OnBoard Magazine - Summer 2015

IN 2003 the billfish tournament scene was experiencing record participation and massive prize payouts. And yet for some reason Virginia Beach continued to be overlooked. Local car dealer, tournament sponsor and Bluewater customer Charles Barker found it frustrating, “I remember twelve years ago commenting about successful tournaments on both sides of Rudee Inlet, Pirates Cove just to the south and Ocean City to the north. The question to many of us was ‘why not Rudee Inlet?’” As marine industry veterans, both Earle Hall and Jud Black of Bluewater heard it all. “Tournaments are an integral part of our business, being able to demonstrate our brands’ prowess on the circuit goes a long way to not just make a sale, but build the camaraderie we all enjoy out here. We had many conversations with our customers and fellow marine sponsors about a local tournament. It just made sense,” recalls Earle. Local Wayne Sawyer was one such customer and he knew it could be done, “There was precedent in the successes of previous tournaments. It’s just crazy that when the bite is going off out of VB we’re off fishing a tournament elsewhere. We missed our friends coming here, to fish with us.” Earle Hall also discussed the idea with friend and Newport News businessman Jimmy Bayne who also ran offshore trips aboard his Paul Mann built Sniper . With hours on the water with both the Oregon Inlet and Rudee fleets, Bayne had a finger on the pulse of both and the best sense of how much enthusiasm they would have for a new Rudee event. His reaction was positive that with the right timing it could be a success, and so the conversation shifted from “why not?” to “why don’t we ?” In late September the five sat down with Bluewater’s new marketing director Deirdre Bell and hammered out their ideas. There were challenges, but also strong common goals: A desire to revitalize the Virginia fishing scene, raise money for worthy charities and pay out 100% of the entry fees. Although there was much to put in place, on that day the Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament was born. “One of the advantages the VBBT had was that every single one of the board members believed 2004 42 Boats / 231 Anglers $213,500 Awarded Top Boat: Harbor Lights Capt. Carl Beale Owner Bob Dively 54 Total Releases 2005 42 Boats / 227 Anglers $234,000 Awarded Top Boat: Waverunner Capt. Mike Standing Owner David Parker 38 Total Releases 2006 53 Boats / 330 Anglers $273,000 Awarded Top Boat: Pursuer Capt./Owner Ray Temple 74 Total Releases 2007 73 Boats / 458 Anglers $388,500 Awarded Top Boat: Hunter Capt./Owner Walt Spruill 191 Total Releases 2008 67 Boats / 450 Anglers $355,000 Awarded Top Boat: Swordfish Capt. Justin Ringer Owner Brant Wise 96 Total Releases 2009 53 Boats / 372 Anglers $285,000 Awarded Top Boat: Hunter Capt./Owner Walt Spruill 194 Total Releases AGAINST THE ODDS THE BLOSSOMING HISTORY OF THE VIRGINIA BEACH BILLFISH TOURNAMENT PHOTO: SEAN SMITH VBBT: 11 YEARS BY THE NUMBERS What a Start: 46 founding sponsors, Car auction netted $55,000 for the Boys and Girls Clubs Tiffany Griffin Ramsey took home Top Lady Angler with a grand slam, plus another blue Earle Hall thanks sponsors and participants in 2005 Repeat: Walt Spruill and crew become the first team to win Top Boat honors twice