Epic Final Day of Blue Marlin Fishing at the Costa Offshore World Championship Presented by Continental
May 06, 2022 – WINTER PARK, FL – The Costa Offshore World Championship presented by Continental, held Sunday, April 24-Friday, April 29, brought 37 teams with 168 anglers from 18 different countries to Quepos, Costa Rica, all with hopes of winning the coveted championship rings. This year’s competition released 673 billfish including 606 sailfish, 65 blue marlin, one black marlin and one striped marlin for an average of 18.19 billfish per team.
The teams spend four days on the water fishing out of Marina Pez Vela aboard a different Costa Rica flagged charter boat each day including the world class Maverick Yachts game boats. The tournament anglers follow International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) angling and tackle rules targeting marlin, sailfish, tuna and dorado using video verification to earn points.
The competitors represent an international group of offshore teams that earned an invitation through OWC qualifying events. The competition has a demanding format that requires angling skill to convert the bites into catches.
Sitting in sixth place heading into the final day, the Kenyan team that qualified via the Watamu Fishing Festival would need all the luck to place in the tournament let alone win the competition. The team managed to release eight blue marlin, setting a daily record for the tournament, ultimately scoring a total of 8,300 points from 14 sailfish and 11 blue marlin releases to pull off the biggest come from behind win in the history of the tournament.
The tournament is also the subject of a three-part TV series that will showcase the many sides of this global event: the fishing competition, qualifying events, team profiles, behind-the-scenes action and more. The series will debut on Discovery on Labor Day Weekend.
The Costa Offshore World Championship presented by Continental is sponsored by Costa, Marina Pez Vela, Continental Tire, YETI, Guy Harvey, Parador Resort & Spa, Garmin, Maverick Yachts, Bodo Muche Studio, AFTCO, Flor de Caña, IGFA, King Sailfish Mounts, Pacifico Travel Services, Outdoor America, Imperial Beer, 2Costa Rica Real Estate, VanMark Jewelry Designers, Marlin, Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Big-T Lures, Diesel Premier, Penn, Hilton’s Realtime Navigator, IWS ScaleMaster and Tropic Star Lodge.
About Bonnier: Bonnier is an outdoor adventure company that fuels passion for fishing, boating, sailing, motorsports, hunting and travel. Bonnier has the nation’s leading portfolio of experiential events and iconic media brands in the marine category and an extensive series of nationwide motorsports and hunting events. Publisher of Salt Water Sportsman, Marlin, Sport Fishing, Boating, Yachting, Cruising World and Sailing World, Bonnier produces award-winning SFTV television programming, and hosts world-class fishing tournaments, sailing regattas and educational events across the US and in Mexico, Bermuda, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Australia and the Virgin Islands. Bonnier is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a globally operating conglomerate with more than 200 years in publishing.
Bonnier Transforms into an Outdoor Adventure Company
April 26, 2022 – WINTER PARK, FL – Bonnier LLC, a media company respected for its iconic publications in the marine category, has restructured its business across all operations to prioritize experiential events as its growth engine for the future. The Florida-based company is harnessing the power of media as a means to accelerate consumer interactions across a wide spectrum of outdoor activities. With its new mission to fuel the passion of outdoor enthusiasts, Bonnier is reshaping itself to become the nation’s leading outdoor adventure company.
“We see ourselves almost back in startup mode,” said Dr. Jens Mueffelmann, Executive Chairman. “We’re taking on the mindset of a new company with a new mission and branding, a new leadership team and investors, a new structure and way of working, and a new future. We are now fully focused on growth. Game time!”
In adopting its new “We Are Outdoor Adventure” branding, Bonnier is doubling down on its core mission: to fuel passion for fishing, boating, sailing, motorsports, hunting and travel. This mission is also reflected in the company’s new corporate website, bonniercorp.com, launched this month, which showcases Bonnier’s integrated brands and category dominance.
“What we needed as a company was a strategy for harnessing our individual efforts into something powerful, something meaningful,” said David Ritchie, CEO. “As we work to align our teams on the mission, we find that we are unlocking significant new opportunities. We see ourselves now on a path to double our revenues within five years.”
