EP 133 The story of JB Deuce with Jason Borgstede and Jesse Burtner

In this one, Cody talks to Jesse Burtner and Jason Borgstede about JB Deuce, the name they produced the Boarderline snow and skate videos under. Over seven videos, they featured snowboarders and skateboarders from Alaska, local kids who were passionate about getting clips and being part of the snow and skate community. Some would spend all season getting shots so they could have a full part, others would get one or two solid clips that went into the friends’ section. The idea was to include as many people in the video as possible because, at its core, it was a local video that uplifted its scene.

 

The video premieres became a cultural phenomenon. The first three premieres were at the Dimond Center Mall, just right outside of Boarderline Snow and Skate. Jason and Jesse would rent a projector and a screen from Karl’s Action Video and set up chairs. It was modest — in fact, the first video, Polar Bears, Dogsleds and Igloos was edited at Chugiak High School with the help of one of their former teachers — but the videos would soon grow into something they could have never imagined. Jesse remembers people trying to shove money into his hand at one premiere because it was sold out and they didn’t have tickets. Jason remembers the Boarderline team showing up to a premiere in a motorhome and walking a red carpet. Both of those situations were at the 4th Avenue Theatre, where hundreds of people came to watch the season-long efforts of local skaters and local snowboarders.

 

Jason and Jesse say that Cody's dad, Scott Liska, was integral to JB Deuce. They helped film and produce the video and Boarderline sponsored it, but it became known as the Boarderline video. For the first one, he wrote a $10,000 check. He wanted it to be good and good things are rarely cheap. So, that’s how it went — Scott would pay for the cost of the video and Jason and Jesse would spend every free minute they had creating it. It was a labor of love, camaraderie and commitment. There was a shared mentality of humor and seriousness that the videos exemplified. It was in the skating and in the snowboarding, but it was also in the names of the videos: Northern Exposure, 100%, Survival of the Tightest, The 49th Chamber, In For Life and Steezin’ For No Reason.

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