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Today's show is a tradition homage to the 9.2 Good Friday Alaska Earthquake. The picture is a short book Mary Daugherty penned about her experience being in JC Penney's downtown Anchorage. She shares her story in this podcast along with others, including broadcast legend, Herb Shaindlin!
Check out this fun podcast!
Naked Alaskan: The Rest of The Stories is Mike Gordon's 3rd book that completes an adventurous memoir trilogy including capturing a time in Alaska's history when money was flowing from the Alaska Pipeline to catapult a 1500 square foot shotgun bar into a world-renowned rustic saloon, Chilkoot Charlie's.
His first two books, Learning the Ropes and Dagnabit!, are focused on those times, while his third book, like the title says, fills in the rest of the stories. You'll find those on our Big Alaska Show Book Review Section.
Hear our interview with Mike Gordon.
The bears are waking up! At the age of 68, Gene Moe with only a buck knife came face to face with a huge Kodiak grizzly. For the next 45 minutes, they would engage in hand to paw combat. Gene lived to tell this story!
Then, Rick Rydell Green educates us on bear behavior!
Check out our fun podcast!
Steve levi
The Iditarod commemorates the 1925 Serum Run that saved Nome from an outbreak of diphtheria. Author/Historian/Humorist, Steve Levy, gives us a lesson in history - and makes it fun!
Visit the Big Alaska Show Book Review Section and check out Steve Levy's book about the Gold Rush:
Steve Levi makes the Alaska Gold Rush(es) come alive and makes you glad you weren’t there! Fortunately, we have Steve’s book, The Human Face of the Alaska Gold Rush
The Human Face of The Alaska Gold Rush by Steve LeviSteve Levi Author Page — The Big Alaska Show
Teacher on the Trail!
The Iditarod Education Outreach is something we champion. The 2019 Teacher on the Trail, Brian Hickox, joined us to share what it's like to become the TOT and what it took to get the highly coveted position.
Listen to the fun podcast!
Steve Levi Time Stamp 5:55
Brian Hickox Time Stamp 28:42
Iditarod Teachers on the Trail!
The Iditarod Teacher on the Trail is an excellent educational outreach program featuring educators using the Iditarod in their classroom lessons https://iditarod.com/edu/. Last year during the TOT 25th Anniversary, some former Teacher's on the Trail joined us. Some of those educators were back for this year's TOT and we had to a chance to catch up with these friends!
Teacher on the Trail Time stamp 11:47
Odom Party!
The Iditarod is a great event for friends gathering, meeting new friends and having fun. Co-host, Mike Ford, visited our friends at the Odom Corporation who throw a traditional Iditarod party every year for employees, family and friends.
Odom Party Time stamp 5:37
Tall Alaska Tale!
Colonel Norman Vaughn's legacy with the Iditarod is epic. And so was his life, living to be 100 and including having made two expeditions to the South Pole with Admiral Byrd 1928-1930. Here is one of his tales. Is this the truth or a no good, lyin' through your tooth Tall Alaska Tale?!
Tall AK Tale Time Stamp 44:11
The First Iditarod 1973
Rod Perry was in the first Iditarod in 1973 and shares his account of a very different time! Talk about history, check out our Tall Alaska Tale about Norman Vaughn!
Lord Trapper Bob, Mike Ford, Beth Helgeson
The 2nd Annual Fur Trapper Crapper Award!
The outhouse race team that comes in last at the Rondy Outhouse receives the highly coveted Big Alaska Show Fur Trapper Crapper Award! This year's recipient - the Ass Blasters!
Check out our fun podcast!
No snow means a change of plans for the Fur Rondy and the Iditarod. One thing hasn't changed - FUN!
Mike Ford updates us on the revised World Championship Dog Sled Races. We look back at last year's recipient of the Fur Trapper Crapper Award outhouse last place team. And former Tacher on the Trail, Julie Westrich, joins us!
Check out our podcast!
Fur Rondy Fun!
April Powers, Beth Helgeson and Trill Gates join us to talk about the Fur Rondy and get us ready for an action-packed 2025 Rondy! Get your Rondy Guide at www.furrondy.net.
Plus, we have Big Alaska Show Guest Tourists from Minnesota and North Dakota sample and review our Big Alaska Show Blend coffee and then play a Tall Alaska Tale!
Big Alaska Show Blend Taste Test!
Our Big Alaska Show Guest Tourists from Minnesota and North Dakota, Larry, Lynn, Deb and Mike sampled our Big Alaska Show Blend and here is their review!
Tall Alaska Tale!
Our Guest Tourists also joined us for a Tall Alaska Tale to see if they thought it was the truth or a no good, lyin' through your tooth Tall Alaska Tale!
Catching up with Lolo Paige and Stan Jones is always a hoot!
Today we hear about their upcoming works to add to their books on our Book Review Section.
Stan writes a series of Nathan Active mysteries and today shares a peek into his upcoming Slab City project.
Check out our fun podcast!
Denali translates to "The Great One". Today's show features two books and their authors with Denali as their subject. Former editor of Alaska Magazine, Andy Hall, talks about his book, Denali's Howl: The Deadliest Climbing Disaster on America's Wildest Peak.
