ROYAL PAHANG BILLFISH INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE (RPBIC) IS A QUALIFYING EVENT FOR OFFSHORE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (OWC) HELD ANNUALLY IN QUEPOS, COSTA RICA

Latest OWC Report - 2021

Offshore World Championship History

The first OWC was in March 2000 in Kona, Hawaii as catch and release fishing competition. It was initially called the IGFA International Tournament of Champions. It was changed later to the Rolex IGFA Offshore World Championship after Rolex became the major sponsor.

“One of the goals of the IGFA in holding the event was to show the world that you did not need to offer cash prizes or to kill billfish to hold a successful competition,” says Leech, IGFA OWC Founder.

During the first OWC at Kona, Hawaii, a total of 17 billfish comprised of 8 striped marlin, 5 short-nosed spearfish and 4 Pacific blue marlin were landed by the 38 participating team of champions from 2019 qualifying events (QE).

The event was moved to bountiful Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 2002 until 2012. the first Cabo OWC tournament in May 2002 was a major success. 57 teams from 25 countries compete the first year and the press started calling the OWC the Olympics of Sport Fishing and the Super Bowl of Billfishing.

From 2013 until now, the Olympic-style sport-fishing event has been hosted in beautiful Quepos, Costa Rica. For the first Costa Rica OWC tournament, a total of 68 teams and 324 anglers participated, catching 811 sailfish, 9 blue marlin, 1 striped marlin, 24 dorado and 6 wahoo.

• from https://www.offshoreworldchampionship.com/the-history-behind-the-offshore-world-championship/