Four-peat for The Grove Spot
The Great Grove Bed Race went off without hitch today, except for a few spills and falls along the way, but other than that, it ran on time and was well organized in its new location on South Bayshore Drive. There was more room and it was easier to view for the spectators. There was food and drink sold in Myers Park and it was an all around fun day. Forty teams raced. Above, Flo Rida, this year's Grand Marshal, helped judge the entries.
There were a lot of new teams this year, new Grove businesses like Sapient Nitro and Jaguar Therapy were winners and lots of the Grove bars and restaurants participated, too. Sapient, in fact, caused in upset in that they won first place in the Corporate Division, knocking the Grove 5-0 cops down to 2nd place, after they held the honor for so many years.
Top winners, again, for the fourth year were the hunks from The Grove Spot. They won the Men's division and all around top award for speed. Jon Weislow, far right, the only original member of the team, says he is retiring after this year. So it will be a whole new team next year. Can they keep up the winning>
The Olfactory Company did a spectacular job with two beds, that they raced against each other, but at a walk, not at a run. They were gothic and perfect in their costumes and at intermission, they broke out into a multi-song flash mob, which thrilled everyone.
Here are the results:
Men's Division
1st place - The Grove Spot (and overall race winners)
2nd place - Jaguar Therapy
Women's Division
1st place - Sandbar (again for another year)
2nd place - Miss Florida
Co-ed Division
1st place - Royal Caribbean Cruiseline
2nd place - Mac Cycle
Corporate Division
1st place - Sapient Nitro
2nd place - Grove 5-0
For the judges picks:
Crowd Favorie (via text vote): the Bomb Squad
Funniest - the Marlins, with Billly the Marlin
Most Creative - Cocowalk and the Dress for Success group
Best Engineered - the Firefighters
Most Artistic - The Olfactory Company
For a bunch more photos, please go here.
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10 Comments:
I personaly thought last years location is better and better for business.and most people said the same.not as many people showed up either im guessing it was the 5 bucks plus parking fee people dont like.sad becuase its just becoming another boring event for the grove.the weather was better this year tho. but it was luck because saturday was hot as hell.
Well, what bothers me most is that I'm sure that the organizers of the event thought that the $5 pp admission fee was nominal, and the event certainly would have been worth $25. And parking for only $10 at some very remote locations! What a deal!
And for that they do a strictly community type event. Some locals, waiters and waitresses and local businesses and cops doing their community outreach pushing go carts with a mattress. And it's cute for a little village type thing, maybe as part of a Fourth of July celebration, like bag races for the kids and pin the tail on the donkey.
But to close down a street and make it a $200 all in experience for a family of four? Well, I just don't get it.
I also think by moving the event out of the business district was a bad move for all the local shops. As far as Flo Rida being the Grand Marshall he made his exit at the end of the bed parade and showed no emotion to any of it. I get that he is a rapper, but really, no ones fault but his. The 5.00 entry fee I get, after all that did help raise money for a great cause. The audience in general appeared to be caught in the headlights and were for the most part unresponsive. There was people who were into the event and I'm sure had fun. For me, the best part was the Olfactory beds and the zombie dance show. That was fun. I hope the people who make this happen move it back Grand ave and get a better MC next year.
Parking 10 to 20$'s, 5$ entry fee to watch 4 adults push a bed!? Fun for the most part is spontaneous and unlikely subject to fees. Greed can never lead to fun. Never-the-less the Grove is a great, great, great place to live and visit & I've been here since 1965.
Anthony Cruz.
My family and i spent over $300 dollars at this event.and left wondering why :(
Anthony, would you mind explaining how you spent that much unless you bought t-shirts and lots of food, which was your choice. Besides the gate fee of $5, there was no other costs. You were not stopped from bringing your own bottled water in or anything else. So you were not forced to spend money, again, that was your decision. I didn't even think there was anything to spend money on. Not sure how you did that. Were you betting on the beds?
I don't get people's math. How are they spending this money? And if they went and got dinner after, how was that cost part of the event cost, and not simply part of the cost of feeding your family?
Crazy talk on the grapevine, why am I surprised.
He got a speeding ticket try to get out of the grove fast enough lol
Billy Allen,
I was there this weekend and spent $100 with a family of four.kids loved it but i personly thought the old location is much better.miss hanging out at sandbar while watching the race.im sure the bars to a big hit from this move
Why weren't the food and beer vendors grove businesses? I saw businesses from Brickell. That makes sense...and on the event brochure, it said "FLO RIDA, a Miami Hero." Hero?? That is embarrassing. I'm not a hater I swear. I appreciate all events in the grove. But this event didn't feel like the Grove. It felt like a City of Miami event.
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