Stay ConnectedGEAR:30 is the podcast from BLISTER that dives deep into the details of the most interesting and innovative outdoor gear. You’ll hear BLISTER reviewers discuss the gear they’re testing, as well as product designers, professional athletes, and some of the gear-obsessed folks from our recommended shops weigh in on gear trends and the equipment they’ve been most impressed with. If you love outdoor gear, you’re going to love this podcast.
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Recently, Austin Smith created a stir when he posted a video of a prototype of a snowboard binding … that rotates. So Jonathan talks with Austin about the idea, his prototyping process, the testing process, and his predictions for whether we’ll see a development like this come to market.
RELATED LINKS
OpenSnow.com/buy (use code Blister50)
Blister Rec Shop: Teton Village Sports
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES:
OpenSnow Deal for GEAR:30 Listeners (1:30)
Blister Rec Shop: Teton Village Sports (2:17)
BLISTER+ News / Time to Get on Snow (3:16)
Austin’s Roadtrip (5:50)
Rotating Snowboard Binding (9:13)
Testing the Prototype (12:02)
Safety vs. Ride Quality (18:23)
Future Predictions for Bindings (20:51)
Realizing Dreams, Lessons Learned (23:22)
Board Preferences & Riding Styles (25:21)
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On this week’s episode, Kara Williard sits down with some of the crew from our Blister Recommended Shop, Powder7, to quiz them on gear; discuss the skis, boots, and outerwear they’re most excited about this season; gear they’re sad to see go; the best and worst topsheets; and get some of their hot takes.
Then we dive into the topic of circular business and how Powder7 has maintained this as a key part of their business model since they were based out of a garage through their ski trade-in / ski recycling program.
RELATED LINKS
Blister Recommended Shop: Powder7
Our Full List of Blister Recommended Shops
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES
Most Exciting Skis This Season? (4:30)
Boots (11:23)
Bindings (17:51)
Blizzard Anomaly & Black Pearl (23:01)
Gear Updates / Overhauls (28:56)
Outerwear & Apparel (31:02)
Awards: Topsheets (36:38)
Powder7 Bussiness Circularity (41:54)
Event Season & What’s Next (55:40)
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The snow’s been falling here in Crested Butte, and we’re already fantasizing about those really deep days. So today, Jonathan Ellsworth and Paul Forward are discussing pow skis. They start by making the case for wide pow skis, then, they talk about a bunch of current pow skis, old pow skis, and some design specifics that they think are good ideas when you’re building a wide ski that’s designed to float for days.
RELATED LINKS
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES:
The Case for Wide Pow Skis (7:45)
1st Gen DPS Lotus 138 (27:56)
Line Pescado (21:09)
Heritage Labs 132 (34:18)
K2 Powabunga (43:33)
Volkl BMT 122 (54:32)
DPS Lotus 124 Tour (57:06)
K2 Hellbent (59:49)
Praxis Protest (128) (1:01:17)
Praxis Powderboards (1:04:07)
Folsom Rapture (1:06:38)
4FRNT Renegade (1:09:51)
Faction La Machine 5 (1:10:35)
Blizzard Spur (1:14:22)
Salomon Rocker2 122 (1:22:53)
Volkl Shiro (1:27:53)
K2 Reckoner 124 (1:32:30)
Paul’s Injury & Recovery (1:35:38)
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Jonathan talks with Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, about Moment’s latest skis; some former Moment skis; some other companies’ skis; Moment snowboards?; why Hoji is a traitor(!!); and more.
RELATED LINKS
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
VIDEO: Luke J @ the Blister Summit
TOPICS & TIMES:
Company Overview & Mt. Rose (5:41)
Factory Updates (8:43)
Snowboards?? (17:08)
Moment’s 24/25 Lineup (22:58)
Deathwish 104 & Countach 110 (23:36)
Wildcat (29:32)
Meridian (35:18)
Countach 104 vs the old Belafonte (40:39)
Commander Series & Touring Skis (45:49)
ATK x Moment Voyager Evo Binding (50:31)
Reverse-Camber Skis (53:17)
Q’s from Tyler Curle & Scott Andrus (1:00:16)
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Kara Williard catches up with Drew and Rachel Harding of our Blister Recommended Shop, Spokane Alpine Haus, to hear all about the exciting recent developments at the shop; how this news runs counter to a lot of what you see from local retailers these days; what ski / snowboard gear they’re excited about for the 24/25 season, and more.
RELATED LINKS
24/25 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide
TOPICS & TIMES
Store Background (1:39)
Big Announcement & All the Details (10:52)
Bringing in Bikes (20:20)
Advice for Small Retailers (30:32)
Love What You Do (31:26)
Season Lease Program (33:00)
The Winter Ahead (35:17)
24/25 Gear (37:53)
Ski Network & Community (41:55)
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When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! So in this edition of GEAR THERAPY, BLISTER+ member, Pete Brantley, talks about getting back into skiing and playing football for the Oregon Ducks (and Chicago Bears!). Then he poses his most-pressing gear questions, and gets Jonathan’s best recommendations.
RELATED LINKS:
Episode Sponsor: Taos Ski Valley
24/25 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide
TOPICS & TIMES:
Pete’s Story & ‘Hot Dog… The Movie’ (4:15)
Football: Oregon Ducks & Chicago Bears (21:45)
Pete’s Crashes & Close Calls Story (30:47)
Gear Therapy Begins (35:53)
Atomic Maverick 95 (37:38)
Chamonix / New Blister Guide to Chamonix (44:28)
JE's Recommendations (47:37)
Backcountry Skiing (1:12:56)
Ski Boots & Ski Bags (1:13:53)
Custom Footbeds (1:20:34)
Our reviews & Pete’s Gear Purchases (1:27:02)
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We talk to ON3P Skis founder, Scott Andrus, about the 24/25 ON3P lineup; building skis in Portland, Oregon; and we dive into the weeds about numerous aspects of ski design and ski manufacturing that you really won’t hear about anywhere else.
RELATED LINKS
OpenSnow.com/buy (code: BLISTER50)
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Crafted Podcast: Scott Andrus on Knives
Crafted Podcast: Scott Andrus on Coffee
TOPICS & TIMES:
Overview of New Stuff at ON3P (3:00)
Origin Story of ON3P (7:00)
Moving to Year-Round Manufacturing (9:44)
USA Manufacturing (10:25)
ON3P (Jack the) Ripper Rocker (14:30)
Freeride Skis (16:02)
Mount Points (20:08)
Ramp Angle / Rocker Profile (22:45)
Touring Skis (28:49)
Freestyle Skis (34:34)
Where They Start w/ Ski Design (41:18)
Park Skis (49:00)
The new ‘Oski’ (50:20)
Team Rattlecan! (52:32)
Unisex Skis (57:55)
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Today we’re talking about exploding fabrics, microwaving hotdogs, and whether the color of your jacket affects its performance. Dr. Jeni Blacklock is back to discuss all of this, and to provide an update on the Blister Labs’ testing that’s been happening at the Rady School of Computer Science & Engineering at Western Colorado University, as part of the partnership program between Blister, Western Colorado University & the University of Colorado Boulder.
