FATHERS | DAD LIFE
YOUR PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR NOT BEING A JACK*SS COACH OR PARENT AT YOUR CHILD'S SPORTING EVENTS WRITTEN BY: PAUL HANKEL
Now that youth sports are back, it is my great hope that a one-year hiatus has resulted in the extinction of one of the worst things plaguing sports: jack*ss parents who verbally abuse referees, coaches, and players. Are YOU one of these types of parents? Let's discuss.
The Signs and Symptoms
Often disguised as, "advocating for their child and ensuring they get the best experience possible," in reality, it's a small vocal minority of parents who are ruining what is supposed to be a fun and educational experience for our kids by acting like children themselves. These parents can often be found pacing the sidelines at their child's games and practices, visibly sweating and hurling critiques at coaches, refs, and anyone else within earshot. Lord forbid the coach call a 2 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
play that doesn't result in their child scoring a touchdown…you'll get to see a full-on adult temper tantrum. They are the first parents in the ref's face when there's a blown or missed call…completely devoid of the realization that this is just a game and that their third-grader is still in the "just having fun," stage of their athletic journey.
The Numbers and Facts
The numbers are startling: more and more umpires and referees are quitting the profession. To go along with this shortage, fewer and fewer numbers of parents are willing to coach their child's team for fear of getting verbally assaulted (heaven forbid physically assaulted) or getting accused of favoritism for playing their child. A quick Youtube search of, "parent attacks referee," will yield hundreds of results.
According to USA Today High School Sports, nearly 60% of coaches have considered quitting or have quit, and, "nearly 67 percent of coaches revealed that unsportsmanlike conduct among parents was also an issue. In fact, 60 percent explained that they've recently had to speak with a parent about their conduct." What was once a fun way to make some extra money while still being involved with the sport they love has now, for many referees, become an unbearable burden. Coaches, who, at the youth and junior high level, are often unpaid, offer similar sentiment. "I had a parent threaten to sue me for not playing their daughter enough!" said one regional coach who asked to not be named in this article. "I had no idea parents could even do that!" If that doesn't tell you somethings wrong, nothing will.
But, I Just Want My Kid to Have the Best Shot at a Scholarship
According to the NCAA, nearly eight million athletes play sports during their high school years. Of those eight million, roughly 2% received some form of scholarship. More and more student-athletes are choosing to, "specialize," in the sport(s) they feel they are the best at, instead of playing three or four sports seasonally, thereby driving the competition level for playing time and scholarships even higher. To put it bluntly, there is a very small chance your child will get a sports scholarship. My son happens to be a super talented athlete and excels in almost every sport we put him in. However, he is the unwitting bearing of myself and his mother's genetics and is therefore subject to the harsh reality that, having a mother who is 5'3" and a father who's barely 6' doesn't bode well for his NBA future.
The Cure
The solution to this growing problem is simple: • Remember that, especially at the youth level, these are kids and that it's more about developing a love for the game than winning at those stages. Don't get me wrong, winning and competition are very important. I absolutely abhor the, "everyone gets a trophy," movement and think it's one of the most destructive parenting movements of the last century. It leads to children who don't know how to lose or be told they aren't good enough at something. I could type pages and pages about this specific topic (maybe my next article?), but will spare you an all-caps rant! • Remember that the brave parents and volunteers who choose to coach or referee your child's sports programs are often underpaid or not paid at all. They are donating their time and energy to help instill a sense of teamwork, camaraderie, and a passion for healthy competition in your child. Let's maybe cut them a little slack for missing a side out or two at your daughter's volleyball camp? • Remember that, unless your child is extremely gifted in the genetics and talent departments, their youth and high school sports experiences will serve more so as a way to learn about teamwork, victory and defeat, hard work, and sportsmanship. • Lastly, there is no better way for you to experience what some of these coaches and referees are dealing with than by trying it out for yourself! Almost all youth and high school sports leagues are in constant need of coaches and referees for their various sporting programs. • urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 3
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
CONTENTS 02 DON'T BE THAT PARENT
Your Practical Guide for Not Being A Jack*ss Coach or Parent at Your Child's Sporting Events
06 HOT AIR BALLOONING
Melting Away Stress and Spreading Joy, One Ride at a Time
VOLUME 9 | ISSUE 2
10 THE ROOTS OF HUNTING Pursuing the Squirrel
13 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HALLOWEEN 14 HAVING A BEER WITH Senior Anchor at KVRR TJ Nelson
24 CBD
Providing a Peaceful Balance
28 36 HANDY, LIFESAVING AND FUN USES FOR A POCKETKNIFE 30 LOCAL HERO
A Healer's Heart - Nathan Kobrinsky
18
Inside the Squared Circle with
BELOW ZERO WRESTLING
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PUBLISHED BY Urban Toad Media LLP www.urbantoadmedia.com OWNER / GRAPHIC DESIGNER Dawn Siewert dawn@urbantoadmedia.com OWNER / PHOTOGRAPHER Darren Losee darren@urbantoadmedia.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Meghan Feir Paul Hankel Ben Hanson Brett and Kate McKay Jeffrey Miller Krissy Ness Emma Vatnsdal ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Dawn Siewert dawn@urbantoadmedia.com
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The Good Life Men’s Magazine is distributed six times a year by Urban Toad Media LLP. Material may not be reproduced without permission. The Good Life Men’s Magazine accepts no liability for reader dissatisfaction arising from content in this publication. The opinions expressed, or advice given, are the views of individual writers or advertisers and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of The Good Life Men’s Magazine.
