Floatzilla: Help Set A World Record At This Illinois Paddlesport Event
By Linze Rice|Published July 24, 2023
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Linze Rice
Author
Ope! From the rural cornfields of DeKalb County, Linze is an Illinois native and true Midwestern gal who can make a mean bonfire and whip up a perfect marshmallow salad. Since 2014, her bylines and photography have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago/DNAinfo Chicago, Only in Your State, and more. She has interviewed Dolly Parton, written about beloved diners along historic Route 66, visited the last Rainforest Cafe in the Illinois, and reviewed luxurious English manor-inspired hotels. Whether it's writing about a local gem or world-renowned establishment, Linze brings a heartwarming and historical perspective to each story, using facts, wit, and personal experience to impress upon readers the importance of culture, food, travel, and all things local. Her favorite destinations in Illinois include Starved Rock State Park, Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, the charming small town of Sycamore, and historic Rosehill Cemetery. When she's not writing or photographing, Linze enjoys gardening, spending time with her husband and pets, cooking, baking, and grilling, and relaxing with trashy TV.
Illinois is full of amazing rivers, lakes, and waterways, including the Mississippi River, which hugs the state’s western border. And where I’m from in rural Northern Illinois, everyone has gone tubing or kayaking down the Kishwaukee River at least once in their life. But have you ever wanted to amass so many kayaks in one space that it actually breaks a world record? Then this record-breaking kayak gathering in the Quad Cities is for you!
Let’s take a look at this incredibly massive paddlesport event!
Floatzilla is an annual kayaking event in the Quad Cities — Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline, Illinois. The event sees thousands of kayakers converge on the Mississippi River for a day of water adventures, community, nature, camping, and live entertainment.
This year, the event takes place on Saturday, August 19 and organizers are working toward an exciting goal: break the world record for the largest raft of canoes and kayaks with 3,151 all on the water at once.
Kayaks and canoes are available for rental if you don't have your own, and launch sites range from a gentle 0.5-mile float to a more rigorous 11-mile excursion.
Paddlers can launch from a number of sites throughout the area on both the Illinois and Iowa sides.
You'll also find plenty of great food and live music, both during and after the floating event. Check out live tunes and delicious bites from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lake Potter on Saturday.
There is also a free, all-ages kayak fishing tournament from 6-8 p.m. at Credit Island on Friday, August 18.
While anyone is welcome at Floatzilla, including solo kayakers, many choose to come as groups, or form groups with new friends — playing cards, games, and laughing all day.
