The 2013 Eastslope Kayak Fishing Classic

The 2013 Eastslope Kayak Fishing Classic Wrap Up! The CanadianKayakAnglers.com 2013 Eastslope Kayak Fishing Classic is in the books. This years event didn't go without its hiccups yet again. Southern Alberta saw floods on the weekend of the EKFC at levels never before seen with states of emergency called in a multiple locations. Our hearts go out to those affected by the floods of 2013 and we hope all friends and families are safe.We had an original participant list of 36 but with Mother Natures wrath came a few cancellations, understandably so, by those affected by or helping with the volunteer effort. Our final number of 25 participants were lucky enough to enjoy the best weather yet for the annual event. With rain rearing it's head at the first 2 events it was nice to see a sunny warm weather day for a change. Unfortunately with the storms in the area for the days ahead of the tourney there wasn't' a lot of pre fishing done and most participants hit the water for the first time on the day of the event.We had a good turnout for the BBQ social sponsored by Glenmore Boats and hosted By Doug Hamm which was held on Friday before the Captains meeting where everyone enjoyed getting together and talking shop. The eats were good it was a great way to have new participants meet old. The tourney kicked off Saturday morning with most participants checked in and on the water at 6 am. Those that had some familiarity with the location paddled to spots they had confidence in while many participants spent time getting a feel for this body of water. The mornings fishing seemed to favor those that had some knowledge of the pond but as the day passed the numbers started to pick up for those new to the water making for a pretty interesting afternoon. As things wrapped up and the numbers were being tallied we saw a very competitive group on the leaderboard with small margins separating the top competitors. The overall winner of the 2013 Eastslope Kayak Fishing Classic was Doug Hamm whose persistence on the water paid off. Dougs first place finish saw him take home the top prize, An incredible kayak wear package from one of our featured sponsors and premier kayak wear manufacturer Kokatat. He was followed closely by 3 time event participant Alan High placing 2nd and taking with him a nice fly fishing outfit from Reddington. CKA team member Mike Zilkowsky placed 3rd and took home a beautiful etched plaque from Glenbow Fly Fishing along with a great mixed prize package from our numerous sponsors. The top five was filled out by Flynn Skot, a first year participant and Jim Kind ,with us for a second year. We again were lucky enough, thanks to the generous contributions of our sponsors, to ensure all contestants left with top quality prizes from some of the best fishing and paddling companies out there today. Doug Beckner, a first time participant to the event ,was the lucky winner of the kayak draw which saw him leave with a Jackson Kayak Cuda 12. A top notch all round kayak fishing machine kindly donated by Jackson Kayak, a leading manufacturer and innovator in the world of kayak fishing. A huge thanks from Canadian Kayak Anglers.com,our participants, and organizing members to our sponsors for all of their support. Their generous contributions help to ensure the event's success and the growth of Kayak Fishing in Canada. Jackson Kayak, Kokatat, Glenmore Boats, Settles Bridge Supply House, Reddington, Aqua Bound,Undercurrents, Aquabatics,Yak Attack, Kayak Angler Magazine, Jackfish Lures, The Fishing Butler, The Fish Grip, Glenbow Flyfishing, The Bow Habitat Station, Scotty, Tie Boss, Kayak Fishing Supplies, CL Fishin, Camo Consulting, Hobie Polarized, Boomerang Tools, Flying Fisherman, GreenFish, Venom Lures, The Fishin' Hole, Ocean Sports,National Pro Staff and Wholesale Sports, A special thanks to Mike Zilkowsky,Alan High,Doug Hamm,Jordan Morgenstein,Nikki Rekman Sales and of course my wife Helaina for all of the help with the event. Final Results Doug Hamm Alan High Mike Zilkowsky Flynn Skot Jim Kind Glenn Webber Brent Mckamey Jordan Morgenstern Tim Norman Jason Labonte Gary Hetze Curtis Jensen Carl Ball Catherine Lewis Chris Bunting Doug Beckner Rick Bisson Garret Becker David Kessler Rob Waite Russ Murphy Rob Boulet Mike Patton John Kessler Bill Osborne See you all next year! Stephen Laurie “ Tournament Director Canadian Kayak Anglers.com