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Ranger Maintains Its Focus On Fishing.
B.A.S.S. Response
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Due to the recent scheduled roll-out of the World Championship Fishing (WCF)
Series sanctioned by B.A.S.S., combining
racing and fishing, Ranger Boats will cease all negotiations to renew their
official B.A.S.S. sponsorship. Although Ranger
plans to fulfill all existing obligations under their current agreement, they
believe the WCF concept is not in the best long-
term interest of the sport or the safety and well-being of the fishing
community. As a result, Ranger has decided against
participating in the WCF or any similar activity.
Citing conflicts with the direction WCF is taking bass fishing, Ranger President
Randy Hopper said, "The WCF is an
obvious change in strategy by B.A.S.S. management. For over a quarter of a
century, Ranger and B.A.S.S. have shared
philosophies with regard to the future and growth of bass fishing. Working
together, both have been instrumental in the
implementation and adoption of many key initiatives that are commonplace today
in promoting conservation and boating
safety. With WCF, emphasis has been taken off fishing and placed on
racing."
Case in point - the made-for-TV BASS Quest held last August on Rend Lake in
Illinois. Unlike ordinary tournaments,
BASS Quest combined traditional bass fishing with boat racing. In the racing
segment, anglers were timed as they raced
their boats over an unorthodox watercourse featuring long straight-aways and
narrow twists, turns, and switchbacks. In
direct contradiction with WCF, Ranger feels bass tournaments do not need to add
racing to the format to create more
excitement, and does not agree with changing the fundamentals of the sport for
the sole reason of appealing to a larger
TV audience. Noted Hopper, "We feel there is nothing wrong with thinking
"outside the box" to grow the sport. We do,
however, have a problem with this concept that changes the essence of the sport.
As one angler stated, just imagine a
golf tournament where 60% of one's total score was based on a round of golf and
40% was based on racing a modified
golf cart through a planned race course. We believe fishing in and of itself is
exciting and is on the rise with its best days
ahead. We don't have anything against racing in its proper context, we just feel
there is no place for it in bass fishing.
Fishing and tournament fishing are wholesome sports, good for the family and
good for the country."
Ranger Vice President of Marketing, Bart Schad voiced his concerns, saying,
"Frankly, the WCF promotes unsafe boating
practices. Especially at risk are the young and impressionable. They see the
pros racing and performing these extreme
maneuvers and think it's all right for them to do likewise on open public
waterways." Added Schad, "The promotion of
racing and the glamorizing of irresponsible driving is a recipe for disaster.
"
Commented Hopper, "Ranger has always prided itself on manufacturing the
best quality fishing boats possible, cutting no
corners - with safety, stability and fishability in the forefront. We have
built our company on these principles and firmly
believe that a departure from our foundation to place an emphasis on racing
would prove to be a significant disservice and
disappointment to our customers. At Ranger, our customers come first."
Ranger Boats, headquartered in Flippin, Arkansas, is the nation's largest
manufacturer of premium fiberglass fishing
boats, including a line of more than 40 freshwater boats, and a popular
saltwater series. With emphasis on building the
best boats in the world, Ranger Boats is still building legends...one at a time.
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