THE HOBIE® FISHING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STORY

Hobie has hosted sailing world championships since the first Hobie 16 titles in Hawai’i in 1976. These championships have always been fantastically competitive and ruthless events on the water, but they have also been great social occasions.

From those early days Hobie has grown and diversified into new areas. The company’s venture into kayaks has built a huge, worldwide kayak fishing fraternity and there was a dream to bring these people together. With the proven success of the sailing world championships in mind the first Hobie Fishing World Championship was created in 2011.

“I put the concept to Daiwa Australia and they loved it so much they jumped straight on board, as the major sponsor of the first world championship”, said Steve Fields, managing director of Hobie Asia Pacific who conceived the idea.

His concept carried over other ideas from the Hobie 16 sailing world championships where all sailors are placed on an even keel, by sailing in identical, completely new boats, built and supplied specifically for the event. The difficulty and expense for a competitor, of freighting a boat to an international venue had been taken care of by the event organiser and all boats would be exactly, the same. Like the sailing concept, all anglers in the fishing worlds would be supplied with exactly, the same kayak, a Hobie Mirage® Pro Angler 14 rigged out in the Hobie Asia Pacific factory with quality accessories straight out of the packet.

Past Fishing World Champions

2018

2014

2011

2016

2013

2015

2012