2021 Kenders Sportsman of the Year - BUBBA BUSSEN
Bubba Bussen:
All I can say is WOW!! If someone had said that my name would be used in the same sentence as Sportsman Of The Year four years ago when I started tournament fishing I would've told them they were crazy. I'm as competitive as the next guy, but if I'm not having fun then what's the point. I'm just a guy that loves to fish and have fun doing it, the great people in the league make that easy. I am very honored to have received this award from my fellow competitors that are all deserving of it as well.
Jake Kuchenmeister:
There's no exact definition to what the Kenders Sportsman of the Year actually is. We asked Kenders to sponsor this award because the Kenders name along with the man behind the Kenders name stands for INTEGRITY, SELFLESSNESS, QUALITY and is just an AWESOME DUDE. So I guess we have defined it in a way.
Mark Bussen, or better known to his friends as "Bubba".
If you sit back and think to yourself, why do I like this guy so much - it's tough to put a finger on one certain thing. And as you sit there and think about it more, it hits you - he's just a normal guy, true to himself, selfless, and always there for people when they need him and it's what a lot of us strive to be. He's also a great dad, with over flowing amounts of evidence if you've ever spent 15 minutes with Blake to see how he was raised and what kind of man he's going to become.
Bubba has been such an integral part of this league since the moment he set foot on the ice for tourney number one back in 2018. So much so, that the last two years as we were discussing who should be the recipient of this award, he was always right there. And after last year, we pretty much said, well next year he has to get it. He's a great sounding board for me when big decisions have to be made, he willingly helps any of his fellow anglers when needed, and he's single handedly filled the league with half his family. LOL! But that's who he is, he wants to share life and make memories with those closest to him so he invites them along and enjoys his time. And we all enjoy spending time with him as well!
An absolute awesome award for a very deserving person.
Congrats Bubba!
Paul Ghizoni:
Choosing Mark "Bubba" Bussen as our 2021 Kenders Sportsman of the Year was a pretty easy decision for me. Not because there weren't other worthy elections, but because Bubba has been in the running for several years. There's a ton of things to love about Bubba, but my personal favorite is how he involves his family within Minnesota Made. I feel like some anglers use fishing to get away from family. That simply isn't the case with Bubba as he's surrounded by family during MN Made events. Let me tell ya - I'm jealous!
Secondly, Bubba's a great angler along with his partner Tim Prunick, and the two of them work together very well on the ice. I enjoy fishing near them, because it means that I've found a good area to fish! They're always in the running come tournament day and they're very consistent anglers.
Finally and maybe most important I chose Mr. Bussen because of his character; he's an honest, hard-working and trustworthy guy. The type of man who I believe is thankful for what he has and trusts in himself to set a good example for the people around him. A leader. A guy you want to be friends with.