Recreational and avid anglers alike have flocked to this idyllic location for the Nantucket Slam fishing tournament for years, and the 2008 version of the event will be no exception to that trend. The 2008 Nantucket Slam is set for Sept. 14-16.
The event is part of the Redbone@Large Celebrity Tournament Series, which is just a portion of the approximately 30 Redbone Celebrity tournaments that are held each year, with all proceeds benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). Redbone events raised $1,568,000 in 2007 alone, and have raised more than $11 million in 20 years. Mercury Marine, the official outboard engine of the Redbone events, began its support in 1992.
The catch and release tournament includes two days of competitive fishing for bluefish, bonito, striper and albie, and to accommodate various boat sizes and styles of fishing, three different categories are being offered: fly, spin/plug and trolling/general. A “slam” is accomplished when anglers land three of the designated species of fish in one day.
Nantucket is one of the few fishing locations from which this is attainable. Participants in the event will have first-class all-inclusive accommodations, meals, beverages, a gift bag and nightly social events.
Financial support from the Redbone events has allowed tournaments such as the 2008 Nantucket Slam to help CFF make tremendous progress in the field of cystic fibrosis research and care. The median age of survival for a person with CF has improved from early childhood in the 1950s to 36.8 years today. Cystic fibrosis continues to be a critical health matter; however, as most individuals with the disease must battle chronic lung infections their entire lives. At least one person dies from CF each day.
CFF’s mission is to assure the means to cure and control the genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive systems of approximately 30,000 children and young adults in the United States.
Redbone founder Gary Ellis and his wife, Susan, have supported CFF for two decades, not only because of its innovative and effective research efforts, but also for a very personal reason: their daughter, Nicole, was diagnosed with CF as an infant in the mid-1980s. Nicole is now thriving in the corporate world of international marketing, and she has witnessed – first hand – the advances made in the treatment of the disease.
The seeds for the 2008 Nantucket Slam were planted in 1988, when anglers, fishing guides and sports celebrities organized a tournament in the Florida Keys village of Islamorada. The ground rules were simple – to win, the angler must catch and release at least one redfish and one bonefish.
The inaugural Islamorada event was a huge success, and spawned the “redbone” moniker. The current format of the individual tournaments includes freshwater, offshore and flats fishing.
The environments in which the Redbone events take place have played a critical role in their success. The Florida Keys, for instance, contain miles of clear flats with acres of turtle grass and marl, features that create a welcoming habitat and a diverse fishery that includes bonefish, tarpon, permit, redfish and snook. Tournaments are also held in such diverse locations as Massachusetts, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, Costa Rica, Pennsylvania, Ohio, the Bahamas, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Louisiana.
For two decades, this collection of events has drawn the attention and support of big-name celebrities such as the late baseball great Ted Williams, baseball stars Mike Schmidt and Wade Boggs, football legends Boomer Esiason, Jim Kelly and Ken Stabler, and the late broadcasting icon Curt Gowdy.
For more information on the Redbone@Large Celebrity Tournament Series and/or the 2008 Nantucket Slam, visit on-line at www.redbone.org http://www.redbone.org/