Bonnier spent nearly 18 months working with investment bank Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips to divest off-mission brands in categories as diverse as cooking, science and corporate diversity in four transactions, thereby shaping a group with pure focus on outdoor adventure. The new structure also incorporates a legal entity change, in which management has taken equity positions in the business. Bonnier AB, based in Stockholm, Sweden, remains the company’s majority shareholder.
A new five-executive leadership team was put into place, which includes Glenn Sandridge and Jonathan Moore in positions responsible for revenue growth across all properties, as well as Shawn Bean as head of creative, David Butler as lead for all digital initiatives, and Tara Bisciello to oversee financial services.
In making the appointments, Ritchie redefined each member’s traditional line of responsibility. “Where previously senior managers held a specific role for a specific department, in the new organization, executive leaders hold functional responsibility across the entire organization,” Ritchie said. “Our head of creative, as an example, doesn’t just oversee our editorial and design teams, but he also has free purview to help shape our company culture, ideate new event concepts, pitch custom-content packages to clients, and more. His role is not limited by an org chart; it is limited only by his creativity in how he can impact the business.”
Bonnier also transformed its way of working by migrating its workforce to a fully integrated virtual model. Where previously the company had office locations in New York, California, Indiana, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, today a startup-like warehouse in Florida and workshops across the nation serve for brainstorming and team collaboration.
About Bonnier
Bonnier is an outdoor adventure company that fuels passion for fishing, boating, sailing, motorsports, hunting and travel. Bonnier has the nation’s leading portfolio of experiential events and iconic media brands in the marine category, and an extensive series of nationwide motorsports and hunting events. Publisher of Salt Water Sportsman, Marlin, Sport Fishing, Boating, Yachting, Cruising World and Sailing World, Bonnier produces award-winning SFTV television programming, and hosts world-class fishing tournaments, sailing regattas and educational events across the US and in Mexico, Bermuda, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Australia and the Virgin Islands. Bonnier is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a globally operating conglomerate with more than 200 years in publishing.
- Published in Corporate
New Original TV Series Documents the 2022 Offshore World Championship
April 14, 2022 — WINTER PARK, FL — The Costa Offshore World Championship Presented by Continental will be the subject of a three-part TV series documenting the most globally diverse sport-fishing tournament in the world.
Mixing high-level competition with reality TV, the docu-series will showcase the tournament’s four days of fishing action in Quepos, Costa Rica, and present a 360-degree view of this global spectacle: the 90-plus qualifying events, target species, judges, fans and roughly 40 competing teams with anglers from 20 countries including the U.S., Brazil, Bermuda, Mexico, Croatia, Canada, Panama, Kenya and the Seychelles.
“For more than two decades, the Offshore World Championship has represented the ultimate achievement in big-game fishing. This new series will bring the global story of this tournament to life,” says Dan Jacobs, the event’s longtime tournament director.
The televised Offshore World Championship will reach an international audience of more than 3 million with primary and secondary airings on Discovery, Outdoor America, Bally Sports Sun and Outdoor America’s digital streaming and video-on-demand platforms. It will air in the third and fourth quarters of 2022.
The series is the latest project from the producers of SFTV, the award-winning fishing-travel-adventure series on Discovery that began its 21st season on April 2.
“Developing a national and regional broadcast component for the Offshore World Championship was the right move for the sport and will help grow the audience exponentially,” says John Acosta, Costa Del Mar Vice President of Marketing. “It’s a first-class event and we are proud to have an ownership position that reinforces our brand’s presence in competitive saltwater angling.”
The Costa Offshore World Championship Presented by Continental is one of several international fishing tournaments produced by Bonnier, the outdoor adventure company with a portfolio that also includes Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Marlin, Boating, Yachting and SFTV.
For more information on the Costa Offshore World Championship Presented by Continental, visit offshoreworldchampionship.com, and follow @offshoreworldchampionship on Facebook and Instagram. Click here for the TV series’ full creative brief.
