The Crystal Beach Challenge

Hosted by Jerry and Debbie Valentine

Tournament organizers SFCCI

Headline: Old bull, Big Lou comes out of retirement and wins.

Results: All casts were electronically measured.

Winds light and variable 10 mph at the best. The court was moved after the first four casts. Humidity very high. We managed to get 12 rounds.

9 * 150gram and 3 * 125gram.

The event was a great success bringing to the field some of the best casters in the USA.

The weather conditions were a test for the brinkmanship of the casters and their endurance. Its been a long time since we have seen Big Lou demonstrate his art and provide the rest of us with valuable memory. The young Bull Guy Rucker was close until Big Lou had that sausage for his mid day break. At this time we pulled the right hand side of the court and moved it over to the left of the court trying hard to set the court to the now light North wind that would veer through 90 degrees about every 1 or 2 minutes.

Big Lou approached the oke, he played the game like the champ he is, position himself and letting us all prepare for the big hit. When Lou hits, he hits. The rod will achieve amazing speed and its years of practice that keeps everything together. His sinker landed 765.665 feet away, a distance that established the winner.

Many other things were going on at different levels of the court, all casters serious about the competition they were involved in. We had absolute beginners and great casters like Rip Ripley, who graced us with his presence, Rip is now 68 and has not picked his rod up for 2 years. He had not cleaned the reel since he last cast at the Sportcast Nationals. I asked him how long he had been casting, “well he said I started when I was 51”.  I then asked him if the sport had changed.  He looked at me and said, “Heck yes” 

A special big thank you goes out to Jerry and Debbie Valentine for being such gracious hosts and providing the prizes, etc, etc. (We love ya) They also own the Dollar Store in Crystal beach so make sure you support them if you are in the area.

The gentleman that cooked the lunch and cut the grass. Thank you.

Steve’s Lading, for providing a great location and excellent meal for the prize giving.

The new rules worked fine. Point of interest, Guy still was using the Daiwa .31. 

I have not had the chance to get anyone to check the spellings. Please forgive me.