RELATED LINKS
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
TOPICS & TIMES:
Apparel Testing Overview (1:25)
Friction & UV Tests (3:53)
Exploding Fabric?? (6:16)
Color & Other Variables (12:23)
What’s Next? (20:44)
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We spend so much time reviewing the news these days on our Blister Podcast, we were officially overdue to have Cody Townsend back on GEAR:30 to talk about his current gear preferences and the specific gear he’s using most these days. So today, we remedy that.
RELATED LINKS
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Get Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s Guide
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
TOPICS & TIMES:
Cody’s Pre-Season Training (3:00)
Coffee Gear Update (12:03)
Skis (17:49)
Ski Bindings (25:04)
Ski Boots (34:57)
Race Boots (42:33)
Apps (48:20)
Backpacks (57:24)
Apparel (1:02:52)
Gear Your Most Picky About? (1:12:22)
Sidecut or Rocker Profile? (1:19:13)
Mount Points (1:21:26)
Bonus Talk for the 100 (1:25:03)
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A Pedorthist is someone who is trained in the assessment of lower limb anatomy, biomechanics, and, of course – feet. Heather Van Glider is not only a Pedorthist, but also an experienced ski bootfitter, making her particularly well suited for the latest installment of our Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting series.
We dive into the importance of custom insoles and orthotics; why they are beneficial for not only ski boots, but other types of footwear; how Heather thinks through some of the biomechanics related to skiing; what it’s like to run a women-owned and operated bootfitting operation, Boulder Orthotics; her best bootfitting horror story; and more.
RELATED LINKS
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Get Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s Guide
A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting Series
TOPICS & TIMES
Custom Insoles 101 (3:13)
Insoles vs. Orthotics (5:54)
Insoles for Skiing (9:40)
Insoles for Other Sports (17:21)
Women-specific vs. Unisex Boots (19:36)
Boulder Orthotics (27:32)
Mentorship (30:50)
Best Bootfitting Horror Story (36:37)
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Dan Abrams from Flylow is back to talk about toxic positivity, slide gliding, burrito grease, the Palisades base vs. Alpine base of Palisades Tahoe, what’s going on at Flylow, how they’re handling the transition away from PFAS, a few of Dan’s favorite pieces, and more.
Also, we’re proud to announce that Flylow is the first apparelcompany to commit to covering their international athletes with BLISTER+, which is another step forward in getting sponsored athletes better protected than they’ve ever been. That’s a big deal, and shout out to Dan and Flylow for stepping up.
RELATED LINKS
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Get Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s Guide
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
TOPICS & TIMES:
Dan’s Palisades Tahoe Review (9:46)
Flylow & BLISTER+ (17:58)
Other Flylow Updates (20:23)
The Transition Away from PFAS (23:56)
Washing Technical Apparel (31:45)
Was the PFAS Mandate Good Legislation? (40:28)
Breaking News: Hiking is Fun (45:26)
Ski Apparel Vs Mtn Bike Apparel and "Hip" Packs (1:00:22)
Dan's Favorite Pant (1:11:41)
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This week Venture Snowboards announced that they will also be making Venture skis. So Jonathan talked with Venture’s Klem Branner about why skis — and why skis now; what’s harder or easier about making skis vs snowboards; and what, exactly, is this new ski of theirs, the Sultan?
RELATED LINKS
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Get Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s Guide
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
TOPICS & TIMES:
New Skis & Old Sweatshirts (5:20)
Venture’s Origin Story (6:18)
Building Splitboards (7:35)
Why Skis & Why Now? (13:05)
Skking, Riding, or Boarding (16:51)
Sultan Specs (19:24)
Manufacturing differences with skis (21:20)
Sidecut (25:33)
Sustainability (37:47)
Most Outrageous Warranty Story (44:02)
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Since we’re releasing soon the 10th edition of our Really Big Book, Jonathan talks with Luke Koppa and Kara Williard about our latest buyer’s guide (pre-order ends on 9.01.24), what’s in it, how it’s evolved, and of course, we talk about that super sexy cover photo….
RELATED LINKS
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Pre-Order: Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s Guide
TOPICS & TIMES:
BLISTER+ Members: Check Yo Inbox! (1:48)
Mtn Town Advice w/ Cody (2:24)
‘Rocky’ as Running Movie? (3:15)
Big News in the Outdoor Industry (4:00)
Overview of the Guide + Cover Model Luke (8:28)
What's in the Guide (16:00)
Women's Gear (17:20)
What Else? (23:59)
Photos (35:18)
How to Get the Guide (40:49)
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Nikolai Schirmer has made quite a name for himself by sometimes sailing to — and then, almost always climbing up — very technical lines, then often flashing those lines at ridiculous speeds on relatively lightweight gear. Today, Niko and Jonathan have the great debate about pin bindings; talk about Niko’s approach to selecting gear; discuss the specific gear he’s currently using the most; when & why he prefers lightweight ski gear, and we end with Niko announcing for the first time in public the name of his new film, which is his biggest project ever.
RELATED LINKS
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Pre-Order: Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s Guide
TOPICS & TIMES:
Niko’s Style
Pin Bindings (7:49)
Light vs Heavy Gear (21:08)
Ski Boots (38:29)
Boot Quivers (46:09)
Ski Quivers (48:23)
Niko’s New Film (1:06:16)
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Today we’ve got another episode of our “Reviewing the Reviewer” series, where we ask our reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews. In the hot seat is bike reviewer, Zack Henderson, but in addition to mountain biking and gravel riding, Zack is also a snowboarder and a skier, so our conversation is almost equal parts bike, board, and ski talk. Jonathan also starts the episode by remembering our friend and fellow reviewer, Eric Freson.
RELATED LINKS:
Pre-Order: Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s Guide
Become a Member: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES
Zack’s background / sports did you play growing up? (7:40)
Where’d You Go to School & Why? (11:12)
How did you first get connected with Blister? (15:42)
Zack’s bike, ski, & snowboard, gravel bike preferences (18:31)
Who is your favorite reviewer at Blister? (40:12)
Who is your favorite pro mtn biker, pro skier, pro snowboarder? (41:17)
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done? (51:21)
What gear are you most picky about? (54:35)
What gear are you least picky about? (57:21)
Best Crash or Close Call Story? (59:35)
Top 3 favorite books, movies, and musicians (1:02:54)
Give us a random review (1:06:39)
What’s the best question I haven’t asked you? (1:12:35)
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
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Interested in ski design? Curious about where the next advancements in ski design might come from? Dr. Sean Humbert is back to provide an update on our Blister Labs’ ski flex project and to go over some of the results and takeaways from the on-snow ski testing and dynamic modeling from this past ski season.
Blister Labs is a partnership between BLISTER and the Western Colorado University - CU Boulder Partnership Program.
RELATED LINKS:
The Published Paper on this Project
BLISTER+: Get Yourself Covered
TOPICS & TIMES:
Project Overview (3:23)
In-Field Testing & Results (6:08)
Bindings & Ski Flex Patterns (24:45)
What’s Next (35:54)
Published Paper (44:13)
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Imagine being in freezing temperatures on a glacier and having to remove your harness and several layers of clothing just to pee. What about scrambling around a desolate desert looking for a place to pull down your pants in private? Maybe you don’t have to imagine — maybe you’re part of half the population who have to wear pants that weren’t originally designed for your anatomy.
