Best Outdoor Sportsman ESPY Award
Awarded forbest outdoor sportsperson
LocationLos Angeles (2008)
Presented byESPN
First awarded2002
Last awarded2008
Currently held byScott Smiley (USA)
Websitewww.espn.co.uk/espys/

The Best Outdoor Sportsman ESPY Award was an annual award honoring the achievements of an athlete from the world of outdoor sports —understood as those related to outdoor recreation and nature-based occupation, including sport fishing, most especially of bass, and lumberjacking, most especially the logrolling, wood chopping, and high-climbing disciplines thereof—on an amateur or professional level primarily in the United States or Canada.[1] It was first presented as part of the ESPY Awards at the 2002 edition after broadcaster ESPN purchased the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society in mid-2001.[2] The Best Outdoor Sportsman ESPY Award trophy, designed by sculptor Lawrence Nowlan,[3] was given to the outdoor sportsperson adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year.[1] From the 2004 to 2008 ceremonies, the winner was chosen by online voting through choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee.[4] Before that, determination of the winners was made by an panel of experts.[5] Through the 2001 iteration of the ESPY Awards, ceremonies were conducted in February of each year to honor achievements over the previous calendar year; awards presented thereafter are conferred in July and reflect performance from the June previous.[a][6]

The inaugural winner of the Best Outdoor Sportsman ESPY Award in 2002 was American bass angler Kevin VanDam.[2] During 2001 and 2002, he won the Bassmaster Classic XXXI, the 2001 Wal-Mart FLW Championship, and attained the rank of the top-ranked angler worldwide during that period.[7] VanDam became the first of two bass anglers to be nominated, and hence to win, an ESPY Award.[2] Bass anglers have been the most successful sportspeople (with two victories and eight nominations) with the win of Jay Yelas at the 2003 iteration.[8] It was presented to one woman in its history, logroller Tina Bosworth, in the 2004 edition.[9] The winner of the Best Outdoor Sportsman ESPY Award in 2005 was lumberjacker J. R. Salzman after winning 14 medals at the Great Outdoor Games and claimed five logrolling titles at the Lumberjack World Championship between 1998 and 2005.[10] After that, the accolade was partially replaced by the Best Angler ESPY Award for the 2006 edition before returning the next year. It was permanently discontinued after the 2008 ceremony.[11]

Winners and nominees

Best Outdoor Sportsman ESPY Award winners and nominees
Year Image Athlete Nationality Sport Nominees Refs
2002 Kevin VanDam in 2012 Kevin VanDam  USA Bass angling Rick Clunn ( USA) – Bass angling
Jerry "the big air dog" ( USA) – Dock jumping
Mel Lentz ( USA) – Lumberjacking 		[2][12]
2003 Jay Yelas  USA Bass angling Jerry Day/Super Sue ( USA) – Field trial
Jerry Miculek ( USA) – Shooting
Mike Jackson/Little Morgan ( USA) – Dock jumping
Sheree Taylor ( NZL) – Timber endurance 		[8][13]
2004 Tina Bosworth  USA Log rolling Denny Brauer ( USA) – Bass angling
Michael Iaconelli ( USA) – Bass angling
Gerald Swindle ( USA) – Bass angling 		[9][14]
2005 J.R. Salzman learning to dive with the help of an instructor in 2007 J.R. Salzman  USA Lumberjacking Aaron Martens ( USA) – Bass angling
Takahiro Omori ( JPN) – Bass angling
Sheree Taylor ( NZL) – Timber endurance 		[10][15]
2007 Dean Karnazes signing books before a marathon event in 2008 Dean Karnazes  USA Ultramarathon Michael Iaconelli ( USA) – Bass angling
Samantha Larson ( USA) – Mountaineering
Lance Mackey ( USA) – Mushing
Ian McKeever ( IRL) – Mountaineering 		[16][17]
2008 Scotty Smiley  USA Mountaineering Dave Hahn ( USA) – Mountaineering
Lance Mackey ( USA) – Mushing
Skeet Reese ( USA) – Bass angling
Skip Storch ( USA) – Swimming 		[18][19]

See also

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ^ Because of the rescheduling of the ESPY Awards ceremony, the award presented in 2002 was given in consideration of performance betwixt February 2001 and June 2002.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b R. Nelson, Murry (2013). American Sports: A History of Icons, Idols and Ideas. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 399–401. ISBN 978-0-313-39753-0. Archived from the original on January 23, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d Sasser, Ray (July 18, 2002). "Bass anglers finally get their due". The Dallas Morning News. Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. p. K7091. Retrieved October 8, 2018 – via General OneFile.
  3. ^ Avard, Christian (August 2, 2013). "Sculptor commissioned to complete Joe Frazier statue has died". Barre Montpelier Times Argus. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  4. ^ "The 2004 ESPY Awards - Fans to decide all 2004 ESPY Award winners". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 23, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  5. ^ "Committee is newly found". ESPN. February 3, 1999. Archived from the original on January 23, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  6. ^ a b "New categories unveiled for The 2002 ESPY Awards" (Press release). ESPN. 2002. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  7. ^ "VanDam Wins First Outdoor ESPY Award". BassFan. July 11, 2002. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Yelas Takes ESPY". KLTV. July 17, 2003. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Wisconsin Log Roller Wins ESPY Award". WesternBass. July 16, 2004. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Eifling, Sam (October 1, 2007). "The Recovery of J.R. Salzman". ESPN. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 19, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  11. ^ "Tammy Richardson Wins ESPY". Ultimate Bass. July 19, 2006. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  12. ^ Waters, Steve (July 23, 2002). "VanDam Rides Current Hall of Fame". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  13. ^ "Yelas Wins ESPY Award for Best Outdoors Sports Athlete". Bass N Edge. July 17, 2003. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  14. ^ "Fan Voting to Determine ESPY Awards". BassResource. June 2004. Archived from the original on July 19, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  15. ^ "Voting Now Open for the 13th Annual ESPY Awards". BassResource. June 2005. Archived from the original on July 19, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  16. ^ Swegles, Fred (July 17, 2007). "An 'Ultramarathon' ESPY winner". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  17. ^ "Marathon Man Wins ESPY for Best Outdoors Athlete". The Ledger. July 16, 2007. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  18. ^ Herrel, Katie (July 22, 2008). "Blind Iraq Vet Wins Outdoor ESPY". Backpacker. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  19. ^ Thomson, Gus (July 3, 2008). "Media Life:ESPY nomination for Auburn's Bassmaster champ Skeet Reese". Auburn Journal. Archived from the original on January 5, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.

External links

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