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WRITTEN BY: EMMA VATNSDAL
It's no secret that the last year and a half has been stressful for many reasons. But it's how you deal with the stress that makes the difference. For John Boulger, the stress he faces each and every day as he practices law in Fargo, N.D., is slowly melted away as he fires up the burner, inflates the brightly-colored envelope and takes to the sky. "I find it such a nice change from practicing law," Boulger said, from a conference room in his downtown Fargo law office. "Because if you want to fly safely, it has to require 100 percent of your attention. So that's the only thing I think about while I'm in the air." Boulger has been a hot air balloon pilot for years — 38 years to be exact.
"A gentleman named Greg Paul taught me how to fly," Boulger said. "He taught several other people in this area how to fly. You're licensed by the F.A.A., Federal Aviation Administration, just like if I flew a plane." Boulger has flown his hot air balloons all around the globe. From the bicentennial celebration across Australia, to celebrations over Theodore National Park near Medora, N.D., if there's a recognizable, or even unrecognizable, balloon festival, there's a good chance Boulger has been there. "We flew a balloon for Kodak of the Pacific (in the Australia bicentennial), you know, for a division of Kodak films," he said. "And I ended up flying in Albuquerque at the International Balloon Fiesta for Kodak for about 10 years. And because Kodak was the name sponsor of the event at that time, I would get to be the first balloon up on the first
PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: JOHN BOULGER
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weekend. So that was kind of a thrill to get up in the air and be able to carry the American flag and they'd be playing the national anthem, and I'd be able to look back at all these balloons that were either fully or partially inflated. It was just so pretty."
Because of his speed, Boulger's landing was closer to a ditch, still icy from the frigid Spring weather. He recalls leaping into action to salvage the balloon from the water, but in the process, managed to soak himself to the bone.
But not every ride is American flags and beautiful balloons. Boulger has had his fair share of not-sograceful landings and adventures as well.
"I ran to the nearest farmhouse and it was an abandoned farmstead," he said, recalling. "So I ran to the next one, and there was a guy outside shoveling snow away from the front of a machine shed. And I said, 'I don't know if you saw this, but I just flew a balloon that landed about a mile away, and I'm really cold. Do you think there's someplace that I could get warm?'"
"When I was a student pilot, we weren't using tie-offs, or ropes tied on your vehicle so that if the wind comes up, it stops you," Boulger said. "When I was a student pilot, there were two student pilots and the instructor, and we didn't have a tie off. So the balloon started to move across the field and I guess I was running faster than the other student pilot because the instructor said 'John, jump in and fly.'" Boulger got in the basket and began flying the balloon at what he timed to be more than 40 miles per hour. "I thought 'I've got to land this,'" he said. "So I looked for a big field, and I'm up by Blanchard, N.D., in less than an hour and I say 'I'm going to land right in the middle of this field."
Boulger was taken in by the farmer and his wife and lived to tell the story. And for every difficult landing, there are many peaceful flights — ensuring Boulger keeps his balloon in the air and his passengers safe. And keeping his balloon in the air is what helps keep his full-time job in line. "(Ballooning) is not like owning a horse," Boulger said. "I can put it in the garage and not take it out for two months. It doesn't need to be fed, it doesn't
need to be watered, it doesn't need to be cleaned up after. I only do it on weekend mornings." Boulger also takes multiple vacations per year — most centered around ballooning. But when asked what the Good Life means to him? Boulger had a few ideas. "Happiness and doing good, and if you've been blessed, you need to share," he said. "I also have had several occasions where families have contacted me with a family member who is really ill and they want to (go ballooning) as a last wish. It's really brought happiness to the family, and to the person going on the balloon ride too. So that's probably the best of the happiness that I've been able to provide to people. The good life to me is happiness and being able to provide that happiness to people. It's a joyous occasion to be able to provide that happiness to people." •
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THE ROOTS OF HUNTING
Pursuing the squirrel WRITTEN BY: JEFFREY MILLER
My earliest hunting memories are of drifting through the woodlots of south central Minnesota with my father hunting squirrels. Those golden autumn days gave me an appreciation for hunting, wildlife and the environment that continues to this day. Many experienced hunters begin by learning from a family member adept at the pursuit. While that has worked in the years past, today's society is more urban than ever before. Neophyte hunters today can learn a tremendous amount on the internet, of course, but sifting through bad information can be overwhelming. Whether young or old, starting small can help lead to a lifetime in the outdoors.
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guns
In my opinion, the perfect rifle for a new hunter is the 22 Long Rifle. Inexpensive to purchase and shoot, the diminutive cartridge is quiet and recoil-free. One of the biggest issues for inexperienced shooters is choosing a gun with too much recoil, or "kick." If the shooter begins flinching, in anticipation of the recoil, it will be very difficult to shoot accurately. Before shooting, purchase a quality pair of earmuffs. Hearing damage can occur even with a 22, and once hearing damage has occurred it cannot be reversed. Select a safe location to shoot. If you live in an urban area,
"THE PERFECT RIFLE FOR A NEW HUNTER IS THE 22 LONG RIFLE."
