I just have this to say: It rains a lot in the fall here. But it’s frustrating to have a week of steady rainy days when you’re trying to have your house painted. But that’s autumn in Alaska for you. This piece will go live on Labor Day, the day when I traditionally put away my big white gus-crown cowboy hat in favor of my big black gus-crown cowboy hat, and it’s now that we’re into September, it’s going to rain a lot from here on out – until it snows, which will be soon enough.

Meanwhile, at the Alaska State Fair, horticulturist Dale Marshall, an Anchorage resident, has taken the prize once again for the largest pumpkin, and let me tell you, that thing is a monster.

The reigning champion of the Alaska Midnight Sun Great Pumpkin Weigh-off won his eighth straight title and 14th overall at the Alaska State Fair on Monday afternoon with a whopper weighing 1,820 pounds.

Marshall, who first entered the competition in 2008, also owns the state record with a pumpkin weighing 2,147 pounds in 2022. Last year, Marshall’s winning pumpkin tipped the scales at 2,035 pounds.

His win on Monday brought him a $1,000 prize.

Marshall entered two pumpkins this year, with a second weighing 1,746 pounds. He had heard there might not be much competition but was surprised to discover there was only one other valid entrant; a 71-pound pumpkin submitted by first-time grower Ron Passarella of Palmer, who admitted it was the first time he had ever planted a seed in the ground — let alone grown a pumpkin.

A pumpkin that weighs just short of a ton. 

How big was it? Anchorage pumpkin grower Dale Marshall claimed the Alaska State Fair pumpkin weigh-off yet again with this whopper of a gourd 👉 pic.twitter.com/mMaq8S2IgN

— Alaska’s News Source (@AKNewsNow) August 26, 2025

Wow. That’s… amazing. I’m not used to seeing pumpkins that you have to move with a forklift, but there you are. Just keep it away from moose, because moose love pumpkins, and this one would keep a big bull fed for several days.

Alaska Man score: 5 giant pumpkins. When you’re hot, you’re hot.

And here’s a quintessential Alaska thing: A lot of people don’t know that Alaska Natives are still allowed to hunt sea otters, and to make goods from their beautiful pelts. But that practice is in trouble, not due to a lack of sea otters – but due to a lack of tanneries.

When Rocky Pass Tannery shuttered, that left their customers throughout Southeast Alaska with few options to continue their traditional cultural practices of hunting and skin-sewing sea otters.

Access to tannery services is just one of many barriers facing sea otter hunters. Federal rules restrict sea otter hunting to those who are a quarter or more Alaska Native or an enrolled member of a coastal tribe. Federal regulations also say that hunted sea otters must be converted into “authentic Native handicrafts.” These barriers are making it more difficult for hunters to tackle sea otter overpopulation, which is threatening shellfish populations in Southeast Alaska.

Now, many sea otter craftspeople ship their pelts to the only sea otter tannery outside of Alaska — in southern Idaho.

That’s a shame. Sea otters were endangered due to overhunting for their rich, gorgeous pelts at one point, but now they have bounced back spectacularly, and they form an important source of extra income for some coastal native people. It’s a shame to see the ancient Alaska Native practice fading away. And, yes, I know some people find sea otters adorable (they are) and feel bad about taking them for pelts, but these folks have been doing it for thousands of years, the population now is carefully managed; we can have both, traditional crafts made with sea otter pelts, and sea otters for people to see from cruise ships and excursion boats. We saw a few last June while fishing in Cook Inlet, and yes, it was great seeing them.

Alaska Man score: No score on this one. We love sea otters but hate to see anyone going out of business. I’m not overly fond of these native traditions dying out, either.

Now, let’s talk about preparing for an Alaska winter. And when I say talk…

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