FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — West Marine, America’s leading retailer of supplies for the sailing, boating and fishing communities, today announced the inaugural Women Making Waves event series in partnership with Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation’s (RBFF) consumer-facing brand, Take Me Fishing. The free, four-part interactive class series takes place each Wednesday in April and are designed to support increased female participation in fishing and boating. The events are open to the public and RSVPs are encouraged as space is limited.
“Interest in fishing and boating increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as families wanted to spend more time in outdoor, open-air environments,” said Eric Kufel, West Marine CEO. “Time spent on and around the water provides a number of important mental health benefits, so our goal with the Women Making Waves class series is to ensure these new fans stay engaged for the long term — and for them to encourage their female friends to hop on board, too.”
Women Making Waves is not just about increasing female participation in recreational boating and fishing; it also helps create awareness of how conservation efforts are impacted by everyone who purchases a fishing license or registers a boat. All funds collected for fishing license sales go directly back into water conservation projects from coast to coast.
“West Marine has been so supportive of Take Me Fishing’s Women Making Waves initiative, encouraging the continued growth of women in fishing and boating,” said Rachel Auslander, RBFF Director of Partnerships & Development. “These events provide a fantastic opportunity for our female presenters to share their fishing skills and knowledge of the local waterways with the public, both in person and online. It is our hope that their presence inspires other women and girls to get out on the water.”
The industry’s leading social media influencers, also known as Wave Makers, will host the Women Making Waves fishing demo events every Wednesday beginning at 6 p.m. local time in the following West Marine marine centers:
- April 6: Nicole Jacobs in Minnetonka, Minn.
- Jacobs is a professional angler from St. Paul, Minn. who empowers others to follow their passions through faith and fishing. She’s an avid bass angler and has competed in tournaments across the country since 2013.
- April 13: Annie Nagel in Sausalito, Calif.
- Nagel, a Sonoma County native, is a professional kayak angler who takes her fishing skills up the coast from Monterey Bay to Humboldt in Northern California. Although she’s happy to catch any edible saltwater fish, her favorite targets are king salmon, rockfish and lingcod.
- April 20: Tiffany Risch (aka Snookie) in Virginia Beach, Va.
- Born and raised in Virginia, Risch (known to many as @SnookieFishing) dedicates her life to fishing. She’s worked as a deckhand alongside some of the best anglers in the business, honing her knowledge of the sport in freshwater and saltwater fishing.
- April 27: The Gale Force Twins in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
- During their time at University of Miami, Amanda and Emily Gale spent every summer break and long weekend on a busy fishing charter boat in Key West. It was there that they honed their fishing skills and earned their U.S. Coast Guard 50 Ton Captains licenses. Today, the duo runs Gale Force Twins, LLC where they build fishing communities and provide resources for saltwater fishing and boating.
Register for the Women Making Waves class series here.