"SQUIRREL HUNTING IS THE BEST WAY FOR A NEW HUNTER TO GAIN EXPERIENCE SCOUTING, STALKING AND HARVESTING WILD GAME." there are many shooting ranges around the Fargo-Moorhead area. Rural dwellers may find it easier to shoot on their property. A proper backstop of dirt, brush or the like, is essential. Even a small bullet can travel well beyond the intended target. A quality telescopic sight can aid in accurate shooting, but many shooters prefer to use iron sights. Whatever is preferred, the gun will need to be sighted in. Start by shooting at 25 yards, moving the sights or reticle to match the bullet's impact. Once the gun is sighted in, have fun shooting! Tin cans or balloons, attached to a safe target, are fun to shoot at no matter the shooter's age. Another great gun to start with is a 20-gauge shotgun. Recoil is minimal and the gun can be used both for small game, upland game and even waterfowl with the appropriate non-toxic shotshells.
the game
For my money, squirrel hunting is the best way for a new hunter to gain experience scouting, stalking and harvesting wild game. Small game licenses in both Minnesota and North Dakota are readily available, and there is plenty of public land in both states that have good populations of animals. Of course, obtaining permission on private land is possible as well, and often only takes a knock on the door and courtesy in asking to hunt. Once a license is purchased, read the hunting regulations carefully. It is the responsibility of the licensed hunter to know the open season, shooting hours and limit of the game pursued.
TREE SQUIRREL SPECIES IN THE AREA INCLUDE FOX SQUIRRELS, GREY SQUIRRELS, AND RED SQUIRRELS. Tree squirrel species in the area include fox squirrels, grey squirrels, and red squirrels. Fox squirrels are the largest, weighing up to three pounds. As their name implies, they are a rusty orange color. Grey squirrels are a touch smaller, weighing over two pounds, with a coat ranging from pure black to light grey. Red squirrels seldom weigh more than a pound and are not considered game species.
PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: JEFFREY MILLER
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hunting
While the two types of squirrels share habitats in some portions of Minnesota, they generally prefer different locales. The fox squirrel is found in open woodlots, riparian areas, and shelterbelts. They spend a lot of time on the ground foraging for food. Grey squirrels, on the other hand, like a dense forest. They will seldom be more than a scamper away from a tree. What they have in common are food preferences. In farm country, this means corn. Squirrels will travel long distances to find ripe, golden corn in the fall. Other food sources include hard mast such as acorns
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and hackberry seeds and soft mast such as crabapples. Find the food source and you will find the game. My favorite way to collect ingredients for a squirrel stew is to take a seat near a food source. While squirrels in city parks are habituated to humans, squirrels in the wild do not tolerate human intrusion. By sitting against a tree, with a good view of a cornfield or acorn flat, the hunter waits for the game to come to them. Even though I have hunted big game in many states and provinces, the sight of a squirrel moving through the treetops into gun range still gives me the shakes.
the table
You've selected a hunting location, found the food source, and bagged a couple of animals. What happens next? Preparing the animal for the table requires first removing the hide and entrails. There are many excellent YouTube videos that walk through the task step by step. The meat of the squirrel closely resembles chicken in color and texture. While non-hunters may scoff at eating a squirrel, one bite of a properly prepared squirrel dish and they are sold.
"BELIEVE ME, FRIED SQUIRREL IS DELICIOUS!" Squirrel meat is tough, making them great options for braising or crockpots. My favorite way to cook them is to tenderize the meat by cooking in a pressure cooker or InstaPot for 10 minutes. Next, bread the quarters with flour or batter and fry in hot oil until golden brown. Believe me, fried squirrel is delicious! Hunting is more than just harvesting game, of course. Immersing oneself in the natural world will bring many rewards, even if no game is bagged. In today's digital, artificial society, hunting can reconnect us to our ancient roots and allow us to participate in the rhythms of the natural world. •
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HAVING A BEER WITH | TJ NELSON
WRITTEN BY: MEGHAN FEIR PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
Freshly colored by the sunshine from his recent trip to Las Vegas, TJ Nelson, the senior anchor at KVRR, answered my questions with ease as we sat in Brewhalla. I learned about his love for a certain redheaded entertainer (not me), the secret he never tells (though he didn’t tell me the answer directly), and how a particular cuisine from his Norwegian heritage makes him gag (for good reason). For the past 8 years, Nelson has been at KVRR, but he’s been in the broadcasting industry since the ‘80s. His first gig was at the tender age of 15 where he went by “Nick James” at his local radio station. By 16, he was already in charge of scheduling. After spinning disks and being a morning show host for several years in Rugby and Minot, N.D., Nelson made the switch to television as a weather anchor in 1995 and as a news anchor in 1998. In the summer of 2021, he was interviewed by yours truly. Read on to find out some morsels of information you didn’t know about TJ Nelson.
