Listen again to your favorites, or discover a gem from yesteryear. Click the READ MORE link and listen up!
Our Deadliest Catch Myth Buster, Mike Ferris, is packed with stories. We collected Pre-Pandemic and Pandemic tales with Mike. The true reality show! (Although we do have a Tall Alaska Tale that may or may not be true -- no matter, we're still eligible to win our own prizes!)
Listen to the full podcast!
Senior Development Director of the American Cancer Society West Region, Annette Vrolyk and Board Chair for the 2022 Polar Bear Jump Off, Casie Warner, share updates on the event in Seward! Get ready for the best cabin fever reliever in January while supporting the fight against cancer!
Official event website is AlaskaPolarBearJump.org
Facebook page @AlaskaPBJ
Polar Bear Jumper Christie Bond-Hill shares her Polar Bear Jump Off story!
Jamaal, Jameel, Susan and Ken Clark
Today we remember our veterans featuring Jesse (Iraq). Jamaal Clark (Afghanistan), Ed Koontz (Korea) and Brenda Koontz (Vietnam).
Veterans are truly America's finest!
From our archives we reprise a show honoring the late Kathy Carmody. We reflect and remember the impact this Alaskan woman made on our lives and thousands of people around the world!
This show features interviews with notables like Deke Sharon, the Godfather of modern a cappella www.facebook.com/DekeSharon, Mike Mendyke, bass of Dick Van Dyke's quartet the Vantastix www.vantastix.com, and more!
This show reminds us of our favorite teachers who changed our lives!
Listen to our fun podcast!
Find the original Kathy Carmody podcast
www.bigalaskashow.com/bas-shows-archive/kathy-carmody-interview?rq=Kathy%20Carmody:
It's howling Halloween fun when the Mitchell brothers and Chad Carpenter show up!
Shane and Wayne Mitchell of Training Better Artists (TBA) www.tbatheatre.org, a popular educational/theatrical organization, and Chad Carpenter, creator of Tundra Comics, Moose the Movie and Sudsy Slim Rides Again, www.tundracomics.com, share Halloween memories, stories, ghost tales and "Inappropriate Product Placement Theatuh!" Designed to raise your spirits, not your blood pressure!
Listen to our fun show sans commercials (well, almost!)
Book Review Section!
Today's show featured Stan Jones and Mike Gordon. Stan writes mystery fiction. Mike Gordon writes non-fiction but it's a mystery he's survived!
Two authors whose new books you'll find on our Big Alaska Show Book Review Section, http://www.bigalaskashow.com/book-reviews.
Authors, Lolo Paige and Chris Lundgren, joined the fun as our panel of author experts! Good books, good fun on our show this morning!
Dagnabit! by Mike Gordon
We're fortunate Mike Gordon wrote this book. Not just because his life is colorful and filled with entertaining Alaskan stories that morph over the decades into legend. We're fortunate because Mike Gordon has kept Ruben Gaines' legacy alive.
A broadcaster, writer, cartoonist, creative storyteller, mentor and close friend to Mike, Ruben Gaines helped define Alaska's character.
Just like his first book, Learning the Ropes, Mike's writing style is comfortable, fun to read and takes you from a Rustic Alaskan Saloon to the 7 tallest peaks in 7 continents. Plus, makes you wish you had met Ruben Gaines! https://www.mikegordonauthor.com/store
Check out the podcast interview!
Ghost Light by Stan Jones
Stan Jones blends Alaska culture, fiction and mystery making it hard to believe it's not non-fiction! Might as well be. As Stan was telling us, "With the help of a demented Alaska Native elder, Chukchi police chief Nathan Active hunts for the killer who left a woman's expertly dismembered body in the ice cellar of an abandoned Inupiat Eskimo fish camp."
There's more good stuff. Read the book! You can find it here on Amazon!
Listen to Stan talk about his book along with authors, Lolo Paige and Chris Lundgren!
Alaska has a legacy of colorful broadcast characters. Bob Lester is one of those. A longtime morning drive personality on KWHL 106.5 FM, www.kwhl.com, Bob’s contributions to the community are too many to mention. Toys for Tots is one he’s most proud and he’s creator of the most popular event of the Fur Rendezvous(Fur Rondy)Running of the Reindeer. He started on TV as Kid Fox of the Fox Kid's Club - and then spinning records at the Cattle Company's bar at night - a tale of double lives leads to some interesting stories! Get co-host, Mike Ford and Bob Lester with year’s broadcast history experience together talking Alaska broadcast shop, and you get a fun show!
Alaska was built on aviation. Hard to believe when reading the life of Archie Ferguson authored by Steven Levi. How Archie made it through life as an Alaskan bush pilot and dying in bed an older man is mindboggling! Author and historian Steve Levi, is an entertaining story-teller both in print and radio. Listen to our fun podcast interview with Steve.
