‘Cued up for success — Barbecue is Davis family tradition at the Pit in Kenai

By Jenny Neyman
Redoubt Reporter

Sure, making money is nice, especially for a fledgling business like the Pit BBQ in Kenai trying to survive its first winter. But if you really want to make owner Dwight Davis happy, tell him you like his food.

“I feel just as good when a person tells me how good it is and is sincere about it. That’s just as good as getting paid,” Davis said.

Davis and his wife, Helen, started the Pit BBQ this summer on the corner of Main Street Loop and the Kenai Spur Highway. It was the realization of Davis’ dream to have his own pit someday, and the continuation of family history.

Most of Davis’ family are cooks, and his father used to barbecue for the Texas Cattle Association.

“He was the kingpin of cooking. Man, he was the best,” Davis said.

He made all manner of barbecue, smoked ham and “the best sausages you’d ever eat,” Davis said. The sausages were hand-tied in intestine casings and hung in the smokehouse. Davis’ father grew his own vegetables and raised his own livestock, sometimes enlisting Davis’ unwitting help.

“He gave me some little pigs to raise. The next thing you know he’s putting then on the pit. I’m thinking those were my pets,” Davis said. “He was a character. Man, he was a good cook.”

Davis learned to barbecue from his dad starting when he was 9 years old. He’s been perfecting the craft in his 51 years since.

“I do a lot of things, but cooking is my best thing. I do it the same way my dad did,” he said. “I can make anything tender.”

Davis’ mother owned the Coffee Cup restaurant in Anchorage. When she was diagnosed with cancer, Davis moved to Alaska to help out. About four years ago, Helen brought their grandkids to Kenai in search of better schools and a smaller community. Davis went back and forth until his mother died, then he used the money from her estate to start the Pit.

“It’s been a dream of mine to get my own pit,” he said.

But not just any pit. Davis designed his own grill and had it fabricated at Kenai Welding. He’s had to modify his technique somewhat to fit Alaska. He closes down when it’s below zero because it takes too long for the meat to cook. And he isn’t able to import a mesquite tree, so he has to go with regular charcoal. But no matter how efficient it may be, there’s one change he won’t make.

“Gas is no good. That’s not barbecue,” he said.

Ribs are the standard on the menu, and Davis shows up between 6:30 and 7 a.m. to start cooking them. As with any serious barbecuer, he’s tight-lipped about details. Ask him how he cooks or what’s in his spice rub and all you get is a look, then a laugh.

Davis did say he uses a dry rub with Cajun spices on his ribs, and uses a marinade spray while cooking to keep the meat moist. Even if he wanted to give up his recipe, he said he wouldn’t be able to write it down because he doesn’t know what the exact measurements are.

“People say, ‘How much do you put in there?’ I say, ‘I don’t know. I just put it on there and it’s the right amount,’” Davis said.

The other key to the process is time.

“You have to take a lot of time to make anything real good,” he said. “The flipping and turning of the meat, keeping the right heat on it. I don’t (have a set time) when it’s done. I just look at it and try it and I know.”

The Pit also serves coleslaw and potato salad, and occasionally has specials. Davis barbecues brisket on Tuesdays and Fridays, and uses any leftovers to make barbecue sandwiches on Wednesdays and Saturdays. But you won’t find leftovers more than a day after they were made, Davis said. If food isn’t eaten the day it’s made or the next, it’s tossed.

“I never take food to the third day. I’ve seen people try to revive it and try to make money that way, but you can’t make money if you run people off,” Davis said.
More than anything, he wants to build a reputation for having a clean, consistent operation, with good food served in a comfortable atmosphere.

“I want people to enjoy the food and say this is a nice place to go eat,” Davis said.

There’s no seating in the small restaurant building, just the food preparation area, a bathroom, an office table and the service counter. But there’s plenty of parking space outside for people to sit in their vehicles and eat. The pit itself is behind the building, encased in a cement enclosure that a friend helped make.

The Davises got quite a bit of help in starting the Pit, from donated labor on the pit and the building to signs for the parking lot and along the front railing.

“It’s a blessing. Everything kind of fell in place after I started,” Davis said.

The owner of the lot was reluctant to let Davis rent the spot, since he was skeptical a year-round barbecue stand would make it in Kenai, Davis said. But Davis wouldn’t even consider another spot.

