|
Lowe's World Championship Fishing -
A Real Fan Favorite
Great Parity in the Powerboating Competition
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - November 2, 2000 --With the first
full season of Lowe's World Championship Fishing just completed,
it is abundantly clear that the
concept of combining bass fishing with performance powerboating
works
extremely well.
From the very start, there was a full range of opinions expressed
over the
viability of such an event. The Internet was abuzz with questions
concerning boating safety, fan acceptance and industry support.
In every
case, the Lowe's W.C.F. format has emerged with flying colors.
Early on, tournament director Don Corkran and his staff addressed
those
concerns over the safety of the powerboating competition. With
the
invaluable assistance of the American Powerboating Association
(APBA), the
Lowe's W.C.F. course and rules were formulated with safety as
the utmost
concern.
In fact, APBA officials remarked that Lowe's W.C.F. is perhaps
the safest
form of competitive boating anywhere. And, the results of the
inaugural
season bear this out. Yes, these are fast boats and yes, they
generate real
water-churning excitement, but it also has a very positive connection
to
real-world bass boating.
"Certainly we're not trying to send a message for the
fans to go out and do
this in their boats. But, it does say if they're going down the
lake and
they have to take evasive action, it gives them confidence they've
got a
hull under them that will make that sharp turn without problem,"
remarks
Earl Bentz, president of Triton Boats.
The Triton influence backed by Bentz' formidable experience
also made some
observers wonder if the Lowe's W.C.F. boating competition would
turn into a
man-among-boys juggernaut. Clearly, that wasn't the case.
Of the five events in Louisiana, Illinois, Virginia, Alabama
and Kentucky,
the winning boat/motor rigs showed a representative slice of
the
marketplace - including companies like BassCat, Champion, Mercury,
Skeeter,
Triton and Yamaha.in the winner's circle.
After Dean Rojas stunned the crowd at the season opener in
Monroe,
Louisiana with a win for Skeeter/Yamaha, Gary Klein found "the
zone" in
putting together back-to-back wins for Triton/Mercury. But, the
other
competitors were climbing the learning curve. Perhaps none better
than
Skeet Reese who piloted a smaller, 19-foot Champion and a less-powerful
engine - a 200-horse Mercury - than any other driver, yet still
dominated
in the final two events of the year.
"With four different overall champions, four different
fishing champions,
and three different boating champions, it absolutely hasn't been
dominated
by anyone. We could not have scripted this any better,"
remarked Corkran.
In terms of fan participation, large and boisterous crowds
were on hand at
every Lowe's W.C.F. event, many of which were drawn to the championship
fishing and then later captivated by the powerboating.
"It gives you the excitement of two different sports.
We saw it on
television so we decided to come out and get a firsthand view,"
said
B.A.S.S. member Gary Thomas, who along with his wife, Tammy,
attended the
Kentucky event.
"Last Sunday, we were in Frankfort [KY] eating supper
and we ran into Shaw
Grigsby at a restaurant. We sat and talked for a little bit.
He was very
polite, just a super guy."
Thomas and every other fan who attended a Lowe's W.C.F. got
even more
up-close-and-personal contact with their favorite fishing heroes.
Of the
fans polled, the accessibility of the pros was one of the most
memorable
aspects of every event.
In addition, they were treated to a festival atmosphere, a
bit of bass
fishing heaven that offered everything from the tension of a
weigh-in to a
hands-on look at the very latest in fishing tackle, boats, motors
and
marine hardware.
Of course, the future of Lowe's W.C.F. rests precisely where
it should, in
the hands of the bass fishing fans themselves. And, perhaps the
positive
nature of these responses is best offered in a succinct comment
from Steve
Dyer, a 35-year-old automotive service technician from Louisville,
Kentucky.
With the roar of outboards as a backdrop, Dyer smiled and
said, "I'll be
back."
World Championship Fishing
Announces 2000 Schedule
MONTGOMERY, Ala., March, 2000 - World Championship
Fishing, the
outdoorsman's biathlon that combines bass fishing and boat handling,
is
racing to achieve new heights of fan excitement. The largest
crowd to ever
attend an outdoor fishing/boating event, 38,000 spectators, lined
the
shores of Illinois' Rend Lake to watch 22 hand-picked competitors
clash
rods and rev engines for a $251,000 first place prize - the largest
cash
payout in history!
"We are so excited about the 2000 WCF season," stated
WCF Director of
Competition Don Corkran. "The fisheries we've selected are
top-notch and
the surrounding communities have a population of fans that will
make last
year's 38,000 spectators seem small," continued Corkran.
