Get Ready to Row, Row, Row Your Boat Down Fort Lauderdale's New River for the First Ever Red Bull Candola

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- You're sure to be singing, "Mama Mia!" as Red Bull Candola (can-doh-la) makes its way to the Venice of America for its inaugural debut. The city known for its scenic canals and Intracoastal Waterway will host an event that will have gondoliers racing their manmade, human-powered gondolas down the New River on Saturday April 9th.  Teams of three – two mates and a captain – will be challenged with the task of creating, building, and rowing their crafts down a .33 mile course between Huizenga Plaza and Esplanade Park in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Interested gondoliers can apply on-line at www.redbullusa.com/candola between now and February 21st.  A total of only 30 teams will be chosen to participate so make sure your gondola stands out above the rest. Rumor has it you can score some extra wings for including a certain 8.4 oz can in the design for your craft.

SET SAIL OR SINK

While your boat must float, there are a few other water safety regulations required before castoff. All boats must be entirely human-powered – in other words, no motors or stored energy – and cannot exceed 100 pounds (without passengers) and must be between six and twelve feet long. Your vessel should also be made using light weight and environmentally safe materials. While in theory we want all of your gondolas to stay afloat, it's not very likely and we need to keep the water safe for its inhabitants. Oh, and strong swimming skills are required by all aboard.

Not too confident you can master the skill of making the fastest gondola on the planet? Don't worry. Your race time isn't the only criteria your team will be judged on – creativity and showmanship will also play a big part into which group gets crowned the Big Bambino. To win over the amore of the crowd and the judges, each team will perform a 30 second skit before their race time.

MAN OVERBOARD

Does all of this sound familiar? That's because the event concept is inspired by one of the wackiest events around, Red Bull Flugtag. However, in Red Bull Candola teams are trying to keep their crafts on the water, not from crashing into it.  

For more information on how to apply and to find a full list of rules about Red Bull Candola, check out www.redbullusa.com/candola.

SOURCE Red Bull