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Polk County Welcomes Ironman 70.3 Florida

Rebecca Thompson — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:10:40 +0000

The welcome of Ironman 70.3 Florida this month kicks off a thrilling new era for Polk County!

Over 2,300 competitors from across the county, state, nation and even world will make their way to Haines City this weekend for the start of Ironman 70.3 Florida. Here, these triathletes will test their athletic abilities, stamina and competitive drive on the 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run.

Area residents will be able to take in the experience as the triathletes make their way through the course that includes a one-loop swim around Lake Eva, a bike route along one of Florida’s scenic highways and a three-loop run around Lake Eva. Among the triathletes will be seven-time Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong whose foundation recently partnered with Ironman in an effort to raise more than $1 million for those affected by cancer.

Previously held at Disney, this year’s Ironman event has relocated to Lake Eva Park in Haines City, just 30 minutes outside of Orlando, and will be held annually at this great setting through 2016.

Beginning at noon on Friday, May 18, the Ironman Village and the Lake Eva Park Bandshell will serve as the hub of all activities for the weekend. The Official Ironman Store will also open, and the public will be able to hear live music until 10:00 p.m.

Also part of the weekend will be the IronKids Florida event, which takes place the morning of Saturday, May 19. Young triathletes ages 6-15 will assemble at the starting line for a 7:00 a.m. start to a shortened version of the adult course.

The Ironman 70.3 Florida race officially begins Sunday at 6:30 a.m. As with previous days, live performances are scheduled throughout the day. The event wraps up Sunday evening and will conclude with an awards ceremony at 4:00 p.m.

Spectator Schedule of Events:

Friday 5/18
Noon – Ironman Village & Official Ironman Store Opens
Noon – 4 p.m. – Live Performance – Eli
6 – 10 p.m. – Live Performance – Spit Fire
7 p.m. – Ironman Village & Official Ironman Store Closes

Saturday 5/19
7 a.m. – IronKids Race Starts
9 a.m. – Ironman Village & Official Ironman Store Opens
Noon – 1 p.m. – Live performance – Joey Foley and the Midnight Clogging Express
5 p.m. – Ironman Village & Official Ironman Store Closes
5-9 p.m. – Live Performance – Un4giv’n

Sunday 5/20
6:30 a.m. – Ironman 70.3 Florida Race Starts
7 a.m. – Ironman Village & Official Ironman Store Opens
9 – 10 a.m. – Live performance – Jeff “Bull” Ferguson
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Live Performance – Steel Horse
3 p.m. – Ironman Village & Official Ironman Store Closes
4 p.m. – Awards Ceremony

Ironman Visitor Information

An ATV Weekend For a Cause at Triple Canopy

Miguel Castro — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:57:03 +0000

Are you in need of some outdoor fun? Come out to Triple Canopy Ranch and tear up the mud this weekend complete with excitement and thrill at the Benefit for Bailee event! This ATV weekend fundraiser hosted by Triple Canopy Ranch in partnership with SKY Powersports will benefit Bailee Kent, a local Polk County soccer star who recently suffered a severe stroke. Bailee, like a true Webber Warrior, battled the hospital bed and is on her way to an impressive recovery.

The event will feature:

Live Entertainment
ATV Rodeo Events
ATV Demos & Trail Rides
Monster Truck Rides
Swamp Buggy Rides
Prize Raffles
Bonfires
A Corn-hole Tournament
An Auction
Fun, Food and Games

Save the date, and bring your family and friends this weekend, beginning Friday, May 11 and lasting through Sunday, May 13!

Vote for Polk’s Ultimate Fishing Town!

Rebecca Thompson — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:05:32 +0000

It’s an exciting time for Polk County fishing, with three municipalities nominated for WFN’s Ultimate Fishing Town! Home to more than 550 lakes with hundreds of anglers competing in fishing tournaments weekly, Polk makes the perfect fit.

What exactly is the Ultimate Fishing Town? The World Fishing Network has opened a contest for voters to select their pick for the town they feel is most passionate about fishing and a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts, and Lakeland, Lake Wales and Winter Haven are among the nominees.

Aside from the “Ultimate Fishing Town” title and honors, the town receiving the most votes will earn $25,000 to be donated to a cause benefiting local anglers. In addition to the contribution, the World Fishing Network will produce a television feature about the region, which will be broadcast on-air and online throughout the year. Second and third place winners will also receive community donations with $5,000 being awarded to second place and $2,500 to third.

