Tanner's Alaskan Seafood and Homeroid, Christie Bond-Hill!

We get our sockeye salmon from commercial fisherman, Jason Tanner, and owner of Tanner's Alaskan Seafood www.tannersfish.com!

We liked it so much, we wanted to meet him. You can too!

Homer has its share of Alaska reality shows. Our favorite Homer-oid, Christie Bond-Hill's is better than any of 'em!

She's raised 1/4 of a million $$$ in the fight against cancer at the Polar Bear Jump Off, blows TAPS for veterans, works for a veterinarian and holds a research and rescue position for seals and otters at the Alaska SeaLife Center. 

Check out the podcast!

You can join the fun every Saturday morning at 9:05a-10a (Alaska Time), broadcast on Alaska's oldest station, KFQD 103.7 FM / 750 AM, as thousands of Alaskans tune in, or online at The Big Alaska Show But, that’s just the tip o’ the iceberg!

Celebrate the 17th Big Alaska Show Anniversary!

This plaque is posted at the Breeze Inn Bar to commemorate our Big Alaska Show beginnings! Our Show started at the Polar Bear Jump Off in Seward, AK for the American Cancer Society 17 years ago at the Breeze Inn. We had BIG plans for our debut. But equipment failure set us on a course as the longest running, mistaken ridden radio show in Alaska's history that continues to this day.  

Listen to this lively podcast of clips from past Polar Bear Jump Off Shows!

2022 New Year's Eve Show

Mike Ford and I close out our 16th season with a fun-filled show featuring clips from past shows with interviews, skits, tall Alaska Tales and outtakes.

Guests include, Dr. Gordon Snyder with the Snot-Bot. Vic Fischer, Charles Wohlforth and Willie Hensley voice "creative" Big Alaska Show commercials. Plus, outtakes and a Tall Alaska Tale help fill out the show.

Check out the podcast!

Merry Christmas From Alaska!

This show has become a traditional favorite for the Big Alaska Show. Not only does it showcase Alaskan talent , it allows co-host, Mike Ford, and me to enjoy listening to our own show at home on Christmas Eve morning!  Kurt Riemann hosts and features one of his "Merry Christmas From Alaska" CD series with Christmas music performed by Alaskan musicians. His wife, MJ, also performs in it. Plus, it includes a couple of "hands-on" performances by Uncle Steve that has audiences rising from their seats and heading for the exits!

Listen to the podcast!

Mike-A-Thon: Mike Ford, Mike Ferris and Mike Mendyke!

Dick Van Dyke had a birthday this week and we dug out an interview from 2009 with our Big Alaska Show Guest Tourist. Mike Mendyke sings with Dick Van Dyke's quartet, the Vantastix, and shares stories meeting Dick and singing with America's favorite entertainer and comedian.  

Then our Deadliest Catch Myth Buster, Mike Ferris, shares another Close Call and talks about the crab closures in Alaska.

Mike Ford, starts the show off with a good laugh!

Check out our podcast, sans commercials!

Remembering Ruben Gaines

Ruben Gaines defined Alaska for local Alaskans through his broadcasts, writings, poetry and cartoons. Ruben created a mythical icon, Chilkoot Charlie, who gained notoriety when it became name of a world renowned rustic saloon in Anchorage, Chilkoot Charlie's, owned by Mike Gordon. Mike wrote a book, DAGNABIT!, that talks about Ruben Gaines and 25 year friendship. You'll find Mike's books and interviews on our Big Alaska Show Book Review section!

Ruben's son, Phil Gaines, also joins us to share stories about his dad and entertaining stories about Ruben Gaines!

Check out the podcast!

From Sourdoughs to Seawolves: UAA’s Unique Legacy

 From Sourdoughs to Seawolves is an award-winning sports gem! Plus, two chapters make for a fun Big Alaska Show: The Great Alaska Shootout, a cutting-edge men's basketball tournament, and the Sourdoughs, the first University of Alaska Anchorage men's basketball team. (if not the worst, at least the most unique team in collegiate history ... I was there!)

Author Sara Juday, graphic artist Dave Freeman, photog Clark Mishler, UAA basketball coach, Rusty Osborne and Sourdoughs teammate of mine, Dan Sullivan, joins us for lots of laughs and an interesting look at a college sports program as wild as the Last Frontier! Listen to the podcast!

Leslie Ellis: A 70th Anniversary Legacy

Former CEO of Credit Union 1, Leslie Ellis's vision for CU1 was to become actively involved in the community. With employees' boots on the ground volunteering their time to non-profits and other community causes, and with the support of financial contributions from Credit Union 1, Leslie's vision came to fruition leaving a legacy of the past and a bright future to make Alaska a better place.

Leslie Ellis also left a shining example what good stewardship looks like to CU1 employees, mostly young.

Today's show takes us into Leslie's story including her passion for Bean's Cafe, who feeds the hungry www.beanscafe.org and they are seeking donations and volunteers this holiday season!

Oh, and did we mention Leslie Ellis likes to have fun while doing it?

Check out our fun podcast!

VIPER Veteran's Day Show!

Today's Veteran's Day Show features VIPER Transitions and veterans in the air mechanics program.

VIPER helps transition veterans to civilian life and the mission to end the suicide epidemic in our military. www.vipertransitions.org

Their training included working on old technology, the type plane my dad flew in WWII!

Check out the podcast!

Honoring Ed Koontz

With the passing of Ed Koontz, we aired an interview in his honor that we conducted in 2018 when Ed and his wife, Brenda, were part of an Honor Flight.