“I saw this and it was just like, ‘Yeah, that’s it.’ There’s no other spot in town that I’d want but this,” Davis said.

Business was good this summer, with word of mouth bringing in a steady stream of new customers. Helen’s been doing the bookkeeping and business management, sometimes staying up almost all night working, Davis said.

Business is slower this winter, but they’re still getting by, he said.

“It’s always a struggle when you’re first starting a business. It’s slow now, but we’re making ends meet. And it’s not as bad as we thought,” Davis said.

The Pit also does catering. They provided food for a ConocoPhillips event, Davis said, and really had a chance to shine this summer cooking for a community picnic Mark Begich put on while he was campaigning for Ted Stevens’ Senate seat.

“They expected 40 or 50, but over 300 showed up and I fed everybody,” Davis said.

Begich talked to Davis later about the food.

“He said, ‘That was amazing. I thought we would run out of food,’” Davis said. “But that’s what I do.”

Plugged In: All you want for Christmas is a new PC?

I wrote a nice, frilly lead for these last-minute Christmas computer shopping tips, but didn’t even send it to the editor because, really, it makes more sense to cut to the chase.

It’s nearly Christmas and, if you’re reading this article, you weren’t able to get a seat on any plane out of Alaska over the holidays. You or your spouse instead have decided to buy a hot new computer to warm the cold nights and want the most for your money. What should you buy on Christmas Eve or at the post-Christmas sales? Here are some subtle hints that you can give your spouse in the form of highly detailed specification sheets.

For many years, the best deals in computing hardware have been custom-configured systems using standardized, high-grade components. Not only are custom-configured systems more tuned to your particular needs, but they’re easier to upgrade and repair later. Most brand-name computers use proprietary components that are not easily replaced by third-party parts, many of which are often as good or better than the original equipment.

In Alaska, the most common proprietary systems are Dell computers, usually purchased over the Internet, and HP computers sold at Costco, Fred Meyer stores and other retail chains. Of the two, I prefer HP for solid basic hardware. I have heard some recent service reports that suggest the potential for reliability problems on Dell systems, although they have been generally reliable. The extremely low advertised prices for Dell systems do not necessarily reflect the final price after you’ve completed the customization process and added all of the necessary (or desired) components.

There’s one other drawback to long-distance computer purchases by nontechnical users: something may go wrong, and the central Kenai Peninsula is a long way from the nearest service personnel. Overall, I believe that nontechnical users are better off buying a custom-configured “white box” system from a local computer shop, of which there are several in Soldotna and Kenai, including the source of the price quotes for these articles, Peninsula Technology in Soldotna across the Spur Highway from Beemun’s.

Here are the considerations that I would take into account when buying a new computer. I have personally built all of my own systems for the past 20 years and have had my share of both good and bad decisions, most of which linger in memory because I spent my own money on them.

Intended uses

Nearly any computer made within the last three or four years is fast enough for casual Internet use, basic word processing and basic business accounting.
Contrary to a lot of hyped advertising, these simple applications do not demand a huge amount of performance and a reliable lower-end system is quite adequate.

On the other hand, people buying computers to play video games are never content with the performance of any system costing under about $6,000. That’s partly because cutting-edge video games require extremely high performance for smooth response, and partly because some gamers don’t have much of a life when there’s a power outage. Bragging rights about whose system is minutely faster seem to count for a lot among gamers, as well. Graphic artists, multimedia authors, engineers and PhotoShop users also welcome high-end performance. Most business users are somewhere in the middle.

Operating systems

All major operating systems have their advantages and disadvantages. Both the Macintosh and Linux operating systems are probably technically superior to Microsoft’s current offerings, but there’s no realistic probability of a wholesale abandonment of the massive installed base of Windows systems. As a result, most current business and recreational software runs natively on Windows systems, and that commonality is a major benefit.

Most Windows users grew comfortable with 32-bit Windows XP, introduced in 2001 and still the most common installed version of Windows. Over the past two years, Microsoft has tried to move its installed base to the more recent Windows Vista system, but with decidedly mixed success.

There are in fact two major versions, and several sub-flavors, of Windows Vista. The 32-bit version of Vista has developed a deservedly bad reputation for poor performance and other problems, to the extent that many people actually buy a copy of Windows XP and reformat their new computer with the older XP operating system.

