beachbites
13
When Tripp Brice, Jimmy
Vass and Kit Taylor
came together to
create a fishing tournament
in memory
of their good friend Captain Eddy Haneman, none
of them anticipated the event’s success in the
years that followed. By letting people know about
the sailfish off of Wrightsville Beach shores, the three friends
would create a lasting impact on their community.
“Capt. Eddy was the man who started charter fishing off of our
shores back in the ’40s,” Brice says. “The fishing tournament helps
to keep his name out there for generations to come and to promote
the sailfish in the area that very few people know about.”
The13th annual Captain Eddy Haneman Sailfish Tournament will
be held Thursday, July 28 through Monday, August 1 at Wrightsville
Beach.
With at least 50 boats participating each year, the tournament
has gained popularity not only for the fishing but for the charitable
celebration at the end of the weekend as well. Each year, founders
Brice, Vass and Taylor select a terminally ill individual, usually a
child, to whom they donate the earnings from the tournament. By
helping out financially, the tournament has made its mark by being
about more than just catching a 30-pound sailfish.
“The real winners are the families we select each year,” Brice
says. “When all the donation presentations are going on, there is
seldom a dry eye in the area.”
Since the start of the event in 1998, the sailfish tournament has
also donated between $60,000 and $75,000 to a local hospice in
memory of Capt. Haneman. While the families change each year,
the hospice remains a constant and is donated to annually.
Brice is confident that the tournament will continue for years to
come because it is such a worthy cause. As the largest tournament
occurring in the Wrightsville Beach area, it gains new participants
each year with an all-time high of 90 boats. Whether an experienced
fisherman or just someone interested in the sport, everyone
is encouraged to come check out the July event and hopefully fall
in love with charter fishing just like Capt. Haneman did years ago.
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
FIshing
Hooked on a
great cause
The13th annual Captain Eddy
Haneman Sailfish Tournament
— July 28 through August 1
Photos Courtesy of the Eddy Haneman collection
To register, fishermen should
arrive at the Bridge Tender Marina on
Thursday, July 28 to pick up tournament
cameras and listen to rules. Each
release of a caught sailfish must be photographed,
as killing one will automatically disqualify participants.
This gentleman’s tournament has a basic
entry fee of $250 while $400 will allow participation
in everything, including the dolphin Calcutta.
The long days of fishing begin Friday at 8 a.m.
and conclude Saturday at 3 p.m. Once the boats
are tied up and the reels are stored away, the
community comes together to celebrate the fishermen
and Capt. Haneman with a large awards
ceremony and reception for the anglers.