Man Retracing Ponce De Leon's Route To Cuba on a Jet Ski

How does one best celebrate the 500th anniversary of Ponce de Leon's discovery of Florida? By retracing his epic journey via Jet Ski, of course! Álvaro de Marichalar, a man already famous for pulling off a Rome-to-New York trip via Jet Ski, is trying to do just that.After a reception...

By Ryan Yousefi

April 8, 2013

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How does one best celebrate the 500th anniversary of Ponce de Leon's discovery of Florida? By retracing his epic journey via Jet Ski, of course! Álvaro de Marichalar, a man already famous for pulling off a Rome-to-New York trip via Jet Ski, is trying to do just that.

After a reception in St. Augustine last week to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Ponce de Leon coming ashore, Marichalar plans to stop in Miami this afternoon en route to Key West and then Cuba. No word yet if Jay-Z will greet him at his last stop saying "You crazy for this one, Alvaro!"

Marichalar's journey began way back on March 20 in Puerto Rico, taking him some 1,624 miles to St. Augustine. The trip "was very long" and filled with big waves and bad weather, Marichalar says in an email. All you mom's out there would be happy to hear Iva remembered his toothbrush, because dental hygiene is of paramount importance even when in the middle of the Atlantic on a Kawasaki.

If Ponce de Leon lived today he would no doubt say "The fuck is that magical tiny boat he rides?!" , but right after being calmed down, he would probably say this is actually a pretty cool way to commemorate some history.

Here's Marichalar talking up his journey:

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Ryan Yousefi, a sports journalist and MBA holder in business healthcare management, has been a dedicated weekly contributor to the Miami New Times since 2013. Beyond his sports journalism career, he's held leadership roles in web3 gaming companies. He enjoys southeast Asia travel, pho, and whiskey, but most of all, being Lincoln's dad.

Contact: Ryan Yousefi

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