What if all of the zaniest characters and details from “Florida Man” headlines — from chucking gators into drive-thru windows to brawling over hurricane supplies — came to life all in one place?

This is the premise behind the Florida Man Games, a wild and whacky competition celebrating the weird side of the Sunshine State. “We’re really out to prove that this is not a fluke, this is not a flash in the pan. I want this to be a yearly Florida tradition that every Floridian looks forward to attending every single year,” said Pete Melfi, who founded the games. “It’s incredible to see the outpouring of support and excitement for something like this.”

Fan-favorite events returning from last year’s inaugural games include the weaponized pool noodle mud duel, the Florida sumo cage match and the evading arrest obstacle course, in which competitors must steal copper pipes and catalytic converters while being chased by real police.

These are all designed to help participants “live the headlines, without the jail time,” according to the event’s tagline. There are also several new contests for this year inspired by the stranger-than-fiction sort of headlines the Sunshine State is known for.

“I’m really looking forward to the Hurricane Party Prep: Grocery Aisle Brawl. One person starts in a Winn-Dixie cart, the other person is in a Publix cart. They start out going full speed at each other with somebody pushing them. They’re trying to joust each other out of the shopping carts,” Melfi said. “If nobody gets jousted out, they fight for the last of the beer, toilet paper and solo cups on the shelf. It’s a uniquely Florida event that Floridians are definitely overqualified for.”

Other additions for the 2025 games include human beer pong, a “Florida Woman” bonus challenge, professional wrestling and lawnmower racing hosted by NASCAR driver Jeffery Earnhardt.

Teams represent different areas of the Florida Peninsula and Panhandle, from Pensacola to Fort Myers and everywhere in between. This year, two teams — one from Tampa and one from Orlando — will also be chosen from the crowd on the day of the event.

Competitors were selected by video submission and through in-person tryouts held in November.

“If you can chug a beer, that’s a good start. If you’ve got a criminal record, that doesn’t necessarily work against you. You don’t have to be an athlete at all to compete in this,” Melfi said in a previous Orlando Sentinel article. “We want regular dudes, and there’s going to be a Florida Woman component to it, too.”

This year includes the first all-women’s team, the Ball Busters, from Gainesville. Team Hanky Spanky of St. Augustine will return to the games for a second year to defend their winning title after emerging on top at last year’s event.

Special guests that embody the spirit of the Sunshine State include social media stars OmgItsWicks and Kevin Flynn, the man behind the @floridaman Instagram, who are co-hosts for the event. Mike Busey, the owner of Central Florida’s Sausage Castle, and musician Lane Pittman will also be present at the games.

Aside from witnessing the chaotic competition, guests can witness and interact with alligators from Gatorland, try their hands at axe throwing, play knockerball (bubble soccer), attempt a Ninja Nation obstacle course and ride a mechanical gator.

Looking into the future, Melfi said the Florida Man Games is pursuing a TV project and hoping to take the event on the road to Tampa, Jacksonville or Orlando.

Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com.

Events

• 9 a.m.: Gates open
• 10:20 a.m.: Eat the (Pork) Butt Challenge
• 10:40 a.m.: Draft new teams from the crowd
• 11 a.m.: Weaponized Pool Noodle Mud Wrestling
• Noon: Lawnmower Racing/Gator Shows
• 12:45 p.m.: Human Beer Pong
• 1:30 p.m.: Hellzapoppin Freak Show
• 2:15 p.m.: Florida Sumo Cage Match and Beer Chug
• 3 p.m.: Florida Woman Bonus Challenge
• 3:20 p.m.: Hurricane Party Prep: Grocery Aisle Brawl
• 4:15 p.m.: Midget Wrestling Warriors
• 5 p.m.: Evading Arrest Obstacle Course
• 6 p.m.: State of Emergency – Pro Wrestling Matches
• 7 p.m.: Awards