Silver Salmon Derby season in Valdez has a women’s division that runs on equal parts fishing and friendship. Every August, a crew of women shows up not just to chase silvers, but to celebrate each other. This is the story of one group who turned a derby weekend into something much bigger.
How a Coastal Derby Became a Reminder to Live Fully
On a foggy August morning in Valdez, boats idle in the harbor. Laughter carries across the docks as women flood the marina. Some strangers meet, some old friends reunite, but by the end they’re all old friends. Coffee is poured and downriggers are set. For many, this is simply Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby day. For others, it’s something deeper—part reunion, part healing ritual, part celebration of survival.
At the center of this story is Meadow Riedel, whose social media post during last season’s Valdez Fish Derbies stopped organizer Laurie Prax in her tracks. One year earlier, Meadow had been lying in a hospital bed awaiting biopsy results confirming she had breast cancer. Now she was laughing on a boat with friends, chasing salmon, and soaking in what she called “life and all its messy, beautiful glory.”
Her words don’t just resonate—they ripple. Volunteers, sponsors, and participants can all see themselves in her story: fragility, gratitude, the fierce joy of simply being alive made even better by being outdoors with people you love.
The Medicine of Water and Friendship
Fishing has always been more than a pastime in Alaska. It’s therapy for some, identity for many, connection for most. You hear it often, that time spent outside—especially on or near water—reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and strengthens emotional resilience. Add shared laughter and community, and the effects are amplified. For us in Alaska, fishing is often a combination of all that—but it’s also our culture and food supply.
For Meadow, the derby became a milestone marker after diagnosis. Her tight-knit group of friends—self-nicknamed the “Talk Derby to Me” crew—had already weathered life together: raising kids, navigating divorce, supporting each other through illness. The trip to Valdez to fish was never really about the leaderboard. It was about showing up and celebrating for each other. This tight group of ladies surrounding Meadow included Wendie MacNaughton, Heather Ferguson, Michelle Staiger, Jenn Thompson, Ella Bailey, and Lisa Putnam. Their stellar captain was Wendell Clark, co-captained by Annita Clark.
The Talk Derby to Me crew sets out for a day of Women’s Derby fishing. © Talk Derby to Me crew.
Stopping along the way to experience the beauty of Alaska is as important as getting out to fish! © Talk Derby To Me crew.
The flag was planted and the crew was named. © Talk Derby To Me crew.
The road trip is an integral part of the journey for the Talk Derby To Me crew. © Talk Derby To Me crew.
“We might not catch the biggest fish,” she joked in conversation with me and Laurie Prax, “but we catch the biggest moments.” The full conversation with Meadow, Laurie, and me can be caught on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon, or Apple Podcasts on the Fish Alaska Podcast. Meadow’s spirit is exactly what keeps volunteers returning year after year. Laurie—who helps run the derbies alongside a small core team—says the long hours, logistics, and paperwork fade into the background when she sees what the event means to people. Families make it an annual pilgrimage—multi-generational crews fishing side by side. Kids land their first salmon and the memories stack up
Derby Legend
Every long-running event collects stories, and these derbies have decades of tales. One favorite memory from the Women’s Silver Salmon Derby involves Lenore Groundwater, who at age 93 won the women’s derby. Going around town in her tiara and pink bathrobe, she fully embraced the designation “Queen of the Silver Salmon Sisterhood” and later listed the title among her life’s proudest achievements. She passed away the following year, actually buried in that cherished tiara, but not before fishing again at 94.
The Women’s Derby includes a full-themed event, with treasure hunts, roaming prize crews, and a weigh-in station that doubles as a social hub. Behind the scenes, volunteers coordinate sponsors, track entries, and keep operations running smoothly. Most participants never see the planning. They just feel the welcome and have a blast visiting the town of Valdez.
2026 Derby Dates
Halibut Derby: May 23 – September 6
Halibut Hullabaloo Tournament: June 12 – 21
Kid’s Pink Salmon Derby: July 25
Silver Salmon Derby: July 25 – September 6
Women’s Silver Salmon Derby: August 8 (festivities begin August 7)
Salmon Slam Bonus Tournament: Aug 28 – Sept 6
Visit valdezfishderbies.com for more information.