Gnara is an apparel company that has spent the last several years working to solve this problem with the advent of their “GoFly Technology,” a patented zipper that allows you to ‘go’ anywhere while maintaining privacy. We talk to Gnara co-founder, Georgia Grace Edwards, about how this idea came to be; the brand’s growth in the last few years; the impact they’ve had on a variety of professions and applications (with more to come); how to approach a taboo topic with humor and grace; and more.
RELATED LINKS:
Pre-Order: Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s Guide
Become a Member: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES:
Glacier Guiding & Origin Story (4:19)
Why Pee Zippers Matter (7:32)
“GoFly” Technology (15:53)
Product Lineup (17:22)
Using Humor to Address Taboo (24:16)
The Rewarding Moments (28:08)
Scaling (31:32)
Leggings (35:16)
Crowdfunding Strategy (39:55)
Rebranding (45:50)
Georgia Grace’s Background (54:21)
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Wool has seen quite the resurgence in technical apparel over the past couple decades, and for good reason — it’s breathable, odor-resistant, and manages moisture better than most natural fibers. However, the way that most wool is spun into yarns can hamper its natural performance traits — at least, that’s what Nuyarn CEO, Andy Wynne, claims, and it’s why Nuyarn set out to come up with an entirely new way to use wool in technical fabrics.
On today’s episode, Luke Koppa sits down with Andy to get the details on the traditional methods of yarn spinning; why he believes they have been holding back the true potential of wool; how Nuyarn is different; the extremely impressive performance metrics of Nuyarn; how it’s being applied to a very wide range of end uses; an exciting new wool product they’re about to launch, and more.
RELATED LINKS:
Pre-Order: Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s Guide
Become a Member: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES:
Andy’s Backstory (5:07)
Traditional Implemntations of Wool (7:44)
How & Why Nuyarn is Different (14:31)
Production (21:03)
Nuyarn’s Different Applications (47:37)
Future Product: Hurcelan (53:11)
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How has the ski / snowboard season in the southern hemisphere been this year? To find out, we caught up with Benji Knight and Darren Grimmett from Outside Sports in New Zealand; we also cover the gear trends they’re noticing in their area, and then they peel back the curtain on how, exactly, a local shop curates the collection of gear they offer — often picked from thousands of options — for their specific location and customers.
RELATED LINKS:
Our Blister Recommended Shop: Outside Sports
A Guide to Skiing in New Zealand, Ep.260
BLISTER+: Become a Member
TOPICS & TIMES
Season Update (6:14)
How do you Pick Products?? (7:23)
Supplier Relationships & Brand Loyalty (12:24)
Athlete & Customer Relationships (15:04)
Bringing on a New Brand (19:04)
Sizing (20:42)
Hardgoods vs. Softgoods (26:53)
Evolution of the Industry (28:59)
NZ Gear Trends (33:42)
Season Outlook (41:45)
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Camille Jaccoux, co-founder of Black Crows Skis, is back on GEAR:30 to catch up on what the brand has been up to since last we spoke four years ago; the legacy of the iconic Corvus; how they overhauled it for 24/25; other new products they’re rolling out this winter; and a whole lot more.
RELATED LINKS:
Bag Balm: use code BLISTER to get 20% off
BLISTER+: Become a Member
Camille Jaccoux on Blister Podcast Ep.144
Camille & Julien Regnier on GEAR:30 Ep.64
TOPICS & TIMES:
Black Crows Since the Pandemic (4:04)
Touring Lineup (7:33)
New Octo & Octo Birdie (9:59)
Global Market Share (15:39)
The Corvus Legacy (20:09)
New 24/25 Corvus (25:42)
24/25 Lineup Highlights (33:00)
Other Products (42:30)
Ghost Resorts (45:06)
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Sean Fearon is a ski development engineer at LINE & K2, and he’s been busy — between the two sister brands’ 24/25 collections, Sean helped design over a dozen of the new skis. So Luke Koppa sat down with Sean to get the details on LINE’s new Pandora, Vision, and Optic skis (and how they all relate to each other); the overhauled K2 Reckoner and Omen series; working with Karl Fostvedt to create his unique pro model, the Reckoner KF, and more. He also peels back the curtain on what it actually means to be a ski designer / engineer, why his job is often very similar to what we do at Blister, and how others might pursue a similar career.
RELATED LINKS:
Bag Balm: use code BLISTER to get 20% off
BLISTER+: Become a Member
Blister Summit 2025: register before July 1st to save $150
Reviews: Line Pandoras, K2 Reckoners, K2 Omens
TOPICS & TIMES:
Sean’s Background (3:55)
Being a Ski Engineer / Designer (7:25)
24/25 LINE Skis Overview (13:20)
LINE Pandora, Vision, & Optic Skis (17:02)
K2 Omen Skis (41:47)
K2 Reckoner Collection (51:05)
Karl Fostvedt & The Reckoner KF (53:38)
Advice For Future Ski Designers (1:09:43)
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Since Jonathan missed our GEAR:30 ‘travel gear’ conversation a few weeks ago, he wanted to weigh in. So he and Kristin Sinnott open by discussing their recent trips; they discuss the question of ‘why we travel?’; and then, they dive into some of their favorite travel gear.
RELATED LINKS:
Bag Balm: 20% Off w/ Code: BLISTER
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Blister Summit 2025: Early-Bird Registration
TOPICS & TIMES:
Recap of our Recent Trips (6:28)
Snake Bite Black story (12:46)
Italy (18:01)
Why Do We Travel? (28:40)
Florence, Italy (32:25)
Gear Talk: Headphones (37:10)
Roller Bags (42:15)
Backpack (47:40)
Walking shoes (51:04)
Mechanical Watches (56:27)
Work Out Gear (59:02)
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Launching your own outdoor apparel company is no small feat, especially if it’s a one-woman operation. But with Curious Creatures, that’s exactly what Tasha Woodworth has done, and Kara Williard sat down with Tasha to hear all about her unique path to where she is today, as well as the ups, downs, and key takeaways from the journey.
We discuss how Tasha’s background in both the fashion industry and ski racing helped her along the way; what it means to be a “curious creature”; how the ski racing “beat down” prepared her for building a small business, and more.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Summit 2025: Early-Bird Registration
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
TOPICS & TIMES
High Fashion (2:46)
Working at Patagonia (5:27)
NCAA / Middlebury & US Ski Team (9:12)
Why start a new business? (11:27)
First Steps (13:55)
Products & Problem Solving (16:16)
Curious Creatures (19:49)
Men’s vs. Women’s vs. Unisex (29:17)
Business Ethos (30:17)
What’s Next? (33:35)
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Taylor Ahearn has been photographing skiing, snowboarding, biking, and day-to-day life in the Gunnison / Crested Butte Valley for many years now, and in this conversation, Luke Koppa chats with him about how he turned that into a career; their favorite camera-related gear; tips to help *you* capture better photos next time you’re outside; the most rewarding, frustrating, and unusual parts of getting these shots; and more. If you’re curious about how people like Taylor create such inspiring photos, or are looking to better capture your own time outside, you’ll definitely want to stick around.
