At the Florida Man Games, big crowds cheer competitors evading police, wrestling over beer

By RUSS BYNUM
Associated Press

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (AP) — It’s a showdown that treats evading police and wrestling over beer like they were Olympic sports. The Florida Man Games made its debut Saturday in St. Augustine, with a dozen teams competing in events inspired by some of Florida’s most harrowing and hilarious headlines. Organizer Pete Melfi says contenders jumped at the chance to be a Florida Man without risking arrest. He expects several thousand spectators to cheer them on. Larry Donnelly is captain of the team Hanky Spanky and readily admits to wrestling alligators in his past. He says the Florida Man Games are a good fit because he has “an absolute disregard for self-preservation.”