2000 WCF Schedule
June 16-18, 2000 James River
Richmond, Va.
June 30-July 2 Ohio River
Louisville, Ky.
Aug. 4-6 Ouachita River Monroe, La.
Aug. 11-13 Rend Lake
Mount Vernon, Ill.
Aug. 18-20 Mississippi River Tunica, Miss.
Sept. 1-3 Mobile Bay
Mobile, Ala.
The new WCF format is the latest step in B.A.S.S.' continued
effort toward
making bass fishing a viable spectator sport. These "made
for television"
events will air on FOX Sports Net and have already attracted
a fan base of
NASCAR enthusiasts and avid fishermen. "Improving safety
components in the
existing bass rigs by focusing on boat/engine performance is
probably the
biggest consumer advantage of the new format. There have already
been hull
advancements due to the results of the first WCF event,"
added Corkran.
The Friday-Sunday competition is free to the public and each
day will
consist of a morning round of bass fishing, a midday weigh-in,
followed by
a pit break and then afternoon power boating. During the pit
break,
NASCAR-like crews will add custom-fitted cowlings to the boats,
substitute
performance racing props and adjust the fuel load to increase
the
performance of the rigs, which are provided by most of the major
engine and
boat manufacturers in the bass boating industry.
Drivers will run an obstacle course that emphasizes boat-handling
skills.
Only one boat at a time will be allowed on the closed course,
with the
object being to clock the quickest time. The course will test
maneuvering
and agility rather than top-end speeds. As in a downhill skiing
slalom
course, buoys will be positioned strategically in the water to
make the
course more challenging.
"We respect WCF for taking stringent steps to promote
boat safety," said
Tad Whitten of the American Power Boat Association which sanctions
and
conducts the boat-handling portion of the competition. "In
the overall
picture of boat racing, this is the lowest level of risk APBA
has ever been
involved with. It's elementary at best, but we hope to raise
the bar of
boating safety awareness," continued Whitten. With that
in mind, the Bass
Anglers Sportsman Society will conduct a free boat safety seminar
prior to
the weigh-in on each day of competition. "B.A.S.S. is proud
of its long and
successful history as a leader in boating safety. We feel an
obligation to
inform while entertaining the millions of fans who follow professional
fishing," stated CEO Helen Sevier.
The winner is determined by the cumulative weight of bass
caught in three
days of fishing plus the elapsed time in the boaters challenge.
The fishing
competition accounts for 60 percent of the total score and boating
provides
40 percent.
The response by fans, fishermen and sponsors has been overwhelmingly
positive. Here are a few comments:
Gary Klein, overall champion of Illinois BASS Quest '99: "There
are a lot of different aspects to the sport of bass fishing;
a lot of it is boat performance - over half of it is. We run
a lot of big
water and have to drive waves, and I mean big waves. So boat
performance
falls hand in hand with boating safety. Sure we did a few doughnuts
and
spinouts, but nothing major. That's what was so beautiful about
it, some
guys were running 70 mph or more down the straightaway, but they
were good
enough drivers that when they hit the corner, they knew exactly
how the
boat was going to handle. Some bit a little hard and bounced,
but that's no
big deal."
Ron Shuffield, boating division champion, Illinois BASS Quest
'99:
"Even though we're out here trying to show performance
boating on
this course, we're also trying to stress the importance of safety.
It's
very important to know the limits of your boat. If you're going
to try hard
turns in a stump-infested area or dodge a laydown floating on
the lake, you
need to know that you can do that safely and effectively.
"BASS Quest (WCF) is the best thing to come along since
mashed
potatoes and gravy. I love this format. This is going to wake
up a lot of
other manufacturers; they'll look at what Triton is doing. They're
going to
learn that we're setting standards in the boating industry. By
saying that,
you're going to see this become a more level playing field, because
that's
what it's all about. Driver skills are what we're trying to show
and get a
safety message across to the general public."
Roland Martin, nine time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year and WCF
competitor: "We haven't thought about boat performance much
until now. Now that
we are thinking about it, it's going to make a difference in
the boats in
the future. This is going to be a new trend in boating and it's
going to be
a good thing for the industry. Sheer speed isn't what we're talking
about.
It would be dangerous to have everybody going 100 mph. But maneuverability
is a good thing.
WCF 1999
BASS News
Kmart 150 | Central
Div. | Eastern Div. | Western
Div.
Circuit Tournament Results
| Tournament Schedules
Kansas Angler Home
|
