What began as a quiet, foggy morning over the Vineyard Sound evolved into a boisterous community gathering Sunday at the Portuguese-American Club in Oak Bluffs, where the final weigh-in of the seventh annual Fluke for Luke Tournament took place.
Sunday marked the last day of the annual fishing derby that commemorates Luke Gurney, a beloved Island fisherman who lost his life in a tragic fishing accident in 2016. Hundreds gathered to watch the weigh-in, enjoy the cookout and share memories of their friend.
The event raises money each year to support the education of Luke’s two sons —Jacob is a rising senior at the University of Rhode Island and Sam is a rising sophomore at the University of Tennessee.
The two-day fishing derby features four different competitions: Adult Fluke, Adult Sea Bass, Junior Fluke and Junior Sea Bass.
Martha Montesion, of the Payback fishing team, took first place in the Adult Sea Bass competition, with her 3.89 pound sea bass. Nine-year-old Hudson Smith swept the junior competition, reeling in a 5.18 pound fluke, and a 3.09-pound sea bass.
Mark Kokoszka won the Adult Fluke division with a 9.03 fish. Mr. Kokoszka is a childhood friend of Mr. Gurney’s, having grown up in New Bedford together.
“It was awesome to get a nice fish today,” Mr. Kokoszka said. “This is what it’s all about. Getting everybody together and raising money.”
Luke Gurney’s boat, No Regrets, serves as a reminder of his approach to life and the unique way he impacted people.
“Honesty and candor, and what you saw was what you got when it came to Luke,” said Greg Skomal. “To know Luke was to love Luke, really.”
Linda Gurney, Luke’s mother, attributed the success of the event to the way her son lived his life.
“Luke brought everybody here because that’s who Luke was,” she said. “Luke loved everybody. He loved everybody and he had something nice to say to everybody. He was a listener.”
Many friends said Luke cared deeply about fishing and bringing people together.
“I consider myself one of his best friends,” said Mark (Smitty) Smith. “Me and about 200 other people.”
As the sun dipped closer to the horizon, Robyn Gurney, Luke’s widow, expressed what was on the minds of many.
“We’re seeing all the joy and the happiness and the love that he brought to everybody,” she said. “It’s about the relationships and being around each other, appreciating that time, which is what he always said, because as I always tell my kids, his life is not measured in time, but about the amount of people that you touch along the way.”
Comments
Comment policy »