Happy Paddling Holidays!
(tap or click pic)
HAPPY PADDLING HOLIDAYS!
Kayaking a Parade of Lights (Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade)!
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The Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade has become of the top 20 world-wide parades to see with over ONE MILLION cheering spectators lining up in Ft Lauderdale along the 12 mile route in boats and on shore.
The year 2023 marks what would have been the
52nd annual Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade
However due to prolonged extreme inclement weather the event had to be cancelled. The strong 25 to 35+ knot easterly winds and driving rain have postponed or cancelled all of South Florida’s 2023 Holiday Parades! 😦
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HAPPY PADDLING HOLIDAYS !
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My own Holiday Parade paddling goes back to 1997 with the crew from the “Waterways Kayak” shop in Hollywood, which was then and still remains to this day the biggest kayak pro shop that South Florida has ever seen!
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Happy Paddling Holidays from 1998 with the Waterways Kayak crowd! 🙂
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Late 1990s Winterfest Holiday Parade run with the Banana Boat and Stick or Wing. 😉
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Since moving back to South Florida in 2006, I have paddled the main Winterfest Parade every year except for 2012 when I was photographing and “spectating” in a canoe. The 2020 Winterfest was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and now 2023’s Winterfest also cancelled due to seriously bad weather. The Ft Lauderdale Winterfest Parade route has not changed since 2007 when it was extended to start in downtown Ft Lauderdale rather than by Port Everglades in years prior to that. In 2008 the Parade organizers started placing all non-motorized watercraft at the head of the Parade, instead of the tail end.
So as paddlers,
we are always leading the Winterfest Boat Parade! 🙂
Through the years, the former Kayak Jeff shop in Dania also organized a run of the Parade in 2008. However it was with the South Florida Kayaking Meetup that all the subsequent yearly runs have taken place, and it was at this time that the late Whitney Turner took the helm as organizer along with Kayak Ted. Currently it’s Kayak Ted of the Palm Beach Water Yaks group who organizes the Winterfest Parade paddling event. Ted also organizes paddles of the other two South Florida Holiday Parades, namely in Boca Raton and Pompano Beach. I have had the great pleasure of participating in all the events listed below and owe a debt of gratitude to both of the aforementioned gentlemen! It has also given me much joy over the years to document these events, all the while having fun experimenting with with different photographic techniques for you viewing pleasure!
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Please enjoy and
HAPPY PADDLING HOLIDAYS!
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Holiday waterfront decorations in Ft Lauderdale.
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Ho Ho Ho – Happy Holidays, Florida style!
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“Paddle to Paradise” with Kayak Whitney and Kayak Ted flying the KayakJeff.com shop banner.
Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade flashback to 2008!
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Beautiful colors and lights of the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade!
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS from the South Florida Kayak Meetup crew!
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Watching the Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade procession from kayaks – the best seat in the house!
CLICK for interactive panorama!
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Have you been a good boy / girl ? (choose one)
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Happy Kayaking Holidays South Florida! 🙂
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I’m just sitting here in my kayak watching the boats go round and round.
Ft Lauderdale Seminole Winterfest Boat parade panorama.
CLICK for superwide interactive panorama!
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Watching the Boca Raton fireworks show in my kayak.
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This one goes out to you Kayak Whitney. Paddle ON!
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Kayak Ted : “The Boat Parade is coming, the Boat Parade is coming!”
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“The Grinch“!
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Whipped It Good – Winterfest Boat Parade 2018!
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Winterfest Boat Parade and Ft. Lauderdale are you ready for this?
Aliens – check, Sombrero – check, Holiday spirit – check!
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Are we not paddlers? We are DEVO !!
Image from GRAPEK Photography Online used by permission.
Whipped It Good – Winterfest Boat Parade 2018!
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Santa is off and paddling into Boca!
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Kayak Ted styling with Rudolph leading the way in the Pompano Holiday Parade!
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Paddling CLOUD9 on the 2020 Pompano Beach Holiday Boat Parade!
Great photo provided by RG Iossi of fksa.org, used by permission.
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Rudolph enjoying the 2022 Winterfest Christmas Parade.
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A kayaker’s Holiday tribute to the humble and versatile Sombrero!
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The South Florida Holiday Parade paddling events:
Prior to 2013 all the previous Parade runs were condensed into my original story:
Kayaking a Parade of Lights (Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade)!
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Kayaking the Boca Raton Holiday Boat Parade (2013).
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Kayaking the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade.
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Kayaking the 2014 Boca Raton Holiday Boat Parade.
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Paddling the 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade through Ft Lauderdale.
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Paddling the windy 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade on the New River!
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Kayaking the 2016 Boca Raton Holiday Boat Parade with Rudolph!
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Kayaking the 2017 Winterfest Boat Parade through Ft Lauderdale!
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Whipped It Good – Winterfest Boat Parade 2018!
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Paddling the 2018 Boca Raton Holiday Boat Parade – Santa Claus is paddling to town!
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Paddling the 2019 Winterfest Boat Parade – seeing the Light(s)!
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Paddling the 2020 Pompano Beach Holiday Boat Parade.
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Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade 2021 – First Annual Whitney Turner Holiday Parade Paddle.
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Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade 2022 – the second Annual Whitney Turner Holiday Parade Paddle.
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More on paddling the main Winterfest Parade:
Kayaking a Parade of Lights (Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade)!
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! Bless UP
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© 2023 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com
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With that said..
Blessings friends!
🙂
kayakfari ( kayak .. far .. i ) 