Why is professional powerboat racing still considered a hobby sport “just for fun”

While we do enjoy covering the sport, it continues to be a constant struggle to wrap my head around a sport that has taken so many young lives and cost so many enthusiasts hundreds of thousands of dollars yearly to participate in all while still being considered a hobby and “just for fun” in 2017

During this past weekend, the FLW 2017 Tour crowned rookie FLW Tour pro Bradley Dortch of Atmore, Ala the overall weekend winner at the Harris Chain of Lakes presented by Ranger Boats. The pay outs below are absolutely mind blowing for a sport that is based on catching fish.

So, lets cut to the chase. I am by no means painting all powerboat racing series with a broad brush since many series have done very well over the last few years and continue to grow and attract prospective sponsors etc.

Still, the majority of American based series across the board seem to struggle when it comes to attracting and maintaining any sort of lucrative deals that can help offset the rising cost of keeping a top flight hull together week in, week out. Since we seem to venture down this same road from year to year looking for the answers of how to find the elusive powerboat racing sponsor which seems to be a lot like the Loch Ness monster, let us hear your thoughts on this never ending topic. What is it in your opinion that keeps name brand products away from the sport. Is it the all day format that just becomes overwhelming after a few hours, is it the lack of driver diversity or could it be that anything remotely associated with boating of any type has always been viewed as a high society outing that the common everyday guy or gal just can’t comprehend, let us hear your thoughts?

The top 10 pros finished the tournament on the Harris Chain of Lakes:

1st: Bradley Dortch, Atmore, Ala., 20 bass, 73–9, $100,700

2nd: J.T. Kenney, Palm Bay, Fla., 20 bass, 71–13, $30,000

3rd: Mud Hole Custom Tackle pro John Cox, DeBary, Fla., 20 bass, 69–1, $25,000

4th: Shane LeHew, Catawba, N.C., 20 bass, 66–1, $20,100

5th Matt Reed, Madisonville, Texas, 20 bass, 64–14, $19,000

6th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 20 bass, 64–9, $18,000

7th: Chris Whitson, Louisville, Tenn., 20 bass, 62–14, $17,000

8th: Joshua Weaver, Macon, Ga., 20 bass, 57–10, $16,000

9th: Aaron Britt, Yuba City, Calif., 20 bass, 56–3, $15,000

10th: Rusty Trancygier, Hahira, Ga., 20 bass, 54–14, $14,000

For a full list of results visit FLWFishing.com.

https://twitter.com/FLWFishing/status/841439016679542784

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