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Kim Bain-Moore is Fast Approaching
Her Biggest Challenge Yet, the 2009 Bassmaster Classic
Jan 28, 2009 - Professional angler Kim Bain-Moore
of Alabaster, Ala. , hasn't slowed down since Oct. 25, the day
she qualified for the Bassmaster Classic and became the first
woman to do so in the prestigious tournament's 38-year history.
"Nonstop" was the word the 28-year-old
Australian native used in a recent Bassmaster.com blog to describe
her life since she won the Toyota Tundra Women's Bassmaster Tour
Angler of the Year competition, her route to the Feb. 20-22 Classic
out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La., on the Red River.
With so much going on in her life now, is Bain-Moore
in danger of hitting the river running on empty?
No way.
"I think I function on the excitement,"
she said Monday. "I just jump from one thing to the next,
and I'm always excited to go to the next thing, and that keeps
me pumped."
She said she was on her way to Connecticut for
a taping at ESPN headquarters.
"They've invited me to be involved in a special
about women who have achieved important milestones in sports,
and they think that my story and the Bassmaster Classic is an
interesting angle," she said. "I'm really excited to
be a part of it."
She was also excited about her win the day before
in a pro-level kingfish tournament out of Key West . Bain-Moore
teamed with three other anglers, including her husband, Andre
Moore, to take the top overall prize, and Bain-Moore scored first
place in the women's division.
"We've been fishing (kingfish events) for
a while, and to come through with the win was pretty special,"
she said.
As much as that win meant to her, she said the
Classic, now less than a month away, still counts as the biggest
competition of her life.
One reason, of course, has to be the first-place
prize of $500,000; no one forgets what winning it could mean.
But the reasons Bain-Moore cited had more to do with the energy
of the Classic.
"It's an event I've been to as a spectator,
and I've always been amazed at the crowd participation, the huge
numbers it draws, and how exciting it is when the anglers drive
in and their song plays. I've dreamed about being in the Classic
my whole life, and now it's really happening."
She'll be competing against the biggest names in
pro fishing for a crown known to lead to lucrative sponsorship
deals and a flurry of speaking engagements and public appearances.
Not to mention instant fame.
The fame, Bain-Moore already has. It began to build
in early 2008, her rookie year on the Women's Bassmaster Tour
presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors, when she pulled off
an upset win in the season opener. She kept up the pace, never
finishing lower than sixth place in the tour's other events.
She wrapped up 2008 with a coup: same-day wins in the tour's
championship and points race that qualified her for the 2009
Classic.
And then the media really sat up and noticed Bain-Moore.
She appeared on ESPN's First Take, and the news of her Classic
qualification was covered by SportsCenter and ESPNews. CBS Evening
News with Katie Couric produced a segment on Bain-Moore for the
Dec. 11 broadcast. Features on Bain-Moore have run in magazines
and U.S. newspapers - USA Today and The Palm Beach Post, to name
just two - as well as in the Australian media. An Internet search
for her name produces scores of hits.
She handles the publicity well. Poised, well-spoken
and sincere, she comes across as exactly who she is: a serious
competitor who loves the sport. She is appreciative of those
who have helped her. She readily acknowledges her debt to the
women who pioneered the sport, paving the way for her Classic
qualification.
Admittedly, her hectic schedule has put prep time
for the Bassmaster Classic on the Red River on the back burner.
"I haven't really done a lot in regards to
getting my tackle ready," she said. "Of course it's
been on my mind every day, and I've been thinking about it. Certainly,
once I get back home to Alabama , which will be in about a week's
time, I'll be doing nothing else but getting ready."
She has been working on sponsorships. She said
her new Legend-Evinrude rig with a Reaction Innovations wrap
is almost ready to roll. She also has cemented first-time deals
with Plano and Pflueger, strong additions to her sponsors lineup,
as well as previous seasons' supporters Hi-Seas/AFW, Minn Kota,
Humminbird and PowerPole.
In a few weeks, Bain-Moore will be in Shreveport-Bossier
City for official practice days, Feb. 13-15. She said only after
those three days on the water will she have an idea of how she'll
attack the Red River fishery.
"I really just want to go out the first day
of the tournament, put my head down and try to make good decisions,"
she said. "Whatever (weight) I catch will be what I catch,
and I'll certainly be proud of it, whatever it is."
The public is invited to daily launches presented
by the Red River Waterway Commission at 7:15 a.m. CT, Feb. 20-22,
at the Red River South Marina, Highway 71 South in Bossier City
. Also free and open to the public, the daily weigh-ins will
be at the CenturyTel Center , 2000 CenturyTel Center Drive ,
Bossier City . Doors will open each day at 3:30 p.m.
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