Recently The Log set out to capture the top viewed videos about Destin on The Web. From sharks to tattoos to life and love on the beach, here are the results.
1. KID WITH OIL: While the 2010 BP oil spill is largely a memory, this video of a kid crying to her mother to get the oil off her foot still looms large on YouTube as the top viewed video relating to Destin. The video was played on TV news broadcasts around the nation during the height of the oil scare. To make matters worse, Destin officials say the infamous video wasn’t even shot in Destin city limits. City public information manager Doug Rainer said the video was actually shot in Miramar Beach. 548,927 views.
2. SEXY SANTA: YouTube icon Toby Turner, better known as Tobuscus, discusses a 2009 visit to Destin where he hosted a sexy Santa contest at the old Twisted Palm and rode in a stretch limo with the 10-year-old host from DreamingofDestin.com, a former vlog website that showcased businesses and sights on the Emerald Coast. 309,860 views
3. JUMPING THE BROOM: LeCheryl and Dewayne could never have guessed that when they tied the knot in Destin in 2007, their photo slideshow would become one of the most viewed videos relating to Destin. The couple describes their nuptials as “jumping the broom in beautiful Destin,” referring to a wedding custom found in African and Gypsy culture. Check out the bride’s fingernails! 150,983 views
4. BAREFOOT WEDDING: This promotional video set to a steel drums soundtrack is a collection of beach wedding clips on Destin and other Florida beaches. “We have happily married hundreds of couples barefoot on the beach for almost a decade,” the comments sections of the 2008 video states. 130,047 views
5. DEEP SEA FISHING: ‘Time to go, bro!’ This clip begins at 5:03 a.m. and chronicles a 2007 fishing excursion with local Cable access celeb Shane-O. He fishes on the Seascape with Capt. David Windes. There’s talk of mermaids, praise for ice cold beer and Shane-O kisses a fish. Be warned that this clip with a Primus soundtrack includes some graphic language and adult subject matter. 118,987 views
6. SUNRISE FISHING: The charter boat Sunrise and some giant fish are the stars of this 2004 video that claims to capture “just the fish fightin.” It was a heck of a haul and by the looks of things there was plenty of chop out there. 117,065 views
7. SHARK FISHING: When a shore fisherman hauled in a giant tiger shark in 2010 on the beach it became an instant YouTube sensation. Set to the song, “Living on the Edge” by Aerosmith, the video concludes with the angler petting the shark. It’s hard to even be sure that video was shot on a Destin beach. 137,530 views.
8. 1st TAT: When Amber decides to get her first tattoo in Destin at EXO Graphics, she takes YouTube viewers along for the painful journey. According to the commentary, Amber decided to get the tattoo on her lower back at 1:30 – 2 a.m. “She was a trooper, she never cried, she just looked like she wanted to really bad,” the explainer states. The clip is only 28 seconds long. 97,053 views
9. SHARK NOODLING?: As people scream, a man grabs a beached six-foot shark and pulls him back into the water. Applause breaks out as the creature swims away. According to commentary on the video, “the shark was going to die because it had a piece of plastic wrapped around its gills and we pulled it onshore so we could remove the plastic so that it would live.” 86,109 views
10. JAWS? This 40-second clip from 2007 shows what happens what a shark scare looks like in Destin. Piles of people look out in the water, but no shark ever makes an appearance in the video. “It was at least 8 feet… What is amazing is how empty the water is! Looks like a scene out of Jaws,” the video explainer states. 83,528 views
11. LIFE’S A BEACH: A typical day at the Destin beach set to some island music. “Low population, crystal clear water, great white sandy beaches the entire family can enjoy,” the video explainer states. 82,145 views.
12. DANCIN’ IN DESTIN: A woman does a solitary line dance on the beach with a little help from Alan Jackson. Her seagull audience seems to be enjoying the show. The video states that the demo is by choreographer Aggie Marler. The Jetties make for a great backdrop! 69,660 views.