Ed was an Air Force veteran and Brenda had been in the Navy service. I first met Ed in1990 when I joined the Midnight Sons Barbershop Chorus. Ed was a Charter Member of the chorus and started singing barbershop with his first quartet in Japan in 1951 - almost 40 years before I joined! Ed was a wonderful lead and taught me a ton about a cappella/barbershop singing. We shared many barbershop memories filled with music, laughter and tons of fun!

Listen to Ed and Brenda's podcast!

Halloween Antics with Shane and Wayne Mitchell!

Training Better Artists (TBA) knows Halloween! The patriarchs, Shane and Wayne Mitchell, join us for Halloween stories and fun!

One of Alaska's most decorated non-profits, TBA specializes in theatrical/performance/educational arts for all ages. From fine Shakespearean performances to vaudeville slapstick, Shane and Wayne do it all, and do it well. And they make it fun, like today's show! Halloween stories, antics and even Inappropriate Product Placement Theatuh! So much fun, it's almost scary!

For more information about TBA, visit www.tbatheatre.org.

Check out the show podcast sans commercials!

Interviews with Cartoonist Chad Carpenter and Alaska Travel Expert Scott McMurren

Chad Carpenter Tundra Comics Celebrate 30 Years!

Inspired by Garfield's creator, Jim Davis, Chad Carpenter set out on his own cartooning path with Tundra Comics.

Decades later with over 10,000 cartoons and punchlines, Chad and Tundra celebrate 30 years with his Anniversary Special Edition of Tundra, including the foreward penned by Jim Davis! Check out Chad's podcast interview!

PFD Travel Deals with Scott McMurren!

Alaska's travel guru, Scott McMurren, joins us to share travel deals that are cheaper than him!

Be sure to sign up for Scott's newsletter at www.alaskatravelgram.com.

Listen to Scott cover a lot specials in and outside Alaska!

Labor Day with Author Lolo Paige!

Our Labor Day Show - who better than hardworking Lolo Paige to join us?! She updates us on her latest book that will eventually grace our Big Alaska Show Book Review section with her other Blazing Hearts Wildfire Series.

https://www.bigalaskashow.com/book-reviews/alaska-spark-the-blazing-hearts-wildfire-series-by-lolo-paige

But it's always fun when Lolo joins us to share her colorful adventures and an insight why her books are immersed in fighting forest fires and romance!

Check out her podcast!

RV and Tent Camping at Kasilof Dock

Alaska's travel expert, Scott McMurren, knows how to pick them. Meet Robert Peterkin and his daughter, Elisabeth, owners of Kasilof Dock. For RVing, dipnetting, fishing and camping enthusiasts, this is the best seat in the house! Plus, it comes with amenities! And at this price, are you kidding me?! See for yourself! (www.kasilofdock.com).

In the meantime, enjoy our podcast interview above with Alaska's travel expert, Scott McMurren, and his guests, Robert and Elisabeth Peterkin!

Interview with Vic Fischer

Vic Fischer’s life story reads like a real-life Forrest Gump, with appearances by Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Eleanor Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Saul Alinsky and many more, together with everyone in the whole history of Alaska from statehood to the present day. A great read by a great Alaskan. (Brian Rogers, Chancellor, University of Alaska Fairbanks)

Co-author, Charles Wohlforth, joins Vic to talk about his book.

Look inside and buy it on Amazon

Hummingbirds and Our Science Guy!

Hummingbirds were never a big thing during my growing up in Alaska. That's changed. Our Science Guy, Dr. Gordon Snyder, explains why and why he finds them so interesting.

Check out this podcast interview with Gordon. We even have a Tall Alaska Tale!

Gordon shares some cool hummingbird links!

https://youtu.be/RYteKbzJKKI

https://youtu.be/x4rirmOIkRM

https://youtu.be/0vg4Z0_v0b8

https://youtu.be/ms8-PiqOaDs

Book Review 3 Alaskan Authors!

Our illustrious Big Alaska Show Book Panel interview 3 Alaskan authors which you can find more about their books and podcasts on our Big Alaska Show Book Review section.

Click on Elishaba Doerksen (Out of the Wilderness), Richard Chiappone (The Hunger for Crows) and Steven Levi (Bonfire Saloon).

Or listen to the full Saturday morning radio show here

Gold Nugget Saturday! Filmmakers Bill Bacon and Steve Rychetnik

It's Gold Nugget Saturday, where we dig out a gold nugget interview from a past Big Alaska Show.

This interview features Bill Bacon, a filmmaker who worked for Walt Disney 20 years before Walt sent Bill to Alaska when it became a state. Bill specialized in wildlife films where millions saw them.

Then Steve Rychetnik, co-owner of Sprocketheads a film production company, joins me to reflect on Bill's film legacy.

There's pure gold in this podcast!

Memorial Weekend Show: VIPER and Alaska Works!

We meet young veterans and people helping veterans transition into civilian life through VIPER, Veteran Internships Providing Employment Readiness, and Alaska Works.

These programs provide training in the trades and assistance to help veterans through a major change in their lives to put them on a positive path for their futures.

They are a major weapon to help fight the epidemic of suicide that takes 22 military lives everyday.

Meet America's finest! Listen to the full podcast!

Author Eric Wade: A Life Living in Alaska's Wilderness

Our Big Alaska Book Club interviews author, Eric Wade, about his books, Cabin and Upstream. Eric and his wife, Doylanne, came to Alaska in the late 70's and for the last 35 years travel over 200 river miles twice per year to live in a remote cabin Eric built.

These books tell the story of those experiences surrounded by Alaska's wildlife, wilderness and solitude from the time as a young couple raising their young family to a time facing the challenges of aging.

Check out our Big Alaska Book Review section for links and to hear the interview podcast with Eric Wade.

Podcast interview with Eric and our Big Alaska Show Book Club panel: