OCEANSIDE, Calif. (March 3, 2022) - There’s nobody hotter on the pro bass circuit these days than Hank Cherry. Winner of the 2021 and 2022 Bassmaster Classics - and vying this weekend to be the first angler ever to win three in a row - the 48-year-old North Carolinian has strung together some impressive seasons since kicking off his career nine years ago. Renowned for his ability to wrestle hawgs and limit creels from skinny water where seeing below the surface at a significant distance provides a huge advantage, Cherry recently teamed-up with Hobie Eyewear to design the ultimate polarized fishing sunglasses. Together, they are proud to announce the launch of Hobie’s new Hank Cherry Champions Collection
“We’ve been thrilled to work with Hank on this project,” says Dylan Coates, senior marketing coordinator for Hobie Eyewear. “This signature series will begin with two models, each available with a choice of premium Hobie Polarized nylon lenses. We’ve designed these glasses with Hank’s colors, style and performance expectations in mind. We chose two floating styles that fit him especially well, matched the highlights and signature to his own branding colors, and incorporated his input in the final design. Hank’s been great to work with through the entire process, and the end result is two sets of Champion Series polarized sunglasses that meet exceedingly high standards at refreshingly reasonable price points.”
As big and bold as the elite angler who inspired it, the all-new Bluefin Float Hank Cherry Champions Edition goes a long way in Hobie’s largest frame to date and is a great choice for anglers with larger faces. An 8-base curve with wide temples provides maximum coverage without compromising on comfort while ultra-light floatable material ensures durability and resistance for long days on the water. Co-molded rubber nose pads and temples provide additional security and grip, highlighted by Hank’s signature red rubber. The Hank Cherry edition frame includes the elite tournament champion’s logo on the inside of the temple of the black satin frame.
Bass fans can also make a big slash with the Mojo Float Hank Cherry Champions Edition. Constructed with ultra-lightweight material, Mojo Float ensures all-day comfort. Its dual-coated water/oil-repellent lenses and performance polarized lens technology reduce visual distractions to keep sightlines crystal clear. Stylishly sleek and sporty, the frames include Hank’s signature and logo while lenses are available in either of Hank’s two favorite tints for racking up bass – Hobie® Copper with Sea Green Mirror and Hobie® SightmasterTM Plus.
“I’ve really put these polarized fishing glasses to the test, and I like them,” says Cherry. “They are comfortable, stylish and they do the job. With their full coverage, they keep my eyes from getting irritated while I work up and down the lake, and their light weight won’t bring on a headache if you wear them all day long. I’ve dropped them in the water a couple times, too, and they floated fine. That’s always a relief with the price of premium sunglasses these days.”
Cherry also loves that they are light on the wallet, making them ideal for anglers of any age whether kids, high school or college bass team competitors, weekend warriors or aspiring pros. “There’s a lot of glasses out there in the $180 to $300 range,” he says, “but these are every bit as good.”
Stephen Vaughan, Hobie Eyewear’s senior director for product development, points out that Hobie has a long history of turning out quality polarized fishing sunglasses, noting that the company first introduced polarization technology to the sunglass industry in 1982 and has remained a top option ever since.
“So much of bass-fishing success depends on the quality of the lens tint when you use polarized sunglasses,” explains Vaughan. “It’s the tint that provides the contrast to see deep into the water so you can more easily pick out bass, or submerged structure that you’ll want to avoid so you don’t kill a spot with a loud bang against the hull of your boat. Introducing these two models with a choice of lens tints allows anglers to match their style of angling more precisely. Our Hobie® Sea Green Mirror Lens is copper based with a sea green mirror, which provides a tremendous amount of contrast and sight penetration below the surface. Our Hobie® SightmasterTM Plus Lens, by comparison, has a gold/yellow mirror that makes it ideal for fishing in low light, around dawn and dusk or under heavy cloud cover. While these glasses are great on the water, they are also a superb choice for everyday wear.”
Cherry is sold and ready to head out with a full set of Hobie Eyewear Hank Cherry Champions Collection polarized sunglasses when he attempts to make bassing history at the Classic starting Friday. “I have no doubt these polarized shades will be tilting the odds a little more in my favor. I was out fishing with my son, Christian, recently, when I spotted a big fish under a float far in the distance. As we slowly closed in, the fish turned, and I could clearly see his green body and black tail through my SightmasterTM Plus lenses. ‘I’m going to skip a cast back there,’ I told my son, and I got that fish. I don’t know that I’d have seen it at all with any other lenses. It’s an edge like that you need when competing with the big guns.”
The Hobie Hank Cherry Champions Collection will be available by early summer at retail stores and online at www.hobieeyewear.com. MSRP for all models is a modest $99.99, and all models come with a micro-fiber cloth for cleaning, plus a Hobie hard eyeglass case with a carbineer clip on the outside.