I did that with an HP mini-notebook computer I recently purchased. This low-power computer took over five minutes to boot with the 32-bit version of Vista, but only 45 seconds when I installed Windows XP instead. Given the choice between Windows XP and 32-bit Windows Vista, go with XP any day, even though Microsoft has been trying to kill XP for two years despite the protests of no-nonsense business users who couldn’t care less that Vista’s interface looks more like a Macintosh.

The choice is a bit more complex at the 64-bit level. All other things being equal, a 64-bit computer operating system should run faster than a 32-bit operating system because a 64-bit operating system is capable of taking better advantage of modern CPU processors and memory.

The 64-bit version of Windows Vista is actually pretty solid, fast and reliable. It’s built upon Microsoft’s less well-known, but highly stable, 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional, usually called Windows XP x64. Indeed, the commonality between these differently named operating systems is so high that 64-bit Vista “device driver” software usually works on a Windows XP x64 system. I have not encountered any unsolvable problems running regular Windows software on Windows XP x64.

Memory

DDR-type Random Access Memory is both inexpensive and one of the best ways to avoid computer performance bottlenecks, especially with demanding applications like PhotoShop or Adobe Lightroom. I suggest 2 gigabyte (2 GB) RAM for Windows XP computer systems and 4 GB for Windows 64-bit Vista and Windows XP x64 systems.

Use DDR type RAM that’s matched to the CPU and system board of your computer and that is certified to run at the full speed of your system board. RAM is pretty much a commodity anymore.

Any major brand should suffice so long as its base speed is at least equal to that required by your computer system.

Next week, I’ll discuss cost-effective CPU processors and main system boards.

Local attorney Joseph Kashi received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from MIT and has been writing and lecturing about technology throughout the U.S. since 1990 for American Bar Association, Alaska Bar Association and private publications. He also owned a computer store in Soldotna between 1990 and 2000.

Lucky move — Tachick family beat the odds in Alaska relocation effort

By Clark Fair
Redoubt Reporter

Most members of the large Tachick clan knew they might be pushing their luck when, in mid-October 1951, they packed up their home in Washington state and headed north to Alaska to start a new life in the Last Frontier. By Christmas, they hoped to be living in a house of their own in Soldotna.

They had no definite jobs waiting for them. They also had not yet purchased property or ordered any building materials. In order to succeed, they would need good timing and good luck.

Patriarch of the family, Paul Tachick, had chosen Soldotna — which, according to the 1950 U.S. Census, had 21 residents — because it was home to three other families headed by men he had worked with on the Hanford nuclear project in Washington: Chell Bear, Bill Stock and Jake Dubendorf. All of the men had dreamed of one day living in Alaska. Stock and Dubendorf were working for the Alaska Road Commission, and Tachick hoped to join them.

Tachick and his wife, Anna, both originally from Wisconsin, had seven children, and all but one of them made the trip north. Chuck, the eldest, was stationed with the Army in Japan, but the others — four boys and two girls — helped pack up a Ford sedan and a 2½-ton Ford truck, and hit the road.

“In the car, tucked here and there, were Mom’s houseplants. There was one birdcage, with two yellow canaries,” recounted older sister Shirley in “Once Upon the Kenai,” a book of peninsula memories published in 1984.

“In our equivalent to a covered wagon were tools to clear the wilderness and to build a house, guns and fishing gear to enable us to live off the land,” she continued. “Mom had packed her treadle sewing machine, a wood stove, a gas engine wringer washing machine, plus countless jars of home-canned goods.”

Paul drove the car, while Bob, at 19 the second oldest, drove the truck, accompanied by brother, Melvin, 17. In the car with Paul were Anna, Roger, who turned 15 on the Alaska Highway, Wayne, 12, Shirley, 7, and Arlene, 3.

On Halloween night, 10 days after beginning their journey, they pulled into Anchorage, where they had expected to have to load their vehicles onto the train for Moose Pass and Seward. Instead, they were told that they might be able to drive all the way south on the new road along Turnagain Arm.

On Nov. 1, they trundled down the rough dirt-and-gravel Seward Highway until they reached a construction zone, and the crew there allowed the Tachicks to pass through. Later that day, they arrived in Soldotna and located the Dubendorfs, who gave them a place to stay while Paul searched for work and tried to find land for sale.

