Last man standing hooks big prize

 

BY JULIA WADE

An international style giveaway with a prize pool worth thousands and attracting interest the length of the country, recently took place in Mangawhai and saw one lucky man left standing with a prize worth $55,000. 

Shimano’s Last Man Standing competition, organised by Bea and Tony Orton, owners of local fishing charter and guiding company Offshore Adventures (OA) and in conjunction with Shimano Fishing NZ, launched in September 2018 with a cut-off time of 5pm, March 22. 

Over 9000 entries were received from shoppers of Shimano fishing products, who only had to spend a minimum of $20 to try their luck of being randomly picked to be one of only ten finalists, OA’s marketing/media manager Kerren Packer says.

“As part of the competition, all the winning contestants were housed together in a local Mangawhai Heads home, had a day out fishing with Tony and the Fishing News team in Bream Bay, as well as dinner at The Dune,” he says. “They’re a good bunch of guys and seemed to have a great time together. The final competition was actually watched live-stream by nearly 100,000 viewers.” 

Contestants, each clutching a pool ball with numbers one to ten, watched nervously as Mangawhai’s Senior Police Constable, Rob Cato, drew a numbered ball from a bucket, eliminating the players one by one as their number was called, until the last man was left standing. 

The 8-ball actually proved lucky for the ultimate winner, Gisborne fishing and scuba diving enthusiast Cambell Hoole who was left holding the black in the finale and becoming the proud owner of an Extreme 545 Sport fisher with Voyager multi-roller trailer. 

“I never win anything… then two weeks ago my son woke me at one in the morning to tell me I made it into the last ten,” he says. “Been excited and on edge all the way here, even told the stranger next to me on the plane… stomach was in knots while waiting for the final draw.”

The runner-up prize was claimed by second man left standing, Tauranga local and electrical business owner Shaun Wood, winning himself an OA with five days fishing for striped marlin in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. 

No contestant was left standing empty handed however, the final eight also received a Shimano prize pack valued at $900.

Operating OA off Mangawhai’s coastline for the last five years, the Orton’s have fished in many overseas waters and continue to travel with their business for several months of the year, taking four-and-a-half-year-old Sami and three-month-old baby Brooke along for the adventure. Offshore Adventure clients, who often stay, dine and shop locally, are guided by the company’s principles of sustainable fishing and living adventurously, Tony says. 

“We have a good, honest approach to fishing entertainment,” he says. “You don’t have to keep the fish, it’s all about the experience of fishing, and we also like to encourage a ‘get out and live’ attitude.” 

Cambell plans to take his new boat on its maiden voyage from Gisborne Bay at Easter ‘undoubtedly joined by my three sons’.

Ultimate winner, Cambell Hoole, a head Shepard in his homeland of Gisborne, says he was only in the competition thanks to the staff at his local Hunting & Fishing store who entered him.