The 69th Annual Ultimate Sport Show-Grand Rapids Heads to DeVos Place, March 20 to 23, 2014
OutdoorHub 02.24.14
A star-studded lineup of seminar speakers, over four acres of boats, fishing and hunting gear, outdoor accessories, travel destinations, family entertainment and featured attractions combine to make the Ultimate Sports Show–Grand Rapids, March 20 to 23 at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids, the best-attended sports show in west Michigan.
Marianne Huskey, the only woman ever to win “Angler of the Year” honors in a national fishing circuit, headlines an all-star lineup of seminar speakers at this year’s Ultimate Sports Show–Grand Rapids. She’ll be joined by nearly three dozen additional speakers, all experts in their respective fields, covering a multitude of topics including hunting, fishing, mushroom hunting, canoeing and kayaking and more.
Fan favorites like The Ultimate Air Dogs; a kid’s trout pond; a deer processing demo; and Big Buck Night–West (Thursday only) return to the Ultimate Sports Show-Grand Rapids. The show also features the always-popular Michigan Taxidermist Association’s annual state championship, Woodland Woodcarvers, an antique fishing tackle and vintage boats and motors display and more.
“The Ultimate Sports Show-Grand Rapids has been providing outdoor entertainment and education for nearly seven decades and this year’s show will continue that strong tradition,” said Show Manager Ben Nielsen. “From kid’s activities like the trout pond and the rock-climbing wall to sport fishing, big game hunting, mushroom hunting and wilderness canoeing, USG really does have something for every outdoors person.”
Star-Studded Seminars
Huskey, who was born and raised in Michigan but now resides in Wisconsin, made professional fishing history two years ago when she won the Anglers Insight Marketing (AIM) Angler of the Year honors. That honor goes to the angler who accumulates the most points over the course of the season, based on top finishes in each tournament.
Fishing is one topic that won’t be overlooked by seminar speakers at Ultimate Fishing Show-Grand Rapids. Walleye fishing professionals including Tommy Skarlis, Mark Martin, Mark Romanack and Lance Valentine will join Huskey in passing along tips that are sure to put more ‘eyes in your boat. Bass experts like Joe Thomas, Capt. Wayne Carpenter and Chris Noffsinger will share the tactics and techniques they use to put lunkers in their livewells.
Charter boat captains from across the state will instruct show patrons on the finer points of catching Great Lakes salmon, steelhead and muskies. River fishing and fly-fishing seminars also will be available at Ultimate Sports Show-Grand Rapids.
Ultimate Clinics on walleye, bass, salmon and steelhead and understanding fishing electronics will be offered during the show as well as fly-casting and fly-tying demonstrations.
Michigan’s spring turkey season opens on April 21 this year and hunters are sure to pick up tactical tips from nationally renowned turkey experts Denny Geurink and Seth McCullough.
Steve Francis, of Country Smoke House in Almont, Mich. will show USG attendees how to process a white-tailed deer from field dressing and skinning to butchering and packaging. Fred Abbas, who ranks No. 1 all-time for trophy buck entries in the Commemorative Bucks of Michigan record book, will share the specialized tactics that have made him so successful in the whitetail woods.
The topics of food plotting, training and handling gun dogs, mushroom hunting and wilderness canoeing and kayaking also will be covered on the seminar stages at USG.
2013 SPECIAL FEATURES
Lake Ultimate
Back by popular demand, DeVos Place will be home to the huge indoor lake. With over 110,000 gallons of water, this lake provides the ultimate opportunity for seminar leaders to present from their rigged fishing boats while maneuvering across the waters of Lake Ultimate. These are unique seminars seen only at Michigan’s Ultimate Sport Shows in Grand Rapids and Detroit.
Hawg Trough
The Hawg Trough is a mobile 5,000 gallon fish tank that is transported to locations around the country as an attraction and seminar platform. Once on location, the tanks are filled with water and stocked with native fish. Using a PA system, fishing expert provide seminars and fishing demonstrations for the purpose of educating and entertaining the audience.
Big Buck Night-West
Big Buck Night-West begins at 7 p.m. Thursday and is presented by Michigan Out-of-Doors TV Show. Celebrity hosts Jimmy Gretzinger and Jenny Olson along with special guest Tony Gates of WLAV radio will interview the lucky Michigan hunters who bagged some of the largest white-tailed deer of the 2013 season. This one-night show will be filmed for airing on the upcoming television program and is a must see for every Michigan deer hunter.
Ultimate Air Dogs
Who says dogs can’t fly? West Michigan families have a big treat in store when the Ultimate Air Dogs Big Air Show comes to town. And it’s all free with admission to USG. Sport show patrons may have seen this on ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games. Competitions are also seen on the Sporting Dog Challenge and the Super Retriever Series, both on ESPN2. Several champion leapers will be coming to DeVos Place for the event. For more information and to pre-registration visit www.ultimateairdogs.net.
The Ultimate Sports Show-Grand Rapids will also feature fish cleaning demonstrations, a video fishing simulator, a rock wall for climbing, a pellet shooting range, an ORV certification class (Saturday only), turkey calling contests and a turkey-hunting workshop.
The first 500 attendees on Thursday and Friday receive a free, collectible Dardevle spoon from Eppinger Manufacturing Co. in Dearborn. The first 250 attendees on Saturday and Sunday will receive a K&E Bass Stopper lure from Stopper Lures in Hastings.
The Ultimate Sports Show-Grand Rapids is at DeVos Place March 20 to 23. Show hours are 3 to 9:30 Thursday; 11 to 9:30 Friday; 10 to 9 Saturday and 10 to 5 Sunday.
Admission is $10 for adults, $4 for children ages 6 to 14 and children 5 and under will be admitted free.
Discount coupons are available in the Grand Rapids Press and at Wendy’s.
