FAMILY AND FRIENDS SHARE THE JOY OF SPORTFISHING SATURDAY DURING THE VALDEZ KIDS PINK SALMON DERBY

Laurie Prax

1 year ago

2023-valdez-kids-pink-salmon-derby-slideshow

VALDEZ – Summer in Alaska is when friends and family come to visit. When you hit a bluebird day and the fishing is good, it is also when you make special memories. The Terbeek family from Fairbanks brought relatives from Michigan down to Valdez for the Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby and they were not only impressed with the fishing but the scenery as well.

When asked about the trip down, Phil Rietberg of Michigan said “[It was] fantastic. First of all, the drive down to Valdez from Fairbanks is beautiful. Recommend highly. Never seen anything like it. Today was great! We hooked up our line [with] 20 to 30-pound test with a treble hook. You cast it out and give it some yanks like all the kids said. Pretty much every other cast you’ve got yourself a fish coming up and you pull it on shore.”

Hunter Terbeek of Fairbanks, helped his younger siblings and cousins out during the Valdez Kid’s Pink Salmon Derby and said he enjoyed the day, “Yeah I help them fish a lot,” Terbeek said. “I [help with] casting out for them, getting a fish hooked, and letting them reel it in.” Terbeek also shared some advice for those targeting pink salmon in Valdez: “Yank every once in a while. You’re guaranteed to get one. There are so many fish out here you’re gonna get one.”

The Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby started with kids picking up a free hat and then fishing from shore or a boat to catch pink salmon. Once they caught a fish, they took a picture with themselves, the fish, and the hat. Four lucky kids were chosen at random to win $100 cash and eight other kids won fishing poles from the Valdez Prospector.

KVAK Radio hosted a Kids Broadcasting Camp this summer and six kids from that camp hit the airwaves Saturday evening to host a Kids Derby Show. The one-hour live radio show was “For Kids – By Kids” which meant that only kids age 5 to 16 could call in to win prizes. Several kids called in and won ice cream, but it was Henry Gunderson of Valdez who won the grand prize of 10 pounds of jellybeans. The Kids Broadcasting Camp was sponsored by Alyeska Pipeline and Capt’n Joe’s and Prospector donated prizes for the program.

The kids that won the $100 prize in their age division were Troy Davis of North Pole, Pixie Keeton of Valdez, Brady Camp and Rusty Baker.