USAngling Introduces New USA Kayak Saltwater Fishing Team

So Zach, you saying I'm not qualified to represent the PNW?   

-Mark-

Thank you for taking my feedback.  I understand the situation you guys are in and hope that it works out well.

I look forward to hearing more about the future events and their qualifiers. I hope to see that the team expands past a group of core friends (or at least look at this website[and NCKA]/tournaments to determine current active heavy hitters-- not just the OG crew).  By making qualifiers, you can reinvigorate our local tournaments.  Also hope that you and others will make it to more tournaments to properly identify new talent.  I have been to several tournaments in the NW and only recognize Mark Veary as an active participator in the NW kayak community that was selected to the team. 

So Zach, you saying I'm not qualified to represent the PNW?   

-Mark-

Yep that's exactly what i am saying....  haha you know me better then that. 

I think you and others will represent the group well.  Just interested in the selection process and how people were chosen or not. And hope that myself and others have a chance to qualify and compete in the future.  Not great hearing about a cool new series only to find out that its invite only for a relatively small group of friends

Thank you for taking my feedback.  I understand the situation you guys are in and hope that it works out well.

I look forward to hearing more about the future events and their qualifiers. I hope to see that the team expands past a group of core friends (or at least look at this website[and NCKA]/tournaments to determine current active heavy hitters-- not just the OG crew).  By making qualifiers, you can reinvigorate our local tournaments.  Also hope that you and others will make it to more tournaments to properly identify new talent.  I have been to several tournaments in the NW and only recognize Mark Veary as an active participator in the NW kayak community that was selected to the team.

If there was a 200+ person saltwater event in the NW, it for sure would be considered for a qualifier.  Anyone want to make it happen?

-Allen

Thank you for taking my feedback.  I understand the situation you guys are in and hope that it works out well.

I look forward to hearing more about the future events and their qualifiers. I hope to see that the team expands past a group of core friends (or at least look at this website[and NCKA]/tournaments to determine current active heavy hitters-- not just the OG crew).  By making qualifiers, you can reinvigorate our local tournaments.  Also hope that you and others will make it to more tournaments to properly identify new talent.  I have been to several tournaments in the NW and only recognize Mark Veary as an active participator in the NW kayak community that was selected to the team.

If there was a 200+ person saltwater event in the NW, it for sure would be considered for a qualifier.  Anyone want to make it happen?

-Allen

Not sure if you’re serious or sarcastic but either way this is why I worry that it will continue to be politics and who you know. There are realistic ways of going about selecting a team. Qualifiers don’t need to be big—having a standard on how teams are selected and transparency would give the team validity. Right now it’s a group of friends entering a tournament together calling themselves National representatives.

So Zach, you saying I'm not qualified to represent the PNW?   

-Mark-

Yep that's exactly what i am saying....  haha you know me better then that. 

I think you and others will represent the group well.  Just interested in the selection process and how people were chosen or not. And hope that myself and others have a chance to qualify and compete in the future.  Not great hearing about a cool new series only to find out that its invite only for a relatively small group of friends

I'm glad you got my sarcasm. 

I hope for a good PNW qualifier also.  Those big contests require a champion though and I think you're just the man to bring this to life Zach.

-Mark-

So Zach, you saying I'm not qualified to represent the PNW?   

-Mark-

Yep that's exactly what i am saying....  haha you know me better then that. 

I think you and others will represent the group well.  Just interested in the selection process and how people were chosen or not. And hope that myself and others have a chance to qualify and compete in the future.  Not great hearing about a cool new series only to find out that its invite only for a relatively small group of friends

I'm glad you got my sarcasm. 

I hope for a good PNW qualifier also.  Those big contests require a champion though and I think you're just the man to bring this to life Zach.

