Yesterday my friend Kayak Don and I attended a longstanding South Florida tradition known as the Swamp Buggy Races. These races have been going on for decades here and are one of those things that make South Florida unique.A swamp buggy is a mode of transportation used to get around in a "swamp" or in an environment like the Everglades w
here water is present and you don't want to get your feet wet. In the early 30's and 40's hunters created these vehicles using large balloon tires, or tractor tires which would suspend the deck of the vehicle and its seats high above the waterline and deliver th
em to the critters they were after in relative comfort. Well, not really comfort at all. But, it did deliver them. In most cases they were unstoppable and capable of handling the mire quite well. Some were 2 wheel drive, others 4 wheel drive. Regardless, the design utilized whatever means nec
essary to raise the passengers up out of the water.
here water is present and you don't want to get your feet wet. In the early 30's and 40's hunters created these vehicles using large balloon tires, or tractor tires which would suspend the deck of the vehicle and its seats high above the waterline and deliver th
em to the critters they were after in relative comfort. Well, not really comfort at all. But, it did deliver them. In most cases they were unstoppable and capable of handling the mire quite well. Some were 2 wheel drive, others 4 wheel drive. Regardless, the design utilized whatever means nec
essary to raise the passengers up out of the water. In the early years in Collier County where the races take place, the beginnings of Swamp Buggy Racing began as the hunters would ready their machines for season. Prior to heading out in the woods, they would gather around each others garages or workshops and drink and plan and prepare all the gear and buggy's for the trek into the woods. One thing led to another 
and finally they began to compare buggy's and brag about how one was better engineered than the other and before you know it they were out there competing against each other.
and finally they began to compare buggy's and brag about how one was better engineered than the other and before you know it they were out there competing against each other.
The first official Swamp Buggy Race took place in 1949 and has been going strong every since.
Don picked me up at my house and we headed out early to stop by for breakfast on the way down to the track in Naples. The first place we stopped was SO crowded we simply went back to the car and headed out. We decided that a quick breakfast sandwich at MacDonald's was sufficient so we went across the street only to find y
et another line. We elected to stay there and both got service eventually. The coffee was good, the sandwich kept us from passing out and we headed back out for the buggy races.
et another line. We elected to stay there and both got service eventually. The coffee was good, the sandwich kept us from passing out and we headed back out for the buggy races. One thing for sure, this is not your typical race. It's noisy and dirty and full of cowboy hats and pickup trucks and girls with big fluffy hair and belly buttons showing. Everyone is wearing cowboy boots or some kind of boots and everyone is having fun. We paid our $20 entry fee and got in line at the gate which was not to open till 10:30am. A big cheerleading squad was selling 50/50 raffle ticke
ts out by the gate already before the gates were open.
ts out by the gate already before the gates were open.We were some of the first in line. We decided to get there early and take in the sights. 
Some buggy's were already on the track making trial runs. Now when I say track, you cannot overthink that remark. This track is like an oval track of water that is anywhere from about 2 feet to 5 feet deep with a diagonal cut from one side to the other. They race in water! I don't really know how long the track is, but most buggy's in the modified class ran it in under 60 seconds which basically meant two laps around the water course.
Some buggy's were already on the track making trial runs. Now when I say track, you cannot overthink that remark. This track is like an oval track of water that is anywhere from about 2 feet to 5 feet deep with a diagonal cut from one side to the other. They race in water! I don't really know how long the track is, but most buggy's in the modified class ran it in under 60 seconds which basically meant two laps around the water course.
There were several different classes of vehicles to include the FAST Pro Modified rockets, down to the "Jeeps". Now being a Jeep person, that is the class I really enjoyed watching. Jeeps are not fast, however, they are unstoppable. I certainly enjoyed seeing those guys go through th
e "sippy holes" (deep part of the track) covered all the way up to their chins with the whole jeep under water and still manage to get all the way around that track. Frankly, that is much more impressive to me then the modified ones which frankly don't seem to be anything but a "boat on wheels" that if you can get enough speed you float around the track. I don't know, I'm sure those guys would argue with me, but a Jeep is a Jeep and as a Jeep person I think its more honorable to be able to go around that track underwater!
e "sippy holes" (deep part of the track) covered all the way up to their chins with the whole jeep under water and still manage to get all the way around that track. Frankly, that is much more impressive to me then the modified ones which frankly don't seem to be anything but a "boat on wheels" that if you can get enough speed you float around the track. I don't know, I'm sure those guys would argue with me, but a Jeep is a Jeep and as a Jeep person I think its more honorable to be able to go around that track underwater!
I gotta tell you I certainly enjoyed this stuff. The races were even more exciting than the warm-ups, since there was always more than one buggy at a time pitted against each other. Seeing those machines run the track sending up their "rooster tails" of water and banging into each other, as well as the banks of the track, was exhilarating.
At intermission we watched cheerleaders do their acrobatics, model airplanes fly with such precision that you forgot it was a scaled down version of the real thing and watched peop
le take $5 rides on swamp buggy's on the track to raise money for some charity. This is Americana at its best! I love this stuff. There was even a Swamp Buggy Queen and everything!
le take $5 rides on swamp buggy's on the track to raise money for some charity. This is Americana at its best! I love this stuff. There was even a Swamp Buggy Queen and everything!Each class raced heats to narrow down to a few and after the final heat of those classes the BIG race was run to determine the winner. The winner got to throw the Swamp Buggy Queen into the "sippy hole" after the races ended.
Somewhere over the course of the afternoon an announcement came over the intercom: "Would the person who left their teeth in the porta-potty please report to the announcing booth to claim your teeth."
Wow! The first thing I did was look over at Kayak Don and smile, he smiled back. I knew it was not him!
This is REAL Florida. This is a real South Florida Adventure!
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