The voting has already begun, so don’t wait to participate and help your community win! Cast your votes at World Fishing Network or click: Lakeland, Lake Wales or Winter Haven. The contest opened on Tuesday, May 1 and will close Thursday, May 31. The three winning cities will be announced around June 6.
Vote up to a maximum of four times per day per email address, with one vote every six hours.

Voting is limited to one vote cast during each of the following blocks:

Voting Block One 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Voting Block Two 6:01 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET
Voting Block Three 12:01 p.m. ET to 6:00 p.m. ET
Voting Block Four 6:01 p.m.ET to 12:00 a.m. ET

You can also earn up to eight additional votes by referring friends, adding local business listings or sharing your vote on Facebook or Twitter.

Don’t wait to help your county win! Recognized as the Largemouth Bass Capital of the World, it seems only fitting for Polk County to be the home of the “Ultimate Fishing Town”.

Non-Stop Action at Florida’s Largest RC Jet Show

Rebecca Thompson — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:45:02 +0000

Soar on over to The Largest All Jet Show, Florida Jets, featuring four days of flying with over 300 jets. It all begins Thursday, March 1st at 8:30 a.m. at Paradise Field near Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.

This “jet-together” guarantees a sensational action-packed weekend with all-day, continuous flying by R/C Jet Pilots from across the globe, exhibits and daily demos. Every ticket doubles as a pit pass, so spectators will receive the chance to see the latest offerings in aviation technology along with the opportunity to get up close and personal with pilots and their planes. Be sure to take the opportunity to get a picture and an autograph with the pilots along with answers to all your aviation questions.

Model aviation and related vendors will showcase current and coming products and will also have items for sale. In addition to continuous flying, a demonstration hour will occur at noon for most events.

While the event is pure fun and not intended as a competition, sponsors will also be there to hand out several awards for excellence.

Admission to Florida Jets is $10.00 and FREE for children under seven. Admission includes parking and pit passes. Bring your lawn chair and make a thrilling day of it. What better way to spend your weekend than with food, fun and non-stop action?

Florida Jets is brought to you by Frank Tiano Enterprises and will take place Thursday, March 1 at 8:30 a.m. through Sunday, March 4 at 2:00 p.m. at “Paradise Field” on West Pipkin Road at the intersection of Air Show Rd. (Gate 36). Lakeland, Florida.

Enduring Warrior Dash Central Florida

Joe Cutler — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:45:18 +0000

As a young boy your mother expects you to play in the dirt, get muddy, ruin clothes and destroy shoes. Somewhere along the line you get older, take down the “no girls allowed” sign in front of the tree house, and eventually trade in the tree house for a real house in an effort to mature and move forward. No one expects that at age 25 you’d still be playing in the mud. Then again with an event like Warrior Dash, where you’re encouraged to throw on a pair of Superman briefs, a makeshift cape, crawl, swim, and jump through mud, on top of cars, under barbed wire and over fire, how could you resist?

I had the opportunity to partake in Warrior Dash Central Florida 2012. My friend and I showed up an hour before our start time so that we could grab our registration packets: a horned warrior helmet, athletic Warrior Dash t-shirt, bib and timing chip.

There were around 500 people in our 11:00 a.m. wave, and we started off with a light jog for 100 yards. The first obstacle was getting through the thickest, heaviest, black muck I’d ever encountered. It was military grade mud, if such exists. Overzealous participants had to look for help getting out after sinking knee deep. The wave had thinned. Now weighting about 20 pounds more than when I started, I jogged to the next obstacle – a barricade breakdown where we had to lift ourselves over a bar and immediately under barbed wire several times. Remember, my hands and shoes are caked with mud.

Just past the barbed wire, we got our balance and walked up and over a six inch wide ramp. After a short jog, we jumped and crawled over a 50 yard stretch of tires and junk cars. Past the last car I could see the climbing wall. Not too difficult to pull myself up with the rope, slide over and crawl down. I’m feeling good at this point.

Immediately after the wall there was a deep pool of what appeared to be clean water. I was relieved. The sign said, “Deep Water.” I’m good, I can swim. Easy part, right? Splash! The sign should have read, “Freezing Deep Water.” My body was stunned; it was pretty difficult to swim and pull myself up, and over, the floating barriers in my path. Once out of the water, we had a half mile jog through sand lined with motivational signs saying things like “Don’t worry, we didn’t train for this either,” and “Don’t let Dale from Accounting beat you.”

The next obstacle was a large manmade sand dune we had to climb up and over. Simple enough I thought, but stationed on the back side of the dune was an airboat blowing water directly into my face. A nice breeze in the middle of Warrior Dash? Not exactly. Next up was elevated cargo nets we had to crawl across. I was careful not to slip for fear I wouldn’t be able to get back upright in a timely manner.

