In Alaska's southeastern islands, Blaze it Panda has quietly become an emerging talent that's capturing attention of growers and respected breeders alike. While he manages hundreds of plants as head grower for a vertically integrated operation, it's his breeding work – most notably the creation of the frost-laden Wolf Eel strain – that has people taking notice.  We sat down with him and learned more about his background, the commercial facility he runs and his breeding work.  

Enjoy!

The path to breeding wasn't a straight line for the Blaze it Panda. His journey began with a modest attempt at growing autoflowers in a repurposed computer server case at age sixteen – an experiment that ended when his grandmother discovered and dismantled the setup. Years later, after establishing his home garden, his seed collection habit became the gateway to breeding.

"I had the seed addiction bug for a while, and so I was buying a shit ton of seeds," he recalls. "And then I got to the point where I had popped maybe 10 packs, found maybe five keepers. I was really digging in out of all that. And that's when I started hearing about reversals and breeding."

His first breeding attempt came through experimentation with a reversal spray on a prized cut of Chem D/Banger from Doc D that he had run for years. Though that initial reversal proved unsuccessful in producing pollen, it sparked a deeper interest in the breeding.

His approach to breeding emerged from practical constraints and a desire for precision. Rather than working with male plants, which require significant space for proper selection, he focused on reversing carefully chosen females. "When you spend time hunting a bunch of females, you get to see a wider population. It's a lot easier for me to pick a female and reverse it because I see the variations and it's more direct," he says.

This methodology isn't about convenience – it's about maximizing limited space. "I don't consider myself too much of a breeder by any means," he says modestly, "but I think just trying to grow a male and pollinating stuff, that's more closer to pollen chucking than reversing a female just because you know what traits you're actually imparting, more or less."

His breeding work has evolved alongside his commercial growing operation, where he maintains over thirty mother plants and oversees sixteen different strains flowering at any given time. This environment provides the opportunity to test work at the commercial level, which is a luxury most breeders do not have.

Wolf Eel, Blaze it Panda's signature creation, emerged from an unexpected experiment. While testing a reversal spray from Crane City Cannabis on his prized D-Banger cut, he decided to include Underdog Urkle in the reversal trial. "About halfway through the reversal, I pulled the D-Banger because I ended up being more interested in the Underdog Urkle with what I had lined up in the tent," he recalls. This decision would prove fortuitous, leading to a cross between Animal Tsunami and the reversed Underdog Urkle.

The initial breeding project was modest in scope. "I only had three plants in there at the time," he notes. Among them was the Animal Tsunami that would become Wolf Eel's mother. The resulting strain has gained recognition for its exceptional trichome production and remarkable phenotypic diversity.

 "I'd say there's probably five main expressions," he explains. "You'll see some really lengthy, OG type, very bulky... There's also some of the shorter, Urkle types where you get more of the grapes, slow veg. The times it pops up are a lot lower than, say, the OG types."

The variety within the line showcases the complex interaction between the parent strains. The Animal Tsunami influence appears frequently throughout the cross, with some phenotypes looking "dipped in powdered sugar" and expressing caramel, gas, and grape profiles. The Underdog Urkle-leaning plants maintain heavy frost coverage but display more bulbous trichome development, accompanied by pronounced grape and kush notes.

"What I found is they all have this underlying effect from the Underdog Urkle that brings the berries and florals out," he explains. "Then between the berries and the florals, you find nuances of either gas or rubber or soapy effects." One particularly memorable phenotype he describes as having "a lavender hotel soap from a fancy hotel type of thing" – an unusual but distinctive profile that sets it apart from contemporary offerings.

The strain's commercial success has been matched by its cultivation qualities. Plants show moderate stretch and remain manageable, featuring a low leaf-to-calyx ratio that simplifies trimming. They respond well to training and topping, making it an adaptable choice for various growing styles. "The Wolf Eel for me is pretty potent," he notes. "It's definitely more of that stuff I will smoke when it's time to relax or chill out for the day. The Underdog Urkle brought some really nice body relaxation to the Animal Tsunami, which was more of just head high before it."

In an era where Instagram-worthy trichomes and market-driven bag appeal often drive breeding decisions, Blaze it Panda takes a distinctly different approach. His breeding philosophy centers on the fundamental reason most people consume cannabis: its effects. "It's always effects first. I grow for flower, I grow to smoke, I grow for how it makes me feel. So effects first and then flavor behind that. I've never been a real prominent promoter on bag appeal or frost. But as you see through my pictures, it just happens to be that way."

This effects-first philosophy shapes both the selection process and breeding projects. Rather than chasing current market trends or focusing solely on visual characteristics, Panda is seeking out unique combinations that deliver specific experiences. His work with Burnt Offering from Crybaby Organics exemplifies this approach. "One of the reasons I love it is because it has this introspection type high, which is something I really love in weed. It's when you get that psychedelic introspection, contemplate life and think about just being grateful for being alive."

The Burnt Offering influence appears throughout his breeding work, featuring in crosses like Unagi (Burnt Offering × Wolf Eel #10). "Burnt Offering became one of my favorite plants in no time. With its soaring high and unique terps, it's unlike many of the strains today," he explains. His selection process led him to enhance Burnt Offering's distinctive effects while addressing practical cultivation challenges: "Using the Wolf Eel 10 we added much-needed structure to Burnt Offering with her vine-like growing."

