BBO 2014 Registration is Open - Battle the Best Tournament in the Spear Wars Galaxy!

[SpearMax]

BIG BANG! OPEN REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

Happy Fourth of July weekend everyone!

Celebrate some more on July 18-20 at the 2014 Spear Wars Big Bang! Open Spearfishing Tournament event. Here are the flyers, entry forms and tournament rules attached below in one Complete Registration Package as a PDF file for easy printing.

Thanks, Tony

Boss Hogfish says:
"Let the Games Begin!

A BIG BANG IS COMING!




THE SPEAR WARS BIG BANG! OPEN

2014 SPEARFISHING TOURNAMENT

July 18-19 Hunt Days + July 20 Weigh-in

IS ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS NOW



Two Days of Hunting (not just one!)
Hunt Friday July 18 + Saturday July 19 Weigh-in Sunday July 20

Amazing Prizes and Trophies!
Our prize wall is the best in the tournament universe

Super Aggregate Points Scoring!
Weigh up to 9 fish worth up to 20 points each (180 points maximum).


Here's some history. The Spear Wars Blue Storm Tournament Series started in 2008 with three events - the classic Spearboard Open (SBO), the Palm Beach Open (PBO) and the Key Largo Open (KLO). The Spearboard Open (”SBO”) was for many years one of the largest aggregate spearfishing tournaments in the world. The classic SBO rules were applied to the three Blue Storm tournaments around the state of Florida. For several years, the Riviera Beach Marina was our BBO location which is the excellent former Palm Beach Open venue

This year we are again combining the prize treasure chests of the traditional three tournament Blue Storm series into one massive event. But, for 2014 we have a new excellent venue due to the marina being renovated. Due to the venue change, there will be no Captain’s Meeting for this year’s tournament. Hardly anyone showed up anyway at past BBO Captain's meetings which is fine for our format design.

The Tournament shooting will be held for two days starting Friday, July 18, 2014 and ending Saturday, July 19, 2014.

The Weigh-in, Meal and Awards Ceremony will be on Sunday, July 20, 2014 at the Moose Lodge at 3600 RCA Blvd. Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410 Phone (561) 626-4417. This place is located very near the PGA Blvd. Exit of I-95 which is just two exits north of the old venue exit.

The google maps link is:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/36...921e02a295cde9

We rolled back the start and end times for the weigh-in by half an hour. The fish weigh-in new hours will be from 10:00AM to 12:00PM Noon Sunday, July 20, 2014.


Click on the following links to the last two year's BBO from the Tournament Archive section, especially if you have never been to these events.

2013 OFFICIAL Photo Thread - Whoa What a Weigh-In at the Big Bang Open!

2013 OFFICIAL Photo Thread - The Winners + The Ceremony + The Best Prize Wall Ever!

2012 OFFICIAL Photo Thread - Weigh That! A Stellar Big Bang Open for the Log Books!

2012 OFFICIAL Photo Thread - Top 20 Winners + A Prize Wall to be Remembered!

Here is just one image from a past BBO prize wall:





For 2014, We have kept the reduced registration price at $85 which includes the fabulous buffet food and drinks at the Awards Ceremony right after the Weigh-in.

In prior BBOs the cost of the T-shirts in all the sizes and colors required was killing us. So again this year instead of T-Shirts, we will include one Spearboard Sun Shade Cap plus a new bumper sticker. Supplies are limited.






Here are the 2014 Tournament Flyers:






Print out all the attached PDF forms below to send in your registration by fax to 561-844-8190 or by snail mail as indicated on the forms.

.

[SpearMax]

Check out the 2014 Spear Wars Big Bang Open news here at these links:


Announcing the 2014 Spear Wars Big Bang Open New Air Conditioned Venue


Watch the 4 minute Spear Wars Big Bang Open Sizzle Reel Video!

