New agreement to include participation in new Wal-Mart FLW Series
FLW Outdoors announced today that Yamaha Outboards will expand its sponsorship to include the new Wal-Mart FLW Series. Yamaha will be one of the official outboard-motor sponsors of the $6.5 million FLW Series. Yamaha first joined FLW Outdoors’ family of sponsors in 2001 and, with its new sponsorship commitment, will be an integral component in growing the sport of professional tournament fishing in the years ahead.
Irwin L. Jacobs, chairman of FLW Outdoors, said: “When we announced the creation of the new FLW Series, we felt we were providing the professional angling community with another opportunity to participate in the sport they love. The anglers enthusiastically responded to our announcement and Yamaha immediately offered their support. We are very proud to have Yamaha, one of the world’s leading outboard manufacturers, on board.”
Jacobs further stated, “As FLW Outdoors continues to grow, Yamaha continues to step up its support and help grow the sport of professional angling. We couldn’t continue to offer these opportunities without the help of our great partners like Yamaha.”
Phil Dyskow, Yamaha Marine group president, stated: “Yamaha’s continued sponsorship and involvement in FLW Outdoors have been some of Yamaha’s most important marketing tools in promoting professional angling. FLW Outdoors once again answered and responded to America’s professional angling community by announcing the additional FLW Series. Yamaha’s continued support for the professional anglers through FLW Outdoors’ tournaments is our way of saying to the professional angling community and the general fishing public that Yamaha believes FLW Outdoors provides one of the single best ways to grow the sport of fishing. Yamaha has been and will continue to be a major supporter of professional angling through its platinum sponsorship of America’s largest and most prestigious tournament organization, FLW Outdoors.”
Yamaha-sponsored anglers have long been high-profile competitors on various FLW Outdoors tournament trails. In fact, Team Yamaha pros Clark Wendlandt and Jay Yelas have both earned the FLW Tour’s coveted Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year title. Yelas, a Tyler, Texas, native, won the title in 2002 while Wendlandt, the Leander, Texas, pro, won the title in both 1998 and 2000. Both anglers were featured on the cover of a special-edition Kellogg’s box.
Yamaha has been making and selling outboard motors worldwide for more than 44 years. Ever since Yamaha brought its full line to the U.S. market in the 1984 model year, it has established a consistent trend of earning industry awards for innovation and engineering from the industry and members of the media. More than 7 million Yamaha Outboards have now been sold since its first small 7hp motor was produced in 1960. The motors are available in the United States through a national network of retail marine dealers and are the featured power with more than 100 different independent boat builders.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997.
For more information about FLW Outdoors tournaments, call (270) 252-1000.
By: J Sealock
