2004
Results and Recap
The Kickoff Luau
was a huge hit. Everyone was dressed to impress as the 3rd annual Grove
SLAM! was underway. In between all the drinking and partying there seemed
to be some “weather” chatter. Although the tournament was
2 days away, people were talking about the 20+ knot winds in South Florida.
Although these winds (out of the east) are great for fishing, the fleet
was still concerned. With an unclear forecast for Saturday tournament
director Tony Albelo took the stage and made a remarkable offer. “We
believe that the winds will subside by Saturday. We are not postponing
nor canceling the tournament. But we are concerned for everyone’s
safety. If you feel as if the weather will be too rough for you, your
crew, or your boat, please let us know. We will offer a full refund
to anyone wishing to not fish the tournament.” This is the
first time anywhere that a tournament has
offered
refunds. The offer was accepted by only 5 teams which decided to take
half of the money back in order to keep their tournament gear and come
to the parties. This is a testament to the great teams that fish the
SLAM!
The day started
like every other Grove SLAM! with a Bimini Start (shotgun start). Needless
to say this is one of the most exciting events in any tournament. Over
a hundred boats lined up and let-em rip once time was called. After
a day of rough seas and average fishing, one team rose above the rest.
Team Hotfish came up with the most ponds of dolphin and won the 3rd
ever Grove SLAM!
The
post party and Miss Hotfish Bikini Contest set the bar again for dock
parties. The open Bacardi and Budweiser bars plus food from Hard Rock
helped keep everyone entertained during the bikini contest. If you missed
it, you missed the most talked-about event in fishing. Don’t miss
the tournament of the year, the Grove SLAM!