Kenny Vines Memorial Billfish Tourney Sept. 29-30 at Sportsman

Kenny Vines Memorial Billfish Tourney Sept. 29-30 at Sportsman
Money raised at family friendly event benefits Billfish Foundation

There is a good reason that the banner welcoming participants to the Sportsman Marina Tiki Bar for last year’s Kenny Vines Memorial Billfishing Tourney aptly described what the tourney is all about: “The Orange Beach Sportfishing Club invites you to come party with us! Oh, by the way, we are hosting a benefit billfishing tournament too.’’
This year’s tourney honoring Vines, scheduled Sept. 29-30, will also be held at Sportsman and will include a dinner and captains’ meeting on Sept. 29 and an awards party at 8 p.m. on Sept. 30, both at the Tiki Bar adjacent to the marina. The tourney benefits The Billfish Foundation, one of Vines’ many causes, as well as local charities.
The tourney’s scale hours are Saturday, Sept. 30 from 5-8 p.m. Tourney winners will receive trophies, prizes and bragging rights at the awards party. The entry fee is only $200 per boat, with a $50 charge for each additional angler. Species include Tuna, Wahoo, Dolphin,White Marlin, Blue Marlin and Sailfish.
For more information, visit OrangeBeachSportfishingClub.org, FaceBook, email OBSC2009@gmail.com or call 251-623-3362.
“This tourney is not about the money. One of the only agendas we had when we started it was to make sure it stays a fun tourney,’’ said Tim Howard of the sponsoring Orange Beach Sportfishing Club before last year’s tourney.
“A lot of people let their children run the rods. You don’t see that in the bigger tourneys. We’ve had a lot of prizes won by junior anglers. It’s one of the tourney’s unintended consequences, but Kenny would have loved that.’’
Kenny Vines, KV to his friends, passed away February 18, 2011 after sustaining a head injury due to a fall. Raised in Perdido, Vines resided in Orange Beach for more than 30 years. The owner and operator of KV Yacht Brokerage, he was an avid sportfisherman, with memberships in the Pensacola and Mobile Big Game Fishing Clubs. He was also active in the Coastal Conservation Association, The Billfish Foundation and the Orange Beach Sportfishing Club.
As a Mobile Big Game Fishing Club board member, Vines was a key member of the Orange Beach Billfish Classic, an all release billfish tournament that was The Billfish Foundation’s top U.S. all release billfish tournament (in donor scales) for three consecutive years.
Vines also founded The Elberta German Sausage Festival, a twice -a-year fundraiser for the Elberta Volunteer Fire Department, and the Orange Beach Seafood Festival, a major fundraiser for youth sports in Orange Beach. Vines died the evening prior to the 2011 Orange Beach Seafood Fest.
“Kenny knew more people than anybody else I’ve ever known,’’ Howard said. “He was just a great friend.’’
KV was described in the Billfish Foundation website obituary as “a passionate, high energy man with a great sense of humor who was passionate about family, community, sportfishing & billfish conservation. He’s greatly missed, his generous spirit will continue to live on through his many philanthropic community efforts.’’
The Orange Beach Fishing Club meets the third Wednesday of every month at Tacky Jack’s in Orange Beach at 6 p.m. Pictured: Mark Schweizer and Yvonne Schweizer check in anglers at a past Tourney.