The California Billfish Series, the largest offshore tournament series on the West Coast, has just announced that it will retain the services of Marine Art & Trophies, a custom trophy maker based in Central America.
“Last year we really wanted to step up the trophies that we give out in the Zane Grey, Catalina Classic and Avalon Billfish Classic,” said tournament director Ali Hussainy. “We decided to award the winners custom bronze sculptures as trophies and we were very pleased with the craftsmanship and finish of the trophies we got from Marine Art & Trophies.”
Marine Art & Trophies runs a large foundry in El Salvador, and has been making marlin sculptures for several years. The company had its artwork on display at the Miami International Boat Show and that’s were Hussainy first saw the sculptures.
“I was really blown away by the quality,” he says. “They offer several different finishes and custom bases that you can choose from. It’s great for us because the trophies we use in the three tournaments are all a little bit different.”
The trophies range in size with the first-place sculptures measuring 20 inches in height, with a design that incorporates three different marlin.
“The trophies were a big hit last year and we’re happy to have Marine Art & Trophies back on board for 2012,” Hussainy said.
The California Billfish Series is comprised of three events. The Zane Grey Invitational is the first tournament in the series. This year, the Zane Grey takes place from September 9 -11 out of Dana Point Harbor. The Catalina Classic and Avalon Billfish Classic are fished simultaneously. The event is held out of historic Catalina Island with the festivities running September 23 – 25. To learn more about the California Billfish Series, visit www.catalinaclassic.com.
For more information about the fish sculptures offered by Marine Art & Trophies, visit www.marineartandtrophies.com.