RELATED LINKS:
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
TOPICS & TIMES:
Taylor’s Photo Background (3:57)
Most Rewarding Aspects? (10:37)
Challenges (16:04)
Photo Myths (22:22)
Shooting Biking vs Skiing (26:02)
Current Setups (30:10)
Camera Accessories (38:43)
Photography Advice (47:20)
Editing & Settings (1:01:08)
Favorite Photos & Photographers (1:11:39)
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For this episode, Luke Koppa sat down with Kristin Sinnott to go over some of the products they’ve found useful, surprising, or otherwise noteworthy while on the road or hurtling through the sky. They also discuss extremely relevant things like camcorder storage solutions and dinosaur podcasts, the fact that Luke doesn’t actually like traveling, and more.
RELATED LINKS:
Bag Balm: 20% Off w/ Code: BLISTER
Blister Summit 2025: Early-Bird Registration
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES:
Kristin & Luke’s Recent Trips (6:29)
Travel Essentials (9:14)
Camcorder Gear (20:09)
Headphones & Dino Podcasts (23:58)
Apparel (29:26)
Surprisingly Useful Gear (45:05)
Products We Wished Existed (47:30)
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In part 2 of this GEAR THERAPY mini-saga, Justin Bobb lays out his specific recommendations for boots, bindings, boards, & more to get Jonathan started on his snowboarding journey. They also discuss how many days on a board JE will need before he’s ready to head up to the Headwall at Crested Butte.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Rec Shop: Boone Mtn Sports
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
TOPICS & TIMES:
Next Blister Cinematic episode
Snowboard Boots (8:46)
Snowboard Bindings (22:07)
Snowboards (29:01)
Camber Profiles (30:32)
Length / Sizing (36:21)
Protective Gear (39:36)
Common Injuries (43:12)
Summary (45:52)
Headwall Challenge (47:03)
Crashes & Close Calls (53:57)
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How much does knowing how to ski help when learning how to snowboard? How do you slam as little as possible while learning to ride? Why don’t snowboards have releasable bindings? These are a few of our Blister founder's questions as he learns to ‘think sideways.’
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Rec Shop: Powder Hound
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES:
Hot Dog…The Movie (4:56)
Snowboarding Status Update (8:33)
Slam Reduction Program (12:08)
Releasable Bindings? (14:32)
JE’s Snowboarding Goals (19:38)
Stance (21:21)
Visualization / “Think Sideways” (23:54)
Best Terrain to Begin On? (29:34)
Types of Slams (33:25)
Speed (35:51)
Running Flat Bases? (36:30)
Heel vs Toe, Part 1 (38:34)
Tips on Crashing (41:36)
Timeline (44:22)
Heel vs Toe, Part 2 (45:00)
Edges (51:31)
How to Stop?? (53:05)
Speed Scrubbing (1:01:30)
JE’s Latest Crashes & Close Calls (1:05:21)
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At Blister Summit 2024, we got a state of the union on the present and future of ski boot design from 3 people with a wealth of experience in this world: Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson, Matt Manser, and Greg Klein. They cover everything from the reception and performance of BOA boots to Hoji’s new Dynafit Ridge Pro boot; cold feet (literal & metaphorical…), and much more.
RELATED LINKS:
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
TOPICS:
Intro 4:12
BOA Ski Boots: How’s It Gone So Far? 5:36
Weight: Still a Big Factor?13:27
Hoji’s New Dynafit Ridge Pro Boot 25:20
“Welcome Fit” 39:06
Footbeds & Boot Shell Plastic 45:31
Upper-Cuff BOAs? 54:09
Selling Shells w/o Liners? 56:34
Solutions for Cold Feet? 1:02:40
“True” size-22 Shells 1:04:57
Throat / Instep Fit 1:06:47
Canting & Cuff Alignment 1:09:11
“Custom” Boots 1:11:20
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We’re back with Eric Helmbrecht, co-owner of Powder Hound in Girdwood, AK, to discuss Alaska’s banner El Niño season; the gear he enjoyed most; the gear Kara Williard brought to Girdwood; what’s changed at Alyeska Resort since joining the Ikon pass; the reliability of various AT & alpine bindings, and more.
RELATED LINKS:
Shop Talk: Powder Hound, Girdwood, AK (Ep.133)
Shop Talk: Celebrating 10 Years of Powder Hound in Girdwood, AK (Ep.222)
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES
Alaska’s Epic El Niño (3:07)
Eric’s Favorite Gear (4:55)
Kara’s Gear for AK (7:05)
BOA Boots (10:57)
Ski Tuning Upgrade (13:17)
Ski Racing in AK (17:03)
Alyeska on the Ikon Pass (20:03)
Eric’s Trip Recommendations (25:19)
Alpine Bindings (28:01)
Binding Reliability & Longevity (30:56)
Eric’s Preferences (40:53)
AT Bindings & Trends (44:40)
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Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the new skis they’ve been testing this spring
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Rec Shop: Powder Hound
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES:
Intro & Updates (2:36)
Blizzard Anomaly 88 (9:50)
K2 Omen Team (20:00)
Blizzard Anomaly 94 (23:32)
Armada Declivity X 102 & Declivity X 108 (33:58)
Moment Commander 102 (40:46)
Line Pandora 99 & Pandora 106 (49:14)
Black Crows Corvus (57:38)
Rossignol Sender Free 118 (1:03:57)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:10:07)
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After years in the backcountry and a near-death experience, IFMGA Guide, Jeff Banks, wanted to build a tool that could simplify and improve the decision-making of any backcountry user. The result is Aspect Avy.
Kara Williard sat down with Jeff to discuss how this app compares to and complements other backcountry tools; key features such as Adaptive Slop Shading and “No Go Zones”; how it accounts for human factors; different types of risk; the general state of tech in the backcountry; and more.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Rec Shop: Boulder Orthotics
Get Covered: BLISTER+
VIDEOS: BLISTER YouTube Channel
TOPICS & TIMES:
Jeff’s Background: IFMGA & Nordic (3:10)
Jeff’s Near-Death Experience (6:15)
Intro to Aspect Avy (9:18)
Adaptive Slope Shading (10:31)
No-Go Zones, Coaching Tool, & Runout Zones (13:21)
Human Factors (19:17)
Adaptive Tools (23:20)
Who’s It For? (30:32)
Tech & Backcountry Skiing (46:26)
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What’s in and what’s out in ski design? And how have U.S. ski companies been doing over the past few years? At Blister Summit 2024, we discussed this and much more with Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, and Icelantic Skis founder, Ben Anderson. We cover notable trends; why skis cost what they do; the challenges of manufacturing skis in the U.S.; whether a core-shot-proof ski is possible, and more.
And, if you’d like to check out the video of this conversation, then head over to the BLISTER YouTube channel to watch this, plus other panel sessions from all of our Blister Summits, plus new brand lineup videos, etc.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Rec Shop: Lone Pine Gear Exchange
Get Covered: BLISTER+
VIDEOS: BLISTER YouTube Channel
TOPICS & TIMES:
Introductions 3:21
Manufacturing Challenges 8:08
Ski Costs vs. Ski Prices 14:10
Exciting New Ski Materials? 26:01
Audience Questions 35:50
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This week, Jonathan, Luke, Kara, Kristin, and JBobb were testing a bunch of skis, boots, snowboards, and apparel in Taos Ski Valley. But it was more than just a review trip, since it was also the first time back at TSV for several of us who previously spent many seasons there — which meant there were a lot of feelings.