It was not to be a typical month. As Bob recalled, “It was the best November I can remember. You could walk around in shirt sleeves and the sun was shining. There were still robins here.”

Within a week, Paul had been hired as a mechanic for the Alaska Road Commission, and he had convinced homesteader Lawrence “Mac” McGuire to sell him a five-acre lot just across the Kenai River bridge (the current site of The Crossing restaurant).

After Morris Coursen used his bulldozer to clear a building lot, the Tachicks erected a 16-by-32-foot canvas wall tent over a hastily constructed wooden floor. As the building project got under way Anna set up house inside the tent.

Just inside a framed door installed in the front of the tent was Anna’s kitchen, the centerpiece of which was a barrel stove that the Tachicks kept burning 24 hours a day. Toward the back were wooden bunks, lined with warm blankets, on which everyone slept. The family used kerosene lamps and Coleman lanterns as light sources, and an outhouse as a substitute for indoor plumbing.

On the building site nearby — after they had located a nearby sawmill to supply them with the lumber they would need — they drove a sand point into the ground until they struck good water, and then they built a floor on pilings around the wellhead.

With Paul working, and all of the younger children, except Arlene, in school, the bulk of the building effort fell to Bob. One obstacle he encountered early on was the accessibility of lumber. When the Tachicks had inquired about a sawmill, no one had mentioned that a large operation called the Bear Lake Lumber Company, in Seward, could have supplied all of their needs at once. Instead, without knowing it, they had settled for a small-time operation.

“I could’ve went over there (to Seward) and got a whole load. Built the whole house with one load,” Bob said. “But they said, ‘(Fred) House out in North Kenai.’ Well, he couldn’t cut it fast enough. You know, you had to go every day to get some lumber, every day to get lumber.”

Bob also had to travel to Homer for all the required hardware and accessories, such as doors and windows, boxes of nails, roofing supplies and trim materials.

Still, despite all the back-and-forth hauling necessary, the Tachick project moved along smoothly. They pounded the green-spruce boards together to frame and enclose a one-story structure with a large loft for extra bedrooms. Within a few weeks, a new front door faced the mostly quiet highway.

On Dec. 5, just as the real Alaska winter was making an appearance, the Tachicks were ready to move. “About the fifth of December, it was down to about 40, 50 below. It just changed, just like that,” Bob said.

The Tachicks, all of whom would eventually settle permanently in Alaska, moved in and continued to finish the inside as winter progressed. They heated the house with a wood stove and continued to use lanterns for lighting. According to Shirley, the water in the well inside the house contained too much iron, so they hauled most of their water from a clear spring nearby. Electricity was not available for some time, until Paul purchased a small generator that he installed in an insulated shed near the house.

Despite these inconveniences, however, the Tachicks had achieved their goal, and later went on to create Tachick Construction and Tachick Freight Lines.

As Shirley wrote, “Our first Christmas was one filled with the aroma of fresh-cut lumber, sawdust, a fragrant spruce tree decorated for Christmas, and Mom’s baking. We were home.”

Moved to smile — Hula dancing shines light, laughter in winter season

By Jenny Neyman
Redoubt Reporter

A minicrisis was brewing in the makeshift dressing area at the Sterling Senior Center for the Na Manu Olu hula dancers Monday.

Jan Fena, one of the dancers from the group based at the Soldotna Senior Center, had forgotten her costume for the second half of the performance that was scheduled to begin at 12:15 p.m. — 15 minutes away.

Not to worry. The tightknit group — they call themselves hula sisters — was on it. One fellow dancer had an extra black skirt Fena could wear, while another braved the snowstorm outside to drive home and get a spare red top for Fena to borrow.

With only a few minutes to spare, she returned and gave Fena the top, while the rest of the group gave her a good-natured hard time.

“I hope this fits,” Fena said, eyeing the red sweater.

“Suck it in,” came the response.

“They bond very tightly,” said Bunny Chong, the group’s founder and choreographer. “They compliment each other and scold each other. We know if somebody forgets something, look — she tries to get out of (dancing), but everyone went to get her things.”

