The 28th annual United States Virgin Islands Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament from August 11 to 16 will be featured on two half-hour ESPN cable channel shows.
Dennis P. Kissman, president of Marina Management Services Inc. has confirmed that St.Thomas-based American Yacht Harbor has teamed with the World Billfish Series to provide ESPN cable television and Total Sports Internet coverage of the tournament. The tournament is known as the 'Boy Scout Tournament' because of the long-standing association with the Virgin Islands Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The tournament is one of the major annual fund raisers for the Boy Scouts, according to the tournament information web-site.
In 1999 the Boy Scout Tournament hosted 69 international anglers fishing aboard 26 boats. A total of 134 Blue Marlin was released. Last year's event also yielded the first 'side-by-side double header' (two boats, with two anglers apiece simultaneously fighting Blue Marlin) in the history of Virgin Islands sportfishing.
Tournament director Jimmy Loveland said he hopes for 40 boats in this year's tournament.
"You have no idea the amount of money these fishing tournaments bring to the islands," Loveland said, "Each boat spends more than $ 2,000, just on fuel."
"Accommodation, dinners, shopping, there is an incredible boost to the economy from this event, if you go down to the airport and check out the private jets, it looks like high season," Loveland continued.
The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism with American Yacht Harbor and the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club will sponsor the two half-hour episodes for the ESPN's highly rated 'Inside Big Game Fishing' show, hosted by Captain Norm Isaacs. ESPN reaches an estimated 150 million cable television subscribers worldwide. The shows are scheduled to air at 8:30-9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23 and 30.
Live world wide web coverage of the Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament will be at www.fishWBS.com and www.WorldBillfishSeries.com and is expected to provide global exposure for the Virgin Islands tourism and marine industries, according to a release from Marina Management Services' spokesperson Arlene Martel.
Detailed information on all facets of the tournament is available on-line at www.usvi.net/bsa