So in this conversation, we discuss a number of the carving-oriented and narrower all-mountain skis we were on this week; Luke’s food choices; the heated debate between Taos’ Chair 2 (West Basin) vs Chair 12 (Kachina Peak); and more.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Recommended Shop: Powder Hound AK
BLISTER+ Membership: Learn More & Sign Up
VIDEOS: Blister YouTube Channel
TOPICS & TIMES:
We’re Back! (5:45)
The Great Debate: Taos’ Chair 2 vs. Chair 12 (11:27)
Luke’s Green-Chile Cheeseburger (25:00)
Morning Groomers & Carving Skis (30:53)
Afternoon Steeps & All-Mountain Skis (44:31)
Crashes & Close Calls: Jonathan’s Latest (1:05:54)
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Luke Koppa and Kara Williard talk with Trygve Sande, one of the founders of Vertical Playground (VPG), which is our Blister Recommended Shop in Oppdal, Norway, to get a read on the past, present, and future of backcountry gear. We discuss current trends; all-time pivotal pieces of gear; the most durable products; the easiest ones to use; gear that helps break down the barriers to entry; skiing in Norway; and last but not least, Trygve’s involvement and collaboration with Hoji and 4FRNT’s new concept ski.
RELATED LINKS:
GEAR:30 Ep.169: Vertical Playground, Oppdal Norway
VIDEOS: Blister YouTube Channel
TOPICS & TIMES
VPG background (2:19)
Current Backcountry Trends (5:20)
All-Time Pivotal Gear (11:01)
Frame & Tech Bindings (13:09)
Most Durable Products? (20:46)
Top Products: Ease of Use (24:31)
Hoji Lock (25:31)
Dynafit Ridge Binding (31:11)
Performance-to-Weight Ratio (28:06)
Best Gear for Norway (31:26)
Backcountry Accessories (33:38)
Backpacks (35:20)
Backcountry Gear Demos (36:54)
Hoji & the Raven & 4FRNT Concept Ski (41:00)
Summer at VPG (47:19)
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Today we’re discussing current helmet technology, head injuries, and best practices for skiers & snowboarders with Blister reviewer (and physician assistant), Sascha Anastas; Sr. Director of R&D at Giro, Steven Kennedy; the CMO of MIPS, Frederik Kjellberg; and pro skier, Drew Petersen.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Recommended Shop: Boone Mtn Sports
VIDEOS: Blister YouTube Channel
TOPICS & TIMES:
MIPS Backstory & Purpose (4:28)
Skull Fractures & Concussions (9:10)
Helmet R&D & Various Testing Standards (14:50)
Athlete Perspective on Helmet Testing (19:56)
Advice for Buying Helmets (25:02)
Different Versions of MIPS (28:06)
Drew’s Take: Choosing Helmets (30:36)
Replacing Helmets: When & Why? (32:00)
Audience: Mental Side of Accidents (35:02)
Audience: Concussions & Long-Term Effects (42:57)
Audience: Helmet Replacement Cont. (44:28)
Closing Thoughts (46:20)
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Jeremy Jones was in town last week, so in addition to getting out on snow together, Jonathan and he sat down in Blister HQ in Elevation Hotel to talk about gear reviews; the biggest gear mistakes riders make; full-camber vs. no-camber boards; soft vs. hard boots (including Shane McConkey’s tinkering on that front); and more.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Recommended Shop: Willi’s
Jeremy & Xavier Nidecker on Re-Up Tech
TOPICS & TIMES:
Riding CBMR, CBMR Freeride Comp (3:35)
Jonathan Boarding, Jeremy Getting on Skis (6:00)
Gear Reviews / Gear Reviewing (11:56)
Materials, Weight, & Stiffness (25:15)
Full-Camber vs No-Camber Boards (33:17)
Boards for Beginners (35:47)
Soft vs Hard Boots (42:06)
Product Design at Jones (53:34)
ReUptech (55:38)
Blister Cinematic (58:35)
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How should you think about ski boot flex patterns, and which one is “right” for you? For the latest installment of our “Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting” series, Kara Williard talks with bootfitter and Pulse Boot Lab’s Revelstoke store manager, Bryn Vickers, to cover the complex and often misunderstood aspects of ski boot flex.
We discuss how the ankle joint and an individual’s biomechanics are the most important pieces of the puzzle; what exactly boot “flex” even means when it comes to on-snow performance; the many variables that determine what flex pattern might work best for you; and we also talk about Pulse’s latest tech, including their new foam-injected aftermarket liner.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Recommended Shop: Pulse Boot Labs
BLISTER+ Membership: Sign Up
A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting Series
3D Printing & Bootfitting w/ Pulse Boot Lab (Ep.234)
Stance Balancing with Pulse Boot Labs (Ep.217)
TOPICS & TIMES
Ankle Joint = #1 Priority (3:33)
How the Body Moves (6.17)
Custom Insoles (12:49)
What is Boot Flex? (17:50)
Walk Mode Vs. Fixed Cuff (22:49)
Flex Ratings (26:27)
Forward Lean & Calf Size (33:39)
Height, Weight, & Strength (39:17)
Options for Stiffening (42:26)
Options for Softening (45:59)
Final Thoughts on Boot Flex (48:49)
Pulse’s Foam Injected Liner & Other Tech (52:51)
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Luke Koppa sits down with Kristin Sinnott, Jonathan Ellsworth, Kara Williard, and Justin Bobb to do a bit of a recap on our 2024 Blister Summit, which took place in Mt. Crested Butte last week. We go over a few of the MANY highlights of the event, and then dive into a bunch of the standout products they were each able to try at the Summit.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Recommended Shop: Sturtevants
Blister Summit 2024: A Brief Recap of an Epic Event
BLISTER+ Membership: Sign Up
TOPICS & TIMES:
Catching Up (2:24)
Blister Awards (13:58)
Rossignol Revenant, Never Summer Cougar, & Weston Hatchet (15:35)
Dynastar M-Pro 98 W (19:55)
Rossignol Sender Soul 102 (22:42)
Icelantic Maidens (27:23)
Salomon S/Pro Race 110 (28:56)
Bishop Telemark, Uphillers, & Raide Packs (30:38)
Salomon Stance 96 (36:43)
ON3P Woodsman 100 (38:30)
Salomon QST X (39:28)
ZAG Slap 92 & Slap 112 (42:09)
CARV & Hoji (44:22)
Moment Commander 92 (46:12)
Blister Summit 2025 (53:49)
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Kara Williard sits down with Katy Jackson, co-founder and CEO of our Blister Recommended Shop, Lone Pine Gear Exchange, to understand the logistics of running a robust consignment program; how to shop for and sell used gear; the importance of consignment for both accessibility and sustainability in outdoor recreation; gear repair; planting trees; how living off-grid led her and her husband to where they are today; and a whole lot more.
RELATED LINKS:
Lone Pine Gear Exchange | 15% off your first order with code: BLISTER15
BLISTER+: Get Yourself Covered
TOPICS & TIMES
Off-Grid Living (2:30)
Second Tracks (6:31)
Starting Lone Pine (7:53)
Consignment Program (11:32)
Best Practices for Buying Used (16:32)
Gear Repair Program (25:38)
Sustainability & Community (35:59)
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Dr. Sean Humbert is back to provide an update on our Blister Labs’ ski flex project, and to explain how and why ski boots are becoming an integral part of this project, too.
