Floatzilla 2024 at Sunset Park -- August 17.
Saturday, August 17
Sunset Park, 15th Avenue and Sunset Road, Rock Island IL
An eagerly awaited day of outdoor fun culminating in an attempt to break a pair of Guinness World Records is set for August 17, when River Action hosts the 15th-annual celebration of paddle sports 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 convene for a group photo 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 food trucks and live music from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with registration $40 in advance and $45 on the day of the event. Registration includes a Floatzilla T-shirt, commemorative boat sticker, registration whist band, free parking, and use of the shuttle bus.
Paddlers can launch their canoes and kayaks directly from Sunset Park's Lake Potter or from one of six additional sites along the Mississippi River. Launches from Moline's Bass Street YMCA (a two-hour paddle) and Bettendorf's Leach Park (three hours) take place from 7 to 11 a.m., with voyages of roughly six-and-a-half miles. Also beginning at 7 a.m., the launch from East Moline's Empire Park will take place through 8:30 a.m., and the 11-mile, five-hour paddle is not recommended for novices. The launch from Davenport's Lindsay Park Yacht Club (8 a.m. to noon) will begin at Mound Street Landing and include a two-and-a-half hour, five-mile paddle. The launch from Davenport's Marquette Street will take place from 9 a.m. to noon, with the three-mile trek scheduled to last an hour. And the launch from Davenport's Credit Island (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) boasts a half-mile route with a paddle time of roughly 30 minutes, with river crossing also required.
River Action works with the U.S. Coast Guard to close the river and have a team of safety boats on the water to make sure everyone makes it to Lake Potter safely. Floatzilla was also recently cited by the Healthiest State Initiative, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization driven by the goal to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation. By engaging worksites, communities, schools, retail food, organizations, institutions and individuals, the organization is designed to inspire Iowans and their communities to improve their health and happiness, and ultimately achieve those goals.
Information-packet pickup at the Credit Island Lodge is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, August 16 (late pickup on Saturday at all launch sites), and pickup time coincides with the lodge's Outdoor Expo and Kayak/Canoe Swap, featuring outdoor recreation items, adventure gear, environmental conservation, and more. For additional information on the August 17 Floatzilla, call River Action at (563)322-2969 and visit FloatzillaQC.org and RiverAction.org.
