San Jose, CR November 18, 2004 -The Costa Rican Association of Cystic Fibrosis has received a check for $10,000 from the Boomer Esiason Foundation. 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           

Contact: Pete Johnson, Johnson Communications, Inc.

Scottsdale, Ariz. 85267

480-951-3654 (ph) 480-951-0040 (fax)

Johnsoncom@aol.com (e-mail)

Costa Rica Classic Fishing Tournament Helps CF Patients 

Costa Ricans to receive portion of proceeds for cystic fibrosis drugs

from Boomer Esiason Foundation

QUEPOS, Costa Rica (March 24, 2004) – Four teams were tied in points after a prolific two days of fishing but a trio of Florida men, two from Ft. Lauderdale, and a third from Naples, were declared the winners, based on time in the Costa Rica Classic International Billfish Tournament.

Dominick Pagano and Bill Olsen both of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., along with Steve Blount, Naples, Fla., caught three sailfish for 100 points each and two marlin at 500 points apiece for a grand total of 1300 points. The tie among the 1300 point finishers was broken based on the time the last fish was caught. The winning team was guided by Capt. Ezquiel Amaya, Aguila de Osa, Costa Rica.

The second annual tournament was put on by the Boomer Esiason Foundation (BEF) to heighten awareness, education and funding efforts of cystic fibrosis research.  A portion of the proceeds will help in funding for needed drugs to CF patients in Costa Rica.

Pagano, Olsen and Blount also donated their winnings from a calcutta to the CF efforts in Costa Rica.  

 “A total of 111 fish -- 107 sailfish and four marlin -- were caught and released in the two-day, 17 hour on-the-water event,” said Rob Hodel, president of Tico Travel, in Ft. Lauderdale who coordinated the tournament for the BEF. “Awards were also given for catches of roosterfish, dorado, tuna and dog tooth snapper. A number of people have already signed on for the 2005 event.”

One of the defending champions, Denny Derringer, Delray Beach, Fla., along with Bobby Oden of Miami finished second catching eight sails and a marlin. Their last fish was released 25 minutes after the first place team.

In third place was a quartet of anglers from Omaha, Neb. Tom Hansen, Tim Thunn, Larry Smith and Rob Wilsey, released eight sailfish and one marlin.

Joe Zeno, Mike O’Connor, Mike Ameluck and Fred Hamilton, all of Ft. Lauderdale were fourth with 13 sails.

The tournament was spawned after Dave Rimington, the president of the BEF, New York City, N.Y., had sponsored and participated in several Mercury Outboards Redbone celebrity fishing series events in the Florida Keys. “We hope to do more of these terrific fundraising fishing events in other great scenic international locales,” said Rimington, “and accelerate the research to bring quality of life to CF patients in alliance with the Redbone’s efforts.”

The BEF is also assisting with the Redbone in the 16th Key West Classic a dual offshore billfish and light tackle inshore event, April 28-May 1.

Among the celebrities fishing the Costa Rica Classic were Esiason, Rimington and Mark Cooper, all who had award-winning careers in the NFL and college football.

The Costa Rica Classic is also a qualifying event for the sixth annual Rolex/International Game Fish Association Offshore Championship Tournament, a world fishing competition to take place in May 2005.

Blount, Pagano and Olsen will be invited to compete in the 2005 Rolex/IGFA world championship which draws top teams from all corners of the earth.  This year’s championship is being held in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with 63 teams from 29 countries competing.

Besides Tico Travel other platinum level sponsors included the La Mariposa Hotel.  Gold level sponsors included 107.5 FM San Jose, CR; Central America.com, Wacky Wanda’s, El Gran Escape Restaurant, Costa Rica Dreams, Casa Mar Lodge, Grupo TACA, MartinAir, Mac’s America Bar & Grill, Bradd Johnson and the Aguila de Osa Inn, Century 21 and Manuel Antonio, Barbara Rojas in Quepos, Gallo Wines, Lauren Hutton’s Good Stuff cosmetics, Ritz Carlton Spas La Prairie New York City.

