Focus Hawaii David Porter

Authors

• Lance Chase
• David Porter

Files

Description

Hosted by Lance Chase, this episode of Focus Hawaii features BYU–Hawaii’s “wandering statesman” David Porter, who shares vivid experiences from his goodwill athletic tour through the Soviet Union as part of Athletes United for Peace. Fresh from competing in the Moscow Peace Marathon, a tennis tournament in Sochi, and other events in Leningrad, Porter recounts everything from a chaotic Aeroflot flight to meaningful one‑on‑one encounters with Soviet citizens, descriptions of somber public behavior, and the warmth he found inside families’ homes. He discusses Soviet athletic culture, black‑market trading, political attitudes toward Gorbachev’s reforms, economic hardships, restrictions on daily life, and the emotional contrast he felt between public oppression and private hospitality. Porter also displays mementos—including lacquer boxes, pins, coins, hats, T‑shirts, and a doubles championship trophy—while reflecting on how the journey reshaped his understanding of Soviet life and strengthened his gratitude for personal freedoms.

Length of Video

00:28:34

File Size

191.9MB

Archives Call Number

22.FH

Air Date

9-14-1989

Keywords

Lance Chase, Focus Hawaii, David Porter, Athletes United for Peace, Moscow Peace Marathon, Sochi tennis tournament, Leningrad Soviet Union, USSR travel, Soviet culture, Gorbachev, glasnost, perestroika, black‑market trading, Soviet economy, Aeroflot flight story, oppression in USSR, cultural exchange, BYU–Hawaii, sports diplomacy, Russian lacquer boxes, Soviet memorabilia

Recommended Citation

Chase, Lance and Porter, David, "Focus Hawaii David Porter" (1989). Focus Hawaii. 72.
https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/focushawaii/72