"Cycling in Florida is great," says George Fussell. "Climate is good; terrain is flat; and many of the roads are bike-friendly" -- especially A1A, where Fussell and about 50 other cyclists bike on Saturday mornings, trekking 40 miles from Lauderdale-by-the-Sea to Delray or Lake Worth. The ride is competitive and intense, sometimes reaching over 35 mph.
Fussell, president and CEO of Southern Auto Finance Co., took up the sport more than a decade ago after back surgery. He now rides 150 to 180 miles a week with the cycling group. His equipment: A road bike -- which can cost from $2,000 to $10,000 -- and helmet.
Last year Fussell combined his passion for cycling with fund raising. His company sponsored Miles for Smiles, benefiting the local nonprofit Kids in Distress, which provides early intervention to children and families in crisis, with a particular focus on foster children. (Fussell was a foster child himself.) The ride raised $35,000. A 2003 event is in the works.
Happy Trails
During weekdays, West Palm attorney David Bates deals with the latest in high-tech as he advises clients in Gunster Yoakley's technology practice. But on weekends, Bates goes low-tech, choosing to hike in a state park or nature preserve.
Bates brings family or clients along -- the farther from the beaten bath, the better. For example: He and his wife last year hiked an underwater trail in alligator-infested waters in the Everglades -- thigh deep in mud for five hours at Flamingo Park in Pine Key. You have to trust the person in the front, Bates says, because they're the only ones who can see the trail, but then their footsteps kick up the muddy bottom, and those following behind can't see where they're stepping.
Favorite trails: Shark Valley, Myakka River State Park, Jonathan Dickinson State Park and Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.
Hitting the Road
Check out www.byways.org for a listing of the state's best drives. The website is part of the Federal Highway Administration and is managed by the National Scenic Byways Program. It includes information from the Florida Scenic Highways Program, established in 1993 to protect the state's scenic corridors.
Some of the Best in FloridaOld Florida Heritage Highway -- 47 miles
Composed of a stretch of U.S. 441 from near Gainesville to the Alachua-Marion County line and also several spur roads.Florida Keys Scenic Highway -- 106.6 miles
Begins south of Florida City on U.S. 1, continuing from Key Largo to Key West; also known as the Overseas Highway.A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Highway -- 71 miles
Begins just south of Jacksonville Beach, continuing south on A1A.Indian River Lagoon Scenic Highway -- 150 miles
Begins at the Ais Lookout Point in Palm Bay, continuing south along A1A and U.S. 1.Tamiami Trail Scenic Highway -- 49.5 miles
Begins at U.S. 41 southeast from Naples or west from Miami.
To the X-Treme
When Miami architect Chad Oppenheim isn't designing loft condos in the city's gentrifying neighborhoods, he's checking wind conditions and heading for the beach. Oppenheim, owner of Oppenheim Architecture & Design, is a hardcore newcomer to kiteboarding, a combination of windsurfing and wakeboarding, which attracts extreme-sports-minded adventurers.
Its origins: Depending on whom you talk to, kiteboarding arrived in Florida via France then Hawaii, where two former Floridians, Lou Waiman and Marcus "Flash" Austin, helped bring it to prominence about three years ago. While it appeals to the young surfer set, it's also attracting the 30-, 40- and 50-something crowd, says Christophe Ribot, owner/instructor at Miami Kiteboarding. Women make up about 50% of his clientele.
Getting started: You'll need a kite, a board, control bar, lines and harness. A complete beginner setup of equipment runs $1,500 to $2,000. Classes run another couple of hundred for a half day; rental equipment is usually included in the price. Then all you have to do is wait for wind. Ten to 12 knots will give you "good lift," says Francisco Escudero, instructor/ owner of Sky Banditz in Miami. He teaches kiteboarding classes at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne in an area designated for kiteboarders. Crowded beaches aren't the best place to teach novices should a wayward kite get out of hand.
The hook: For Oppenheim, a self-confessed fanatic about snowboarding and extreme skiing, it's the rush from powering up the kite and taking off that has him hooked.
More info: http://kitesurfing-school.org lists schools around the world and in Florida.
Kiteboarding in South Florida
Sky Banditz, Miami
(305) 947-8454
Miami Kiteboarding
(305) 345-9974
www.miamikiteboarding.com
Kite Surf the Earth, Key West
(888) 819-5483
www.kste.net
Extreme Sports Florida Keys
(305) 664-4055
www.extremesportsfloridakeys.com
Real Kiteboarding, Fort Pierce
(866) REAL-KITE
www.realkiteboarding.com