For more information on the Costa Rica Classic please call Tico Travel at 1-800-493-8426 or visit the Costa Rica Classic website at www.costaricaclassic.com/ or the BEF website at www.esiason.org  or call 212-525-7777. 

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FINAL STANDINGS

Second Annual Costa Rica Classic, Quepos, Costa Rica

A CF Research Charity Fund Raiser for the Boomer Esiason Foundation

March 18-21, 2004

Grand Champion Team, aboard the Tenacity -- Dominick Pagano and Bill Olsen both of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Steve Blount, Naples, Fla., Guided by Capt. Ezquiel Amaya, Agulia de Osa, Costa Rica; 1300 points (three sailfish, two marlin) last fish caught at 1:51 p.m. 

First Runnerup Team, aboard the Bobcat -- Denny Derringer, DelRay Beach, Fla, and Bobby Oden, Miami, --1300 points (eight sailfish, one marlin) last fish caught at 2:16 p.m. 

Second Runnerup Team, aboard the Sea Lady – Tom Hansen, Tim Thunn, Larry Smith and Rob Wilsey, all of Omaha, Nebraska -- 1300 points (eight sailfish, one marlin) last fish caught at 2:56 p.m. 

Third Runnerup Team, aboard the Stephanie Lee – Joe Zeno, Mike O’Connor, Mike Ameluck and Fred Hamilton, all of Ft. Lauderdale -- 1300 points (13 sailfish) last fish caught at 3:20 p.m.

Points Key: Marlin -- 500 points, Sailfish--100 points

*Four teams tied on points and the winning team was based on time of last first caught first

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Quepos Tournament Reels in Four Winners
Free Spooling
By Jerry Ruhlow
jruhlow@costaricaoutdoors.com

First place resulted in a four-way tie at the Second Annual Costa Rica Classic International Billfish Tournament out of Quepos from March 19 to March 21. The tie-breaker? The team that boated its last fish the earliest on the final day of the competition.

The special honors went to Florida fishermen Dominick Pagano, Bill Olsen and Steve Blount, with skipper Ezequiel Amaya on a boat out of Aguila de Osa.

The winning team scored 1,300 points with two marlin at 500 points each and three sailfish at 100 points each, according to Tico Travel president Rob Hodel, who helped organize the event.

The runner-up teams are: From Florida, Denny Derringer and Bobby Oden with eight sails and one marlin on the Bob Cat; from Omaha, Neb., Tom Hansen, Tim Thunn, Larry Smith and Rob Wilsey with eight sails and one marlin; from Florida, Stephanie Lee, Joe Zeno, Mike O’Connor, Mike Amelunk and Fred Hamilton with 13 sailfish.

Question of the week: How did a team from Nebraska enter a billfish tournament? I spent many summers in Beemer, Neb. and all we caught on cane poles were catfish on the Elk Horn River.

The Quepos-based tournament was sponsored by the Boomer Esiason Foundation (BEF) to heighten awareness, education and funding efforts of cystic fibrosis research. Participants included National Football League players and college football stars Dave Rimington and Mark Cooper.

Public Relations Coordinator Pete Johnson, from Johnson Communications Inc., said he fished the Gandy Dancer with Rimington the week prior to the competition and released 12 sails in the same area.

Tico Times reader Joe Riley fished the Gamefisher, with skipper Bill Gannon out of Playa Carrillo and said he had eight releases for 10 sails up, nailed a blue marlin and on the last bite of the day had an estimated 230-pound yellowfin tuna almost within reach of the gaff when the leader parted.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           

Contact: Pete Johnson, Johnson Communications, Inc.

Scottsdale, Ariz. 85267

480-951-3654 (ph) 480-951-0040 (fax)

Johnsoncom@aol.com (e-mail)

 Costa Rica Classic Fishing Tournament Nearly Sold Out

Second year event for Boomer Esiason Foundation achieves phenomenal angler response to help in funding cystic fibrosis research

QUEPOS, Costa Rica (March 1, 2004) – In just its second year, the Costa Rica Classic International Billfish Tournament, scheduled March 19-21, has almost reached a full field of anglers. 

