The Huggo’s Wahine Fishing Tournament has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 25th anniversary of the annual event, advertised as the world’s largest all-women billfish tournament, was originally scheduled to take place July 25. Organizers of the tournament said they have not set a new date, but they hope to hold the tournament later this year. It was postponed because of the mandatory 14-day quarantine for all Hawaii visitors, which was recently extended by Gov. David Ige until July 31.
“Due to the Governor’s decision to prolong the mandatory two-week quarantine of all visitors to the end of July, we have made the difficult decision to postpone this year’s tournament until our off-island participants can join us in the fun,” organizers posted on the tournament’s Facebook page. “We also need to give Huggo’s Restaurant and Huggo’s On The Rocks time to get their staff back to work and that will not happen until the restrictions are lifted.”
The tournament is a benefit for Family Support Hawaii. The event has raised more then $180,000 for Family Support Hawaii since it began, Huggo’s owner Eric von Platen Luder said before last year’s tournament.
The tournament is a three-day weekend event, with the teams fishing Saturday in Kailua Bay from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The all-women anglers compete for cash prizes awarded to the largest marlin/billfish. There’s is also a ahi, ono and mahi mahi category.
Last year’s entry fee for a four-women team with one captain and one deckhand was $500, with $125 for each extra angler. The limit is 75 teams.
The tournament is also known locally for its kickoff party held the Friday night before anglers set out to compete. The tournament’s teams head to Huggo’s for a costume party based around the tournament’s theme.
“We plan on having the party at Huggo’s On the Rocks as we have done the past 25 years, in true Wahine Tournament fashion, and feel that it just would not be the same without our social functions,” the statement said.
The theme for the 2020 tournament is “Musical Women.”