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80th Golden North Salmon Derby off to unceremonial start as fishers head straight to sea
- Mark Sabbatini
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Three-day event again bypassing ticket validations, allowing participants to skip weigh-in stations until they have fish to turn in
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
This story will be updated periodically during the day.
The 80th annual Golden North Salmon Derby launched without any formal fanfare on Friday morning — indeed, there was less commotion than traditionally seen during most past years, according to officials at the Douglas Harbor weigh-in station.
"Usually we'd have 100 people lined up, and then at 7:30 we're validating the people running to their boats and racing off through the channel," Jonathan Gunstrom, the station’s dock chair, said about 10 minutes after the derby’s official start time. But validation of derby tickets purchased by participants was halted as of last year so "now it just kind of starts with a whimper" at the stations.
Instead, fishers are able to head straight for the seas, with about 800 to 1,000 people participating annually in the three-day event in recent years, according to Ryan Beason, chair of the derby that’s sponsored by Territorial Sportsmen Inc.
But there are commemorative buttons and other items marking the derby’s 80th year available for people visiting the stations.
The online live results at the derby’s website had no listings as of 9 a.m. Friday.
Gunstrom, who has been a derby official for 16 years, and three other officials were staffing the Douglas station when it opened. He said catch turned in at the station has declined since he started — in part because participants seem to be doing more fishing to the north where the other two weigh-in stations are located.
"I think last year we filled three bins" with salmon, he said. "The year I started we filled 14."
The derby stations are open until 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 6 p.m. Sunday, and Gunstrom said he frequently works that entire time each year. But this year that could change if a glacial outburst flood occurs since he lives on a street in the designated evacuation zone.
"If it happens in the next three days all of a sudden I will be leaving this in capable hands," he said.
80th Golden North Salmon Derby essentials
When: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Weigh stations: Amalga Harbor, Douglas Harbor, Auke Nu Cove; open Friday and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tickets: $50 adults (ages 13 and up); $45 veterans; $10 youths (ages 6 - 12)
Official website: https://www.goldennorthsalmonderby.com/
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
