Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Jacksonville Sharks Open House

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Jacksonville Sharks, the new arena football team in Jacksonville, Florida held an open house on Wednesday April 14, and we visited. Football fans had an opportunity to tour the Veterans Memorial Arena and meet the players for an autograph session.

Fans also got to meet the Attack Dance team for the first time.
The first home game for the season takes place on Friday April 16th at 7:30 pm at Sea Best Field in Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena when the Jacksonville Sharks take on the Orlando Predators.

East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival 2010, South Carolina

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One of the premier paddlesport events on the Atlantic Coast, the festival will be held at James Island County Park on April 16-18, 2010. Here you can find everything you need to know about canoeing and kayaking at the 20th Annual East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival (ECCKF).

Every year paddlers, instructors and equipment manufacturers are brought together at the action-packed South Carolina festival. The event includes a variety of on-water classes, lectures and demonstrations directed to the novice as well as the experienced paddler. Plus more than forty exhibitors will be on-hand to give you a chance to try the latest equipment before you buy.

Fun and Useful Instruction
The heart of the festival is the simultaneous running of four classrooms throughout the three-day event. Refine your skills in a master class presented by many of the paddling world’s leading experts. Learn new strokes, rescues or rolls with expert instruction. Meet other knowledgeable paddle sport enthusiasts. A wide variety of topics include slide shows of exotic paddling locations, how-to sessions on navigation, selecting or repairing equipment, safety and preparing gourmet cuisine fresh from your dry bag.

A family-friendly weekend, children are welcome to the festival and are free with a paying adult. Learn how to paddle as a family in clinics, or register young paddlers in the full and half-day canoe and kayak camps (ages 6-12), featuring hands-on sessions, nature walks, crafts and more. Always a spectator favorite, families are invited to compete in a cardboard canoe race on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

Filmmaker and Kayaker
New this year will be a free interactive presentation by adventure filmmaker and expedition kayaker Bryan Smith on Thursday, April 15 at James Island County Park. Join Smith for an inspirational and entertaining multi-media show of the first sea kayaking exploration of the Butze Tidal Rapids in northern British Columbia. On assignment for National Geographic Magazine, Smith captured some innovative and exciting kayaking footage, which will be presented on the big screen at 8 p.m. Admission to the presentation is free. Park admission is $1 per person; Gold Pass holders and those 2 years and younger are free.

Offering recreational and instructional programs for paddlers of all abilities and creating an inclusive paddling community are both major themes of this year’s festival. On Wednesday and Thursday prior to the festival, an ACA Adaptive Paddling Workshop (pre-registration required) is being offered for paddling instructors and other individuals interested in learning how to adapt equipment and work with paddlers who have various mobility impairments. On Friday evening, renowned paddler Marcus Demuth will present the keynote address on “Circumnavigating Tierra del Fuego for Disabled Paddlers,” an expedition raising funds to support programs that introduce people with disabilities to paddlesports. In addition, the festival will offer classroom sessions on inclusive paddling initiatives, and Charleston’s very own Special Olympics Kayak Team, which has been hosted by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission for the past three years, will be on hand at the event.

Also new for 2010 is Paddle Clean-Up Day, a volunteer service project in partnership with Charleston Waterkeeper. Paddlers and non-paddlers alike are invited to give back to the paddling community by cleaning up the waterway at Sol Legare Boat Landing. Paddlers will help clear debris by boat and walkers will help clear trash in the area on Sunday, April 18 from 4-6 p.m. Registration is free.

For just the $1 per person admission to the park, visitors can come to James Island County Park and enjoy the sights, sounds and shopping at the festival. Registration packages (and the opportunity to attend classes and test paddle boats) start at $15 and range from sampler passes to full-weekend passes – perfect for all levels and abilities! Children 17 and under are admitted free with an accompanying adult registration. Consider staying on site at James Island County Park’s campsites. For more information, a daily ECCKF schedule and to register call (843) 795-4FUN or visit www.ccprc.com/ecckf

East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival, Charleston, South Carolina

MS Mud Run Jacksonville 2010 update

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I just received an email from the organizers of the 2010 MS Mud Run in Jacksonville, Florida. The event was a huge success.