The tournament, put on by the Boomer Esiason Foundation (BEF) to heighten awareness, education and funding efforts of cystic fibrosis research, has had phenomenal growth more than doubling in size from its inaugural tournament.

“We have teams for 25 boats now and are about sold out,” said Rob Hodel, president of Tico Travel, in Ft. Lauderdale who is coordinating the tournament for the BEF.  “The response has been amazing with anglers coming from across the U.S. and Central America. We have a number of people already signing on for the 2005 event.”

Back to defend their titles will be Richard Lebo and Denny Derringer, both of Quepos, said Hodel.  He added that most of the teams from the inaugural tournament are back as well. “Because of the response we’re bringing into the area some of the finest captains and their boats to add to the local Quepos fleet.

The idea for the tournament was spawned after Dave Rimington, the president of the BEF, New York City, N.Y., had sponsored and participated in several Mercury Outboards Redbone celebrity fishing series events in the Florida Keys. “It warmed my heart to see the camaraderie and the feeling of family among the many long time Redbone competitors.  Bottom-line the people were there to help a great cause of finding a cure for CF while attending a terrific fishing event,” said Rimington. “We hope to have the same effect with our tournament in raising funds to accelerate the research bring quality of life to CF patients.”

The two-day, 17 hour on-the-water event honors the team that tallies the most points during the tournament. Along with awards for the top teams, anglers will get a chance to enter the calcutta where a minimum of $10,000 in cash will be give away. The contestants will achieve points for catching, photographing and releasing sailfish and marlin. The anglers will also collect points for catches of roosterfish, dorado, tuna and dog tooth snapper.

Among the celebrities fishing the event are Esiason, Rimington and Mark Cooper, all who had award-winning careers in the NFL and college football.

The Costa Rica Classic has also been named by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) as a qualifying event for the sixth annual Rolex/IGFA Offshore Championship, an international fishing competition taking place in May 2005.

The IGFA fishing competition draws top teams from all corners of the earth.  The upcoming May 2004 championship will attract some 60 teams from 30 countries to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

As a qualifying event, the winning team of up to four anglers from the CR Classic will be invited to compete in the 2005 world championship and a one-year membership in IGFA.

Besides Tico Travel other platinum level sponsors include the La Mariposa Hotel.  Gold level sponsors include 107.5 FM San Jose, CR; Central America.com, Wacky Wanda’s, El Gran Escape Restaurant, Costa Rica Dreams, Casa Mar Lodge, Grupo TACA, Martin Air and Mac’s America Bar.          

For more information on the Costa Rica Classic please call Tico Travel at 1-800-493-8426 or visit the Costa Rica Classic website at www.costaricaclassic.com/ or the BEF website at www.esiason.org  or call 212-525-7777. 

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Fishing Tournament with a Heart

The Tico Times

November 22, 2002

The first Costa Rica Classic International Billfish Tournament kicks off tomorrow in the Central Pacific town of Quepos. Organizer Rob Hodel from Tico Travel is hoping to make the tournament one of a series of annual events.

The opening party tonight welcomes participants and anyone who wants to join the fiesta.

GEARING UP: Former NFL player Dave Rimington and fishing buddies get ready for weekend tournament. TT/Shoshana Ora Cohen

Proceeds from the entrance fees of the approximately 30 anglers expected for the tournament, raffles and fiesta tickets will go towards medication for Costa Ricans living with cystic fibrosis, a hereditary disease marked by faulty digestion and difficulty breathing due to mucus, often resulting in a short lifespan. Ticos suffering from the disease rely heavily on antibiotics not covered by Costa Rica's socialized health-care system.

Both local organizations and the Boomer Esiason Foundation will be directing the aid.

Former NFL player Dave Rimington, president of the Boomer Esiason Foundation, will be here for the event. The weekend features the tournament, world-class food by Chef Dean James, who donated his time, and prizes that include airline tickets, rafting, Calypso tours and much more.

The party tonight costs $35 and is at El Gran Escape restaurant. For more information on the weekend's events, visit www.costaricaclassic.com.