(Photo courtesy/Vanity Cup)

By Ben Tompkins

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

Vanity Cup returning for 29th year

Sep 28, 2022 | 5:44 PM

For the 29th year in a row, a few hundred people will travel down to Nipawin to compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The annual Vanity Cup will take place this weekend, with the banquet returning Friday night, September 30, for the first time since before the pandemic.

Following on Saturday and Sunday, there will be roughly 320 anglers comprised into 160 teams, fishing for a total of 16 hours between the two days, for a shot at a grand prize of $100,000.

According to Tournament Director Jim Chute, the event has been sold out every year and is a huge benefit to the Nipawin area.

“It’s still a great community thing, it makes money and we spread it around. The hotels are all full and the restaurants are all full, it’s really exciting and we’ve got such a great fishery.”

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The tournament occurs at the Nipawin Regional and District Park, along the river.

Previously raised funds have gone on to support the ballpark and spray park in town.

All proceeds raised this year will go on to support Nipawin minor hockey.

Currently, the event is run by the Nipawin Minor Hockey Association and takes about 70 volunteers.

Chute told northeastNOW that with all the previous success the Cup has had, he’s hoping to run it for at least another year.

“I’d like to get my 30 years.”

Once the winner has been declared, there will be a big show for the presentation, which will include a bagpiper. They also play the American and Canadian anthems before the teams go out to fish.

With the prizes so large, including a $35,000 second prize, Chute explained that security is top of mind, which means ensuring nobody cheats.

“The top teams actually get polygraphed before we hand out the money. Fishing is restricted to the river and a small portion of the lake and one of the reasons for that is we don’t let them go all over the lake for security purposes. We want to be able to keep an eye on them all, for $100,000 people might try and cheat. We have caught cheaters in the past and they’re just marred forever.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8