Community events like these aren’t just entertainment. They’re social infrastructure. They boost economies and strengthen local pride. And sometimes, as Meadow’s story illustrates, they create safe spaces for laughter and healing and share an important message.
Her message is simple: joy and hardship coexist. The key is not waiting for perfect conditions to live fully. You should grab your ladies group and get to Valdez or plan around the weekend and bring the whole family to enjoy the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby and Valdez Halibut Derby. The dates overlap, so you can participate in all of them that weekend. Visit valdezfishderbies.com for more details on fishing the derbies.
In honor of Meadow Riedel, the 2026 Women’s Valdez Silver Salmon Derby theme is Breast Cancer Awareness, and the theme color will definitely be pink!
The ladies ready for the Women’s Derby “Circus Theme” in 2024. © Talk Derby To Me crew.
The ladies all ready for the 2025 Flower Power theme of the Valdez Women’s Derby. © Talk Derby To Me crew.
The snacks are at the foundation of the annual planning discussion, second only to the costumes. © Talk Derby To Me crew.
The Talk Derby To Me crew weigh-in their silvers during the Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby. © Talk Derby To Me crew.
These ladies are super grateful to be able to fish with Wendell and Annita Clark when they come down for the derby. © Talk Derby To Me crew.
Aye Maties, Talk Derby To Me. © Talk Derby To Me crew.
Better than the Highlight Reel
Scrolling social media can make it seem like everyone else’s life is perfect. Meadow chose a different approach. She shared the hard parts, too: the fear, the scars, the grief of losing friends to cancer. And she’s doing that again here on the pages of Fish Alaska magazine because as much as she is a celebrator of life, she’s an even more fierce advocate for breast cancer screening. Meadow credits early detection and skilled medical teams with saving her life. Now she and her friends volunteer with the Breast Cancer Detection Center of Alaska to help bring screening access to rural communities.
Everyone should know
About 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
Early detection of breast cancer dramatically improves survival rates.
Some forms—like lobular carcinoma—may not form obvious lumps, making screenings essential.
Breast Cancer Screening Resources in Alaska
Breast Cancer Detection Center of Alaska
Founded in Fairbanks in 1976, the Breast Cancer Detection Center of Alaska (BCDC) works to improve survival rates through early detection, education, and accessible screening services statewide. In a region where distance and weather often limit healthcare access, the organization provides both in-clinic 3D mammography and a mobile screening program that travels to rural communities. This is the organization that Meadow and her Talk Derby to Me friends support.
What they do
Provide screening mammograms regardless of location or income barriers.
Deliver breast-health education and outreach across Alaska.
Operate mobile clinics serving underserved areas.
Breast cancer outcomes improve significantly when detected early. Expanded screening access helps save lives across Alaska’s widely dispersed population. Learn more or schedule: bcdcofalaska.org
The Alaska Breast and Cervical Screening Assistance Program
The Alaska Breast and Cervical Screening Assistance Program helps eligible Alaskans get important health screenings. The program covers the cost of mammograms and pap tests and pays for diagnostic tests if needed. It also helps connect Alaskans to financial support for treatment when necessary.
Meadow is a tough lady with a kind heart, embracing all the beauty in life and acting as a beacon for others facing similar challenges. © Talk Derby To Me crew.
Meadow in 2023 upon the news of her breast cancer diagnosis. © Meadow Riedel.
You may qualify for the program if the following apply:
Age 21 – 64
You don’t have insurance, or your insurance doesn’t cover screening exams
Your yearly income is at or below 250% of the federal poverty level
When the last fish is weighed and a hush sets in over the harbor, what remains isn’t just prize money and epic fish photos. For Meadow, the lesson is lasting: Catch the fish. Appreciate today. Hug your people. Sometimes the biggest thing you bring home from a fishing trip isn’t a fish at all.
Melissa Norris
About the Author Melissa Norris
Melissa Norris is the founder and Publisher of Fish Alaska and Hunt Alaska magazines. She has over two decades of experience fishing all over Alaska, writing about her time in the field, testing gear, planning trips and cooking and harvesting wild Alaska seafood. In addition to writing tons of content for the magazine and our website, Melissa heads our digital platforms and leads the design team.