Can Snooty's championship reign be overcome in second annual Bradenton Area Beach Madness Tournament?

BRADENTON -- The always-humble Snooty had no comment on winning last year's Bradenton Area Beach Madness Tournament, but can the most famous manatee on the Gulf Coast recapture last year's glory? You can help determine the victor by participating and voting for Manatee County's favorite activity for 2016.

The second annual Bradenton Area Beach Madness Tournament, sponsored by the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, will begin Tuesday and run through March 31, with the 2016 winner being declared April 1. The rules for the competition are easy. Just go out, have fun and then vote for your favorite activity.

The BACVB, like last year, will match 16 activities in head-to-head competition with one pairing per day until the "Elite Eight" are chosen by voters. The first eight winners will square off in an NCAA March Madness style single-elimination pairing until the competition is whittled down to the "Final Four." The final two will square off March 31 with the winner declared the following day. To vote for your favorite activity, visit the Bradenton Area Convention Center's Facebook page to leave a comment voicing your favorite of the two selected activities.

"A large part of what makes the Bradenton Area special is the area's unique activities, which bring visitors to the area and keep them here during their vacations," said Kelly Clark, communications director at the BACVB.

The brackets featuring this year's 16 activities will be featured soon on the BACVB website at bradentongulfislands.com, but all voting will be done on Facebook.

"A giant 'thank you' goes out to all who participated in last year's tournament," said Clark. "We are glad to have had such a great success last year and are proud to host the second annual Bradenton Area Beach Madness. We anticipate an exciting month ahead."

Visiting Snooty claimed top honors in 2015 after defeating fly boarding in Palma Sola Bay. The year's competitors are:

-- Kayaking at Robinson Preserve

-- Fly boarding in Palma Sola Bay

-- Horse surfing in Palma Sola Bay

-- Racing at Anderson Park

-- Climbing trees at TreeUmph!

-- Stand-up paddle boarding at Robinson Preserve

-- Painting sand dollars at Shiny Fish Emporium

-- Catching a game at McKechnie Field

-- Catching a show at Manatee Performing Arts Center

-- Snorkeling for your own hidden treasure

-- Feeding cows at Dakin Dairy Farm

-- Seeing Snooty at the South Florida Museum

-- Going on a guided Segway tour

-- Going for a scenic bike ride

-- Touring the grove at Mixon Fruit Farms

-- Picking strawberries at O'Brien Family Farms.

Mark Young, Herald urban affairs reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7041 or follow him on Twitter@urbanmark2014.

This story was originally published March 11, 2016 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Can Snooty's championship reign be overcome in second annual Bradenton Area Beach Madness Tournament? ."