RELATED LINKS:
Last Chance! Blister Summit 2024
BLISTER+: Get Yourself Covered
TOPICS & TIMES:
Scope of the Project (6:26)
Dynamic Modeling (7:05)
Machine Learning (17:50)
Creating a Profile? (23:28)
The Holy Grail Project & Ski Boots (28:18)
Blister Summit / Blister Labs (41:09)
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Luke Koppa, Dylan Wood, and Eric Freson join Kara Williard to talk about the epic storm cycle we recently had in Crested Butte, and the powder-ski testing that followed. We also discuss several of the new all-mountain skis we’ve been on lately; Dylan’s new favorite ski poles; a standout touring boot; 3D-printed custom goggles; and a bunch of Crashes & Close Calls.
RELATED LINKS:
Episode Sponsor: Spokane Alpine Haus
Join Us at Blister Summit 2024
Become a Member & Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES:
Pow Skis (4:19)
All-Mountain Skis (20:39)
Other Gear We’ve Been Testing (41:23)
Crashes & Close Calls (55:37)
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Luke Koppa sits down with Kyle Siegel, the founder of Raide, which is one of the newest players in the backcountry softgoods category. They launched with a lightweight 40-liter backpack that immediately made a splash when it was released, so we sat down with Kyle to learn about how — and why — he started Raide.
We cover the problems he’s looking to solve; how he went about doing so with the Raide LF 40 pack; we do a deep dive on some of the latest high-end, ultralight pack materials; the challenges and benefits of running a new, small business in the category; what we should expect from Raide in the future, and more.
RELATED LINKS:
Episode Sponsor: Pulse Boot Lab & Ski Co.
Join Us at Blister Summit 2024
Become a Member & Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Blister First Look: Raide LF 40L Pack
TOPICS & TIMES:
Kyle’s Background (3:28)
The Problems Raide is Attempting to Solve (6:19)
Prototyping Process & Must-Have Features (12:15)
Deep Dive: Materials (17:00)
Raide LF 40L: Overview (28:07)
Raide’s Future Products (35:57)
Running Lean & Nimble as a Small Business (43:32)
Raide’s Athlete Team (46:17)
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Are you an “expert” skier or rider? Advanced skier? Intermediate? What’s the difference between “advanced” and “expert”? Today, we’re following up on our GEAR:30 conversation with Luke Koppa (episode 277) to revisit these questions — having received a lot of great responses from all of you. Joining Jonathan today to rethink these things is Jordan Jones, co-founder and president of Powder7, to provide a retailer’s perspective on these things. See what you think, and let us know whether you think we ought to change or tweak our 6 ability level categories for Community Reviews.
RELATED LINKS:
Join Us! Blister Summit 2024
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Ep. 277: Jonathan & Luke on Skier Ability Levels
TOPICS & TIMES:
Meeting Up in Girdwood, AK (8:15)
Technique (12:37)
Is Our Bar Too High for “Expert”?(16:46)
Our “Advanced” Category (25:53)
Advanced & Expert Descriptions (28:56)
Assigning Ability Levels to Skis (32:04)
Skier Weight vs Skier Power (39:13)
Skier Personality / Style (44:29)
Accounting for Different Conditions / Locations (48:10)
Monoskiing (51:27)
Final Thought: The Best Skiers on the Mtn (59:08)
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Today, we’re following up last week’s episode, where we looked back at 2023’s “Gear Of The Year,” and we’re now looking forward to 2024. Jonathan Ellsworth, Kara Williard, Justin Bobb, and Luke Koppa attempt to predict what’s “in” and what’s “out,” what trends will be revived, what categories will see the most change, and spin off into several other tangents.
RELATED LINKS:
Episode Sponsor: OpenSnow.com/Blister
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Ep. 278: Gear of the Year, 2023
TOPICS & TIMES:
2023 Gear Trends (2:26)
What’s “In” for 2024? (8:05)
What’s “Out” for 2024? (15:27)
What Trends are Coming Back? (25:55)
Categories to See the Most Change? (31:11)
Crashes & Close Calls (38:24)
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Jonathan Ellsworth sits down with Luke Koppa, Kara Williard, and Justin Bobb to reflect on some of the standout products and notable trends that defined the past year in ski and snowboard gear.
So, what trend does Luke think is “the gear equivalent of superhero movies?” How many BOA dials has JBobb broken in a decade as a self-described BOA convert? What’s Kara’s pick for the “Not New But Still Amazing Award?” Take a listen and find out.
RELATED LINKS:
Episode Sponsor: Taos Ski Valley
Blister Recommended Shop: Zimmermann’s Skis, Boards & More
Become a BLISTER+ Member
TOPICS & TIMES:
Biggest Developments & Trends
Standout Products (31:54)
Best Values (51:36)
Not New But Still Amazing Award (1:00:33)
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We just launched our new Blister Labs project, Blister Community Reviews, so Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss where it is today; how it will evolve; and some big questions like, how much info is too much or too little?; how to best define the difference between an intermediate, advanced, and expert skier; rating scale debates; and more.
RELATED LINKS:
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Join Us! Blister Summit 2024
Video: Blister Labs Summit Panel Session
GEAR:30 #257: Previous Labs Convo
TOPICS & TIMES:
Solstice & World Snowboard Day (1:54)
Blister Community Reviews (7:47)
Defining Skier Ability Levels (20:03)
Rating Scales (32:31)
Should Our Reviewers Contribute? (37:55)
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Shane McConkey’s college roommate is back on GEAR:30, and Jonathan talks to Greg Klein (president of Willi’s Ski & Snowboard Shops) about all the stuff in the episode title, plus the $10,000 bet made at our Blister Summit that it looks like he’s won?
RELATED LINKS:
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Join Us! Blister Summit 2024
TOPICS & TIMES:
Shop Pizza (4:02)
Greg @ the White House / Sustainability (8:17)
Ski Boots, Walk Modes & Winning Bets (22:04)
The Future: Cables, BOAs, or Buckles? (33:57)
90-Flex Boots (41:46)
Ski-Boot Pricing (46:32)
Egg Beaters & Eyes-Closed Skiing (57:57)
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Jonathan and Folsom Custom Ski’s Mike McCabe discuss the skinniest ski in the Folsom lineup, the Spar 78; Folsom’s new huge pow ski, the Rotor; and then they discuss a new custom touring-ski project for Jonathan, and dive deep into the various layup & core combinations one would use to hit certain weight targets. Our fellow gear dorks, you’re going to dig this one.
RELATED LINKS:
Episode Sponsor: Powder7.com
Join Us! Blister Summit 2024
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES:
What’s going on at Folsom? (5:30)
Folsom Spar 78 (8:08)
New: Folsom Rotor (11:58)
Backstory: Folsom ‘Giver’ & ‘Primary’ (14:02)
Bag Balm x Blister x Folsom (20:55)
JE’s Custom Touring Ski Project (34:30)
Which Bindings? (38:36)
Which Boots? (42:21)
Ski Length (52:11)
Weight (54:44)
The Hammer (1:08:44)
Folsom’s Configurations (1:14:53)
Mount Point (1:16:44)
Camber Profile (1:19:03)
Mike’s ‘Crashes & Close Calls’ Story (1:30:26)
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Luke Koppa, Kara Williard, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss getting back on snow, the best holiday of the year, ski boots, frontside skis, mountain biking in Nepal, engagement taco parties, and new apparel.
