The 2022 Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade paddle through Ft Lauderdale.

Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade 2022

Once again we led the parade as part of the non-motorized

vessel pre-show ahead of the fireworks.

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(tap or click pic to read)

Kayaking the 2022 Winterfest Parade with a MOTHERSHIP sighting!
Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade 2022 – the second Annual Whitney Turner Holiday Parade Paddle.

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HAPPY PADDLING HOLIDAYS!

Notably absent however was our dear friend Whitney Turner, RIP. Whitney was a key figure in South Florida paddling as the organizer of the South Florida Kayaking Meetup group for many years. He was also instrumental in organizing and hosting our kayak runs of the Winterfest Boat Parades, and as such a new paddling tradition has been borne in his honor.

Thus the 2022 Winterfest Boat Parade was also our

Second Annual Whitney Turner Holiday Parade Paddle!

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https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/events/winterfest-holiday-boat-parade-2022-the-second-annual-whitney-turner-holiday-parade-paddle/

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You can read more about paddling the Ft Lauderdale Winterfest Parade:

Kayaking a Parade of Lights (Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade)!

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! Bless UP

.

.

© 2022 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

The Daily Dose – Holiday lights, my camera and night paddling action.

Happy Paddling

South Florida’s Holiday Boat Parades!

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(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 the 12 mile route in boats and on shore.

The year 2021 marked the

50th annual Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade

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My own Holiday Parade paddling goes back to 1997 with the crew from the “Waterways Kayak” shop, which was then and still remains to this day the biggest kayak pro shop that South Florida has ever seen! Since moving back to South Florida in 2006, I have paddled the main Winterfest Parade every year except for 2012 when I was “spectating” and in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 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 Kayak Jeff shop also organized a run of the Parade. However it was with the South Florida Kayaking Meetup that all the regular subsequent runs took place, organized by the late Whitney Turner and currently by Kayak Ted of the Palm Beach Water Yaks group. Ted has also organized and pioneered additional runs of other 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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The 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 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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More on paddling the main Winterfest Parade:

Kayaking a Parade of Lights (Seminole Winterfest Boat Parade)!

.

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

 

 

The Daily Dose – The First Annual Whitney Turner Holiday Parade Paddle through Ft Lauderdale.

Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade 2021

Once again we led the parade as part of the non-motorized

vessel pre-show.

.

(tap or click pic to read)

The 2021 non-motorized vessel pre-show crew.
Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade 2021 – First Annual Whitney Turner Holiday Parade Paddle.

.

HAPPY PADDLING HOLIDAYS!

Notably absent however was our dear friend Whitney Turner, RIP. Whitney was a key figure in South Florida paddling as the organizer of the South Florida Kayaking Meetup group for many years. He was also instrumental in organizing and hosting our kayak runs of the Winterfest Boat Parades, and as such a new paddling tradition has been borne in his honor.

So the 2021 Winterfest Boat Parade also inaugurated the

First Annual Whitney Turner Holiday Parade Paddle!

.

https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/events/winterfest-holiday-boat-parade-2021-first-annual-whitney-turner-holiday-parade-paddle/

.

.

.

! Bless UP

.

.

© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

…

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

.

With that said..
Blessings friends!

🙂

In Memoriam – Whitney Turner RIP .. aka ‘Kayak Whitney’, South Florida Kayaking Meetup organizer.

Paddle on,

forever more dear friend!

Today reflecting on times spent with a friend who passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday April 6, 2021. RIP Whitney Turner, you left us all far too soon! Whitney was the organizer of the South Florida Kayaking Meetup Group during it’s heyday and got many new paddlers into the sport to experience South Florida’s waterways. He was also instrumental in organizing and making possible the many Winterfest Holiday Boat Parades that I and others had the pleasure of participating in.

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Presented below are photos of Whitney in semi-random order, which I think he would appreciate. He had a particular sense of humor and a way of discussing various topics in depth while paddling. Many of these pics are from the various Winterfest Boat Parades with matching links if you click on them.

You will be missed my friend!

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Whitney Turner, aka ‘Kayak Whitney’ in his best paddling attire.
Lights, boats and Happy Holidays – Rejoice the paddling trips of Season’s past!

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Paddling the windy 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade on the New River!

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Whitney being harassed by the Coast Guard .. 😉
Paddling the windy 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade on the New River!

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Paddling the windy 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade on the New River!

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS from the South Florida Kayak Meetup crew!

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Whitney at home relaxing with Shana after a Winterfest Parade ride.
Kayaking the 2017 Winterfest Boat Parade through Ft Lauderdale!

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Kayaking the 2017 Winterfest Boat Parade through Ft Lauderdale!

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Santa’s kayak decoration workshop at Whitney’s.
Whipped It Good – Winterfest Boat Parade 2018!

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Kayak Whitney crackin’ da Whip ..
Whipped It Good – Winterfest Boat Parade 2018!

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You did Sir!!
Whipped It Good – Winterfest Boat Parade 2018!

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Kayak Ted with Kayak Whitney at Winterfest.
Paddling the 2019 Winterfest Boat Parade – seeing the Light(s)!

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Whitney in his beloved custom built wood kayak.
Paddling the 2019 Winterfest Boat Parade – seeing the Light(s)!

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Whitney built several boats, I think this one was his favorite.
Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade flashback to 2008!

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Paddling the 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade through Ft Lauderdale.

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Paddling the 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade through Ft Lauderdale.

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Kayaking the 2014 Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Holiday Boat Parade.

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Ft Lauderdale 9/11 tribute to fallen Heroes paddle with AllAmericanKayak.

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CHEERS to you, Whitney!!
Ft Lauderdale 9/11 tribute to fallen Heroes paddle with AllAmericanKayak.

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A GoFundMe page has been created to help support his wife Shana and the family as they find themselves facing a world of expenses in managing the logistics of settling his estate. His sudden and unexpected death put his immediate family in disarray and left Shana with more than she can handle.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/family-support-after-tragic-loss-of-whitney-turner

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Through his trips, efforts and exploits

Whitney Turner has made paddling more accessible

for all South Florida paddlers!

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Shine on you crazy paddler!

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© 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER::

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

With that said..
Blessings friends!