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| Original Cup | Replacement | Present |
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Ocean City Fishing Club Memoirs
In 1914 Charlie Maginnis, an ardent surf caster and club member, conceived the idea of the Ocean City
Fishing Club donating a cup of great value to be competed for by fishing teams from various clubs. Maginnis
succeeded in raising money for a cup which the maker (J. E. Caldwell & Company of Philadelphia, PA) would not design
and create for less than $1,200. At the request of the Ocean City Fishing Club, Mayor J. G. Champion and his fellow
commissioners, G. Adams and W. H. Campbell, appropriated $500 from the advertising budget of the City of Ocean City, NJ
to make up the difference.
This trophy, which was symbolic of team supremacy in the surf casting world, was believed to have been of greater value than
the Davis, Lipton and Stanley Cup trophies, also well known in the sporting world.
The Ocean City Cup was made of sterling silver, and stands 43" high.
This beautiful cup become a famous trophy shedding luster on the City of Ocean City, New Jersey because
of the many fishing team casting tournaments in which it was used. The first National Casting Tournament was held on the
beach in Ocean City, Saturday, August 12, 1916. The Asbury Park Fishing Club had the first team to win the cup.
Victory was perched on the top of the cup with a mermaid
protecting the capture of a large fish by a very happy triton. The seal of Ocean City and the emblem of the
OCFC are part of the delicate artistic details shown on the outside of the cup.
On the reverse side of the cup at the top was the seal of Ocean City mounted over two crossed casting rods and surrounded by
sprays of laurel. A panel extending down the front of the cup was produced by placing a casting rod on one side and on
the other side a gaff. The inscription on the front panel read as follows:
Ocean City Cup
A Perpetual Trophy
for Annual Competition
in Casting
Presented by
Ocean City, New Jersey
to The
Ocean City Fishing Club
In 1920 the original cup was destroyed by fire and had to be replaced. The metal from the original cup was salvaged
and used to make silver medals which were awarded to winning teams. The present replacement cup is an exact
reproduction of the original cup with all the fine details of the orginal.
The cup had been awarded in competition each year since 1916 to 1986 (except 1944-45). This is believed to be a record for a
perpetual trophy in annual competition in the sporting world. The OCFC was the only club to field a team in every cup
tournament during that - 70 - year history of the contest. After 1986 the Ocean City Cup was retired.
With the end of the casting tournament, the Cup was on display at the entrance to the City, in City Hall, and then Ocean
City Bayside Center before being moved and stored in a locked storage vault at City Hall. The Cup was held in this storage
vault under "protective custody" for the Ocean City Fishing Club.
In 2002 both the City and the Ocean City Fishing Club made
arrangement to have the Cup restored and placed on display at the Ocean City Historical Museum. Below is a video clip of the
Cup, before the Cup was restored.
On October 26, 2003, the Ocean City Historical Museum and the Ocean City Fishing Club held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to welcome
the - 90 - year old trophy Cup to the museum, where the public could see and admire this beautiful trophy. To offically start the
event, held at the Historical Museum, Mayor Henry "Bud" Knight cut the ribbon. Speakers included OCHM President Paul Anselm and
OCFC Cup Chairman Bruce Balderson.
The Ocean City Cup is an important item on display enclosed in a clear acrylic display case (19 x 19 x 57") mounted on a finished
mohogany base (21 5/8 x 21 5/8 x 15"). The Ocean City Fishing Club is pleased with the City of Ocean City display of
this beautiful trophy. The replacement Cup and the present Cup are the same physical size.
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| Original Cup | Replacement | Present |
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| Angler catching a fish with "CUP" |
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The above information was compiled from past Ocean City Fishing Club yearbooks and by talking to members.
Any additional information on the above would be greatly appreciated. We would like to obtain a picture of one of the
silver medals made from the original Cup.
Date (updated): May - August, 2002 and ongoing.
The above page is not the official website for the Ocean City Fishing Club. The official website is at www.oceancityfishingclub.com
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