The 80th Golden North Salmon Derby is dedicated to:
Kelly Peres
by Doug Larsen
Kelly Peres had never heard of the Golden North Salmon Derby when he stepped off the jet in Juneau for the first time. It was November, 1974. “Why anyone would move to Juneau in November, I don’t know,” Kelly reflects, thinking back on his arrival.
Born and raised in Fort Benton, MT, Kelly had grown up on a farm, where he learned the meaning of hard work and early morning chores. At a young age he became interested in broadcasting and resolved to pursue it as a career. He attended school in Spokane, WA and secured a first-class FCC license. That was important because being an on-air broadcaster at that time required having this license. Not many did.
Searching for broadcasting opportunities, Kelly discovered openings in the desert city of Blythe, CA and in Juneau. Hedging his bets, he applied for both. When he was offered both jobs, he reflected on a visit he had previously made to Blythe and remembered the insatiable heat. He decided to give Juneau a shot, sight unseen.
Kelly remembers well the conversation he had with Paul Ryder at KINY. “The job’s yours,” Paul had said. “Can you be here in two days?” Not knowing the logistics involved in getting to Juneau, Kelly had responded with uncertainty. Paul quipped that all Kelly needed to do was get himself to Seattle, then turn north. And so he did! Juneau and KINY Radio would become Kelly’s home and family for the next fifty plus years.
And with his new job came the Golden North Salmon Derby, which became a much-anticipated annual highlight for him and the KINY radio crew. Kelly started his derby involvement as a reporter at the Tee Harbor dock in 1975. After several years at Tee Harbor, Kelly found himself aboard local private vessels with guests who couldn’t otherwise get out fishing. Larry Edfelt and his boat, the M/V Ocean Chinook, was among the boats Kelly reported from. Kelly remembers fondly the hours he spent aboard Larry’s boat. “The fishing was great and the humor even greater,” Kelly remembers.
From on-the-water-reporting, Kelly moved into the studio as the “voice of the derby,” where, for over 25 years, he would masterfully provide regular on-air updates throughout the three-day derbies.
When asked about especially memorable events or incidences he observed during his fifty years associated with the derby, Kelly gleefully recalls several. There was the morning at Auke Bay in 1996 when Kelly showed up early to ensure the phone line was hooked up and operable. Approaching the weigh-in station, Kelly passed Carl Rosier’s moored boat and on second glance spotted Carl in the wheelhouse. At the same time, Kelly was on the phone with Dennis Egan, who was on air at the KINY station. Seeing Carl wave to him, Kelly headed back in his direction. As he approached, he realized Carl was mouthing something indiscernible. Getting closer, he heard Carl say 100. And then, with Dennis on the other end of the phone line, Kelly put it together. The tagged fish caught earlier in the derby by Maggie Hall was not a ten-thousand-dollar fish, but a one-hundred-thousand-dollar fish! Kelly laughs as he recalls hearing Dennis’s gasp and then listened as he made an immediate on-air pronouncement.
And then there was the day when Kelly watched as the second-place derby fish dropped off the dock and sank out of sight. Fortunately, it had already been weighed, and the prize could be awarded.
Kelly remembers the year the Auke Bay float sank eight inches under water because of the weight of the fish totes. “A bit scary but so great seeing so many scholarship fish,” he remembers.
As he reflects further on his years with the derby, Kelly recalls fondly the years when anglers lined up to get their tickets validated. “It was great seeing and joking with people you hadn’t seen in a while,” Kelly remembers. “Good natured ribbing among friends and acquaintances excited about getting out on the water.”
Beyond broadcasting, Kelly has a long-time love of sports cars. While a member of the Juneau Dip Sticks, he bought and restored a 1981 red Chevy Corvette and today owns a white Corvette that remains his pride and joy.
Whether or not you fish the derby, anyone listening to the radio during derby weekends recognizes Kelly’s voice. He has indeed become the “voice of the Golden North Salmon Derby!” It is with grateful admiration and appreciation that TSI dedicates its 80th Golden North Salmon Derby to the indomitable Kelly Peres. Thanks for your long-enduring support and dedication, Kelly! Pedal to the metal!