For many years, stretching to many decades, spring break was the exclusive domain of a few select locales in the state of Florida.
First it was Fort Lauderdale, which really began the spring break tradition in the 1960s. Over the ensuing twenty-five years, it became the go-to destination for studens from around the country (as well as Canada, and a few Europeans of course) who wanted to get away from their studies for a week of fun in the sun with a double-helping of debaucher of the carnal nature.
By the late 1980s, however, Fort Lauderdale’s residents decided the influx of cash wasn’t worth the problems caused by spring breakers and ended up encouraging the police force to impose something akin to martial law on anyone under twenty-one years of age.
Stepping up to fill the gap was Daytona Beach, which had a good fifteen year run as the top spring break destination of them all. But its day, too, came to an end much in the same way as Fort Lauderdale’s. Too many assaults, too many rapes, too many deaths, too many underage kids who couldn’t handle their booze, and that put the nail in the coffin for Daytona Beach. more…