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GOOD LIFE: When you were a kid, did you pretend to be on the news or your own show? TJ NELSON: Oh, did I pretend! I have two younger sisters, so I made them pretend I had a radio station. They’d sit down the hallway and listen to me as I talked in my little microphone. GL: What’s the weirdest or most uncomfortable story you’ve ever covered? TJN: I used to do a weekly series in Minot where I’d go and do other people’s jobs. One day I’d be working in a restaurant, and the next I’d be a massage therapist. It was weird trying to massage someone I didn’t know. One of my favorite ones was horseshoeing a horse. They taught me how to pinch the leg of the horse to get it to raise. That was kind of fun. You don’t get bored. GL: Did you ever think, “Man, I can see myself switching over and doing this instead” with any of the jobs you tried? TJN: No. I felt like I had the best job because I got to see what everybody else was doing. I knew I wouldn’t want to horseshoe a horse every day of my life with the chance of it kicking me.
“When I was a disk jockey, my first radio name was NICK JAMES. I found it in the phone book.” GL: What TV, movie or book character do you most resemble or relate to and why? TJN: My mom told me I was named after Troy Donahue, an actor from the ‘50s. GL: So Troy’s your first name? What’s your middle name? TJN: James. When I was a disk jockey, my first radio name was Nick James. I found it in the phone book. When I moved to Minot people always called me TJ, so then I just went by “TJ the DJ.” I became the No. 1 radio show host in town, so when I moved over to TV, I wasn’t going to change my name because people already knew me by that. GL: What are your most loved and hated foods? TJN: Most hated is lutefisk. I’m a Norwegian and I hate lutefisk. I can’t stand it. I don’t care what you do to it. Most loved food would be king crab
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HAVING A BEER WITH | TJ NELSON
legs. I ordered those at the Gordon Ramsay Steak restaurant in Las Vegas recently. The way they made it was ridiculous. They were fantastic. GL: What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you? TJN: People always ask, but I don’t tell them my age. We told a guy my age in Vegas last week on the monorail and he almost fell out of his seat. He was shocked.
"People always ask, but I don’t tell them my age. We told a guy my age in Vegas last week on the monorail and he almost fell out of his seat. He was shocked." GL: What’s been your favorite year of life so far? TJN: I’m going to say the year I graduated high school and left the house. You get to be on your own
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for the first time. It was such an adventure. GL: If you were to teach a kid one life lesson, what would it be? TJN: I would say listen more. Especially with social media, everybody is talk, talk, talk, and people don’t listen enough. You sit there and talk to people and they’re either zoned out on their phone or doing something else. That ticks me off. GL: What’s your favorite thing about yourself? TJN: I like to have fun. I don’t like being serious all the time. I like comedies and that kind of stuff. I don’t like scary movies because I have to deal with that every day. I have to listen to a scanner about shootings, stabbings, suicides and all that other stuff. When you get out of work you need to find something uplifting for your own mental well-being. GL: What’s your favorite thing to do to have fun? TJN: Travel and concerts. Last year was a killer. We used to go to two or three concerts a month.
GL: Who’s your favorite celebrity and why? TJN: Reba is my favorite country singer. In high school, my girlfriend at the time and I got to meet Reba right after she’d finished the movie “Tremors.” We were in her fan club and she came to the state fair in Minot, so the fan club gave us passes to go meet her. It was so exciting. She had her big hair back then and we got to talk to her a little bit and take pictures.
"Reba is my favorite country singer. In high school, my girlfriend at the time and I got to meet Reba right after she’d finished the movie “Tremors.”
GL: What does living the good life mean to you? TJN: Freedom. I can’t stand that this pandemic impacted so many people’s lives. But we’re moving past it. You realize what you’re missing out on when everything is taken from you for a few months and shut down. So I’d say the good life means freedom and the ability to do what you want to do when you want to do it and go wherever you want to go. •
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ON THE COVER | BELOW ZERO WRESTLING
Inside the Squared Circle with
BELOW ZERO WRESTLING WRITTEN BY: BEN HANSON PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
Kids of the 90s, you had it good. Coming of age in the era of bag phones and Zubaz came with perks only fully appreciated in hindsight... and with a very meta sense of regret. "Big Sugar" tricked the country into thinking fat was enemy number one, so it was a decade-long sugar rush. Soda with every meal. Candy as a reward. FroYo for everyone at any time. Halloween was by today's standards a public health concern. Cable TV opened up new worlds of entertainment. MTV, ESPN, Nickelodeon, etc. If your backyard had enough room and your parents had enough money, satellite TV made you famous. Otherwise, free previews of HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and the Disney Channel (yes, back then, Disney was a premium channel) gave you a taste of the rich life… and the chance to sneakily record some R-rated movies on VHS for future sick days from school.
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And no child of the 90s will ever forget the sound of dial-up internet or the thrill of an AOL chat room. If you ever wondered where the idea for parental controls came from, it's safe to assume it was the direct result of some poor parent who stumbled upon the history feature of Windows 95 Internet Explorer. Then there was the Friday night movie rental. It's hard to imagine anything more fun, exciting or important to a kid in the 90s than looking forward to wandering the new releases at the local Blockbuster on a Friday night. If you were lucky, your parents handed you a $10 and waited in the car, giving you that first sense of independent choice. New releases took up the most attention, but you had your pick of genres throughout the store. Comedies, dramas, Sci-fi and eventually game rentals, too. If you were daring (or cool), you'd wander over to the unrated section to peruse things like Faces of Death, the first Ultimate Fighting Championships and, of course, all the WWF pay-per-views your parents never let you order live. The bulging biceps and vicious stares of Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker and Macho Man Randy Savage glared at you from behind the plastic case, daring you to check them out.
