Floatzilla organizers are planning to expand the fun on the water – and on land – in hopes of drawing more paddlers to the annual event and helping host River Action make history.
Now in its 15th year, Floatzilla again is attempting to break the world record for the largest raft of canoes and kayaks. This year, paddlers from 22 states are expected to hit the river on Saturday, Aug. 17, launching from seven different sites across the Quad Cities to paddle to Lake Potter in Rock Island, where they will gather in an attempt to break the Guiness World Record.
“We’ve been getting closer every year and we’re having fun trying,” Michael Corsiglia, River Action’s operations director, said during the nonprofit’s news conference Tuesday, May 14.
While breaking the record is always the goal, he said “Our main priority is increasing offerings for our paddlers. Floatzilla is a group of people who love the water and the beauty of our natural resources, and of course, the river.”
Floatzilla already holds the distinction as the largest paddle event held on the Mississippi River.
Outlining several new features and activities for 2024, Mr. Corsiglia said organizers want to create a weekend festival centered around the annual paddling event.
River Action will hold an outdoor expo with various vendors and a kayak/canoe swap at its packet pickup event on Friday, Aug 16. The expo will take place from 5-7 p.m. at Credit Island Lodge in Davenport. A free kayak fishing tournament also will be held from 6-8 p.m. Friday at Credit Island.
A late packet pickup will be available at all the launch sites on Saturday.
Other new offerings this year include a live performance by the Dani Lynn Howe Band after Floatzilla’s padding ends. Other live music returns to Potter Lake this year from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Mr. Corsiglia said Floatzilla will have twice the number of food vendors it has in the past. They include: Cousin’s Maine Lobster, Full Nelson Catering, Bayside Bistro, Cocina Verde, El Mariachi, Flavor Train QC and Kona Ice.
Also for the first time, the Rock Island Beach will have restrooms, water, beach umbrellas and food available for paddlers making a quick pitstop. Organizers applauded the City of Rock Island – and Mayor Mike Thoms’ efforts – in sponsoring these new amenities.
In addition, the City of Davenport is planning to expand its beach at Credit Island, but it was not known if it would be completed in time for this year’s Floatzilla.
By expanding Floatzilla to a full weekend of activities, Mr. Corsiglia said it will draw even more visitors and participants to the Quad Cities. In fact, Visit Quad Cities estimated the event’s economic impact at about $540,000 in a study three years ago.
Mr. Corsiglia said to beat the world record, Floatzilla needs 3,151 paddlers. Currently, a New York group holds the Guiness World Record from a lake event it held several years as breast cancer prevention fundraiser.
“We were a lot closer when the record was smaller, but we’re about halfway there,” he said of last year’s Floatzilla attendance.
In fact, River Action Founder Kathy Wine told the QCBJ: “We were the closest (to breaking the record) our first year, back when the record was only about 1,200 and we were at about 960.”
While Floatzilla’s numbers continue to grow each year, the record has been broken multiple times since the Quad Cities event launched.
Floatzilla, a major fundraiser for the environmental group River Action, also aims to raise awareness and an appreciation for the Mississippi River.
“Floatzilla paddlers are really a very fascinating group of people. They are people that love the river. They love to meet other people, they are also people that love to go on adventures,” Mr. Corsiglia said at the news conference held at The Quad City Times, one of Floatzilla’s event sponsors.
Other sponsors are: Hankook Tire, McGlaughlin Motors, Theisen’s, Active Endeavors, Mancomm, WHBF, iHeart Radio and Hampton Cranes.
In addition, this year’s Floatzilla hits the river on the same weekend that the Quad Cities Downtowns host their annual Alternating Currents (Aug. 15-18) festival, which will provide even more entertainment options for local and visiting Floatzilla paddlers.
Floatzilla’s launch sites will include a return of Davenport’s Marquette Street Boat Launch. Participants should choose their launch site based on the length of time and distance they want to cover on their way to Lake Potter.
The paddle time from the sites range from a five-hour trip from East Moline to a half-hour float from Credit Island. They include:
- Empire Park, East Moline, 11 miles, estimated 5 hours..
- Leach Park, Bettendorf, 6.5 miles, 3 hours.
- Lindsay Park Yacht Club, Davenport, 5 miles, 2.5 hours.
- Bass Street/YMCA, Moline, 6.5 miles, 2 hours.
- Marquette Street Landing, Davenport, 3 miles, 1 hour.
- Credit Island, Davenport, ½ mile, 30 minutes.
- Lake Potter, Rock Island, (lake only, no river paddling).
Ms. Wine said River Action’s 15th Floatzilla also coincides with the 40th anniversary of River Action, a Davenport-based nonprofit environmental group focused on advocating for the protection and enjoyment of the Mississippi River for people in the Quad Cities region. .
Additionally, Mr. Corsiglia said 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Paddlers from the Upper Mississippi refuge will join Floatzilla this year – beginning from their launch in Savanna, Illinois. At the post celebration, they will be recognized on stage for their work in preserving the refuge.
The Upper Mississippi refuge spans 261 miles from the Quad Cities up river to Wabasha, Minnesota, and is a haven for migratory birds, fish, wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts. Spread across 240,000 acres, the refuge is the largest river refuge in the continental United States.
For more information on Floatzilla, visit floatzillaqc.org.
