With the seventh stop on the Bassmaster Elite Series tour complete, total attendance records have already been shattered before the tour’s final events, reports B.A.S.S. LLC of Birmingham, AL.
The Huk Performance Fishing Bassmaster Elite at Chesapeake Bay, August 13-16, set the attendance record for the 2014 Elite Series, according to a report by B.A.S.S. Communications.
“With our year-to-date total more than 142,000 people, we’ve already exceeded our Elite Series attendance record for 2014, which was 128,600 throughout the entire season,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “And the exciting part is we still have two huge events remaining.”
The Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River presented by STARK Cultural Venues – the first event of the year – provided a great season kickoff with more than 33,000 people in attendance. The Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River in Waddington, NY, came close to breaking its own attendance record of 34,000 people set back in 2013.
“The past few years we have established closer relationships with our hosts in planning the Elite Series events, and they are an integral component in an event’s success,” said Angie Thompson, vice president of events and sponsorship activation. “These close relationships are clearly working, and the results are evident in the increased attendance numbers.
“All of our hosts are finding ways to build larger festivals around the Elites, which include concerts, activities for children and a chance to watch the superstars of the sport compete on world-class fisheries. The two 5k races we had in Orange, TX, and Waddington, NY, are perfect examples.”
The Elite Series makes its final regular-season stop in Detroit, MI, with fishing on Lake St. Clair. The Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year event will bring the Top 50 Elite Series anglers to Sturgeon Bay, out of Door County, WI, where a new Angler of the Year will be crowned and $1 million of prize money will be distributed throughout the field.
At all Elite events, visitors are invited to enjoy an outdoors expo, where the newest boats, motors, fishing tackle, lures and other sponsor products are on display. Fishing fans and their families are invited, as all Bassmaster events are free and open to the public.
