Everyone had a story to share about Luke Gurney at the second annual Fluke for Luke awards ceremony Sunday evening at the Portuguese-American Club. The two-day fishing tournament is held in memory of the commercial conch fisherman who died in a tragic fishing accident two years ago.
The day saw many anecdotes about Luke with a recurring theme: he was a friend to all and was the first to step forward when help was needed.
One of the event organizers, David Hearn, talked about the time his uncle Kevin Hearn broke his hip and Luke built him a birdhouse to cheer him up. Jeff Canha, a Tisbury fisherman and artist, remembered the times he shared the stage with Luke at at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse for Fish Tales, thrilling the crowd with their angling adventures. Mark (Koko) Kokoszka, who met Luke in seventh grade, said there were too many to pick from over the years of countless fishing trips and driving each other’s kids to school.
“He was the type of guy that made you feel like his best buddy no matter how long you knew him,” said Mr. Kokoszka. “Through these stories he lives on.”
The annual fluke fishing derby is a continuation of a VFW tournament that’s been a July weekend mainstay since 2007. Money raised from the tournament and a silent auction Sunday were for the Gurney family, including for scholarships for Luke’s sons Jacob and Samuel.
Luke’s wife Robyn Gurney, a teacher at the West Tisbury School, smiled as a long line of friends walked over to say hello and give her a hug.
“It’s incredible that all of these people come together to support us, and the support hasn’t wavered,” she said.
Sunny skies and warm waters made for good fluke fishing for many of the 435 anglers that signed up for the two-day tournament. By the final weigh-in, about 547 pounds of fluke (140 fish) had crossed the scales.
Friends and family members wearing Fluke for Luke shirts inscribed with the name of Luke’s boat No Regrets gathered outside the club for the announcement of the weekend’s winners. They slurped oysters and drank beer and reminisced about Luke. About 50 organizations from across the Island donated items to the silent auction, including Red Sox tickets, coolers and lobsters.
“Mention Luke’s name anywhere and people will do whatever they can to support,” said Adam Darack, Edgartown IT manager and friend of Luke who also helped tally up the tournament results.
Joe El-Deiry, vice president of the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, announced the tournament winners after a brief speech by Greg Skomal, a noted marine biologist and shark expert who gave Luke his first Island job.
“This Island for me is Luke’s Island,” Mr. Skomal said. “This event is a testament to how he lives on.”
Tom Taylor won the adult fluke category with a fish weighing 11.29 pounds. David Flanders won the sea bass category with a 5.14-pounder. Eben Solway won the 12-and-under junior category with a 4.53-pound fluke and Ben Kokoszka won with a 5.13-pound sea bass. The top group was Team Payback with a total catch of 37.51 pounds.
The Kokoszkas chalked up their good fortune on the water to a new good luck charm on their boat, a Fluke for Luke shirt draped over the center console. On the back is a cartoon drawing of Luke, smiling broadly and holding up two huge flukes.
“He was out there with us,” said Mr. Kokoszka.
The beer and the stories kept flowing as the event wrapped up, and people lingered. Mr. Hearn, who was manning a booth selling T-shirts, talked about meeting Luke for the first time when they both moved to the Vineyard in the early 1990s. He said their friendship was instant and he always saw a smile on Luke’s face.
As people trickled out to the parking lot, Mr. Hearn looked up and smiled, too.
“I think he’d be real happy seeing this,” he said.
Robyn Gurney, still surrounded by friends, agreed.
“He would be the last one to leave,” she said.
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