Today, the Old Salt Fishing Foundation announces the cancellation of the 27th Annual Spring King of the Beach – Kingfish Tournament. The tournament, originally scheduled to run April 30, May 1 & 2, 2020 then rescheduled for May 28, 29 & 30, 2020 is now unable to be put on due to restrictions brought on by the advent of the Covid 19 pandemic.
The state of Florida is in the early stages of reopening the economy. Locally, the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners interprets and implements the reopening in Pinellas County. The Board of Commissioners has elected to extend its COVID-19 Local State of Emergency to run through May 15, 2020. No meaningful guidance is provided for how the business environment will proceed beyond that date.
Regarding the cancellation of the 2020 Spring KING, Tom Verdensky, President of Old Salt Fishing Foundation says,“Today with a very heavy heart the Old Salt has cancelled, for the first time in history, the 2020 Spring KING. This decision was one of the hardest things our board has had to make. We had postponed the event in hopes the situation surrounding the Covid 19 outbreak would abate. Governmental efforts to deal with the outbreak and restart our economy simply do not support the running of an event with the scope and scale of the KING at this time. To the anglers, sponsors and vendors, we are every bit as unhappy as you over this turn of events. The KING has never been cancelled before. These are indeed unprecedented times and Old Salt will need your support now more than ever.“
In the meantime, look to your loved ones and friends. Stay safe. Follow appropriate protocols, get back to work as you are able & help others in need wherever possible. Tight lines.
Help Old Salt and continue … Get your King of the Beach apparel. In anticipation of the event, we have tournament apparel in stock. Please support Old Salt by purchasing a shirt. This will help us continue to hold events in the future and keep our youth programs going.