Na Manu Olu hula group, Hawaiian for The Graceful Birds, celebrated its fifth anniversary at the Soldotna Senior Center’s annual luau in June. The group began as a free class Chong taught at the senior center.

“We heard from Jan (Fena, the senior center director) there was going to be hula dancing. We just all said, ‘Hey, we haven’t done that yet,’” said Glenda Graham.
Estelle Parks said the group had already been doing line dancing, so hula was another fun thing to try.

“It’s like being in an extended family,” Graham said. “It’s just a wonderful group of people, and the dances are really fun to learn. Bunny is an excellent teacher and it’s good exercise.”

“Physical exercise and mental exercise, because it’s hard,” Parks said.

Chong said she’s proud of how far they’ve come and how dedicated the group is to dancing, including ladies up to their 80s, some with hectic schedules and various physical challenges.

Hula involves intricate hand gestures and swaying body movements. They can be basic when starting out, but Na Manu Olu has been at it for long enough that Chong tries to come up with more intricate movements.

“The purpose of hula is to tell a story with your hands and facial expressions. The facial expressions express what the heart is saying. The feet movement is the choreographer’s challenge to the dancers, is what I say. But they’re a challenge to me because I’ve got to think of what else to do to keep them interested,” Chong said.

Most importantly, Chong said, even if all else fails, just remember to smile.

“The mission of hula is to dance for joy, so if I see panic on their faces, I scold them. ‘You look frightened, you’re supposed to be joyful,’” Chong said. “I tell them, just go out there and smile and get everyone else to smile. If you make a mistake, keep going, pretend the other gal made it and the main thing is to have fun doing it.”

At the Sterling Senior Center, the group performed hulas to holiday standards, including, “Oh Holy Night,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” and “Mele Kalikimaka.”

The Silver Belles, a group of line dancers from the Soldotna Senior Center, many of whom are also hula dancers, performed a few numbers. And the Pua Mae Ole — “Never-Fading Flower” — hula dancers, made up of the Murray family, of Sterling, also performed.

In contrast to the snow outside, the dancers brought a burst of color and warmth to the senior center. That’s the whole point, Chong said.

“We dance for smiles. The more you smile, the more we enjoy it,” she said.

Art Seen: Colorful variety at Kaladi’s shows

Both Kaladi Brothers coffee shops are alive with color this month.

Amy Warfle has photographs on display at the Kaladi Brothers on Kobuk Street in Soldotna. Although the majority of the pieces are wildlife or landscapes, the most successful are her human subject portraits. In “Abriel,” a child’s downturned face fills the image. Her eyes appear closed and her expression is befitting of a much more experienced and wise being.

In “Dress Up,” the subject, possibly the same young girl, sits in front of a large oval mirror in a big, white, floppy hat and a slip obviously meant for a woman. Her pose and expression are captured as the classic dress-up stance; the peripheral environment could not have been better planned (if in fact it was) as the metal chest, large woman’s dress shoes and perfectly aged door create the quintessential backdrop for the child’s play. It is either an expert studio shot, or just a really fortuitous catch.

The framing concerns me some; not just the lack of it, but also the fact that only one of these photographs incorporates a mat that could protect it against damage. Photos have a nonporous surface (unless they are digitally produced on porous paper), as does the glass these are pressed up against.

Moisture can get trapped between the two and make them adhere, sometimes irrevocably. Our environment is dryer than most up here, but I have still seen it happen many times. Using matting and backing board can also usually help with the rippling/waving effect that some of these pieces have occurring.

At the Sterling Highway branch, Donna Schwanke and Kathy Painter have a body of work on display that I first encountered at Odie’s sandwich shop. The two artists work in watercolor, Donna’s relaxed handling often in contrast to Kathy’s more tightly rendered painting (although “Counting Sheep” by Kathy is a wonderful exception).

What is interesting is most of the paintings were created jointly, and then signed with the name Vidalia Romeko. The combination works well. Excepting just a couple of them, namely “Berries and Cherries” and “Lemon-aide,” which have the cluttered, too-many-cooks-spoil-the-soup sort of feel, most of the joint ventures are strong, engaging and lovely.