Visit our Big Alaska Show Book Review Section to find Steve’s book and links! [http://www.bigalaskashow.com/book-reviews]
There's a tradition we call "Homecoming". For those of us who went to West High School in Anchorage, "Homecoming" stirs up memories of autumn temperatures, football games and termination dust on the mountain peaks. But most of all, it stirs up memories of 50+ year old friendships and the special bond we share. Today's Big Alaska Show revisits some of those moments with the 50th High School Reunions of West High School Classes of 1967 and 1968. Check out this fun podcast for a time when the internet and Facebook didn't exist!
Hear the 50th West High School Reunion podcasts for classes 1967, 1968 and 1969!
[http://www.bigalaskashow.com/bas-shows-archive/67-68-reunion-west-reprise]
Hear the Full Podcast!
We know how to celebrate a Labor Day Weekend! The Alaska State Fair is packed with food and entertainment! For example, the Anchorage Midnight Sons Chorus share a history lesson a cappella style of the Gold Rush.
Alaska State Fair Memories Memories abound at the Fair. Here, co-host Mike Ford and Steven Franklin were Goat judges! What did they know about goats? Let's just say the 4-H Club was shocked by the choice!
Then we visit a memory with Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees when he was at the Alaska State Fair and shared his story when he met the Beatles!
Remembering Robby Dennis
Our close friend, Robby Dennis, was playing at the State Fair with John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. An accomplished musician, educator and close friend, Robby left us too soon in life and many who loved Robby. But his career was colorful and interesting having performed with some of the musical greats. We resurrected this interview with Robby when he was getting ready to perform at the Alaska State Fair.
This video tribute From his close friend, Steve Rychetnik. https://vimeo.com/sprocketheads/download/224807046/22dcb26bde
VIPER Class Begins!
The first class of VIPER, Veteran Interships Providing Employment Readiness, started and we couldn't be more proud! This program is from Alaska and designed to help transition veterans into the civilian community and a major focus to End 22, the epidemic of suicides in our military. Hear what these interns have to say and their instructors!
Click here to listen to our Labor Day Tall Alaska Tale
Meet these guys with BIG hearts and a BIG project from Sew Yeah Quilting out of Las Vegas. They're coming to Alaska providing quilts for the Homeless here in Alaska. Check it out! Current service project Souper Service Project
Brody Tippets joined us to tell us about the project.
Besides servants' hearts, these guys have arguably the most entertaining sewing show in the world! After all, where else can you find a sewing show with 3 guys that blow up a sewing machine! This is right down our alley on the Big Alaska Show! Now that's what Mike Ford and I call a sewing show!
Sew Yeah Show including Will It Sew segment with explosion Will It Sew??
You'll be hearing more from these guys when they come to Alaska and the good news they spread. In the meantime, check out their website and if you know someone that likes sewing, quilting - or just be entertained- send them to this website: Sew Yeah Quilting!
Meet Casie Werner: Polar Bear Jump Off Update 2022 Polar Bear Jump Off Inc., Chair, Casie Werner, updates us on the latest. For more information visit their website.
Tad & Sherry Stripling on the Road!
Cousin Tad and Sherry Stripling left Colorado a month before and drove to Alaska. That's half the trip! But here's a little update from them!
Remembering Marcus Paine
We lost Marcus 5 years ago during an airshow. But he belongs in Alaska's history of aviation pioneers and we aim to keep his legacy alive. Here's our interview with Marcus from 2012. Marcus Paine Interview
To listen to the Full Show Podcast
Iditarod Education Future is Bright!
Iditarod Director of Education, Jane Holmes, has reason to be excited. Iditarod educational opportunities abound, not only for the future but happening right now! Jane describes the variety and creative real-life lessons that come from the Iditarod. Plus, it's fun!
To contact Jane Holmes email wwww.jane.holmes@iditarod.com or visit
www.iditarod.com
Check out our podcast with Jane and our interview with the 2019 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail, Brian Hickox. If you think of a teacher who might enjoy sharing Iditarod lessons and excitement with their students, send them Jane Holmes'contact information. She'd love to hear from them!
Alaska State Trooper Jobs!
The Alaska State Troopers are hiring and adding a $20,000 cash incentive! Co-host, Mike Ford, gets that facts in this interview! www.alaskastatetrooper.com
Mike Ferris is back from commercial fishing and it's not pretty! A tough business and Mike tells it like it really is like to commercial fish in Alaska.
You want a physical and mental challenge? Try commercial fishing in Alaska! Or you can enjoy our podcast and be grateful Mike is telling the story and not you!
It's a fun, informative show when we get these two together on the Big Alaska Show!
Award winning author, Lolo Paige and our Science Guy, Dr. Gordon Snyder, join us to talk about Lolo's new romance novel, Alaska Inferno, and talk about overland wild fires.
Plus, our show started with an equipment glitch that we left in the full podcast. Or you can bypass it to go to our interview with Lolo and Gordon and find her book in our Big Alaska Show Book Review Section!
Happy Birthdays!
Our record setting "attempt" at the largest Big Alaska Show birthday celebration!
Women and Alaska Aviation!
