FOND DU LAC, Wis. (Oct. 31, 2017) – In November, four U.S. Military veterans will team up to do something that has never been done before – ride motorcycles from the Arctic Circle to the southern tip of South America -- a trip that is 19,000 miles in length and will take four months to complete.
Supporting the effort will be Mercury Marine and Quicksilver who partnered with Where the Road Ends (WTRE) on the veterans’ journey from Deadhorse, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina. The ride will be the subject of a feature length documentary filmed and produced by combat veterans.
“Unlike other documentary filmmaking projects or expeditionary travel, our team will be providing updates during preparation, on our mission and as we complete the documentary – basically bringing viewers along for the ride through Facebook, Instagram and YouTube,” said Wayne Mitchell, operations officer for WTRE. “Conquering the mission is the goal, but also raising awareness for combat veteran causes by partnering with the Lone Survivor Foundation is very important to the entire team.”
The team will conquer sub-zero temperatures, scorching heat, and miles of untamed jungle. The WTRE team will depart Alaska in November to ensure they arrive at the Darien Gap during Central America’s dry season. The Darien Gap is more than 100 miles of jungle between Panama and Columbia that will require help from locals to navigate waterways to complete the passage.
“We are excited to be a part of this great project and look forward to watching the journey unfold,” said Megan Meyer, Mercury Marine marketing specialist, aftermarket P&A. “Our Quicksilver products are perfect for the rigorous environments that the riders will encounter and we can’t wait to start this adventure together.”
Read more: Mercury Marine & Quicksilver Powersports sponsors Where the Road Ends
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (Oct. 23, 2017) – Mercury Marine, the world leader in marine propulsion and technology, is pleased to announce the introduction of VesselView903, the company’s largest and most advanced multifunction display.
VesselView903 features a bright 16x9 aspect ratio, high definition glass touchscreen with glare reducing coating and dimmable lighting. Similar to the VesselView703 launched at the 2017 Miami International Boat Show, the new advanced technology incorporates all the Simrad® accessories for the Go9 product line: Radar, Sonar transducers, Fish Finder transducers, AIS, VHF, Sonic Hub/Fusion Link/ SiriusXM, C-Zone/Naviop digital switching and more.
VesselView903 features a built in 10Hz GPS and chart plotter capability (regional electronic chart cards purchased separately), unique touch only screen interface that delivers intuitive display interaction (optional remote-control button interface is available) and auto Notification of software updates through the embedded WiFi.
“Our next generation VesselView technology allows boaters the ability to simultaneously display information for up to four engines at a time in an easy-to-use touch-screen interface,” said Zachary Savage, Mercury Marine VesselView Program Manager.
Read more: Mercury Marine introduces next-gen VesselView903 display
Madeira Beach, FL – October 16, 2017 – T-H Marine Supplies, Inc., of Huntsville, Alabama, announces it has partnered with the Old Salt Fishing Foundation as a sponsor for the Fall King of the Beach Tournament and Festival. This is the 24th year for the event, which takes place this November 2-4, 2017 in Madeira Beach, Florida.
“The Old Salt King of the Beach provides a competitive saltwater tournament experience for anglers from across the spectrum with a level playing field and great payouts," Tom Verdensky, President of the Old Salt Fishing Foundation stated. "The lucrative payout/prize structure continues to draw more and more anglers. More anglers means more money for our charity partners and our youth and family programs. It’s a win all the way around.”
"The King of the Beach Tournament and Festival is known as the largest and richest kingfish tournament in the United States and we're excited to support it," T-H Marine’s CEO, Jeff Huntley, stated. "We look forward to doing even more with saltwater fishing and demonstrating how T-H Marine products can enhance each angler's experience, whether inshore or offshore."
The Fall King of the Beach Kingfish Tournament will host in excess of 600 fishing teams from Texas to North Carolina. Anglers will compete for the King of the Beach crown, a guaranteed $50,000 first place payout, and the potential for tens of thousands of dollars more. Of the three previous first place winners, each came away with $82,610, $79,908, and $75,431 respectively.
The tournament is the centerpiece of the three-day waterfront festival, where traveling anglers, local families, and residents enjoy fun activities, food, live music, a boat show, fishing apparel/gear, and various events.
“Quality partnerships, like the one we are embarking on with T-H Marine, provide foundational support allowing the Old Salt Fishing Foundation to deliver on its mission with tournaments like King of the Beach. We are both fortunate and honored by this new association," Verdensky added.
Proceeds from the three-day tournament and waterfront festival help the Old Salt Fishing Foundation fund family and youth fishing programs, provide financial support for select charities, and deliver effective advocacy on behalf of Florida anglers.
Read more: T-H Marine sponsors the Old salt fishing foundation Fall Tournament
Volunteers with fishing boats and pontoon boats are needed for the Timmy Horton Fishing For Kids fishing rodeo on Pickwick Lake out of Riverfront Park in Sheffield on Saturday, Sept. 30.
Since 1999, the annual fishing rodeo has matched special needs anglers with volunteers who take them fishing on Pickwick Lake. The pontoon boats are needed for anglers who use wheelchairs.
At this year’s rodeo, the anglers will fish 10 a.m.- noon. Live bait can be used and will be provided. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Volunteers should arrive by 9 a.m. Lunch will be provided for the anglers and volunteers.
Horton, a professional anglers and outdoors television personality from Muscle Shoals, said Fishing for Kids is fun for the volunteers and the special needs anglers. “It’s a lot of fun for the anglers and for the volunteers. I look forward to Fishing for Kids all year, every year.”
To volunteer, call 256-332-5540. For more details on the Fishing for Kids program, call Colbert County Tourism and Convention Bureau at 256-383-0783.
ORLANDO, Fla. (July 24, 2017) – Mercury Marine is pleased to announce the graduation of Jacob Parker of Wilson, Oklahoma, the first certified technician to graduate from Universal Technical Institute’s Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) in Orlando. Mercury’s established global network with over 10,000 points of service will be enhanced with the continued collaboration with MMI as it reinforces the pipeline of trained people to help continue the company’s growth.
Parker completed MMI’s core marine technician program along with specific training in Mercury Marine technology and products, giving him the designation of a Mercury Certified Technician. He is the first graduate of Mercury’s manufacturer-specific program, which gives students the opportunity to achieve provisional certification as a factory-certified technician for Mercury Marine products.
“Investing in training qualified Mercury Marine technicians is an investment in our future” said Rob Schrage, director of field service development and operations, Mercury Marine. “We are proud of Jacob Parker’s accomplishment and look forward to supporting him and other technicians receiving certification in the future.”
Parker was immediately hired by MarineMax, where he began the dealer’s six-month new technician training program.
“We are excited to have Jacob on our team” said Chris Butts, MarineMax Technical Training Center Instructor. “Having the Mercury Certification is a benefit to our company because this gives him the basic knowledge of the Mercury products and allows us to advance him further through our training program so he can begin his career as a marine technician.”
Mercury Marine and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) continue their commitment of investing in the success of their dealer and OEM partners by providing the necessary resources to train future technicians in the marine industry. Currently, MMI is the only career technical education school in the country to offer a Mercury Marine certification program.
“MMI is proud of our manufacturer-specific training programs, which help students hit the ground running in jobs with industry leaders like Mercury Marine and employers like MarineMax, and we offer our heartfelt congratulations to Jacob,” said Steve McElfresh, MMI Campus President.
"We film only in public waters and my favorite thing to do is provide in depth information that will really help viewers catch more fish. I love to teach and share what I have learned over the years as a professional angler" - Timmy Horton