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ON THE COVER | BELOW ZERO WRESTLING
This is where our story picks up …
Super Fans Find Each Other
The nostalgia of the 90s lives on as passions for many now-adults who will take any excuse they can find to keep that passion alive. For Zach Werre, it was a natural progression that started, where else, but at the rental store. "I didn't start getting into wrestling until middle school," Werre admitted. "It was through video games — I was a gamer first — I got into wrestling." Zach lived near a used video game store, and as a kid he just wanted to buy as many games as he could get his hands on. The genre didn't matter. Budget did. So when he figured out the wrestling games were the best bargain, he jumped right into the virtual squared circle.
"Starting out with those games, slowly but surely I figured out how things worked in wrestling," Werre explained. "I started tuning into the weekly shows, which all build up to the pay-per-views… the storylines, the drama, wrestlers leave, they return, the good buys vs. the bad guys." Through video games, Werre got addicted to the sport of wrestling as a teenager. For his future business partner, however, the seed was planted at a younger age. "I was around 10 years old," Nick Stokke recalled. "WWF came to the Fargodome and they actually screwed up our seats. But because of that, I got to go down to the locker room and meet some of the guys. I remember seeing them all dressed up in their gear, then they made their entrances... guys like Tugboat, Razor Ramon and Brett Hart." That up-close and personal glimpse into the world of professional wrestling left a strong impression on Stokke, and his passion for the sport grew steadily throughout his childhood. And wouldn't you know it, he, too, can trace much of it back to weekly trips to the rental store. "Friday nights, if I was renting videos from the rental store, wrestling videos were my first choice," he said. "As we got older, we'd go to friends' houses and watch pay-per-views. There are a lot of parts of my life where wrestling was a big part. I can look back and picture the different stages. The larger-than-life Hulk Hogan when I was a young kid to Degeneration X (Triple H, Suan Michaels, Chyna, Xpac) when I was a teenager… It's cool to think about my own progression as a wrestling fan." Both Werre and Stokke grew up to become wrestling superfans, and as adults, they were searching for a way to make the sport a bigger part of their lives. In their own ways, each had been pondering the idea of launching their own promotion that would feature local wrestlers (also referred to as talent) with a focus on family-style entertainment.
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With his background in social media and video production, Werre decided to put the question out there. He posted an inquiry on Facebook, looking for would-be partners. "Zach put up a post on Facebook about wanting to start up a wrestling company," Stokke recalled. "What started as us chatting quickly became reality. We talked for a while, realized we both have a lot to bring to the table with ideas and completely different mindsets, so we got down to let's make this happen!"
Below Zero Wrestling
In May of 2021, Below Zero Wrestling debuted in front of a live audience at the Sanctuary Events Center in downtown Fargo, a venue that proved a perfect fit. The immediate success was a surprise, but the secret became clear minutes after the final bell rang — it was a show built by fans for fans. "Being fans of wrestling, but also understanding it is a business as well, is what makes our partnership work so well, but also what makes Below Zero Wrestling work," Stokke explained. "It was exciting we both had that mindset… put the young fan in ourselves in charge for a bit to provide an all-ages show that kids can come to, grandma and grandpa can come to… there's something for everyone." The two superfans were such a perfect match that they were able to start the company without ever meeting face to face. Werre, based out of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Stokke in Fargo spent months on the phone, online and on the road planning, scouting venues and evaluating talent… all the while maintaining the same mindset with an eye on a shared goal of developing a brand of wrestling focused on family entertainment. And though the goal has always been shared, Werre and Stokke each bring unique skills to the partnership.
"Being fans of wrestling, but also understanding it is a business as well, is what makes our partnership work so well, but also what makes Below Zero Wrestling work." – Nick Stokke urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 21
ON THE COVER | BELOW ZERO WRESTLING
"Nick is a fantastic businessman with experience helping out with other wrestling promotions," Werre said. "He was really instrumental in leading the charge to find talent for Below Zero. I knew a few people being fans of other promotions in the area, but Nick definitely knew a lot more up in Fargo area."
The Good Life In the Squared Circle
Spend any amount of time talking with Werre and Stokke, and you'll quickly find they're both living the good life. It's all about passion for them, and the fans sitting ringside enjoy the benefits of their hard work and shared vision.
While Stokke took lead on many of the logistics, Werre — a YouTube entrepreneur with a longrunning channel devoted to all things wrestling — used his experience in media production and digital marketing to brand the new promotion for local audiences and start hyping up the first show.
"What we do at Below Zero is an all-ages show," Werre explained. "Yeah there's wrestling, but it's an action-packed show with stories that go beyond just wrestling. We do some really fun stuff like videos that we show in between the matches, playing with the crowd. There's the wrestling side, but so much more to it than just wrestling."
"He's able to do so much of that digital media production and marketing," Stokke said of his business partner, "any type of flyers or video editing, he's the man behind all that. I have my input, but it's what he does and he's so good at it."
The promotion's very first show at the Sanctuary proved the concept worked. Both partners shared similar memories of fan reactions that cemented in their minds they were on to something.
"Starting out as a fan of WWE on the national level, but then discovering the local scenes and smaller promotions, I eventually introduced to the world of independent wrestling," Werre said. As I got older, I got more passionate about media, video production, business… so all my passions kind of steamrolled into one with Below Zero."