RELATED LINKS:
Join Us! Blister Summit 2024
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES:
Blister Summit Update (0:00)
Back on Snow (3:41)
Ski Boots (12:16)
Mtn Biking in Nepal (23:49)
Frontside Skis (32:02)
Apparel (50:01)
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What are some of the biggest mistakes skiers make when buying gear? And what do regular, recreational skiers & snowboarders need to know about ski tuning and waxing? Jonathan discusses these questions and more with Logan and Riley Boone of Boone Mountain Sports. They also talk about how they all met (it was in Austria), and Jonathan reveals the upcoming ‘Blister 90-Flex Challenge’.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Blister Summit Update (1:50)
How / Where We All Met (8:09)
Intros: Logan, Riley, & Boone Mountain Sports (13:44)
Kombucha, Music Festivals, & Youth Programs (18:33)
Biggest Ski Buying Mistakes? (28:42)
The Blister ‘90-Flex Challenge’ (35:11)
Ski Tuning (51:00)
Waxing (1:08:35)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:13:50)
The Boone Mountain Sports Logo (1:23:30)
RELATED LINKS
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
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Jonathan talks with Ted Ligety (2x Olympic Gold Medalist & 5x World Cup champion) about his approach to gear; the specific gear he’s using today; how to best deal with flat light and low-vis conditions; his take on the current state of skiing and ski racing; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
How Do You Prepare & Train for Ski Season? (3:55)
Ski Boots (11:25)
CARV (18:59)
Your Ski Quiver These Days? (35:07)
Tuning & Waxing (37:32)
Goggle Lenses for Flat Light (46:16)
Current State of Skiing & Ski Racing? (57:34)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:08:57)
RELATED LINKS
Episode Sponsor: Boot Mechanics
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Blister Podcast ep. 14: Ted Ligety
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NEW: Blister Cinematic
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Jonathan was at the Parlor Custom Skis factory in East Boston to check out the factory and talk with Parlor owner & manager, Mark Wallace, about building custom skis in Boston; assessing skiers (and skiers assessing themselves); custom vs. semi-custom skis; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
What is Parlor? (4:46)
Parlor’s Ski Building Classes (7:45)
Assessing Skiers & Self Assessments (21:17)
Fitting skiers into the right skis (23:27)
Bringing Back Old Skis (30:15)
Custom vs. Semi-Custom Skis (33:11)
Ski Width Controversy (38:13)
Best Question I Haven’t Asked You? (58:07)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:01:12)
Where to Learn More about Parlor (1:09:47)
RELATED LINKS:
Episode Sponsor: Skiboot Rx
Episode Sponsor: Taos Ski Valley
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Coming soon: Blister Cinematic
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Jeremy Jones is back on GEAR:30, and this time, he brought along with him Xavier Nidecker, global brand director of Jones Snowboards, to talk about Jones’ new Re-Up Tech — what it is, how it works, why it matters, and what it could mean for the greater ski & snowboard industry. We also discuss FIS, POW, and climate change, and Jonathan solicits some advice about which board Jeremy and Xavier think he ought to get on as a never-ever.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Update: Blister Crash Course Video (2:00)
Circularity (4:26)
Re-Up Tech vs. Virgin Materials (7:28)
Shipping & Collecting Dead Snowboards (15:24)
Which Parts of the Dead Boards Get Used? (27:56)
Small Steps & Big Solutions (38:56)
Jones’ Fair Trade Certified Factory (48:22)
FIS, POW, & Climate Change (49:50)
Which Snowboard Should JE Start On? (1:10:09)
Crashes and Close Calls (1:15:10)
RELATED LINKS:
Episode Sponsor: OpenSnow.com/Blister
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Coming soon: Blister Cinematic
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A very intriguing — and extremely affordable — new piece of ski-touring gear has just been released, and you ought to know about it. So on our latest GEAR:30 episode, Jonathan talks with Giray Dadali, a pro skier, engineer, ski designer, and founder of Daymaker Touring, about their new product, TEKDAPTERS, that allow you to ski tour using a pin-tech toe on the way up, then click into your DIN-certified alpine binding of choice on the way down.
Giray and I dive deep into the design, materials, weight, compatibility, and rationale for this new product, and we think you’ll agree that it represents an intriguing new offering in the world of ski-touring gear.
TOPICS & TIMES:
When was this idea born? (6:17)
Giray’s Background (8:59)
Who’s It For? (11:52)
TEKDAPTERS vs Original Daymaker (17:48)
“Field Goal” guide rails (26:52)
Universal Compatibility (31:47)
Materials & Design (35:18)
User-Error-Avoidance Tips (43:48)
Locked-Out Pins & Avalanche Danger
Using the Right Tool for the Job (54:42)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:02:20)
Where & When can you get TEKDAPTERS? (1:12:37)
RELATED LINKS:
Episode Sponsor: Zimmermans Ski & Snowboard
Video: Ski Binding Designs with Giray, Hoji, & Lars Chickering-Ayers
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Jonathan Ellsworth sat down with Kara Williard, Dylan Wood, Justin Bobb, and Luke Koppa to debrief about our 2023-2024 Winter Buyer’s Guide, discuss what changed this year (and more importantly, what has *not* changed), go over some trends, and more.
Along the way, we dole out our unofficial “RIP,” “Good Riddance,” and new “Best Glow-Up” awards; talk about what we’re most excited to get on this season; and Jonathan debates whether Luke isn’t even invited to his funeral, or if he’ll be managing the whole thing…
TOPICS & TIMES:
What’s New, What’s Different, & What’s the Same (5:34)
Most Notable Trends (14:13)
RIP Awards (20:21)
Good Riddance Awards (30:20)
Our Blister ‘Best Of’ Section (36:12)
How to get the Guide (56:25)
Snowboarding Talk w/ Jbobb (59:55)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:18:25)
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Recommended shop: blacksheepsports
Order our 23/24 Winter Buyer’s Guide
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Kara Williard sat down with Jake “Fasa” Nelson from the Moment Factory Store to clear up some of the most common bootfitting myths and misconceptions, including the idea that ski boots have to be cold and uncomfortable; why adding forward lean to a boot might not help someone get more forward over their skis; why *everyone* (not just experts) will benefit from a well-fit ski boot and custom insoles; how picking the “right” boot can’t fix all your problems, and more.
We also discuss why these myths are so prevalent in the first place; provide tips on how to shop for a ski boot this season; realistic expectations you should have for a ski boot, and much more.