[SpearMax]

Here is the bumper sticker

[JustinL]

Is there going to be an option to pay online? I saw it referenced in the registration but I haven't see a link anywhere. I'd rather not send a sheet of paper/fax with all of the info for my credit card on it.

[nailman]

Tony just to clarify:

1) wild card fish has to be from list categories so no African Pompano or other pelagic
2) can weigh either a black or gag in grouper category but can not weigh another one as wild card ?

[SpearMax]

Originally Posted by nailman

Tony just to clarify:

1) wild card fish has to be from list categories so no African Pompano or other pelagic
2) can weigh either a black or gag in grouper category but can not weigh another one as wild card ?

Correct Stephen.

1.) The wild card fish must be from the fish list in the rules.

2.) Only one grouper due to possession laws.

Details from the rules:

The Florida single-day possession rules at the weigh-in location in Palm Beach County apply. For example, you may weigh in only one black or gag grouper.

Your wild card fish can be a barracuda or any fish now eligible in the above categories except you may weigh in only one gag grouper or black grouper total in order to comply with the East Coast possession limit where the weigh-in is located. West Coast Registered Shooters have a maximum number of two barracuda that can be weighed in for all categories and East Coast Registered Shooters have a maximum number of one barracuda as the Wild Card Fish. However, East Coast Registered Shooters may weigh in one Red Snapper due to the season being open on that coast on tournament weekend from Friday, July 18 through Monday, July 21.

[SpearMax]

Originally Posted by JustinL

Is there going to be an option to pay online? I saw it referenced in the registration but I haven't see a link anywhere. I'd rather not send a sheet of paper/fax with all of the info for my credit card on it.

Sorry, there is no longer an online option and I forgot to take that word off the entry form. You can US mail the form and a check. Or just use the fax as I am the only one with access to the fax. Or scan the form and email it as I am the only recipient on a secure computer.

[nailman]

10-4. Thx Tony.

[SpearMax]

The prizes have been rolling in as usual. I will try to post a few up over the next several days leading up to the tournament. But first, the trophies arrived yesterday.

[SpearMax]

Some of the trip prizes include a few of these certificate.

Check out their website: http://bajaspearfishingadventures.com/

[SpearMax]

Here are all the trophies

[SpearMax]

When I took the bumper sticker to be printed, I found the size needed to be changed which forced a re-design which I think is better. The wider space enabled me to make the diver icons larger and add the words Sustainable, Selective and Brave.

Here is the result.

[SpearMax]

As in past years, we will have the Shark scientists collecting cuda and jack donations as well as Lucas Metropulos, President and Founder, of Fishing for Families in Need for food donations.

Check out their websites here:

www.f4fn.com

http://www6.miami.edu/sharklab/

[SpearMax]

Our long-time Master of Ceremonies Captain Billy Black is back again this year.

There is a very interesting prize coming once again onto the 2014 prize wall relating to Captain Billy.

Spearboard and BBO sponsor Aqua-Hunter Charters is donating an Alligator hunt like the one pictured below with Propman's catch of a 550 pound beast.

Captain Todd Bailey, owner of Aqua-Hunter Dive Charters, is an expert gator hunter.

Captain Billy Black has been hunting gators most of his life and he will join the hunt with the winner of this prize.

This prize is worth $1,200 and should be a blast.

Here is the trip report for last year's gator hunt on which I went along with my film crew:

Aqua Hunter Gator Hunt - SpearWars BBO Prize Package

BBO Prize winner Branon Edwards did a wonderful job with his 10 feet 6 inch gator catch. It was an amazingly fun experience.

[SpearMax]

Dr. Terry Maas does it again. A great prize for the freedivers. The recently released Freediver's Recovery Vest with a retail value of $1,500.

Don't forget about this amazing opportunity here at this link for all Spearboard members through to 12-31-14:

Announcing the 2014 Spearboard Dive Safety Initiative

The community thanks you Terry for all that you do for safety.

See the FRV website here: http://oceanicss.com/