"The whole time I was a little tense during that first show," Werre admitted. "Running the video and sound, staying on top of what's coming up next… but once the first match started, I could pull back a little and enjoy and take it in for at least a moment. The fans are ultimately what decides what's truly awesome, so seeing the crowd react that night, I thought to myself we got something here, this is working."
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For Stokke, the proof was also in the fans' reactions to that first show. "We were blown away at our first show from the support of the community and the talent on the show," Stokke said. "We had a few 100 people in the crowd. The energy and electricity was just insane. The crowd brought out the best. Every match was awesome." Based on fan reaction, the future of Below Zero Wrestling seems brighter than either Stokke or Werre would have allowed themselves to believe. The two have plans to continue to grow the promotion into a Midwest entertainment event, bringing back top talent to keep storylines going and fans engaged. Stokke is always scouting new venues, and Werre keeps the hype up online. It's clear both superfans are enjoying every minute of it… all to the benefit of the families who come out to see the show. "It's been so fun to do this," Stokke said, letting his inner fan out for a moment. "I never thought it was anything but a dream. I'm a history buff, so just to say I've now been a part of wrestling history... it's been humbling. I'm so excited for what the future holds for Below Zero Wrestling." • urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 23
WRITTEN BY: KRISSY NESS
You may be asking yourself, what is CBD? I am sure you have heard a lot of accurate and inaccurate information about this subject. Before we dive into CBD, we must first know what it is and from where it comes. The term CBD comes from its scientific name, Cannabidiol, an active compound naturally produced in cannabis – known as cannabinoids. Cannabis sativa is the plant species that CBD comes from; both marijuana and its cousin, hemp, come from this species.
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CBD works with our endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for keeping the body in homeostasis. Essentially, CBD provides a link within our central nervous system to provide internal balance and stability. CBD is the second most prevalent of the active ingredients of cannabis behind Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the compound in cannabis that has psychoactive properties that give people a high. Cannabinoids are the source of the cannabis plants' various medical and recreational properties.
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To sum it up, you can find CBD in the cannabis plant, and it can provide benefits for some individuals, like stress management, pain reduction, and help to fall asleep. In 2015 the FDA relaxed its requirements to allow researchers to conduct CBD trials. While production and sales are a reasonably new business, only becoming legal in late 2018, there is a lot of misinformation about CBD. First and foremost, CBD is not marijuana; it will not get you high. According to the World Health Organization, "In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential… To date, there is no evidence of public health-related problems associated with the use of pure CBD." Can you become addicted to CBD? In short, no, and here's why. To paraphrase cbdhealthcentral. com – for a drug to be addictive, it has to have specific characteristics. First, it has to stimulate the brain's pleasure center – by releasing high levels of dopamine. Second, your body typically builds a tolerance to the drug, which requires that you take more and more of it to get the same pleasure or euphoric effect. Fortunately, CBD leads to neither of these conditions. Finally, another misconception is that CBD is not legal. While the government still places marijuana and CBD in the same class, it depends on whether the marijuana or hemp plant is the source of CBD. CBD derived from hemp contains no more than .3% THC and is federally legal. As a result, many people, including myself, buy CBD online and have it shipped to their homes. The benefits that come with taking CBD can significantly improve your life in many different ways. As I mentioned earlier, people use it for pain, a sleep aid, or stress management, but those aren't the only things CBD can do for you. Tinctures – which are elixirs – can promote different feelings such as focus, relaxation, and passion, to name a few. As of December 2020, one CBD product has the approval of the Food and Drug Administration; it is a prescription oil called Epidiolex. According to the Mayo Clinic, two types of epileptic seizures
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can be treated with Epidiolex. In addition to those above, there are numerous studies with CBD as a treatment for many other conditions such as Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, diabetes, multiple sucraloses, and anxiety. Currently, I use CBD for many reasons, including stress management, pain relief, and an overall sense of calmness. I use a water-based soluble; it is easy to take and provides a lasting effect at the correct dosage. CBD has become a game-changer for me as I have a physically demanding job that can be highly stressful. When I forget to take it in the morning, I notice that I am not on my game as much as I am when I take it. You can use CBD in many ways, whether through ingesting it by vaping, gummies, or smoking the flower. In addition, you can use CBD by applying balms, lotions, oils, or gels to the skin. Mainly topicals are used for pain relief. For example, I have used CBD lotion from time to time when I have been on my feet for many hours, and I have noticed relief in a reasonable amount of time. If you are even the slightest bit curious when it comes to CBD, I implore you to do some research, talk to your doctor, and head over to your local shop. You might get more out of it than you think. •
CULTIVATION
EXTRACTING
QUALITY
CBD PRODUCTS
Organically grown hemp has been dried and cured to avoid pesticides, chemical fertilizers or heavy materials.
CO2 extraction allows for clean, high quality CBD concentrate to be created that is safe to produce and consume.
Accurate testing of the product is essential to ensure products have the highest levels of quality, potency and purity.
CBD products give you safe and easy access to the full potential of cannabinoids anytime, anywhere.
