Atlanta to host Forrest Wood Cup in 2010
National Guard Junior World Championship to be held in conjunction with event
ATLANTA – FLW Outdoors and the State of Georgia, in conjunction with the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau and local authorities, announced Tuesday that Atlanta will play host to the world’s richest bass-fishing championship, the Forrest Wood Cup presented by BP and Castrol, Aug. 5-8, 2010, along with the National Guard Junior World Championship from Aug. 6-7, 2010.
The Forrest Wood Cup, bass fishing’s crown jewel, will be held on Lake Lanier, pitting the sport’s biggest names against one another for up to a $1 million top award.
“The Forrest Wood Cup is the largest fishing tournament in the country, and bringing this tournament to Georgia is exactly what I envisioned for the mega-ramps we are building as part of Go Fish,” said Governor Perdue. “This tournament will provide nationally televised exposure for our fishing resources, generate excitement about fishing in Georgia and provide a positive economic impact on our local communities.”
The historic 2007 Forrest Wood Cup in Hot Springs, Ark., where Scott Suggs became the sport’s first $1 million winner, drew a record crowd of more than 60,000 fans over the course of four days, and the 2008 Forrest Wood Cup in Columbia, S.C., earlier this year drew even larger crowds. The 2009 Forrest Wood Cup will be held in Pittsburgh, Pa.
“The Forrest Wood Cup is more than a championship tournament and an outdoor show,” said FLW Outdoors President and CEO Charlie Evans. “The Forrest Wood Cup is a weeklong festival that engages the entire community. Young anglers are able to showcase their talents in the National Guard Junior World Championship and up-and-coming professionals get to test their mettle against the sport’s legends. The Forrest Wood Cup showcases everything that makes bass fishing the greatest sport in the world, including the richest payout in all of fantasy sports, and we are honored to have Atlanta serve as host.”
The Forrest Wood Cup will feature a free Family Fun Zone and Outdoor Show at the Georgia World Congress Center with daily giveaways for children 14 and under. A new Ranger boat will also be given away to a member of the audience during the final weigh-in. Daily weigh-ins and a free concert will be held at the Georgia Dome.
VERSUS Country broadcasts “FLW Outdoors” in high-definition (HD) Sundays from 12:30-1:30 p.m. ET. FLWOutdoors.com also provides an online guide listing upcoming episodes of “FLW Outdoors.” In addition, each episode of “FLW Outdoors” is available on demand in its entirety on FLWOutdoors.com.
“FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide, including internationally through agreements with WFN (World Fishing Network) and Matchroom Sport to such countries as Canada, Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary and the United Kingdom, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors also has taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and prizes. Sign up for Player’s Advantage to get your edge and win.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com. To plan your trip to Atlanta for the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup Aug. 5-8, 2010, go to Atlanta.net.