thirdsun

We attended the "world famous" swamp buggy races in Naples, FL yesterday. Although they call these machines "buggies" that's really a rather quaint and accommodative term, maybe even facetious. In reality, certain classes of these high-powered machines are more like swamp rockets.

If you want to see my additional race pics, they are here in a flickr set.

If you want to know more about the race venue, visit swampbuggy.com

First they enter the track and get set on the starting line...










Then, they race once around the Mile O' Mud track...




...and head for the finish line

mixedmedia

it was a lot of fun.
fun with beer and things that go vroom.
if that ain't Amurrica then I don't know what is.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

Halx

Floriduh is good for something, I guess.

__________________
You have found this post informative.
-The Administrator
[Don't Feed The Animals]

thirdsun

Oh, but don't forget Spring Break, Halx. Beaches chock full of young, wild, wanton, drunk, scantily women...

mixedmedia

sounds like a regular old Thursday night to me

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

thirdsun

Yeah, come to think of it, we really don't want the secret getting out, do we?

mixedmedia

yes, that is the key to living the good life in Florida...stay at home
nekkid, when possible.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

thirdsun

heh, heh, heh....she said nekkid...

mixedmedia

and here I reveal the secret to thirdsun's fabulous swamp buggy pictures...

his big...long....hard....uh, lens.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

mixedmedia

while thirdsun, with his fancy telephoto lens, caught some great shots of the actual swamp buggies in action, I concentrated on the Swamp Buggees...if you will.
Sorry if there are too many but I took almost 600 pics that day. This is my favorite kind of photography, though, the candid street-type...I get carried away.



here is the Swamp Buggy Queen and her fancy dress court




this little girl sang her heart out on The Star-Spangled Banner (she really did), but note the rather intense Woody Harrelson-on-crack-looking fella on the right...he was the minister (hopped up on swamp buggy fever, I suppose) who said the opening prayer before the races started - he actually said, 'jesus, I love you soo much' at the end of it. Afterwards I leaned over and whispered to thirdsun 'i bet he slept with a hooker last night.' I'm not sure if he found that to be funny or not. ()
I stood there during it all much like Swampy there.


i have several pictures of this guy, mostly because he stood around in front of my seat a lot...smoking...




this was his girlfriend




























my favorite shot of the day














this girl was really cute, but she was wearing some ridiculous sunglasses (the big sunglasses thing is getting a little out of hand)






mean girls?


thirdsun and the guy who seemed to have a man crush on him...he went on and on about his lens


this woman was adorable - and her lens was bigger than both of ours put together!


oh yeah, he sure as fuck did...

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

newtx

Great pics. My favorites were the old wrinkled lady and the lady with the big lens.

seamaiden

These are great fun...love mm's first one with the chips falling off the heaping plate! These remind me of when my son raced go-karts, except there was no water, no beauty queens, and the crowds were smaller. I'm sure it was just as loud though.