ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — World record hopefuls will have to wait again until next year to attempt to break the world record for the largest connected raft, after falling short at Saturday's Floatzilla.
The current record is 3,150. While they didn't quite reach it this year, River Action's Program Manager, Noah Truesdell, said around 1,700 people registered for the 2021 event, the highest number of registrations they've had. He's glad the event has become a tradition in the Quad Cities.
"I think for a lot of people, this is the only day of the year that they actually go out on the Mississippi," Truesdell said. "We have a lot of great paddling spots around the Quad Cities, but you know, it's the only day that the river is closed for kayakers and so I think this is the only day you're a lot of the year a lot of people get to come out."
Kayakers and canoeists gather from all over the country to paddle on the Mississippi River. Truesdell said 15 states were represented this year, including four new states: New York, Colorado, Kentucky and Texas.
Saturday's event also featured live music and food trucks at Lake Potter. This year marked the 12th annual Floatzilla.