At this point we had a mile to go. After a quarter mile run through sand, the next obstacle was a 50 yard trek through a waist deep section of mud. Done. My legs are good and tired as I approach the next obstacle of army crawling under ropes hanging less than a foot off the ground. My whole body was feeling the burn, literally, as I attempted to leap over rows of thigh high flames. Yes flames, as in real fire. I remember thinking, “This can’t be safe,” but I’d made it to the final obstacle. Or did I? After clearing the last smoky pile, I turned towards the finish line and saw a murky, muddy trench with barbed wire strung across, close to 20 yards long. Back to crawling and swallowing gritty, sandy, smelly clay water. I was ready Warrior Dash to be over. After sprinting through the finish line, I was thrilled to receive my medal and a fresh drink of water.

Repeat! Yes, I had so much fun the first time, I ran Warrior Dash again that same day.

After the race, my friend and I walked around, turned in our timing chips, watched a concert for a little while, and soon noticed that the race crowd had grown into a huge outdoor party. Surprisingly, everyone was outgoing and friendly; the post race camaraderie was like nothing I’ve been involved with before. You can expect to see me at Warrior Dash Central Florida 2013!

Polk County’s Bar-B-Que Festival Season is Underway

Jessica Roberts — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:52:18 +0000

Polk County residents – and visitors alike – are fortunate to have the 2012 barbeque festival season looming on the horizon. Celebrate mouthwatering barbeque with the return of annual sanctioned competitions such as the Lakeland PigFest, Smoke on the Water, and Ribs on the Ridge. And this year, a new entrant joins the field… the Southern Smokers BBQ Competition. All four events offer live entertainment and FREE admission. Come hungry, as many competing teams will be selling their savory fare for the public to enjoy.

The Southern Smokers BBQ Competition took place last Saturday, and the inaugural event was a success. Sanctioned by the Florida BBQ Association, over 25 teams competed in the event.

This weekend, Friday, January 27th and Saturday, January 28th, Lakeland PigFest will celebrate its 16th year at the Tiger Town Sports Complex. Lakeland PigFest is the is the area’s largest barbeque competition. It is a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) sanctioned event and the KCBS is the largest international organization of barbeque enthusiasts. Each year PigFest welcomes close to 200 teams to compete in the Pro Division, BackYard Division and the Kid’s Q competition and proceeds benefit Lakeland-area charities.

The 8th Annual Budweiser Smoke on the Water BBQ Competition returns to Winter Haven on Saturday, February 4th as the 2012 Florida BBQ Association State Championship. Funds raised benefit the Citrus Center Boys & Girls Clubs of Winter Haven, Lake Wales and Haines City. More than 80 teams from across the country will compete for the Florida State Grand Champion title. Unique entertainment includes a Cypress Water Sports Ski Show on beautiful Lake Cannon.

The 4th Annual Ribs on the Ridge takes place at Lake Eva Park in Haines City on Friday, February 24th and Saturday, February 25th. This growing event has been the Florida BBQ Association’s largest competition for the past two years; with approximately 100 teams competing. Don’t miss performances by The Pork Chop Review featuring “Oink” the singing pig!

In October 2012, the festivals start over again with the Florida BBQ Association sanctioned Fine Swine at the Pit in Mulberry offering up more delicious barbeque to please your palette. Visit www.fineswine.org.

Polk County offers numerous barbeque restaurants so you won’t have to suffer withdrawal in the off-season. Historic eateries include Peebles Bar-B-Q, a Central Florida landmark that has been serving up barbeque for more than 55 years, and Jimbo’s Pit Bar B-Q, a Lakeland tradition since 1964. Brock’s Smoke Hut in Winter Haven was recognized in 2011 by National Barbecue News as one of the “Best of the Best Barbecue Restaurant’s in America.” Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q and Woody’s Bar-B-Q are familiar names with locations all around Polk County. This list hardly scratches the surface. For a comprehensive listing of restaurants in Polk County, go to www.VisitCentralFlorida.org.

Register now for the North Ridge Bridge 5K, Warrior Dash and Ironman 70.3!

Rebecca Thompson — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:02:45 +0000

2012 is bringing three big events to Polk County. Stay in shape this new year and test your limits with the North Ridge Bridge Run 5K Race, 2012 Warrior Dash and Ironman 70.3. Registration is now open for all three events.

North Ridge Bridge Run 5K Race

What: Join the Polk County Board of County Commissioners, the City Center Community Development District and the North Ridge Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board for the Grand Opening Celebration and Ribbon Cutting of Ernie Caldwell Boulevard.