Two particularly successful Vidalia Romeko pieces are “Landscape,” with rich deep tones and vibrant hues, and “Down the Creek,” in my estimation the best of the show. The latter is nearly fully abstract, but salmon shapes are discernible, and the energy created by the vigorous brushstrokes and the areas where the watercolor paints were left alone to do that crazy thing they do, is quite exciting. It is the kind of painting one could spend a considerable amount of time with and still feel one has not fully explored it. “Counting Sheep” is Kathy’s most successful solo entry, and Donna shines with her almost cartoonish and very playful “Tulips.”

Zirrus VanDevere is a local mixed-media artist and owns Art Works gallery in Soldotna. She has bachelor’s degrees in fine arts and education.

Arts and Entertainment week of Dec. 24

Events:

Ongoing

• The Soldotna Senior Center is looking for artists to display their work in the center's lobby. Shows are one month long. Artwork must hang on the walls. Call Mary Lane at 262-8839.
• Artists Without Borders has a group show, "Secret Garden," on display through December at the 4D Building in Soldotna.
• Art Works in Soldotna has photography by Joe Kashi on display through December.
• Coffee Roasters in the Red Diamond Center on Kalifornsky Beach Road will have rock band photography by Blair Reynolds on display through Monday with an opening reception from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Reynolds, a Skyview High School graduate, has photographed Fall Out Boy, Anberlin, Protest The Hero, Dillinger Escape Plan and many more bands.
• The Funky Monkey coffee shop in Kenai has multimedia black and white art by Alissa Mattson on display through December.
• Kaladi Brothers on Kobuk Street in Soldotna has artwork by Anna Jo Warfle on display through December.
• Kaladi Brothers on the Sterling Highway in Soldotna has art by Kathie Lee Painter and Donna Schwanke on display through December.
• The Kenai Fine Arts Center in Old Town Kenai has children’s submissions to the VFW Women’s Auxiliary annual art show on display.
• Veronica’s coffee shop in Kenai has photographs of Veronica’s through the seasons by Joe Kashi on display.

Saturday

• Triumvirate Theatre in the Peninsula Center Mall in Soldotna will host a benefit acoustic concert at 8 p.m. by Ian Uponen, Chris Pepper and Rob Zinck. Admission is $5. Proceeds will go to a Nikiski family whose home was damaged by a fire.

Coming up

• The Central Peninsula Writers Group is accepting submissions for its 12th annual Central Peninsula Writers Presentation on March 14 at Triumvirate Theatre in the Peninsula Center Mall in Soldotna. Adult and high school writers from Cooper Landing to Ninilchik to Nikiski may enter. Entries are due Feb. 6. Entry forms and complete guidelines are available at the Kenai Community Library and online at kenailibrary.org under the Writer Group link.

Nightlife:

Live music

• Hooligans Saloon in Soldotna has Hamma Jang on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Kaladi Brothers on Kobuk Street in Soldotna has live music by Mike Morgan at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Chris Burns at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
• The Maverick in Soldotna has The Free Beer Band on Wednesday and Sunday nights.
• The Place in Nikiski has bluegrass by Them Other Shuckers at 7 p.m. Friday.
• The Rainbow Bar in Kenai has The Mabrey Brothers at 10 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
• The Riverside in Soldotna has live music Friday and Saturday nights.

Karaoke

• 9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays at the Duck Inn on Kalifornsky Beach Road.
• 9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays at the .406 in Kenai.
• 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesday at Hooligan’s in Soldotna.
• 8:30 p.m. Friday at J-Bar-B in Kasilof.
• 9:30 p.m. Monday at the Maverick in Soldotna.

Events

• The J-Bar-B has free pool on Sundays and a cash drawing at 6:30 p.m. Saturdays.
• The Maverick in Soldotna has a pool tournament at 8 p.m. Fridays.
• Moosequito’s in Sterling has a dart tournament at 8 p.m. Thursdays.

New Year’s Eve

• The Clam Shell Lodge in Clam Gulch will have live music by Rebel Blues.
• The Duck Inn on Kalifornsky Beach Road will have karaoke.
• Hooligan’s Saloon in Soldotna will have live music by Anchorage classic rock band Mother of Pearl. Check with Hooligan’s for tickets.
• The Hunger Hut in Nikiski will have live music by the Super Blues.
• The J-Bar-B outside Soldotna on the Sterling Highway will have karaoke with Nita Galloway, food and party favors.
• The Place in Nikiski will have live music.
• The Rainbow in Kenai will have live music by The Mabrey Brothers.
• The Riverside in Soldotna will have live music by Sean and Travis B.
• The Vagabond on Kalifornsky Beach Road will have live music by Mark LeBrelle, followed by fireworks and breakfast.
• Tustumena Lodge in Kasilof will have live music.

