THE SALTWATER IS CALLING: WHAT’S HAPPENING AT CONTENDER THIS SUMMER

NEWSLETTER – JUNE 2026

SUMMER FISHING SEASON IS HERE. READY TO GET OUT THERE? 

There’s a certain point every year when the season shifts—the water warms, the offshore calendar fills up, and the early mornings start feeling less like effort and more like pull. For Contender owners, that moment is the whole point. 

Whether you’re running offshore at first light, anchoring up on a sandbar with the family, or working the backcountry on a calm morning before anyone else is out, summer is when these boats do what they were built to do. 

Explore the Contender fleet and find a model built for the way you fish.

PRESIDENT & FOUNDER JOE NEBER RECEIVES THE INDUSTRY’S HIGHEST HONOR. 

On May 5th, the Center for Sportfishing Policy honored Contender Boats founder and President Joe Neber with the 2026 Eddie Smith Manufacturer of the Year Award—the organization’s highest recognition for excellence in marine innovation, leadership, and conservation.

The Eddie Smith Award is named for the legendary chairman and CEO of Grady-White Boats, and it carries real weight in this industry. 

Joe founded Contender in 1984 in Miami, Florida, driven by a passion for offshore fishing and a commitment to building boats capable of handling serious conditions without compromising quality or performance. Forty years later, he’s still closely involved in the design and production process, making sure every boat that leaves the facility meets the standard he set at the beginning. 

CSP President Jeff Angers made the announcement at the ceremony: “Joe Neber built Contender Boats with a clear vision—to create offshore fishing boats that could perform in the toughest conditions without compromising quality or fishability. What sets Joe apart is not just what he built, but how he built it: hands-on, detail-driven and never willing to cut corners.”

Beyond the boats themselves, Joe has spent decades advocating for marine conservation and recreational fishing access—serving on boards and advisory groups and supporting the industry initiatives that protect the fisheries Contender customers fish.

“It’s an honor to receive the Eddie Smith Award and to be associated with the kind of leadership Eddie brought to this industry,” said Neber. “The Center for Sportfishing Policy continues to do critical work, but none of it happens without the collective effort of manufacturers, anglers, conservation groups and policymakers all working together. That collaboration is what moves this industry forward, and I’m proud to stand alongside so many who are committed to protecting our fisheries as well as our rights to enjoy them for generations to come.”

Forty years of doing it the right way. This one was earned.

The CSP exists to make sure anglers have a seat at the table when federal fisheries policy gets written. For Contender, that mission hits close to home. Learn more at SportfishingPolicy.com.

THE FIGHT TO MODERNIZE THE VESSEL SPEED RULE CONTINUES.

In 2022, NOAA proposed a sweeping expansion of the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule that would have forced many small recreational boats along the East Coast to travel at just 10 knots for up to seven months out of the year. The proposal made no meaningful distinction between large commercial ships and smaller recreational vessels, ignored available marine technologies, and would have created serious consequences for manufacturers, marinas, charter operators, anglers, and coastal communities up and down the coast.

After years of sustained advocacy from boaters, small business owners, and coastal communities across the East Coast, NOAA ultimately withdrew the expanded version of the rule in 2024. The agency is now reassessing the underlying 2008 rule through a formal public comment process—seeking input on how new technologies, updated science, and vessel-specific risk assessments can help shape a smarter and more balanced approach.

The conversation with NOAA continues. To learn more about the rule, where it stands, and how the recreational boating industry is engaging with the process, visit Boating United.

HOW THE BOYLES BUILT A DEALERSHIP AROUND A LIFE ALREADY LIVED ON THE WATER.

The Boyles were living this life long before it became a business. Their first Contender together—a 2005 Fighting Lady yellow 31FA they named Upgrade—took them offshore in the Gulf, spearfishing in the Abacos, and eventually to Treasure Cay for their wedding, followed by ten nights sleeping aboard and island hopping. 

Their commitment to the sport earned them prostaff roles with Contender, Yamaha, Garmin, and Pelagic. When the chance to become dealers came in 2021, they quit their careers in the wine industry and said yes without looking back.

Everyone on the team fishes seriously. Last summer, the entire six-person crew took their demo 39ST from St. Petersburg Beach to Pulley Ridge, swordfished through the night, slept under the stars, and ran into Key West. “How many teams do you know that have a shared experience like that on the boat you are buying?” the Boyles ask. 

The result is some of the most custom Contenders on the market. Teak seating packages, matched upholstery, color schemes that stop strangers in their tracks. That’s exactly what happened when the Ramos family spotted BoylenPoint’s 44ST demo docked in Key West, asked for a tour, and eventually built their own. The delivery was timed to the Key West Marlin Tournament and on day one, they caught the first marlin of the event and earned the daily. The Ramos family has been fishing alongside the BoylenPoint team ever since. 

And now, BoylenPoint has a home to match. Their brand new waterfront location in Madeira Beach opens July 4th, 2026—with Contenders in the water, a fresh seafood market, a waterfront restaurant, charter boats, live music, and fireworks over the Gulf to close out opening night.

Read the full BoylenPoint story and visit the team in Madeira Beach. boylenpoint.com