-Mark-

You have been around me long enough to know that I have stepped in and volunteered to help (recall my efforts to make orc tax exempt- fell on deaf ears).  I have volunteered and assisted with the kayak community for years and don’t plan on stopping

I think our current tournaments are not well supported by this website- look at AOTY website issues. Hard to want to join when you can’t access the website. Same with ORC and the other tournaments- hard to advertise when no calendars are updated and pinned posts in tournaments show the last tournament being ORC 2021

Again- qualifiers don’t need to be big. But not having anything available for others to join makes it a challenge between friends- not a Panam champ. . Right now the only way for me to make a team in the future is to befriend certain people. Not something I am willing to do. I bet me asking questions on how to qualify has annoyed Allen enough to keep me off the team…

Thank you for taking my feedback.  I understand the situation you guys are in and hope that it works out well.

I look forward to hearing more about the future events and their qualifiers. I hope to see that the team expands past a group of core friends (or at least look at this website[and NCKA]/tournaments to determine current active heavy hitters-- not just the OG crew).  By making qualifiers, you can reinvigorate our local tournaments.  Also hope that you and others will make it to more tournaments to properly identify new talent.  I have been to several tournaments in the NW and only recognize Mark Veary as an active participator in the NW kayak community that was selected to the team.

If there was a 200+ person saltwater event in the NW, it for sure would be considered for a qualifier.  Anyone want to make it happen?

-Allen

Not sure if you’re serious or sarcastic but either way this is why I worry that it will continue to be politics and who you know. There are realistic ways of going about selecting a team. Qualifiers don’t need to be big—having a standard on how teams are selected and transparency would give the team validity. Right now it’s a group of friends entering a tournament together calling themselves National representatives.

Why would that be sarcastic?  How is opening up the opportunity to as many people as possible being political?

And please don't confuse lack of information (because we haven't figured it all out yet) with lack of transparency.  Trying to be fully transparent.

Group of friends?  I know less than half the people involved in this.  Hardly a group of friends.

Happy to follow up in a phone call.  DM me your number and I'll reach out.

-Allen

Again- qualifiers don’t need to be big. But not having anything available for others to join makes it a challenge between friends- not a Panam champ. . Right now the only way for me to make a team in the future is to befriend certain people. Not something I am willing to do. I bet me asking questions on how to qualify has annoyed Allen enough to keep me off the team…

I'm not annoyed.  I share the same concerns on legitimacy.  However, we need to start somewhere and if we didn't start like this, frankly there would be no team going.  And we felt it best to have immediate representation rather than not be there.

Completely open to your feedback and ideas.

-Allen

Again- qualifiers don’t need to be big. But not having anything available for others to join makes it a challenge between friends- not a Panam champ. . Right now the only way for me to make a team in the future is to befriend certain people. Not something I am willing to do. I bet me asking questions on how to qualify has annoyed Allen enough to keep me off the team…

I'm not annoyed.  I share the same concerns on legitimacy.  However, we need to start somewhere and if we didn't start like this, frankly there would be no team going.  And we felt it best to have immediate representation rather than not be there.

Completely open to your feedback and ideas.

-Allen

You’ve been great Allen and I hope you guys do well and win it all. You and Mark have done a lot for the community and I don’t want my questioning to distract from the amount of effort you put into this. You both have grown the community and deserve to represent the community.

I'd have to talk with the other organizers, but I'd be interested in making the SBAOTD a qualifying event.
https://fb.me/e/45qNBHr5n

Allen - Not sure, but this might be worth looking into as a resource.
https://www.extremekayakfishingtournament.org/#/

I'd have to talk with the other organizers, but I'd be interested in making the SBAOTD a qualifying event.
https://fb.me/e/45qNBHr5n

Let's chat at some point Paul.

-Allen

Allen - Not sure, but this might be worth looking into as a resource.
https://www.extremekayakfishingtournament.org/#/

Joe Hector, who runs those tournies, is a regional director for us.

-Allen

Allen - Not sure, but this might be worth looking into as a resource.
https://www.extremekayakfishingtournament.org/#/

Joe Hector, who runs those tournies, is a regional director for us.

-Allen