Crude Conversations

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with professional snowmachiner Cory Davis. Cory's been riding a sled since before he could walk. At least that's what his parents tell him. And it's an easy thing to believe if you've ever seen him on a snowmachine. Dude's a natural. Fast forward to 2007, and he's competing in the X-Games at 18-years-old. Today, he holds six X-Games medals in Long Jump and Speed & Style, and a first place win at Iron Dog, the longest snowmachine race in the world. In addition to competing, he co-produced Winter Project, a documentary about backcountry snowmachining in Alaska.    Cory hooked a mic up to his computer and the conversation began. Cory in Soldotna, Cody in Anchorage.

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with Stephanie Wonchala, the Executive Director of Pulse Dance Company and the owner and operator of Studio Pulse Center for Dance. Stephanie started Pulse Dance Company in 2010. Back then they rehearsed wherever they could find space. At one point they held rehearsals on the second floor of a massage studio, with carpet, low ceilings, and no mirrors. Although not ideal, Stephanie remained thankful, but always kept looking. Then, in 2013, she opened Studio Pulse Center for Dance in order to provide the company with a permanent home.    As you mature as a business owner, you learn to accept change and allow for your creation to take on new ideas. You bring other people in and begin delegating responsibilities. You allow it to become something bigger than yourself. It's taken some time, but Stephanie has learned to accept this: that in order for Pulse to continue being a guardian of culture and a home to those who practice dance, then safeguards need to be put into place to ensure Pulse continues to exist long after she's gone.    Thanks to Carrie Hambach and Brittany Petry for help with interview questions.

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with Pastor Kent Redfearn. Kent has been the pastor of Muldoon Community Assembly in Anchorage for over thirty years. In that time, he's watched the perception of organized religion change—for the better in some situations, and for much worse in others. And while the fundamental job of a pastor has not changed, their methods have. Meaning, because of the influx and often bombardment of information nowadays it has become necessary for leaders of churches to find ways for their message to be heard above the fray.  If you're a pastor, or part of a church, then you know there are proven ways to grow a church. The most time-tested method is to target a specific demographic. Rather than following that method, Pastor Kent has spent decades creating an all-inclusive culture at his church. And he'll be the first to tell you, he doesn't have all the answers. And that, ultimately, he believes the best thing to have is faith. Because a pastor's responsibility to their community is, according to Pastor Kent, "to help people navigate a broken world, headed to an unbroken eternity." Thanks to Sharon Liska for her help with interview questions.

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with Fairbanks skate legend Josh Poe. Josh got a taste for skate culture as an army brat in Germany in the mid-90s, where he spent a lot of time skipping school to skate with friends. He got to Alaska in 2005 by way of the Air Force and caught the tail end of the Boarderline era, years that were marked by substantial growth in the Alaska snow and skate scene. After Boarderline went out of business in 2006, Josh recognized that a void was left in the Fairbanks skate scene, so he started Mission Boardshop. Mission was around for about four years—drastic changes in retail and a small community ultimately made it impossible for a small shop to stay afloat. But in that time, he was able to help develop the scene. Which is something he continues to do as part of the Fairbanks Skatepark Coalition.  Using a hotspot on his phone, Josh connected a mic to his son's computer and phoned in from his home in Fairbanks, a kind of adventure compound in the woods where he and his family skateboard, come up with stunts, and generally just have a good time.    Thanks to Brandon Smith for all his help with interview questions. 

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with Alice Glenn, the host of Coffee & Quaq, a podcast that explores Native life in urban Alaska. If you live in Alaska, then you're aware of racism toward Alaska Native people. It can be casual, or it can be abrasive. Either way, it's detrimental to an entire group of people who have lived in Alaska for thousands of years. Long before the Russians or the Europeans came here. And therein lies the heart of this conversation. Not racism specifically, but the effects of colonization to every facet of Alaska Native life. From culture to religion to how local media tends to highlight Native communities by their disparities, which, in turn, continues an ongoing narrative about how Alaska Native people can't take care of themselves. This is why Alice started Coffee & Quaq, because she wants to tell the truth about her people and other Alaska Natives. That they're strong, proud and resilient. 

Professional snowboarder Mark Landvik discusses his struggles with mental health, including a manic episode and depression. He shares insights on reconnecting with joy, challenges during filming, navigating mental health struggles, and rekindling passions. The episodes also touch on the importance of community, personal growth, and fostering meaningful connections.

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with spatial ecologist Ben Sullender. Spatial ecology is the study and understanding of a landscape using maps. Meaning, scientists like Ben use topography to look at how small differences in landscape affect every part of life. From the migratory patterns of birds, to the melting of the Arctic Ocean sea ice and how it significantly changes our ability to live on land. They also talk about coastal environments, the affects of ship traffic in the Bering Strait, the ability for fish and animals to seasonably access the habitats they need, and how climate change affects all of it. 

In this episode of "lost anchorage," we look at domestic violence in Anchorage, Alaska from the perspective of Heidi Hill, the Grants and Program Director at Abused Women's Aid In Crisis (AWAIC). AWAIC services about 1,600 people across all of its programs, including shelters, legal advocacy, case management, transition housing, and substance abuse management. Heidi has worked at AWAIC, the only emergency domestic violence shelter in Anchorage, for almost 15 years, helping to build a culture of non-violence in Anchorage. More information can be found at awaic.org, and their 24-hour crisis support hotline can be reached at (907) 272-0100.

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with Evan Philips, the creator and host of The Firn Line, a podcast about the lives of mountain climbers. Evan's path to becoming the storyteller he is today began when he was a teenager learning the basics of a sport that would, in time, define him. He was an avid mountain climber as a teenager and well into adulthood until a recurring injury led to multiple surgeries, which inevitably meant climbing less and less. They talk about how mountain climbing is inherently dangerous and reconciling that with the desire to pursue it, making meaningful and healthy changes in your life, and what it's like to interview people you look up to.   They also talk about Evan's upcoming true crime podcast, Alaska Unsolved, which focuses on the disappearance of Erin Marie Gilbert, who vanished from a festival in Girdwood, Alaska on July 1, 1995.

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with longtime Alaska beer columnist Jim Roberts, better known as Dr. Fermento. Jim's been writing about and involved in the Alaska craft beer scene for over two decades. Back then, there were only about eight breweries in Alaska, today there are over forty. In an article he wrote for Crude last year, he called Alaska "the Beer Frontier."  They talk about how Jim is "a beer drinker with a writing problem," some suggestions for the curious and the uninitiated beer drinker, how there's a niche for every beer drinker in the world in Alaska, and the time Dr. Fermento was invited to the Playboy Mansion.