Floatopia: San Diego – July 17

Things were relatively mild in the Floatopia held today. There was a significant police, rescue and lifeguard force at the ready – their not knowing if 1,500 or 5,000 would show up to the event.

My belief is the biggest mitigating factor to the event being small in size, compared to previous events, is that this is the second weekend of the annual Over The Line (OTL) tournament. This tournament usually draws tens of thousands to Fiesta Island where they are able to drink in a more controlled environment.

Another interesting thing is today’s event drew a noticeably more diverse crowd from around the city. Many even brought their kids. If these continue they will likely mushroom into massive events drawing people from all over the region – from as far as Orange County and LA – just as the beaches did prior to 2008.

The big question? Should we continue using our tax dollars to support these events or, address more pressing citywide issues?

Contact your City Councilmember to let them know how you feel. They will be considering instituting an emergency measure that will close this loophole for good on July 26 at City Hall.