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.
