By Helen Donaldson, Destin Fishing Rodeo Director
As we come together to celebrate the 77th Annual Destin Fishing Rodeo, I find myself reflecting on what this event has meant to me—and to so many others— over the years. After more than two decades at the helm, this year will mark my final Rodeo as Director. It’s a moment filled with emotion, pride and deep gratitude.
The Journey
In 1998 I was hired as director of the Rodeo, we operated out of the Fisherman’s Co-Op. Not long after, we moved to Harborwalk Marina, and eventually found a long-term home at AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar. That move was transformative for the event.
In those early years, weigh-ins were held in two shifts with a long midday break—a schedule that worked well for a while. But, after paying closer attention to boat patterns, we realized many charters returned around 1 p.m. and quickly turned around for afternoon trips. We adjusted our hours to remain open continuously from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.—a decision that made a meaningful difference for our anglers and helped the Rodeo to grow.
We’ve now been hosted by AJ’s for nearly 20 years. I’m especially thankful to Alan Laird for his ongoing support, the dedicated maintenance team and Rachel Green, who has worked tirelessly to help bring all the moving parts of this event together every year.
The People Behind the Scenes
No one accomplishes something like this alone. From the very beginning, Ham and Marion Palmgren were instrumental in guiding me. Marion stood beside me throughout the years, offering knowledge, encouragement and the kind of friendship that sustains a person. Mr. Ham passed in 2013, and I still miss his wit, his generous spirit and his willingness to wear any Halloween costume we asked him to. Bruce Cheves has also been a constant presence—offering not only wisdom and institutional memory, but also a deep love of the fishing community. Tina Harbuck at the Destin Log has documented the Rodeo’s story faithfully each year, and Angela Kalthoff has ensured that our operations remained organized and efficient, especially during the busiest of times.
I would be remiss not to mention Ann White, who has led our merchandise and marketing efforts with creativity and dedication for 20 years. Her work helped define the visual identity of the Rodeo, and her friendship has been one of the great gifts of my time here.
Growth and Change
So much has changed. When I started, we sold T-shirts under a tent with a single design in two colors. Today, our Rodeo merchandise includes multiple designs and colors, a full-size trailer for sales and an additional stock trailer to keep up with growing demand. Our shirts are everywhere! You can’t walk along the Harbor or go to a local store without seeing someone in a Rodeo T-Shirt! That’s why our slogan is “Dress Like a Local.”
Our recordkeeping has evolved too. In the early days, we used simple computers and kept most information by hand. Today, our digital system updates in real time, allowing anglers and spectators alike to follow the action every day throughout October.
And through it all, we’ve endured. Hurricanes, the BP oil spill and even a global pandemic challenged us—but they never stopped us.
