EXPEDITION FLORIDA 500

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Expedition Florida 500 (XF500) is a modern-day exploration of Floridas coastline, waterways, and aquatic ecosystem as seen through the eyes of the waterman. 2013 is Floridas 500th Anniversary since Ponce de Leon settled the land back in 1513; in celebration of this momentous occasion, the XF500 team will embark on a yearlong journey combining the best of exploration, adventure, stewardship, science, and sport into a package that promises to include the full gamut of the watermans lifestyle. Florida is unique in that it embodies the entire waterway system from source to sea one of the few places on Earth with such a vast array of thriving wildlife and a natural environment based around water. Combine our passion for creating and inspiring ocean advocates with an all-encompassing yearlong adventure, and youve got one unforgettable journey one that we hope to document and share with the world. Dream with us for a minute: Surfing in the Atlantic. Freediving Spanish shipwrecks. Stand up paddling the states coastline. Sailing in the Gulf of Mexico. Fishing in the Florida Keys. Chasing hurricane swells in the fall. Airboating through the Everglades. Canoeing the natural springs. Camping on beaches and spoil islands. Hanging boardshorts and rashguards near the campfire. Visiting shapers and surf shops in Brevard County. Spearfishing in the Dry Tortugas. Driving old pickup trucks that run on veggie oil and algae biofuel. Running Jet Skis at Monster Hole. Filming amazing Florida wildlife and scenery. Guitar sessions around the beach bonfire. Rain gear and humidity from summer storms. Sunset and dawn patrol sessions. History and great pubs in St. Augustine. Kayaking the Tampa Bay. Catching mini-season lobsters in July. Hanging with the locals in Key West. Stand up paddling the St. Johns River and Intracoastal Waterway. Stopping into beachside communities and engaging with the locals. The list goes on and on. The team will consist of watermen from Mother Ocean, Quiksilver, and other partnering organizations. Theyll spend the first half of the year exploring the entire Florida coastline, beginning in Pensacola on January 1st and ending in Jacksonville on July 4th. Theyll stop into local beachside communities along the way, raising awareness for coastal stewardship and hosting cleanups with various nonprofits. The team will encourage others to paddle with them, including well-known watermen from the ocean community and celebrity paddlers. Theyll also be mapping the coastline and waterways with the help of Below the Surface and their Riverview Project (imagine Google Street View for rivers). In addition, the team will be collecting research and data along the way to further ocean science with the help of various aquatic scientists throughout the journey. Team XF500 will then turn inland, spending the second half of the year along the rivers, lakes, estuaries, and marshland the intricate network that makes up the Florida freshwater ecosystem. Theyll document, map, and explore the waterways much like they did with the coastline, leaving the land in better and cleaner condition than when they arrived. Camping and living off the land will be the norm, highlighting the beauty of Floridas natural environment and the wildlife surrounding its waters. The expeditions primary goal is to highlight the importance of stewardship efforts as they relate to the ocean, coastlines, waterways, and aquatic ecosystems. The team will document their journey through daily blogging, daily photos and videos for social media outlets, filming their own documentary, filming for Tahoe SUPs EXPLORE project series, and publishing a book upon completion of the journey. 2

WHO WE ARE
Justin Riney Riney is the Founder of Mother Ocean and the Project Lead for Expedition Florida 500. Hes spent most of his life in Florida and knows the state from the inside out, having lived on both the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts, as well as attending the University of Florida in the inland parts of the state. Riney has a BSBA in Finance and is very much a visionary with valuable experience in leadership, business, and project management. His local network runs deep throughout the state and will play a critical role in this journey with connections to many coastal organizations, the State of Florida, and the University of Florida among others. Riney also knows the coastline and waterway system very well growing up as a local surfer, windsurfer, paddler, boater, camper, freediver, lifeguard, and spearfisher. Kristian Gustavson Gustavson is the Founder of Below the Surface and was recently awarded Outside Magazines 2012 Reader of the Year for his work on river runoff and water quality. Gustavson has a Masters in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and brings a scientific element to our journey. Driving an old pickup that runs on veggie oil and algae-based biodiesel, hes currently traveling the U.S. and mapping the coastlines and waterways using Google Street View technology. When hes not out exploring our countrys rivers, hes either in the lineup surfing Blacks or racing his algae biodiesel motorcycle. His valuable scientific and riveroriented network, his love for the ocean and the waterman lifestyle, and his visionary mindset are all key contributions to our team. Dave Cornthwaite Cornthwaite is a British adventurer and Founder of Expedition 1000. He holds multiple Guinness World Records for his extraordinary expeditions that include stand up paddling the Mississippi River, kayaking Australias Murray River, and skatebarding the entire length of Australia among many others. Hes a motivational speaker, published author, world-traveler extradanoaire, and a creative ocean advocate and sportsman. Daves global network and fan base, his passion for the ocean, his experience with large-scale expeditions, his ongoing relations with the media, and his dreamy British accent will all prove to be valuable additions to XF500.

PREVIOUS JOURNEYS

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

Stewardship & Conservation We hope to leverage this project to convey a message of stewardship and advocacy for our ocean, coastlines, and waterways. Florida is a unique example of an all-encompassing aquatic ecosystem; its got everything from source to sea and naturally displays the importance of each stage in that process. What a great way to showcase the process from start to finish in an attractive and engaging story that the public will embrace and find interesting. Our goal is to create and inspire new ocean advocates with this journey, encouraging others to realize the value in protecting our planets waters. Inspiration We hope to inspire passion in others to change old habits, learn more about their coastlines, and take action to influence their local environment and community. We hope to inspire the masses with our daily blogs and stories of adventure and ocean advocacy. We hope to engage with the local communities and people along the way, educating them and inspiring them to take interest in the waterways and ocean. The photos, the videos, the media, the social media, the blogging, the documentary, the book it will all make for a story that will resonate with the masses. Adventure, Exploration, & Sport This expedition will most definitely promote outdoor activity, adventure, exploration, and sport in an era defined by technology and couch potatoes. We want to present this journey through the eyes of a waterman; to promote the many sports that we all engage in around the ocean and waterways. By showing the beauty of the outdoors and the pleasure we all get from our planet, well inspire others to get outside and explore their world, as well. Hopefully people will gain an appreciation for the ocean in the process, which ultimately leads to more ocean advocates protecting our coastlines. Ocean Science, Research, & Education We seek to educate the local communities along the way and raise funds for a newly established University of Florida research program. This program will help protect and restore Florida estuaries, the foundation of the states marine ecosystem. In addition, our documentary and book will provide an additional outlet to educate others in an attractive storyline of adventure. We also plan to digitally map the coastline, waterways, and all water sources involved on this journey with the help of Below the Surface and their partnership with the USGS and utilization of Google Street View technology. We will collect strategic data with the help of various aquatic scientists along the journey, with the goal of using this new information as a contribution to ocean research and science. Floridas 500th Anniversary & Tourism We want to celebrate the settlement of Florida and its history, while simultaneously promoting the local beaches, communities, and coastlines to attract future tourism to the state. We will encourage the participation of all the local Florida nonprofits we come across in the coastal and shoreline communities. This is a project that supports the state, its marine and freshwater ecosystems, and the economy. Local businesses and organizations thrive on Floridas natural environment; well celebrate and present it proudly to the world, making sure we do our part to preserve the land and waters for the next 500 years of Florida history.

EXPEDITION FLORIDA 500

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