Having Zum fun — Latin dance-inspired workout is high-energy exercise

By Ann Marina
For the Redoubt Reporter

Participants of the Soldotna Community Schools program had a chance to learn a leading-edge exercise routine coming all the way from Colombia to Alaska.

Zumba (ZOOM-bah) blends spicy Latin dance moves into a creative aerobic session.

“It gets people smiling, and their endorphins start flowing,” said Cannetta Lloyd, a Soldotna fitness instructor who leads the classes.

Hips gyrate, shoulders shimmy and feet hop and slide across the floor. Zumba includes calypso, salsa, merengue and other international tempos. Derived from Spanish words, Zumba means “move fast and have fun.”

A few years ago, Lloyd was introduced to the workout at a national fitness convention in Las Vegas.

“I was blown away,” she said. “The moves are fluid, and people sway with the music.”

For more than 12 years, Lloyd has offered a variety of dance-related classes on the central Kenai Peninsula.

“Zumba is a lot more interesting than doing 30 reps of something,” she said.

Lyndy Wackler, of Soldotna, took the Zumba class and was surprised by how engaging it is.

“It’s not so easy that you get bored of it. It’s high impact, but it’s so fun you don’t even realize what a workout it is,” she said. “It’s nice to kind of include your mind, too.”

She attended the last Zumba class held Dec. 16, but was able to step right in with the rest of the group.

“I think it’s neat because (Lloyd) shows all levels. She goes back and forth so you can see beginning, intermediate and advanced moves,” she said.

Zumba’s originator, Miami choreographer Alberto “Beto” Perez, brought the innovation to Florida from his native country of Colombia in 1999. It was actually by chance that he developed the workout.

In the mid-1990s, Perez led cardio classes in Colombia. One day he forgot to bring the music CDs for his aerobics group. He raced back to his car, grabbed a few favorite Latin recordings, and Zumba was born.

“My class members enjoyed that improvised session, and encouraged me to keep developing a workout set to Latin dance music,” Perez said in a recent e-mail interview.

Once it hit the U.S., Zumba’s popularity soared. Perez teamed up with Miami entrepreneurs Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion, creating a global company based on the Zumba fitness philosophy.

“They’ve channeled this energy into a business that benefits instructors, employees and consumers,” Perez said. “It’s a win-win-win.”

“I really want to acknowledge our instructors,” he added. “Their success is what makes Zumba grow.”

Ten thousand instructors are now certified to lead Zumba in the U.S., along with 5,000 in other countries. The Zumba DVD has sold over 3 million copies.

“It’s possible to burn a thousand calories in one session,” Perez said. “But people of any fitness level can enjoy Zumba. It’s OK if you miss a step — as long as you’re moving, you’re keeping fit.”

Zumba’s popularity arose as Latin dance started gaining a following on reality TV shows, like “Dancing with the Stars.”

Working with Kellogg’s to reach the Hispanic market in the United States and abroad, Zumba has been featured on more than 1.5 million boxes of Special K cereal. A Spanish-language infomercial was launched in more than 30 countries in 2004, resulting in a huge boost of DVD sales.

Zumba Fitness Company shares the fruits of its success through annual “Zumbathons.” In 2006, the first Zumbathon in Miami raised money for breast cancer research and treatments. The event drew nearly a thousand participants.

This year, Zumbathons were held in several cities to benefit agencies working to prevent domestic violence and assist victims of abuse.

While providing a cardio workout, Zumba shapes and strengthens the abdominal area.
“The movements sculpt your powerhouse of core stability — the abs,” Lloyd said.

“It works your glutes, inner and outer thighs, arms and toes,” she laughed. “No, really, it’s so much fun that you forget you’re working out.”

Lloyd will offer more classes in the new year. For information, contact Community Schools Director Carmen Triana at 262-3151, ext. 24, or e-mail ctriana@ci.soldotna.ak.us.

Freelance writer Ann Marina is a former resident of the central peninsula.