When: Saturday, January 7, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

-The Inaugural North Ridge Bridge Run 5k Race begins at 8:30 a.m.
-Dedication of Ernie Caldwell Boulevard and Ribbon Cutting will be held at 9:30 a.m.
-Antique Car Parade begins at 10:00 a.m.
-Displays and Activities until 12:00 p.m.

Where: The event will take place at Posner Park in Davenport. Turn at Posner Boulevard entrance and follow signs to parking on Royals Way.

Registration Information:
Register online at www.imathlete.com or by mail. Online registration closes at 11:59 on January 2.

You can print the registration form here.

2012 Warrior Dash- Central Florida

What: This fierce running series is held on the most challenging and rugged terrain across the globe. Warriors conquer extreme obstacles, push their limits and celebrate with music and warrior helmets. This is the wildest, muddiest, most fiery 5k run you will ever have the opportunity to participate in. With 12 seriously challenging obstacles ranging from mud-pits, to climbing walls, tight-rope walks and fire pits, finishing competitors are deserving of the title Warrior! Every participant will go home with a Warrior helmet, Warrior Dash t-shirt and custom Warrior Dash medal.

When: Saturday, January 21-Sunday, January 22 at

Where: Triple Canopy Ranch, Lake Wales

Registration Information:
Register online at Warrior Dash. Registration will close January 9, 2012 at 11:59p.m. Central.

Ironman 70.3 Florida

What: Ironman 70.3 Florida has moved to a new location for 2012 at Lake Eva Park near Haines City and features an exciting new course.

Just 30 minutes outside of Orlando, Lake Eva Park provides a great setting for the event. The one-loop swim starts and finishes on a white sand beach. The transition area will be set up in a large parking lot on the site. The one-loop bike route goes through Polk County and offers athletes the chance to enjoy views of citrus groves and cattle farms as they ride along the quiet country roads, while the run course includes three loops around Lake Eva and finishes in a grassy park near the lake.

When: Saturday, May 19-Sunday, May 20

Where: Haines City, Lake Eva Park

Registration Information:
Register online at ironmanhainescity.com.

General Entry: Open through January 10- $225

January 11-April 4- $250

April 5- through close- $275

Relay Entry: Open through January 10- $300

January 11-April 4- $350

April 5 through close- $375

For more information on these three events, please visit: centralfloridasports.com

This Week in Sports

admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:19:30 +0000

Florida State Pepsi Youth Bowling Tournament

Dates: 3/26-3/27, 4/2–4/3, 4/9-4/10 & 4/16-4/17
Venue: Cypress Lanes – Winter Haven

This 4-weekend event will bring in over 2,000 youth bowlers and their families from across the state of Florida to Polk County. For more information please visit www.centralfloridasports.com or www.fsusbcy.com/Pepsi-Tournament.html

Sun n Fun International Fly-In & Expo – Sun ‘n Fun, Inc. – Aviation

Dates: 3/29 – 4/3
Venue: Lakeland Linder Regional Airport – Lakeland

The Sun ‘n Fun Fly In will bring in people from around the world for one of the world’s largest Air shows truly making this an international event. Plan to join as this year the event will showcase the popular Blue Angles Precision Jet Demonstration Team! For more information on this event please visit www.sun-n-fun.org

Patrick Patriots Twirling Corps – Florida State Solo Championships

Dates: 4/2 – 4/3
Venue: Polk State College – Winter Haven

Florida Youth Soccer Association (FYSA) President’s Cup

Dates: 4/2 – 4/3
Venue: Lake Myrtle Sports Park – Auburndale
This FYSA event will host 64 youth soccer teams and bring in over 1,000 participants and 4,000 spectators to Polk County. For more information please check out www.centralfloridasports.com or log on to www.fysa.com

Florida Half Century 60+ Softball Tournament

Dates: 4/2 – 4/3
Venue: Auburndale Softball Complex – Auburndale

This Florida Half Century will bring in over 50 senior softball teams from across Florida to Polk County. For more information please visit www.centralfloridasports.com or www.fhcsoftball.org

College Spring Training in Central Florida: RussMatt

admin — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:35:09 +0000

Central Florida Collegiate Baseball Invitational- RussMatt Baseball – Game Schedule for March 17

RussMatt Baseball is hosting the Central Florida Collegiate Invitational for the third straight year in Polk County. More than 200 collegiate teams will train and play games over the course of six weeks. Teams from all collegiate levels (NCAA Division I, II & III, NAIA, Junior Colleges) including Illinois State, Bowling Green, Yale, and Army are participating this year. The entire schedule can be found here 2011 RussMatt Polk County Schedule

