Justin McMillan demonstrated Stand-Up Paddleboarding to film crew John Spohrer and Royce Rolstad.

"St. George Island - More than a Beautiful Beach" is the theme of a new video in production to promote the island on websites and networking media.  Kayaking, Stand-Up Paddleboarding, Boating, Fishing, Camping, Bicycling, Birding, Photography  and Vacationing with your Pet are some of the island's special activities featured in the video.

The video is made possible with funds from the Governor's Office awarded to the Franklin County Tourist Development Council to promote the area in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

Visitor Center Executive Director Elaine Rosenthal and SGLA Secretary Terry Kemp have had a great time recruiting local talents to demonstrate their skills on the video, which is being produced for the Visitor Center by Forgotten Coast TV professionals John Spohrer and Royce Rolstad.

There are many wonderful family-oriented activities that make St. George Island a special place to vacation.  Even though our beaches have been fortunately unaffected by the oil spill, highlighting off-the-beach activities is a natural transition from the summer to the fall seasons.

Island resident Tom Slocum, an avid distance bicyclist, was the first to be filmed, pedaling along the bay and on the island's 11-mile bike path.  Don Dush and Pearl the dog enjoyed the dog-friendly beach for the camera, and were joined by Kathy Edgeworth and her Portuguese Water Dog Nola who come from Baton Rouge to SGI to vacation because our beaches allow well-behaved pets.

Terry Kemp encouraged viewers to visit the Cape St. George Light, and charter captain Clint Taylor took the film crew out on the bay to talk about the many species of fish that can be caught in island waters. 

State Park Rangers Mark Knapke and Josh Hodson showed off the amenities of the Dr. Julian Bruce St. George Island State Park.  Angela Troy  of SGLA business member Island Outfitters demonstrated kayaking on the bay, and Justin McMillan of Journeys of St. George Island, also an SGLA business member, showed viewers the skills involved in the latest rage in water recreation, stand-up paddleboarding.

John Murphy of Alligator Point in eastern Franklin County talked about the many species of birds that can be seen on the island because they either live here or migrate through the area, and nature photographer John Spohrer decribed St. George Island as a photographer's paradise for its breathtaking vistas and plentiful wildlife.

The 10-minute video, once completed, will be posted on the Visitor Center website (seestgeorgeisland.com), on our Facebook page, on YouTube, and included in our enewsletters.

More photos of the video shoot are available in the Photo Album.