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Handy, Lifesaving, and Fun Uses for a Pocketknife WRITTEN BY: BRETT & KATE MCKAY / ARTOFMANLINESS.COM
Every man should carry a pocketknife. If you haven’t made one part of your EDC yet, having perhaps remained unconvinced of its utility, below we list the many ways a pocketknife can come in handy on a daily basis. From making chores easier, to solving minor annoyances, to even saving a life, here are 36 uses for this timeless tool. Note: Some of the uses listed are suboptimal for a knife and can potentially dull and damage it. Whenever possible, you should use the right tool for the job. But when you don’t have the right tool, and need to improvise in a pinch, a pocketknife can be clutch.
1. Open packages. Get at the umpteenth thousandth thing you ordered from Amazon with ease. 2. Break down packages. When you’re having trouble fitting that 28 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
umpteenth thousandth Amazon box in your recycling bin, it’s time to slice through all its tape and fold it up. 3. Slice fruit. Then eat the slicedoff chunk right off the blade. Like a produce-consuming badass. 4. Make kindling. Pare sticks into more combustible pieces and create shavings for a bird’s nest tinder bundle. 5. Cut a seatbelt. Free yourself or a loved one trapped by a jammed seatbelt inside a car that’s sinking into a lake or going up in flames. 6. Cut fishing line. Because tangle-ups happen. 7. Cut fishing bait. Two weems for the price of one. 8. Remove splinters. Sterilize the blade with alcohol; get digging. 9. Remove staples. When that claw thing goes missing. 10. Whittle. Carve yourself a nice little duck head to while away the
time. 11. Strip/cut electrical wire. There are official wire strippers/ cutters for this, of course, but a knife will work in a pinch. 12. Open a wine bottle. Takes a bit of finesse compared to a corkscrew; watch a video tutorial for the technique. 13. Cut open clothes to administer first aid. Whether you’re treating an impalement injury or gunshot wound, or applying AEDs to the chest of a heart attack victim, you first need to cut off the victim’s clothes around where you’ll be administering aid. 14. Spread toppings. Peanut butter. Jelly. A little smear on a bagel. 15. Open clamshell packaging. All packaging becomes frustrationfree packaging when you open it like a heedless barbarian, stabbing and slashing with abandon. 16. Fillet a fish. For prepping your
catch-of-the-day for the campfire frying pan. 17. Cut off clothing tags. You’re driving to work and realize you’ve still got one sticking out of your collar. 18. Sharpen a pencil. For when you want to feel like a real ar-teest. 19. Cut through zip ties. Which present themselves in packaging or wrapped around cables. 20. Clean car battery terminals. Remove corrosion before you jumpstart a battery. 21. Open a letter. It’s rare to get real correspondence these days, but when you do, you want to avoid tearing through the envelope’s return address and contents by slicing it openly neatly. 22. Open a can. When you come upon a cache of delicious peaches during the apocalypse (à la father and son in The Road) and don’t have an opener. 23. Cut rope. Rope is handy for a variety of things, and sometimes you need to trim it down to size. 24. Pry out batteries. When they need replacing and are stubbornly stuck. 25. Untie a tight knot. Inserting an implement into a knot can get a tight one undone; a duller tool works best (you don’t want to cut the rope in the process), but a knife can get the job done too. 26. Cut loose threads. Those little danglers that mysteriously emerge from your clothes. 27. Perform an emergency tracheotomy. When someone’s choking and the Heimlich maneuver fails, an emergency tracheotomy may be needed, and doctors have indeed successfully performed them, using a pocket knife, in places like restaurants and airplanes (back when carrying a knife on board was kosher). The whole “being a doctor” part of these stories is of course an important consideration here. 28. Open a bottle. Use either the spine of the knife’s blade or the top scale of its handle to pry it up. 29. Cut a new hole in a belt. When you’ve gained (or lost) some weight. 30. Fend off a wild animal. This dude fended off a mountain lion attack with his pocketknife; this guy was able to stop a bear attack using a mere 2-inch blade. 31. Play mumbley peg. Once a popular pastime among 19th century schoolboys, Wild West cowboys, and World War II soldiers; still a viable outdoors entertainment. 32. Puncture and deflate those plastic packaging pillows. You know, the big bubble things you get in all those aforementioned boxes from Amazon. 33. Unscrew small screws. Not the most effective method, but works in a pinch. 34. Trim your calluses. Peel ‘em like a potato. 35. Open a coconut. There are a variety of ways you can open a coconut, including using only a small pocket knife. 36. Defend yourself against an attacker. You don’t want to bring a knife to a gunfight, especially a pocketknife, but if it’s all you got, it’s all you got. • urbantoadmedia.com / THE GOOD LIFE / 29
LOCAL HERO | NATHAN KOBRINSKY
A HEALER'S HEART From the smallest of patients to the most puzzling of disorders, Nathan Kobrinsky builds a life he loves through his service to others
WRITTEN BY: EMMA VATNSDAL PHOTOS BY: URBAN TOAD MEDIA
Generally, folks choose their career path based on what they're good at or what they're interested in. At times, their decisions can waiver, maybe they love some parts and hate other parts, or they wake up and decide they never want to see another (insert career here) again. However, when it comes to creating a life they love, doctor Nathan Kobrinsky has done pretty well for himself.
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"My father was a physician, and he died of cancer," Kobrinsky said. "At the end of his life, he pushed me to become a physician. I had decided I wanted to be a physics teacher, but anyway, I guess I did what he told me to do." It seems parents do sometimes know what they're talking about. Kobrinsky holds a medical degree from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, MB, Canada, as well as several specialty degrees from both the United States and Canada.