Bonnier Corp. Hires Nate Matthews to Lead Salt Water Sportsman
March 1, 2022 — MAITLAND, FL — Bonnier Corp. has hired outdoor enthusiast and digital-content strategist Nate Matthews as editor-in-chief of Salt Water Sportsman, the nation’s leading authority on saltwater fishing. He will join the team on March 1.
Matthews returns to Bonnier Corp. after more than a year of service as Vice President of Commerce at Recurrent Ventures, a division of North Equity, which acquired the titles Field & Stream and Outdoor Life, among others, from Bonnier in fall 2020. Prior to his transfer to Recurrent, Matthews served in a variety of roles at Bonnier Corp. over a span of 15 years, culminating in his appointment to digital director for Bonnier Corp.’s outdoor group. In that position, he provided pivotal leadership in the development of content initiatives that included print, web, social, video and e-commerce.
“In hiring Nate Matthews as our next editor-in-chief, we are redefining the position as much as we are hiring a person,” said David Ritchie, Bonnier Corp. CEO. “The role of editor has grown exponentially in the past 10 years to include brand stewardship across an ever-growing and ever-changing base of distribution channels and technology platforms. During his previous time with Bonnier, Nate distinguished himself as someone who converts intuition and data into actionable editorial insights. In this new role, he will work to introduce fresh ideas into the print product, while also expanding Salt Water Sportsman’s reach into new areas of opportunity.”
Matthews will succeed Glenn Law, who departs Bonnier to pursue other professional interests.
“The opportunity to expand the relevance of Salt Water Sportsman is truly a career-defining role,” Matthews said. “As a lifelong angler who lives on Long Island, I have a deep appreciation and respect for the many industry legends who have led this iconic brand since its inception in 1939. I look forward to building on that legacy for years to come.”
About Bonnier Corp. Bonnier Corp. is an outdoor-adventures company that offers the nation’s most robust portfolio of experiential events and iconic media brands in the marine category. Along with Salt Water Sportsman, Bonnier Corp. also publishes Yachting, Boating, Marlin, Sport Fishing, Cruising World and Sailing World, reaches 6 million households annually through its award-winning SFTV television programming, and hosts world-class fishing tournaments and educational events in the US, Mexico, Bermuda, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Australia and the Virgin Islands. Bonnier Corp. is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a globally operating media conglomerate.
- Published in Corporate, Salt Water Sportsman
Bonnier Corp. Hires Olsewski to Fuel Motorsports Media
January 25, 2022 — WINTER PARK, FL — Bonnier Corp. has hired Steven Olsewski as the editorial lead for its motorsports brands. Olsewski, who has a long history of content creation within the market, will oversee editorial-content creation as Bonnier expands its offerings within key motorsports segments.
“As an event producer and publisher of world-leading content across an array of markets, we have long believed our authoritative voice in motorsports represents a tremendous opportunity to provide value to our engaged audiences,” said Jonathan Moore, Bonnier’s executive vice president of events.
Olsewski previously served as editor of Power Automedia’s leading brands, Off Road Xtreme and Diesel Army, and more recently was the driving force behind Off-Road Assassin.
Beginning with Off-Road Expo and Sand Sports Super Show, Olsewski will develop the editorial plans for motorsports content, work to develop content partnerships with key stakeholders, build out new editorial offerings, and leverage Bonnier’s market-leading events as year-round content engines.
“I am excited to be joining the Bonnier team and have the opportunity to further develop their motorsports business. Having been a lifetime participant and advocate of these markets, this is a tremendous fit for my experience. Creating the content in support of authoritative brands such as Off-Road Expo and Sand Sports Super Show will generate new value for the passionate enthusiasts, sponsors, and exhibitors who support those events, as well as the industry at large,” Olsewski said.
About Bonnier Corp.
Bonnier Corp. is an American outdoor adventures company with a broad portfolio of experiential events, supported by iconic media brands. Notable brands include Boating, Off-Road Expo, Yachting, Sand Sports Super Show and Salt Water Sportsman, among others. Bonnier Corp. is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a globally operating media conglomerate.
