Mark Tipler Celebrity Bass Tournament
Benefiting the Burn Center at Regions Hospital

Mark's Story

Hi, I'm Mark Tipler, I grew up in Roseville Minnesota. When I wasn't at football or baseball practice, you could find me at one of the many area lakes fishing from shore. My family often spent weekends fishing the Chisago-Lindstrom area lakes, along with the Twin Cities area lakes. Our family vacations were always centered around fishing. We first started to vacation in the Bemidji area of Minnesota. In my early teens our vacations moved to the Alexandria area of Minnesota.

My senior year of high school, I was trapped in my parents home during a fire. With the help of my brother Doug, I made it out of the house. I suffered burns over 80% of my body, mostly third degree, and was not supposed to survive. Defying the odds, I'm here today. Several tendons were torn out of my right wrist while escaping the fire. I didn't have use of my right thumb for over a year. I had a remarkable surgery to repair my thumb and skin graphs to repair the burns. I would like to thank everyone at the Regions Hospital Burn Center for their remarkable talents, and of course my brother Doug. They're all heroes.

In my early twenties, I lived and fished in Texas, but I missed Minnesota. I moved back to Minnesota in the mid 80's and would fish four to five days a week. My friends and I would jump in the truck with the boat hitched on the back and spend sometimes as much as a month driving around Minnesota fishing; we had a blast. Then in my late twenties, I went back to school at Dunwoody Institute, where I received a degree in Civil Technology & Land Surveying. While in school I started Tips Guide Service. I have a lot of fun taking people fishing. But there was something missing, I missed competing. So in 1999 I started competing as a professional angler in the Silverado Pro/Am Bass Tour now known as the Minnesota Pro/Am Bass Tour. I wanted to compete against the best. My family and friends have played an integral part in my success. My two beautiful daughters are with me every step of the way. The rest of my family and friends are always there to lend support and encouragement ­ because no road is without bumps.

Positive Attitude, Positive Results!