Flora-Bama Sponsors Mullet Toss and the Gulf Coast's Greatest Beach Party

Soon after returning to the Alabama Gulf Coast from exhibiting at the Emerald City Comicon and sightseeing in Victoria and Vancouver, Doug decided that he'd drive over to the Flora-Bama Lounge, which is only a few miles from our "winter home" in Orange Beach, Alabama. Although Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 partially destroyed the legendary Flora-Bama, it's back in business and once again sponsoring annual community fundraising events like the Polar Bear Dip, Super Bowl Chili Cook-Off and Mullet Toss as well as the Gulf Coast's Greatest Beach Party! The beautiful white-sand beaches are perfect for a game of beach volleyball!

The crowds gathered early Saturday, April 25, for the 25th annual Mullet Toss competition at the famed Flora-Bama Lounge at the Alabama-Florida state line. Playboy called the Flora-Bama one of the top roadhouses in the U.S. and Jimmy Buffett immortalized it in "Bama Breeze."

Organizers anticipated the event could easily draw thousands of spectators and participants this year, especially if the weather cooperated - it did! In addition to the Mullet Toss, the weekend was billed as the Gulf Coast's Greatest Beach Party, and what's a party without dancing!!!

Even though registrants were heaving lifeless fish in the name of charity, the toss, like any competition, required lots of pre-planning: announcers, P.A. systems, judges, prizes, etc.

Mullet tossing madness started at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 25. The one-pound lifeless mullets were tossed (see top center) and distances measured by the judges before contestants retrieved their mullet and recycled it back into water buckets for more throws.

It was a great weekend for the 25th. annual Mullet Toss, sponsored by the Flora-Bama Lounge. If participants tired of playing beach volleyball, watching girls in bikinis, or throwing mullets for charity, they were only a few yards from the beautiful Gulf Coast beach for a quick dip to cool off.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)