippi River. Advanced paddlers can launch from East Moline's Empire Park (from 7 – 8:30 a.m.) for an extended paddle that locks through at Lock & Dam 15 – a 12-mile trek with an estimated paddle time of three to four hours. Launches from Moline's Bass Street YMCA and Bettendorf's Leach Park take place from 8 – 10 a.m., with voyages of roughly six-and-a-half miles. And for intermediate paddlers, there will be launches at Davenport's Marquette Street Landing (9 – 11:30 a.m.), a two-mile route with an estimated paddle time of one hour, and Davenport's Credit Island (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.), a half-mile route with a paddle time of roughly 30 minutes.
A limited number of kayaks and canoes are available for rental through River Action, and for more information on the day's events, call (563)322-2969 or visit RiverAction.org or Floatzilla.org.
