FLORENCE – The Shoals Mountain Bike Club is offering you a chance to win a kayak/canoe race or a treasure hunt while you help clean up Cypress Creek, in Florence—and while you’re fighting off marauding pirates.
The family-friendly Siege of Cypress Creek is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 3, starting at the Cox Creek Bridge canoe ramp. Available online at The Siege of Cypress Creek, advance tickets for either the kayak race or the treasure hunt are $25 for adults and $15 for children less than 12 years old. Group rates are available. Proceeds benefit the SMBC.
“This event is designed to create some crazy fun and also to raise money for the Shoals Mountain Bike Club,” said SMBC member Eero Wilson. “The club works hard to maintain and create off-road and recreational-use trails for mountain bikers, trail runners, hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts.”
Siege of Cypress Creek contestants will compete in either a 5-mile canoe/kayak race or a beach-to-beach scavenger hunt, where they’ll overcome obstacles to collect hidden treasure and earn points. In keeping with the theme, volunteers dressed as pirates will try to interfere with contestants’ quests for victory.
“When you sign up and buy a ticket, you’re agreeing to be plundered, pillaged, attacked, harassed and assaulted by pirates with a variety of implements,” Wilson said. “This also means that you, too, get to be a pirate and wreak creek-havoc against those seeking to devastate you and 
your vessel, so remember to bring adequate weaponry and armor.”
In addition, the SMBC will encourage participants to pick up any trash they encounter.
Prizes will be given for kayak male adult, kayak female adult, kayak youth, canoe solo and canoe team in the kayak/canoe race; highest points adult, highest points youth and highest points family in the treasure hunt; most trash collected; and best costume.
Participants supply their own boats, paddles and personal flotation devices (state law requires children 8 and younger to wear PFDs). A free shuttle will return participants to the starting-point parking lot.
Sponsors are the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area, Alabama Outdoors of Florence, Spinning Spoke Cycle Hub, Beardo Outdoors, Creek Performance and Repair and Peck ACE Hardware of Florence.
For details or group rates or to serve as a volunteer or sponsor, email siegeofcypresscreek@gmail.com.
Media Release/Cathy Wood/Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area
