By Capt. Dave Lear
June 6, 2018; Biloxi, Mississippi:
One person could not do it alone. To put on a big-game tournament the caliber and magnitude of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic requires a sizable and dedicated staff. Each member works on different tasks but the combined effort is necessary to complete the countless behind-the-scenes steps involved before the first line ever goes in the water. Most of the Classic crew have been working together for years.
Tournament Director Bobby Carter oversees the entire operation and serves as the liaison with the host resort, the Golden Nugget Casino and Hotel. Carter also networks with Biloxi and the other nearby cities on the Mississippi coast, as well as the state tourism office to promote the region. He is the direct link with the participating boat owners and their crews, developing relationships and networking.
Tournament Coordinators Bert Merritt and Chris McLellan have been on board since the beginning. Merritt covers rules and advance registration, while McLellan coordinates collecting tournament fees, optional entries and the distribution of the boat goodies. Advance registration starts in July as the web site is updated and picks up in earnest by January and February. Jason King is the web master and scoring software programmer. Marie McLellan does all the registration data entry. Before the teams pay up and collect their gear, McLellan and eight others put in eight hours stuffing the Yeti buckets with swag, brochures, Grundens dry bags and Costa backpacks.
Clothing giveaways and sales are another important aspect that must be taken care of far in advance. Weigh Master Jack Teschel works with Craig Brumfield, the tournament artist, to finalize the design and solicits three bids from clothing vendors to provide the gear. Krissy Hall and her team are in charge of sorting and selling the 4,000 T-shirts, performance shirts, hats, visors and Koozies during registration and throughout the week. Any leftover merchandise is inventoried and sold on-line.
Setting up the weigh scales at the Point Cadet Marina is a major production. Under the guidance of Site Coordinator Rusty David, the stage, bleachers, lights, musical equipment, barricades and trash receptacles are carefully moved into position. The major equipment belongs to the City of Biloxi, a tournament sponsor. Teschel ensures all banners are hung, the scales are certified by System Scales of Mobile and the block and tackle are properly cleaned and stored. During weigh-in hours, David is the logistics trouble-shooter.
“After 22 years, I can foresee a problem and solve it before it becomes really bad,” he explains. He also wears the Pub Crawl Coordinator hat. Long a tradition once the boats depart, the festive Crawl recognizes sponsors and staff in a night-time parade through the downtown streets of Ocean Springs. David leads the procession aboard his tricked out tractor, complete with beverages, music and cheerleaders.
Staffers and sponsors alike deserve to let off a little steam. From manhandling chairs, tables and boxes of merchandise to tracking down hotel staff to unlock a storeroom and get some supplies, Darrel McCall and his crew make sure everything gets done.
Of course, none of the Classic would be possible without the generous support of all the sponsors. Director of Marketing and Sales Robbie Carter handles this important responsibility and works long hours months before the tournament soliciting companies to donate product or contribute financially. The lengthy list of contributors is due to his efforts. Release Marine is among the many who have been keeping the Classic going for 22 years.
“My guys drive down with the gear on Monday and set up,” explains Release Marine President Sam Peters. “We have a fighting chair, helm chair and table, plus a bunch of banners. We work the docks for a couple days, checking on customers and doing any adjustments or repairs to their Release accessories as needed. We won’t miss the party Thursday night, but come Friday morning the bulk of our crew will load up again so we can make the tournament in North Carolina next week. But we sure wouldn’t miss this one. It’s one of our favorites.”
So as you read the accounts of the action offshore or come to the scales Friday or Saturday night to see the fish being weighed, pause for just a second. Consider all the hard work that has been done for months to make this tournament a reality and you’ll quickly realize why the little details are so important.
