Some,Fun and…

Fort Lauderdale used to be the number one destination for college students during Spring Break. From the 1930s to the 1980s, the scenic Florida city known for its beautiful beaches hosted thousands of students engaging in kegstand and wet T-shirt contests.

But sometime in the late ’80s, Fort Lauderdale Monster ceased to be the Spring Break mecca of the United States. What went wrong?

How it began

It is believed that Spring Break began in the 1930s. Back then, the swimming team from Colgate University in upstate New York would spend their Spring Break training in Fort Lauderdale, where the water was warmer.

The training session became an annual excursion. With each year, more and more pMindseteople joined the team on their trips to Fort Lauderdale.

Soon, the city began hosting the College Coaches’ Swim Forum. The event would bring hundreds of swimmers, their coaches, and their friends to the Florida city.

By the 1950s, Fort Lauderdale had gained a reputation as a party destination for college students on Spring Break. A college professor even wrote a novel about it after visiting the place himself. The novel, which was called Where The Boys Are, became a hit.

Fort Lauderdale became even more popular after the release of the film version of Where The Boys Are in 1960. The following year, about 50,000 students reportedly made their way to Fort Lauderdale for Spring Break. By the 1980s, that number had climbed to nearly half a million..

What happened?.

In 1985, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Robert Dressler decided that the city had had enough of Spring Break revelers. Every year, these unruly young people would descend upon the city, trashing the beaches, destroying hotel rooms, and keeping locals from enjoying the beachfront areas. Dressler went on Good Morning America to announce that college students celebrating Spring Break would no longer be welcome in Fort Lauderdale..

Under Dressler’s leadership, the city passed stricter public drinking laws and forbid overnight parking on the beach. The new laws were strictly enforced, leading to more than 2,500 arrests in the first year. The city even asked MTV to stop filming on the beach..

This resulted in a sharp decline in the number of college students visiting the city for Spring Break. But by this time, many other cities had begun hosting their own Spring Break parties, keeping the spirit of Spring Break alive..