Carol Zerbe has over 20 years as an Alaska bush pilot. She's also an instructor, an examiner, a business owner, actively involved in aviation non-profits that promote women in aviation and she's a mom! Whew-I got carpal tunnel just typing that! Plus, she's a joy just to talk to. Fun interview. We even played a Tall Alaska Tale with Carol! Alaska was built on aviation and women have played a major role! Carol is one of them! Listen to the full show or just Carol's interview.
Carol's company Northbound Flying Service Website
Women in Aviation Last Frontier Chapter
Alaska Airmen's Association website
Check out our Tall Alaska Tale!
Click here to listen to our Alaskan women aviators Tall Alaska Tale
You can join the fun and let us know what you think!
http://www.bigalaskashow.com/contact
Power Player of the Week!
Ken Coston, president of Alaska Bikers Advocating Training and Education (ABATE), gives a quick update on Christmas in July, an annual program where ABATE and the motorcycle community delivers toys to kids in hospitals in Alaska. Ken's been helping lead ABATE to the next level!
Here's the Full Show!
More Texan Visitors!
July 17, 2021
As our Big Alaska Show Guest tourist, Joel T. Rutherford and his family visited our great state. Originally from Canada, Joel and Heather relocated to the Dallas area to expand their musical careers and raise a family. In a short week they packed every moment with as much Alaska fun as they could. What a blast they had! You can listen to Joel's tourist report and his attempt at our Tall Alaska Tale that takes place in Moose Pass. There's quite an interesting and unique history that takes place here - or does it?! Check out our interview with Joel and the Tall Alaska Tale!
Want to get to know Alaska? Hang with the locals! Tundra Comics Creator Chad Carpenter is back! The Pandemic changed how he's doing some things but not his sense of humor. Over 600 newspapers carry his cartoon panels. And now he's added a bunch more in the digital world. We catch up on the latest with Chad.
For more information visit Chad's links:
www.patreon.com/tundracomics,
www.tundracomics.com
Plus, check out his tree house he built for his son!
Big Alaska Show Historian!
Stories of Alaska's history are some of our favorites. Steve Levi has them. As Steve says, "If you do not have something unique, you have nothing." Steve puts his words where his books are. Check out these websites for his books: https://authormasterminds.com/steve-levi and on our Big Alaska Show Book Review Section: http://www.bigalaskashow.com/book-reviews/cowboys-in-the-sky-steve-levi
To find more information visit
https://authormasterminds.com/steve-levi
Listen to our podcast interviews with these two BIG ALASKANS!
Big Alaska Show Guest Tourist!
Visitors to Alaska bring much appreciated revenues and we meet some interesting people. Joel T. Rutherford from Texas is bringing his family to Alaska for a vacation. And he’s a member of a gold medal winning quartet, Acoustix, https://www.acoustix.com/. Better yet, Joel is our Big Alaska Show Guest Tourist and we play Tall Alaska Tales with him (where we’re eligible to win our own prizes- hence, “better yet!”).
Tall Alaska Tale
Since the Rutherfords are going to Seward and go through Moose Pass, we thought our Tall Alaska Tale appropriate. You’ll find that here and our interview with Joel.
Seward sits in beautiful Resurrection Bay, a charming, rich in marine-life community and home of the Alaska SeaLife Center.
Here’s a short, nifty description by its CEO/President, Tara Riemer.
Seward: Mural Capital of Alaska
Local Seward artist, Dot Bardarson, tells us about a unique feature about Seward: murals!
Check it out the walking tour! Seward murals
Special Tribute
My cousin’s daughter, Hannah, had a baby and named her middle name after my dad, Max Farrand Stripling. We thought we would welcome Annie Farrand Weatherford into the world in our very own Big Alaska Show way!
Our last live show was March 2020 right after the Iditarod started. Then Lockdown.
Last minute we were granted access to the studio, 6/26/21!
Dr. Carrie Goertz from the Alaska SeaLife Center talked about the endangered Beluga Whales.
Visit the Alaska SeaLife Center website, it’s fantastic! www.alaskasealife.org
We spiced things up with our Deadliest Catch Myth Buster, Mike Ferris, and another Close Call. The saucy description featured a lot from our Big Alaska Show Censors!
Kyle Kasier and Gary Olson are at war with suicide in our veterans! They have a great weapon- VIPER!
VIPER, Veteran Internships Providing Employment Readiness, was created to fight the epidemic of 22 suicides that happen every day to our, mostly young, military men and women.
This innovative program provides training and education to transition veterans leaving the military into civilian life.
Often skills learned in the military are not readily transferable to civilian life making the transition scary and feeling hopeless.
This puts these people at risk for taking their lives. VIPER provides a way out and a path towards an exciting career.
Alaskans should be proud. Because VIPER started in Alaska and it’s catching on including outside Alaska!
Meet some of the VIPER volunteers and others supporting VIPER!
Hear the podcast!
THE PLANE!
Here is the plane intern veterans will restore to fly veterans to fishing spots in Alaska!
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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