By CHRIS HARRIS, Staff Writer
Commonwealth Journal
Burnside
October 30, 2007 08:29 pm
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The waves of Lake Cumberland pulse through the city of Burnside like a lifeblood. Only fitting, then, that the southern Pulaski community uses the lake to draw a major national sporting tournament to its shores.
The 2007-08 Fishers of Men National Championship Series will be holding its national championship in Burnside this year. The tournament, which will run from March 31 through April 5, 2008, is expected to draw approximately 160 two-person teams from 55 divisions to Burnside. The participants will come from as many as 27 states after passing through six regional sites.
Al Odom, national director of the Fishers of Men National Championship Trail, said that Burnside had to turn in a bid package along with a number of other communities after receiving information about what the tourney was looking for in a host site.
However, Burnside had one going for it besides beautiful waters of Lake Cumberland that proved attractive the tournament organizers: a prime location.
“(Burnside) geographically centers well in the organization,” said Odom. “Anglers will be coming from 27 states, and Burnside is pretty much in the center of them, which makes it accessible to more people. That’s as opposed to holding (the tourney) on the fringe, like in Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Minnesota, or somewhere like that.”
Another selling point, said Odom, is that smallmouth bass tend to be plentiful for fishing during the time of year the event is held.
The Fishers of Men competition bills itself as “a non-profit, nondenominational ministry whose mission is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to fishermen and their families through competitive and professionally ran fishing tournaments, according to the Web site, www.fomntt.com.
Additionally, the Fishers of Men organization's TV producer and film crew will be here to record the event and produce a “focus on the host city” segment that will be aired on the Fishers of Men Outdoors TV show which can be seen Saturdays on the NRB Network.
“Our organization is very pleased to be coming to beautiful Lake Cumberland for this tournament, and equally pleased that the community of Burnside will act as a host city,” said Odom.
A $100,000-plus total purse will be awarded to those who fare well in the tournament. First place earns a 2008 Triton TR-20X fishing boat with a Mercury 200 Optimax engine.
“Another draw will be the opportunity for some of the best anglers in the country to compete on one of the most beautiful lakes in the country,” said Odom. “I am sure this tournament will generate additional interest because of the location.”
Burnside mayor Chuck Fourman said that drawing a tournament like this to Burnside is a huge plus — particularly for the local economy. He also noted that those charged with promoting the city had made a conscious decision to use the lake as a lure in attracting events, and that strategy definitely paid off in this case.
“In order for Burnside to be selected as a host city, there were very specific requirements that had to be met; host communities need to demonstrate the desire and means to pull off a successful event,” said Fourman. “We succeeded on both counts,”
Melanie Arnold, a marketing specialist working with the Burnside Tourism Commission, speculated that the economic impact to the area could go over the six-figure mark in revenue, based on post-tournament statistics and reports from earlier events.
Dona Howard of the Tourism Commission pointed out that the tournament has never held a national or regional event on lake Cumberland before and this is a key opportunity to get the word out about what the region has to offer.
“We look at this as an opportunity to bring in tourists in the off-season ... for lodging and into the restaurants,” said Howard. “ I think it will (help people unfamiliar with the lake discover it) and help spread the word that Lake Cumberland is fine as far as water level and fishing quality.”
Since the push to expand and promote Burnside through annexation and the formation of the Burnside Tourism Commission in the last few years, word has spread nationally about what “the only town on Lake Cumberland” has to offer, thanks to commercial spots, billboards, pamphlets and more. Landing a major fishing tournament can be credited to the newfound spirit in the community, suggested the mayor.
“There is a growing sense of community and pride in our town, and the level of cooperation and support between what many folks call ‘old Burnside’ and ‘new Burnside’ has been tremendous,” said Fourman. “Everyone has pulled together and pooled their resources to the benefit of the whole community — regardless of ‘old’ or ‘new’.”
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