Hello Jason,
Interesting situation. I would recommend doing as much research and study that you can in advance about all aspects of our sport as possible before heading into the water for the first time. A few concerns come to mind.
What is the typical water temperature where you would ride? Guys south of you ride in high quality dry suits. I understand that some may even using super thick wetsuits but there are important pros and cons to each approach that you should be aware of.I have yet to make it to Alaska sadly so here's a dumb question. Do you have available sand beaches to launch from? Rock cobble beaches and traction kites can do a real number on your feet and anything else they can come in contact with at speed. I thought you have some pretty powerful storms too sweeping in off the Artic/Siberia. Are these much of a factor during the riding season (July and August?) there? Do you need a chase boat? Adverse currents are a factor in some places. A bad day at the beach in Ft. Lauderdale may have fewer elements than a bad day at one of your local launches. Knowledge and preparation are key.
Again, I haven't been there but like the Canadian Maritimes way to the east, kiteboarding in your area may have some special challenges and hazards to be mindful of and deal with carefully. You might put the same question out in another forum, on in the NW (south of you of course). I believe there are some parallels to riding considerations in your area.
http://www.skypilotkiteboarding.com/
You might seriously consider putting off getting into the sport until you can get the best training that you can find. Locating a good instructor on the coast say around Vancouver or in Washington might give you a head start for conditions/riding in your area. You could learn a great deal about kiteboarding say in Baja but very little about the environment you will need to ride in. Doing both of course, before rigging up in Alaska would be even better.
I saw a new training video that you can view online for a couple more days if you have a fast connection at:
http://www.kiteblogs.com/archives/267
It might be worth picking up. Despite what might be implied about it containing all that you need to know, it doesn't. Particularly not for Alaska! Still it has a lot of good information.
Spending a lot of time going through this site could also help.
Good luck and let us know how you are doing!