His work has led him from Winnipeg to Saskatchewan, and south to Fargo, where he and his wife of nearly 50 years have made their home, living and working in the community. Kobrinsky has seen the change of hands from St. Luke's to MeritCare and MeritCare to Sanford and eventually made his way to Essentia Health in Fargo, where he currently works, primarily in hematology and oncology. But while he works mostly with adults in his day-to-day life now,
his career began focused around a much smaller package. "In medical school, when I was an intern in pediatrics," Kobrinsky said, remembering, "I cared for a little girl who would have been 12, and she had cancer of the leg. And she lost her leg. And then it came back to her lungs. So for the first month I was on the ward, I was caring for her while she died. And I'd go in and see her every day and got pretty close to her, and wanted to do something in childhood cancer after that."
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LOCAL HERO | NATHAN KOBRINSKY
Kobrinsky's work with childhood cancer has helped save hundreds, if not thousands of lives all over the Red River Valley and beyond. In 2016, he was recognized for his work in pediatric oncology and hematology with the Children's Miracle Network Achievement Award — a national award that honors a caregiver, team or unit that has significantly elevated the care of children and has been significantly affected by funds raised through Children's
Miracle Network Hospitals. It's an honor he doesn't take lightly, but it's also an honor he has a difficult time accepting on his own. "It's like, well, we're all part of a team," he said. "And, you know, what's more important: a spark plug or a gas tank? The only way you can move forward is to hold hands and go on together. We're all part of something and to say 'look how special this is,' I don't
want to belittle the fact that we all have a part in what we're doing. I see it as a recognition of the miracle of the Children's Miracle Network and what they do. I'm just honored to be part of that." Puzzling, isn't it? Nowadays, his work focuses more on adults and the mysterious ailments they present him with every day.
Kobrinsky's work with childhood cancer has helped save hundreds, if not thousands of lives all over the Red River Valley and beyond. 32 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
"Years and years ago, I did adult hematology and my training in Canada," Kobrinsky said. "I wanted to do more, and so that's what I do now (at Essentia Health); adult blood cancers and blood diseases. Part of what I did at Sanford, all through the years was clotting problems, and particularly got involved with women who were unable to carry pregnancies or miscarry. It turns out that in many instances, that's because they have a clotting disorder, and a clot forms in the placenta and the baby cannot survive — so it's actually a clotting problem that leads to recurrent pregnancy loss in many, not all."
PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: JANEEN KOBRINSKY
This clotting issue piqued Kobrinsky's interest and he's kept his eye on blood-thinning for pregnant ladies for more than 20 years. He's helped well over 250 babies come into the world, thanks to his sharp eye for the unknown. "(This work) is very rewarding and depressing," he said. "But helping moms who can't have children have them, I found that very rewarding, So I got more and more and more involved in that and into clotting." He says, in terms of patients he sees every day, it's a nice mix.
"I've got patients that range in age from one month to 90 years. So that keeps every day interesting." "I've got patients that range in age from one month to 90 years," he said. "So that keeps every day interesting. The patients are fascinating and the puzzles are amazing. I try to look at it from a bigger perspective.
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LOCAL HERO | NATHAN KOBRINSKY
PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY: JANEEN KOBRINSKY
Vampire Doctor Despite his work being extremely taxing at times, Kobrinsky does have a glaring reason to smile, and it's quite a bit smaller than you'd expect. "I love kids," Kobrinsky said. "I love torturing them and teasing them, bugging them — I mean that's still the love of my life, for the kids." Both Kobrinsky and his wife Janeen volunteer their time at Kamp KACE each summer. Kamp KACE is a summer camp at Lake Cormorant where kids and their siblings get the chance to be kids for a week, regardless of what their diagnosis might say.
"I have this thing about being a Vampire Doctor," he said.
And he's not slowing down any time soon either,
Janeen also leads a memorial service in the Memorial Garden to remember each of the campers who have died since the last time they were all together.
"To retire, to move, to check how to make any change in your life, presumably you should do it because it's something that you are looking forward to, where you're moving up in what you want out of your life, right?" he said. "Not going to something that you like, less. So if I was to leave... I don't like golf. I don't like sports, I don't like outdoors. You know, I don't like politics. I'm pretty boring. I like my family. I like the kids. I like my work, and I enjoy complaining about my work. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't enjoy complaining. I don't think that retirement is something that would make me happy. So I don't think I will ever retire."
"It's amazing because we have like a sea of survivors," she said. "And a lot of the survivors of childhood cancer come back as counselors. It's great for the kids to see counselors with the same little port scars, and many of them are married and have kids of their own." "Kamp KACE is magical," Kobrinsky said. "It's such a big part of my life, of our lives, of who we are."
"I don't think that retirement is something that would make me happy. So I don't think I will ever retire." 34 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
While it can be a taxing job, Kobrinsky has found what makes him happy; his work at Essentia Health in Fargo, as well as his former job at Sanford. "It's enjoyable," he said. "And it's enjoyable to come home, and sometimes I don't want to go back to work, but for the most part I like it all." But for Kobrinsky, the ultimate Good Life comes down to one thing, and the one thing fits perfectly for this physician. "To me," he said, "The good life is being a part of healing." •
"The good life is being a part of healing."
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