For the second year in a row, the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament (HIBT) has been canceled.
Tournament officials made the announcement Friday afternoon. The 61st event in the tournament’s history was set to begin July 31, but citing the sustained difficulty international travelers still face getting to Kona, the decision was made to call off the event in 2021 entirely.
“It is still increasingly difficult for Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament teams and anglers to get to Kona this year and return home without quarantining,” said HIBT officials in a statement.
The HIBT, which held its first competition in 1959, plans to return to Kona’s waters next summer. The five-day tournament is scheduled to be held from July 30 to August 7, 2022.
The tournament, among the oldest big game fishing events in the world, draws anglers from around the globe. When last held in 2019, the father-son team of Martin and Mitchell Firestein of Laguna Niguel Billfish Club in California beat out clubs from Australia, South Africa, Fiji, Japan, New Zealand and the United States to claim their fourth victory.
After twice pushing back HIBT’s 61st event, tournament director and founder Peter Fithian hopes to greet competitors once again next year.
“Our concerns remain focused on the health and well-being of all involved in our fishing tournament including our volunteers and staff and anglers from around the world,” said Fithian in a press release. “We are hopeful that as vaccinations continue to roll out across our nation and throughout the world, we’ll all be stronger and ready to welcome anglers back to Kona to fish these famous waters.”