2012 Berkley B1 - Press Release

Montreal, September 13th, 2012
Press Release
For immediate release

Canada’s premier competitive fishing event is back, bigger and better than ever! Enter the 4th edition of the Berkley B1 Canadian Bass Open, powered by Evinrude, regarded as the most prestigious contest in the professional angling arena. This September 22nd & 23rd, the city of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, located in Quebec near the Ontario border will once again play host to the 2 day extravaganza, as the best professional bass anglers in the country invade the waters of Lake St-Francis. “The Berkley B1 has upped the ante once again by making the grand prize this year a fully rigged Charger Bass boat powered by an Evinrude E-TEC Outboard Motor.” states Ben Woo, President, Berkley B1. “This is testament to the fact that the B1 organization continues to push the envelope by finding new ways of improving this prestigious annual event.”

The response for this year’s registration was unprecedented as all 150 available positions were sold out within six hours. The Berkley B1 continues to be the only event of its kind to draw participation from five different provinces. Bass anglers everywhere consider it to be the highlight of the season and make it a priority to be a part of the Berkley B1 experience. Chris Hockley, Marketing Manager Pure Fishing Canada expresses: “In only three short years, the Berkley B1 is talked about from I-CAST to the Bassmaster Classic and it never ceases to impress me all the positive feedback that we continue to receive from this marquee event. Being the lead sponsor of this elite competition provides us the opportunity to support the competitive angling community on a national level and communicate the quality and performance of our products to serious fishing enthusiasts.”

BRP-owned Evinrude returns as the official outboard of the Berkley B1 continuing their longstanding heritage of supporting bass fishing competitions. “We recognize the magnitude of the Berkley B1 tournament and the role it plays in the Canadian fishing scene. This event represents the highest performance in its category, as does our Evinrude E-TEC outboard engines.” claims Krista Heidgerken, Senior Promotions and Tournaments Coordinator for BRP’s Evinrude outboard engines. The winners of the competition receive an Evinrude powered Charger Bass Boat valued at $60,000 that will be prepped and ready to deliver live at the event courtesy of Maple Grove Marine, a major Evinrude/Charger dealer in Quebec.

Another new feature added to this year’s competition is the introduction of contingency prizing programs. Berkley is offering four separate contests for the Abu Garcia, Gulp Alive, Trilene and Powerbait categories that entice participants to use and mention their products during the B1. Pirelli Tires is posting a free set of all-terrain Scorpion truck tires for the “Most Improved” team who demonstrates the greatest increase in weight from Day 1 to Day 2. These and many more prizing details can be found on the event’s official website www.BerkleyB1.com.

The city of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield continues to be a major supporter of the event. Inspired by the huge amount of feedback received by the many attending, this years edition will feature more vendor booths in the park, barbeque cuisine complete with beer garden and children’s activities presented by the Canadian Army Cadets. There is no charge for admission and ample free parking is available.

The blast-off of the event will be taking place at the Valleyfield Marina at 7am sharp on both mornings. With 150 boats competing, this will be a monumental spectacle that is not to be missed. Official weigh-in ceremonies for both days commence at 3pm sharp at the main stage located in Parc Sauvé in downtown Valleyfield. The stage is set, the climax of the Canadian bass fishing season has arrived and the countdown is on to determine which anglers are truly worthy of being the 1.

For more information, please refer to the official website found at www.BerkleyB1.com