Board Up Miami Brings Life

© rumbum.com, Tobias Franoszek

Board-Up Miami 2009

In 1963, the country’s first powerboat stadium opened its doors on Virginia Key.  For the next thirty years, the Miami Marine Stadium hosted events including world-class racing, music concerts, live TV shows and church services.  The stadium and basin gave Miami a reason to congregate and celebrate.  In 1992, Hurricane Andrew damaged the historic structure and authorities closed it.  Five years ago, the City outlawed power boating in the Basin.

“Miami’s an event town, so why not do the events on the water?” says Board Up Miami’s founder and creator, Jonathan Strauss.  While dreaming and designing Board Up Miami years ago with brother and business partner, Allen, the Strauss brothers focused on three goals: provide a service for the community, offer a safe and quality event for the public and help promote and protect the Marine Stadium and Basin.
The Strauss brothers are familiar with helping the community.  For twenty-five years, the family business, Swim Gym, has taught thousands of Miami’s youth to swim.  The brothers’ roots in aquatic sports run deep so the evolution from the swimming foundation to board sports was natural.  Jonathan and Allen developed and offered a venue for local athletes to test their boarding skills among the best in the world, with a chance to “make it”.

Although Board Up Miami’s focus is wakeboarding, the event has grown tremendously in the four years of existence.  It is a true action sports and cultural festival encompassing many South Florida ingredients.  Throughout the festival, one could stand in the middle of the grounds and enjoy, wakeboarding, wakeskating, ramp and street skating, BMX, Dragon boat racing, swimming, an array of live and local music, micro bikinis, lowriders, bikes, street vendors and gear reps.  With 1,000 participants the first year, the event has doubled in size each year since and the majority of guests are competitors as well.  The first year, no local riders competed, this year there are twenty-five based in Miami alone.  To further strengthen the Board Up mission, partnerships are established with sanctioning bodies like the International Water Ski Federation, USA Wakeboard and USA Swimming.  Within the next couple years, Board Up will pack its bags and share the magic and opportunity with other major cities around the country.

Jonathan and Allen want to demonstrate to all, especially the city of Miami, that marine activities and sports can be enjoyed safely and responsibly.  As the festival grows, and life returns to the Marine Stadium grounds, the brothers hope that “slowly but surely we’ll get the Basin back open”.  Soon, Miami will again congregate and celebrate on the Bay.