- Published in Corporate
Andrew Parkinson Joins Cruising World as New Editor-In-Chief
January 24, 2022 – MAITLAND, FL – Andrew Parkinson has been named editor-in-chief of Cruising World. A lifelong sailor based in Ft. Lauderdale, Parkinson comes to Bonnier with more than 22 years of experience in publishing, marketing, multimedia, and public relations.
Parkinson most recently served as editor-in-chief at Passagemaker, where he led a full-scale redesign of the print product while directing best-in group measurables across the brand’s digital, social and events platforms (Trawler Fest), including the conceptualization and launch of the brand’s first podcast, “Trawler Talk,” which surpassed 50,000 downloads in its first year. Before joining Passagemaker, Andrew held managing and executive editor roles at Southern Boating and Yachts International, and has a solid understanding of both the power and sail sides of the marketplace.
Parkinson has plans for a 360-degree content plan that evolves the brand in its current channels and expands into new ones to grow the audience base and optimize revenue opportunities.
“Andrew’s reputation as an editor, creative and mariner precedes him, and he’s a perfect fit for our company culture,” says Shawn Bean, Bonnier’s executive vice president of creative. “We don’t just expect great things from him – we know they’re coming.”
- Published in Corporate, Cruising World
Bonnier Fish Group launches “Women in Fishing” podcast
This month, the Bonnier Fish Group launches its first podcast: “Women in Fishing,” hosted by Sport Fishing executive editor Chris Woodward and sponsored by AkzoNobel Yacht Coatings.
“Women in Fishing” will feature conversations with top women anglers, executives and leaders in the fishing industry. A new video podcast will be posted every month on a special content hub devoted to women anglers: sportfishingmag.com/women-fishing. The hub will offer female-focused content about apparel, tackle and gear, women in the sport, how-to topics, fishing travel, seafood recipe and more.
For January’s episode, the featured guests are Stephanie Vatalaro, senior vice president of marketing and communications at the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, and Sarah Harper Burke, senior manager of marketing, Shimano North America Fishing.
Woodward is a lifelong angler who has served as a Sport Fishing editor for more than 17 years. She is currently the brand’s executive editor, as well as Bonnier’s marine electronics editor.
“I’m excited to present a menu of great content — from all of our fishing and boating brands — to entice more women to try the sport of fishing and stick with it,” says Woodward. “This has been a fun team effort as everyone feels passionately about this project. Kudos to [Marlin publisher] Natasha Lloyd for connecting us with our sponsor AkzoNobel, and recognizing an idea whose time has come.”
- Published in Corporate, Sport Fishing
Marlin Celebrates 40th Anniversary
In April 1982, the inaugural issue of Marlin was published, dedicated to the idea of “establishing in the eyes of the world that billfishing is the greatest sport in the world today.” Four decades later, the “magazine for the billfisherman” is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Marlin was launched in the spring of 1982 by Bill McLellan and Lee Stevens. The publication aimed to be a prestigious voice within the global offshore fishing community. By any measure, it has achieved that status. Today, Marlin is part of Bonnier Corp’s extensive fishing media and event portfolio which includes Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Offshore World, Salt Water Sportsman Seminar Series, Offshore World Championship, Bermuda Triple Crown, Los Cabos Billfish Tournament, and Scrub Island Invitational. Forty years later, Marlin continues to provide the same high-quality content that offshore fishing enthusiasts have come to expect.
While it began as a quarterly, Marlin is now published seven times per year. It also has an educational component, Marlin University, an immersive, on-the-water classroom where world-class anglers teach the most exciting and cutting-edge techniques to catch billfish.
The brand will celebrate its anniversary throughout 2022, including a feature story about the magazine’s history in the February issue.
“I’m proud to continue the legacy of this brand with such a great history as we head into 2022 and beyond,” says editor-in-chief Sam White.
The magazine is not the only notable anniversary that Marlin is commemorating. Publisher Natasha Lloyd recently celebrated her 25th year with the brand.