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Gulf Coast Triple Crown Adds New Event
Tournament series will kick off at The Wharf with Orange Beach Billfish Classic in 2014
By Sam White
Boat parade at the Orange Beach Billfish Classic.
2012 and 2013 Triple Crown winners on the Done Deal.
Fireworks over Main Street at The Wharf Entertainment Complex in Orange Beach, Alabama.
Orange Beach, AL — Marlin tournament season in the Gulf of Mexico means big fish and big bucks as well as a serious adrenaline rush, and nowhere is that feeling more apparent than in the extremely popular Gulf Coast Triple Crown Series, consisting of five high-profile tournaments in the Gulf of Mexico. At stake for the Top Team in the Triple Crown is not only a custom six-foot marlin trophy, but also the honor of being named the best billfishing team in the Gulf of Mexico for the year.
And the Triple Crown is expanding once again in 2014. The first tournament of the season will be the always-popular Orange Beach Billfish Classic. It's an exciting turn of events for the tournament, which changed both its dates and venue in 2013. According to tournament coordinator Scott Burt, "It's a great fit for the Triple Crown series — one that our anglers have been requesting for some time now — and it's also a terrific way to start the tournament season here in the Gulf of Mexico. We're very excited to have them join the Gulf Coast Triple Crown in 2014."
The Orange Beach Billfish Classic will take place May 14-18, 2014 at The Wharf Entertainment Complex in Orange Beach, Alabama. The OBBC has quickly become a top event on the Gulf Coast and serves as an important fundraiser for The Billfish Foundation and the Coastal Conservation Association. Since its inception, the event has contributed over $500,000 to conservation efforts through these two organizations. "We've managed to do quite a bit to support marine conservation over the last few years," says OBBC Chairman Johnny Dorland. "Now, our association with the Gulf Coast Triple Crown should increase our visibility in the fishing community and allow us to have an even greater impact in the future. We look forward to kicking off this year's Triple Crown with the 2014 Orange Beach Billfish Classic!"
The Gulf Coast Triple Crown consists of the most competitive and prestigious billfish tournaments held in the Gulf of Mexico. The lineup for 2014 consists of the Orange Beach Billfish Classic in the kickoff spot, followed by the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic in Venice, Louisiana. The Series moves to Biloxi for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic, then to Florida for the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin. The Series comes full circle for the season finale, the Blue Marlin Grand Championship of the Gulf, held at The Wharf Entertainment Complex in Orange Beach, Alabama. There is no additional charge or entry paperwork required for any team wishing to participate in the Gulf Coast Triple Crown, and the top team at the conclusion of the season wins a truly stunning six-foot custom marlin trophy by marine artist Frank Ledbetter, presented at the conclusion of the Blue Marlin Grand Championship event.
For more information, visit www.gulfcoasttriplecrown.com.
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