Then, Mike Gordon talks about his book, Learning the Ropes: An Alaskan Memoir.
We even have two Tall Alaska Tales in today's show! Check out this fun podcast!
Whew! What a packed show! The Polar Bear Jump Off Awards Ceremony with a live audience! Anchorage Folk Festival headliner, AJ Lee and Blue Summit! Alex the Roaster! Happy Birthday tribute to Alaska's Travel Guru, Scott McMurren! PLUS - we did our show live and the wheels came off!
Listen to the full podcast.
Polar Bear Jump Off Awards Ceremony
Recorded in Seward, AK, 1/18/25
AJ Lee & Blue Summit Interview
Anchorage Folk Festival headliner!
Meet Alex the Roaster!
We have coffee - Big Alaska Show Blend!
Order now at Cold Snap Coffee
AJ Lee & Blue Summit headline the Anchorage Folk Festival. If you like bluegrass, tight harmonies and smokin' hot pickin' - don't miss their performance! Btw, the Anchorage Folk Festival is packed with local music acts. Check out these links to the festival and a taste of AJ Lee & Blue Summit!
AJ LEE & Blue Summit tidbits
Cumberland Blues (Grateful Dead - Really?!)
Harvest Moon with Brothers Comatose
Plus, hear my interview with AJ Lee!
Co-host, Mike Ford, and I get to celebrate going into our 19th season and looking back at just a fraction of the amazing and fun people we've met along the way. And it all started in a liquor closet at the Breeze Inn because there was no electrical outlet for our equipment! We were rushed into a liquor room with a landline, cases of scotch stacked for chairs for our guests, made it on time and the rest is history! Join us for our fun podcast!
Dan Sullivan was twice Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska and my close friend since we were 14 years old. He also comes from a lineage that over the generations have served in Alaskan politics and community service. Stories abound! Admittedly, this show was more for my enjoyment!
Check out our fun podcast!
This fun interview from June 2016 features Alaska aviation legend, Chuck Sassara, and his book, Chuck Sassara's Alaska: Propellers, Politics and People. Former editor of Alaska Magazine, Andy Hall., joins in. Plus, Chuck told two Tall Alaska Tales. Hint: Elizabeth Taylor and Howard Hughes!
Listen to the podcast!
Make this part of your Christmas repertoire! Every Christmas we air this classic! Producer of Merry Christmas From Alaska series, Kurt Riemann features local Alaskan musicians performing Christmas music. Kurt also takes us behind the scenes giving us insight into the performances and the artists. Check out our podcast!
Perry Alexander returns to update us on the recovery of Asheville, NC from Hurricane Helene. Our science guy, Dr. Gordon Snyder, joins in with insights and how they apply to us here in Alaska.
Check out these before and after photos.
Water Treatment System returns to UNC Asheville Campus:
Check out the fun podcast!
If you missed their first meeting visit this podcast:
Annette Vrolyk with the American Cancer Society and broadcast veteran, John Thiompson, join us to talk about the 40th Anniversary for the Polar Bear Jump Off in Seward. John and Uncle Steve will be MC-ing the January 18th event.
Plus, we talked about John's broadcast career and even have a Tall Alaska Tale!
Polar Bear Jump Off 2025 Information:
https://www.seward.com/event/seward-polar-bear-jump/113/
Check out our fun podcast!
Veteran's Day Encore!
Alaska's BIG on our veterans! So big, we believe Veteran's Day deserves an encore! Veteran Jessy Lakin shares a slice of his military experience and now helps veterans through Alaska Warrior Partnership. Check out the full podcast!
Anchorage Folk Festival Sneak Peek!
Board member and sound engineer, Lucy Peckham, fills us in on the 36th Anniversary Anchorage Folk Festival, including headline acts, AJ Lee & Blue Summit and Corey Ledet Zydeco. Plus to promote an AFF fundraiser - two great flicks:
https://anchoragefolkfestival.org/2025-festival-information/2024-film-double-feature/.
Check out my chat with Lucy!
Dr. Paisley - Shoulder Surgeon Nerd!
Meet Dr. Kevin Paisley, an award winning orthopedic surgeon who performed shoulder surgery on Mike Ford's wife. Mike was so impressed with the personal care before, during and after, we had to have him on! Got shoulder pain? Visit Dr. Kevin Paisley at www.akshoulder.com! Check this fun podcast out!
Commercial Fishing Chatter
Rick Rydell Green, Commissioner of Commercial Fisheries Entry, and our Deadliest Catch Mythbuster, Mike Ferris, talk commercial fishing!
To hear commercial fishing chatter only begin at timestamp 19:00
Click to visit sponsor’s website.
It means something extra when Kim Carlson has attendst he annual Polar Bear Jump Off in Seward, AK, as she has done for ten years—raising tens of thousands of dollars. She has dedicated her jumps, first to her mother, who was lost to cancer, and subsequently to other victims and their families.
It was a packed house and a packed show of fun! Alaskans and Texans- in the same room! Only on the Big Alaska Show can such a combination co-exist in the same room.
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