Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby Is A Big Hit

The following is courtesy of Valdez Fish Derbies:

Young Anglers Slay the Day at Allison Point during Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby Day

VALDEZ – The bite was on at Allison Point just in time for the Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby. More than 300 young anglers caught at least one fish to enter the one-day derby, and 12 kids went home with cash and prizes. Families from Nevada to Norway not only enjoyed tremendous fishing and sunshine, they also created memories to last a lifetime.

Ray Cureton of Honolulu, Hawaii said his son Hudson caught his very first pink salmon in Valdez Saturday and now says, “One more cast” when they are ready to leave. Cureton said, “Hudson is hooked on world class Valdez fishing.” It was incredible seeing all the kids on the bank fishing and exploring the shores”. “This photo (Kids Derby photo) will be on our wall at home”.  Neil Everson of Fairbanks has been bringing his kids to Valdez for the last five years and says his kids are addicted to catching fish now. 

Most of the pink salmon were caught from shore at Allison Point but several anglers caught pink salmon out at Goose Island where the silver salmon were also biting. The Kids Derby Day was also the start of the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby in Valdez and three bright, big silvers hit the leader board. 

The Valdez weigh-in station was hopping Saturday morning with families and kids picking up the official Valdez Fish Derbies hat. The hat is free and also the ticket to enter a fish for a chance to win prizes. Kids aged 5 to 16 just need to catch a pink salmon, then take a picture of themselves with the hat and the salmon in order to enter the contest. Four lucky kids were chosen at random to win $100 cash and eight other kids won fishing poles from the Valdez Prospector.

Eight kids in 5^th through 8^th grade attended a Kids Broadcasting camp at the local radio station and created a one hour show for kids Saturday night. The phone rang off the hook as young broadcasters DJ’d a live radio show, ran the board and took callers. Several kids won ice cream cones and Henry Spadafora of Valdez won 10 pounds of Jellybeans. The LIVE Call-In show was created, produced and run entirely by kids under the age of fourteen.

The kids that won the $100 prize in their age division were Spencer Ace of Valdez, Tyler Solmonson of Fairbanks, Aurora Hershman of Palmer and Grace Tate of Anamosa, Iowa.

To see a slideshow of pictures and all the winners from the Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby, visit: https://www.valdezfishderbies.com/kids-derby/.  For more information on the Silver Salmon or Halibut Derbies in Valdez, visit www.valdezfishderbies.com

The Valdez Fish Derbies is now gearing up for the Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby that will be held August 8^th and 9^th. This year’s theme is “TaTa’s, Tutu’s and XtraTuff’s” and the Friday night event will feature a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk and Scavenger Hunt and Art Scramble. Saturday, women will compete to catch the largest silver salmon, win $2,000 in cash and prizes and become Queen of the Silver Salmon Sisterhood. CLICK HEREfor more information on the Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby.

WINNERS OF THE 2026 VALDEZ
KIDS PINK SALMON DERBY

5 to 7 Age Division 

$100 Winner
Spencer Ace
Valdez, AK

Fishing Pole Winner
Lucca Cevasco
Fairbanks, AK

Fishing Pole Winner
Hatcher Lace
Fairbanks, AK


8 to 10 Age Division

$100 Winner
Tyler Solmonson
Fairbanks, AK

Fishing Pole Winner
Conrad Adams
North Pole, AK

Fishing Pole Winner
Ava Curry
Valdez, AK

11 to 13 Age Division

$100 Winner
Aurora Hershman
Palmer, AK

Fishing Pole Winner
Nathan Slobodyanik
Fairbanks, AK

Fishing Pole Winner
Alex Chaner
Fairbanks, AK

14 to 16 Age Division

$100 Winner
Grace Tate
Anamosa, IA

Fishing Pole Winner

Liam Day
Valdez, AK

Fishing Pole Winner

Peyton Smith
Eagle River, AK

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