Field codes: COLS=Chain of Lakes Stadium, COL#=Chain of Lakes Park Field #, LM#=Lake Myrtle Park Field #, Southeastern University=SEU, Warner University=WU, Henley Field=HF, Lake Bonny Park Field#=LBP#, Polk State College=PSC, Lake Region HS=LRHS, Winter Haven HS=WHHS, Webber International University=WIU, Tenoroc HS=THC, Kathleen HS=KHS and Jenkins HS=JHS

Field	Time	Thursday, March 17		# of games
		Away Team	Home Team
COL#2	9:00A	Suffolk (MA)	Curry (MA)	1
COL#1	9:30A	Amherst (MA)	Oneonta State (NY)	1
COL#5	9:30A	Framingham State (MA)	Endicott (MA)	2
COL#4	10:00A	Gallaudet (DC)	Sewanee (TN)	1
COLS	11:00A	North Dakota State	Bradley (IL)	1
COL#3	11:00A	Mt. Marty (ND) JV	Brookdale (NJ)	1
COL#1	1:00P	Keystone (PA)	Anderson (IN)	1
COL#2	1:30P	Loras (IA)	McDaniel (MD)	2
COL#3	1:30P	Freed Hardeman (TN)	Mt. Marty (SD)	2
COL#4	1:30P	Ramapo (NJ)	Rhode Island College	2
COLS	3:00P	L.I.U. (NY)	Butler (IN)	1
COL#5	3:30P	Brookdale (NJ)	Genesee CC (NY)	1
COL#1	4:30P	Keystone (PA) JV	Anderson (IN) JV	1
LM#3	8:30A	Vassar (NY)	Brockport (NY)	1
LMMain	9:00A	Fitchburg State (MA)	St. Joe’s (ME)	1
LM#1	9:00A	Dickinson (PA)	Gordon (MA)	2
LM#4	9:00A	Westfield State (MA)	UMass-Boston	2
LM#2	9:30A	Lawrence (WI)	Washington (MD)	1
LM#3	12:00N	Spaulding (KY)	Transylvania (KY)	1
LMMain	12:30P	Stevens Tech (NJ)	Cortland State (NY)	1
LM#2	1:00P	Edgewood (WI) JV	Lawrence (WI) JV	1
LM#1	3:00P	Worcester State (MA)	Roger Williams (RI)	2
LM#4	3:00P	Ripon (WI)	Greenville (IL)	2
LM#2	4:00P	Edgewood (WI)	St. Norbert (WI)	1
LM#3	4:00P	Keene State (NH)	Salem State (MA)	1
LMMain	4:30P	FDU Madison (NJ)	Rowan (NJ)	1
SEU	12:30P	Franklin & Marshall (PA)	Hamilton (NY)	2
HF	11:30A	Bucknell (PA)	Indiana	1
WIU	2:00P	Dartmouth (NH)	Akron (OH)	1
LBP#2	5:00P	St. Lawrence (QUE)	Wisconsin Whitewater JV	1

Polk Outpost 27 Hosts Spring Training Day with the Detroit Tigers!

admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:25:00 +0000

On Saturday, February 19, Polk County’s official visitor information center, Polk Outpost 27, will celebrate the game of baseball with its 4^th Annual Spring Training Day. The Detroit Tigers, who are celebrating their 75^th Spring training season in Polk County, will join the Spring Training celebration with a display at Polk Outpost 27 from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. with giveaways, a sports themed bounce house for kids, baseball movies, free popcorn and an appearance by the Lakeland Flying Tigers mascot, Ace, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Visitors to the event will also be able to register for two grand prize drawings: one will be for four tickets to see the Tigers play the Toronto Blue Jays on February 27 at Joker Marchant Stadium and the other will be a game-used Tigers jersey. Visitors who bring canned goods for local food banks will also be entered into a drawing for a $50 VISA gift card.

Baseball fans that can’t get enough of the national pastime on February 19 can experience baseball themed exhibits and memorabilia from February 13-20 at Polk Outpost 27. While at Polk Outpost 27, visitors will also be able to get all the latest information on the 2011 Spring Training season including schedules, Spring Training guides and other baseball information including complete schedules for the Central Florida Collegiate Invitational that features more than 200 college baseball teams competing in Polk County throughout the month of March.

All of the events and displays are free of charge and will be open to the public during normal hours. Polk Outpost 27 is open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and is located on Highway 27 a half-mile South of I-4 at Exit 55. For more information call Polk Outpost 27 at 863-420-2586.