Here is what they say:” The March 20th event, held at Cecil Commerce Center, attracted more than 2800 participants, tripling the number from the event’s inaugural year. In addition, more than $400,000 was raised for the Chapter, exceeding last year’s total by more than 300%.”

Go here to read our previous post about MS Mud Run Jacksonville 2010

Congratulations everyone for a great effort – see you next year!

MS Mud Run Jacksonville, Florida

Cooper River Bridge Run – Charleston, SC – 2010

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Cooper River Bridge Run is not your ordinary 10K foot race. This one Running across the bridge must be an extraordinary experience, and this is exactly what you can do if you participate in the Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston on March 27th, 2010.

More than 38,000+ runners have registered to the race. The start is scheduled for 8:00 am, so expect to see a lot of runners in Charleston that day. There’s also an expo going on at Marion Square downtown.

(For a map of the race course, click here!)
This is definitely one of the big sporting events in Charleston during the year.

Myrtle Beach Celebrates Snowbirds during Can-Am Days 2010

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Celebrate 49th Annual Canadian-American Days March 13-21, 2010
Festival Features Events, Concerts and Discounts Throughout the Grand Strand

Once again  Myrtle Beach welcomes its visitors from the North to the Canadian-American Days.  From March 13-21, 2010, the Myrtle Beach area will welcome visitors with a expressive lineup of events, giveaways, and concerts throughout the Grand Strand.

Visitors can choose from a wide variety of events and activities, many free, including band concerts, the kickoff celebration expo, St. Patrick’s Day parade and dance, festivals and much more.

“Can-Am Days celebrates our snowbird visitors, who escape the cold and snow for the moderate climate and wealth of attractions of the Myrtle Beach area,” said Brad Dean, MBACC president and CEO. “Many of these visitors have been traveling to our destination for decades, and we strive to create new memories for each generation through our festivals.”

Canadian-American Days draws as many as 100,000 Canadian visitors and snowbirds. The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce introduced Canada Days in 1961 to attract Canadian families during their spring school break. The name was changed to Canadian-American Days in 1963. It is regarded as the first international festival organized in South Carolina.

The 49th Annual Canadian-American Days will feature a variety of events. Here are some of the highlights:

March 15
The 282nd Army Band
7 p.m. (doors open 6 p.m.)
– Beach Church, 557 George Bishop Pkwy., Myrtle Beach. Free but tickets are required. Tickets available 8:30 a.m. March 8 at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce visitor centers at 1200 N. Oak St., Myrtle Beach, and 3401 U.S. 17 Business S., Murrells Inlet.

March 16
Canadian-American Days Kickoff Celebration Expo
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
– This expo officially kicks off Can-Am Days and features exhibitors, musical entertainment, prizes and giveaways. Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Exhibit Hall C, Myrtle Beach. Free to the public.

March 17
16th Annual South Strand Wildlife and History Day
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Enjoy family-friendly entertainment, exhibits and activities. The Taste of Murrells Inlet, a culinary extension of the event, will boast specialties from some of the finest restaurants in the “Seafood Capital of South Carolina.” Huntington Beach State Park, 16148 Ocean Hwy., Murrells Inlet. Free for Canadians with valid ID. Adults: $5, S.C. senior citizens: $3.25, children 6-15: $3 and children 5 and under: free. SouthCarolinaParks.com/(843) 235-8755

March 18
Battle at the Beach presented by RBC Bank
11 a.m.
Second annual Canada vs. U.S.A. Friendly Competition for the RBC Cup, four-person scramble format. Greens fee, cart fee and prizes included. All tournament profits will be donated to Myrtle Beach Haven. Pine Lakes Country Club, 5603 Granddaddy Dr., Myrtle Beach. Fee $125 per person, $400 per foursome. CanAmDays.com for registration form and more information.
2010 RBC Bank Presents the 208th Army Reserve Band, 7 p.m. (doors open 6 p.m.) March 19 – Christ United Methodist Church, 2901 Fantasy Way, Myrtle Beach. Free but tickets are required. Tickets available 10 a.m.

For more information, visit MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com.