Florida Sailfish Cup

You don’t have to enter high stakes tournaments to feel like a champion. Making memories with friends and family puts everyone in the winner’s circle.

CONTENDER ONE

A CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE

As the proverbial saying goes, “There’s no I in Team”. No one understood that concept better than Joe Neber, founder of Contender Boats when he assembled Contender One, their ‘A Team’ to compete on competitive sailfi shing’s largest stage – The Quest for the Crest Sailfi sh Series. Whereas many teams on the stage – The Quest for the Crest Sailfi sh Series. Whereas many teams on the sailfi sh circuit are a collection of top anglers, mates and captains that have sailfi sh circuit are a collection of top anglers, mates and captains that have put together a roster they believe gives them the best chance for success, C1 is notably different. Sure, they have one of the top captains in the game, MVP mates and great anglers, but a core part of the C1 DNA is unique to them. They are one of, if not the only team in the series with over half of their crew that are actual employees of the manufacturer of the boat they compete on. Clearly that blended formula is working to perfection for team C1 with numerous victories in sailfi sh tournaments in recent years. None bigger than their Hall of Fame achievement in 2022 when they claimed the most prestigious title in sailfi shing, winning the burgundy jackets and the Quest for the Crest championship title!

CONTINUED CONTENDER ONE

MEET THE TEAM

Captain: Quinton Dieterle (Captain “Q”) runs the charter boat, the Cutting Edge out of Key Biscayne and has had great success over the last 30 years fi shing Billfi sh tournaments. He has received over 30 top captain awards, has won the “World Sailfi sh Tournament” and has been nominated in 2009 and 2010 as one of the top 5 captains in the world by In the Bite Magazine. Mate: Cap Hinkley was born to fi sh having been raised on the waters of South Florida. He started out as a mate for Captain Q on the Cutting Edge, where he worked for 10 years. Cap worked his way from deckhand to sailfi sh teammate and on to Captain. A decorated tournament captain himself, Cap is no stranger to victory at sea. Mate: Lucas Nido is a newer addition to the team. A full-time mate on the Cutting Edge for the past two years, Lucas is learning the ropes and honing his skills on the tournament boat under Captain Q’s watchful guidance. Mate: Mike Lawson is another new addition to the C1 team. Mike also trained at Cutting Edge U with Captain Q for 10 years and although new to C1, he has been fi shing on the sailfi sh circuit for over 13 years with great success. Mike is a two-time Quest champion success. Mike is a two-time Quest champion earning his fi rst burgundy jacket fi shing with earning his fi rst burgundy jacket fi shing with team Blue Time in the inaugural year of team Blue Time in the inaugural year of the Quest Series. the Quest Series.

Angler: Angler: Jon Cooper (AKA Froggy)

may be best known for his freediving and spearfi shing expertise and as a

US Spearfi shing national champion. However, don’t let his good looks and smooth attitude fool you. He’s a fi erce competitor and perhaps one of the winningest mates to compete in the South Florida Sailfi sh Circuit. Captain Q and Froggy have been competing together for over 15 years. When not fi shing on C1, Jon runs fi shing and dive charters on his 39’ Contender, Diversion. Jon also works in sales for Contender where he draws on his knowledge and expertise to bring ideas and innovations to the production and design teams. Angler: Steve Cunningham has spent the majority of his 40-year career in the fi shing industry with Contender Boats as VP of Operations. He is now running Contender’s new factory in Fort Pierce where he is charged with building all Contenders 32’ and down. While boatbuilding may be his day job, Steve is an accomplished tournament captain and legendary boat operator. Angler: Kenny Pontaris, after 35 years in the marine industry, joined the Contender team as VP of Manufacturing where he brings a wealth of experience both as a Captain as well as a boatbuilder. Most recently, Kenny captained the C1 team in our fi rst season fi shing the legendary

White Marlin Open and the new Jimmy Johnson Quest for the Ring in Atlantic City. This is his fi rst season as Angler on the C1 Sailfi sh Team. Kenny is constantly rethinking and innovating, always looking Florida Sailfi sh Circuit. Captain Q and Froggy for a better and more effi cient way to build the have been competing together for over 15 years. highest performing center consoles on the market. Angler: Ivan “I tighty here" Souto is C1’s fl at line extraordinaire and silent assassin. In addition to being a staple on the C1 team and keeping us all fed and happy, Ivan manages Contender’s pre-rig department overseeing the production of each boat coming down the line. Ivan has fi shed on C1 since the inception of the team and has been with Contender for 32 years. Angler: Amanda Sabin, while she was unable to join her team in 2022, is certainly worthy of her recognition as a valuable member of C1. Head of Marketing for Contender Boats, she also happens to be one hell of an angler with several top female and a master angler title in the Quest Series and she has also completed a royal slam in one year! She had a pee-wee angler in tote with a delivery date scheduled right in the heart of the 2022 season, otherwise she would have been right there shoulder to shoulder with her C1 team! We are excited to see her back in the saddle for 2023!

White Marlin Open and the new Jimmy Johnson Quest for the Ring in Atlantic City. This is his fi rst season as Angler on the C1 Sailfi sh Team. Kenny is constantly rethinking and innovating, always looking for a better and more effi cient way to build the highest performing center consoles on the market.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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