His work with Deathstar also follows a similar criteria, preserving unique characteristics that set it apart from contemporary offerings. "One of my favorite things about the Deathstar is this sulfur-like smell that you don't see in a lot of strains these days," he notes. This attention to preserving distinctive traits extends to his Wolf Moon project, where he successfully maintained Deathstar's potent effects while addressing its notorious growth rate issues.

The emphasis on effects carries through to the testing process. Each potential breeding candidate undergoes extensive personal evaluation. His description of various phenotypes often focuses first on the experience – whether it's the "soaring high" of Burnt Offering or the "real potent relaxation" found in Wolf Eel. Even when discussing terpene profiles and cultivation characteristics, the conversation invariably returns to how these qualities contribute to the overall effect.

This methodical approach to selection has resulted in strains that excel in multiple categories. While frost production and bag appeal weren't primary selection criteria for Wolf Eel, the strain has become known for its exceptional trichome coverage. Similarly, his focus on effect-driven breeding hasn't compromised yield or growth characteristics – instead, it's led to plants that deliver both the desired effects and commercial viability.

Blaze it Panda's breeding work is entering an exciting phase of expansion and refinement. After spending the past year testing and evaluating his Wolf Eel crosses, he's ready to move forward with several ambitious projects. "Last year, January first, is when I started the project. Then throughout the year, I was just testing the new stuff, seeing how it responds, seeing what I wanted to work further."

His immediate focus is on reproducing successful lines, starting with the Wolf Eel 10 reversal that has proven to be a cornerstone in his breeding. The coming year will see reproductions of several noteworthy crosses, including Wolf Moon (Deathstar × Wolf Eel #10), Unagi (Burnt Offering × Wolf Eel #10), World Eater, and Sailor's Grave.

Each of these projects carries specific objectives. With Wolf Moon, he's successfully married Deathstar's legendary potency and unique terpene profile with Wolf Eel's improved growth characteristics. "Heavy funky frosted berries". "The Wolf Eel helped speed things up a bit making that veg faster." 

Particularly exciting is his work with World Eater, a complex cross incorporating Deathstar and Burnt Offering with Wolf Eel. "I found some really amazing plants in that. Very diverse, very smelly, very cool plants in there. So I'd like to work them back on both sides of the Burnt Offering and Deathstar." This project represents his interest in exploring the full potential of these genetics through careful line-working.

Beyond these core projects, he's developing several other notable crosses. His Aqua Regia project combines Santa Cruz Wreck with Wolf Eel #10, resulting in "super berry mix, with resin!" where both parents share floral berry notes. The combination has produced "big berry lavender buds" with occasional Trainwreck-leaning expressions that he describes as "delicious if you like Terpinolene-type weed."

He's also exploring sativa territories with Cloud Magic, crossing Banana Thai S1 with Wolf Eel #10. While the original Banana Thai S1 didn't express banana terps, it offered a "soaring, and motivating" high that caught his attention. The addition of Wolf Eel helps manage the plant's height while contributing "floral perfume notes and other tropical notes."

Human After All demonstrates his ability to modernize classic genetics, crossing Chem D with Wolf Eel #10. "The Wolf Eel helped give Chem D some mmphh in vigor while maintaining the chem funk," he notes. The results are impressive: "Resin is off the charts, nugs grown right will look like snowballs."

These projects reflect his broader breeding goals: preserving unique characteristics of classic strains while improving their cultivation traits, exploring new terpene combinations, and developing lines that deliver both distinctive effects and commercial viability. His methodical approach to testing and selection ensures each new release meets his standards for both effect and garden performance.

Operating from Alaska's southeastern islands provides Blaze it Panda with a unique perspective on the cannabis industry's evolution. The state's cannabis market already shows distinct regional variations that hint at broader industry trends. "Alaska is such a big state that the demographic can vary still widely depending on where you are," he explains. "The location where we operate is on an island in southeast Alaska, maybe two hours from Seattle. But because of our isolation and the island vibes, it's not so much the hype where it is just good weed."

This contrast becomes evident when comparing different markets within Alaska. "When you start hitting Anchorage, you start getting more of the city-type vibe, skyscrapers, the hustle and bustle, and you start seeing more of the hype-based strains going around due to the demographic that lives there." He's observed how strains popular in southern markets, like Superboof and Cap Junky circulate heavily in the Anchorage area.

As the cannabis industry faces potential national legalization, Blaze it Panda sees breeding as key to long-term sustainability. "Our main goal is to stay on that craft side, and just keep producing really nice weed," he emphasizes. "With legalization looming over and wanting to build a brand, your brand has to stand for something."

His perspective on branding has evolved significantly from his early days as a home grower. "Being just a reclusive hermit weed guy that just likes growing good weed and keeping to myself, the idea of branding wasn't really my favorite at first," he admits. "But the more you think of it, with the newer generation and the way social media works and the way of communication these days, if you want to succeed or stay in business, you really have to brand yourself and set yourself apart."

This understanding has led him to focus on developing proprietary genetics that set their operation apart. "If we have, say, Wolf Eel as exclusive to us and it gets big, then the only place you can get it from is us. And long term, that's what will help us stay in business." This strategy isn't about dominating the market but ensuring sustainability. "We're not trying to get rich off this. We're not trying to drive Lambos or live in mansions. We just like what we do and we'd like to do it a little longer."

Their vertical integration model provides the freedom to maintain higher standards. "Because we are vertically integrated, we have a lot more freedom of what we grow," he explains. This independence allows them to focus on craft quality rather than chasing market trends or sacrificing quality for volume.