TOPICS & TIMES
Where do these misconceptions come from? (3:10)
Myth 1 - Boots = Uncomfortable (6:16)
Myth 2 - Boots = Cold (10:04)
Myth 3 - Body Position & Forward Lean (15:44)
Myth 4 - Boot Stiffness Debunked (28:31)
Myth 5 - Skier Type (34:49)
Myth 6 - Custom Insoles (41:23)
Expectations vs. Reality (59:32)
The Boot, Binding, & Ski equation (1:07:50)
How to Shop for Boots (1:16:21)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:24:27)
RELATED LINKS:
Ep.221: A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 4: Big-Mountain Freeride Bootfitting with Fasa
Blister Recommended Shop: Moment Factory Store
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In our latest edition of GEAR THERAPY, Luke and Jonathan talk with Blister Member, Giovanni Saccarola (an Italian living in Switzerland), about his ski quiver, ski boots, and ski boot liner options.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Giovanni: most interesting man in the world? (8:25)
Blizzard Zero G 95 (17:03)
Height / Weight (23:09)
Bindings & Pairing Down His Quiver (26:09)
ATK Free Raiders (28:50)
Giovanni’s Current Quiver (32:27)
Black Crows Atris (36:18
4th ski (38:10)
Tecnica Cochise 130 & Liners (47:20)
Crashes and Close Calls (1:00:28)
RELATED LINKS:
Episode Sponsor: Bag Balm
Episode Sponsor: OpenSnow
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Norrøna has been making gear since 1929, and this family-owned company aims to make the best outdoor recreation products on the market. But that’s easier said than done, so Jonathan Ellsworth talks with Jørgen Jørgensen — the 4th-generation owner & CEO of Norrøna — about the brand’s approach to product design & testing, and the origins, evolution, and future of the brand.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Origins & Evolution of Norrøna (4:32)
Customer Satisfaction (31:39)
Product Testing (34:03)
Quality Assurance & Durability (41:14)
Making the "Best Products" (47:46)
Blister Labs & Current Standards (51:38)
PFAS (56:20)
Some of Jørgen’s Favorite Norrøna Products (1:01:35)
RELATED LINKS:
Episode Sponsor: OpenSnow
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“PFAS” or “Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances” are a hot topic today, especially in the outdoor apparel world, where they’ve been used for decades, most notably in the “DWR” or Durable Water Repellant finishes that are applied to a lot of clothes these days. But that’s going to be coming to an end in the near future.
So, to learn more about why this matters and what it means for manufacturers and consumers alike, Luke Koppa sat down with Alex Lauver, the Senior Director of Materials, Innovation, and Sustainability at Outdoor Research.
They cover why PFAS have been so prevalent in technical apparel for so long; how their use in clothing is just the tip of the iceberg; their downsides and why we’re seeing this recent push to completely eliminate them; the challenges presented by coming up with PFAS-free alternatives; how this shift affects the entire apparel supply chain; how Outdoor Research has approached this transition and worked to stay ahead of the curve; and much more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Alex’s background (3:41)
PFAS vs PFC (8:38)
How long these compounds have been in use (10:41)
Prevalence in the outdoor industry (17:21)
PFAS alternatives (25:28)
Regulatory aspects and timeline (34:08)
What’s next? (50:15)
Crashes and Close Calls (55:42)
RELATED LINKS:
Episode Sponsor: OpenSnow
PFAS FAQs from Outdoor Research
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. Sometimes you don’t even know where to start. You need some help!
In our 3rd session of GEAR THERAPY, Blister Member, Arika Poulin Weller, joins Blister reviewers Kara Williard and Kristin Sinnott. Arika is a longtime skier with roots in Nordic skiing (Fun Fact: she and Kristin raced together in college) and a mother who wants to spend more time skiing after moving back to CO, but she had no idea where to start.
So in this episode, we break down some basics, define some ski-gear terms and what it all means on snow, and provide some recommendations for a 1-ski and 1-boot resort quiver.
TOPICS & TIMES
How Arika & Kristin met (3:20)
Arika’s background (7:26)
Her Current Setup (9:25)
Why Boots are #1 (16:29)
Tech Terms (29:12)
Ski Recommendations (42:34)
Binding Recommendations (56:30)
Boot Recommendations (1:00:38)
Where to go from here? (1:03:20)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:05:39)
RELATED LINKS:
23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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At Blister Summit 2023, we brought together ski boot designers, Tom Pietrowski (K2), Christoph Lentz (Fischer), Riccardo Bonaiti (Dalbello), Ross Herr (Dynafit), and pro skier / designer / obsessive tinkerer, Hoji, to discuss ski boot design in general; the hype and skepticism around BOA (are boot buckles dying??); the role that weight plays in the development of boots of all types; the balancing act of designing a walk mechanism; the challenges presented by the boot-binding interface, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES
Intros & Latest Products (4:07)
Weight & Downhill Performance (12:38)
Boot-Binding Interface Challenges (44:01)
Evaluating Fit (54:16)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:06:56)
RELATED LINKS:
Episode Sponsor: Bag Balm
Blister Summit 2024 Registration
23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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Apparel testing, show pigs, & the underrated importance of ballpoint pens. Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss these things with our Blister Labs colleague, Melanie Peddle, who is a faculty member in the partnership program between Western Colorado University & the University of Colorado Boulder. We also discuss some takeaways from the compression, abrasion, and UV tests we’ve been running; steps toward developing new standards; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Mel’s Background (1:47)
Apparel Testing: Quick Overview (10:55)
What We’ve Been Doing & What’s Next (15:07)
Notable Takeaways (24:35)
Real-World Applicability (40:31)
Crashes & Close Calls (43:11)
RELATED LINKS:
VIDEO: Blister Labs Summit Panel
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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Have you ever dreamt about skiing in New Zealand? Well, in this episode, Kara Williard talks with local Kiwi experts, John Knight and Darren Grimmett, from our Blister Recommended Shop, Outside Sports, to give us the rundown on what skiing in this Southern Hemisphere destination entails, and how to make the most of it.
We discuss the best gear for the conditions and terrain in NZ; the difference between ski fields and club fields; backcountry skiing and heliskiing; plus all the other things you can enjoy while in New Zealand, including eating the best meat pies, biking, hiking, and being around some of the genuinely nicest people.
TOPICS & TIMES
John and Darren’s backgrounds (5:02)
Outside Sports’ humble beginnings (11:15)
Gear Trends in NZ (18:18)
Skis for Variable Conditions (24:50)
Getting to New Zealand & Ski Fields vs. Club Fields (27:04)
Backcountry Skiing & Heliskiing (33:18)
Getting Around (40:04)
More than just skiing (42:51)
Best Gear for NZ (47:22)
Heavier BC Gear for a Reason (48:51)
Ski Season Itch (54:26)
Crashes & Close Calls (56:56)
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Recommended Shop: Outside Sports
23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-Order
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! So in our 2nd episode of GEAR THERAPY, Blister Member & Spokane-based ski patroller, Kam Smith, poses his most-pressing gear questions to Jonathan and Luke, and gets their best recommendations (and a bit of a tongue-lashing from Jonathan). Enjoy!
TOPICS & TIMES:
Meet Kam, Ski Patroller (4:10)
Kam’s Ski Boot Situation (9:45)
Our Suggestions (15:27)
Spokane Alpine Haus (21:51)
Kam’s Ski Quiver (27:12)
Our Recommendations (34:03)
Metal vs Non-Metal Skis (40:03)
Folsom (47:04)
Session Wrap Up (52:27)
Kam’s Crashes & Close Calls Story (56:18)
RELATED LINKS:
See our Blister Recommended Shops
23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-Order
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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Oliver Steffen founded Genuine Guide Gear (G3) many years ago because of his passion for innovation and problem-solving, and while this has largely been aimed at creating solutions related to gear and backcountry touring, most recently, he turned his focus to the environmental impacts and life cycles of G3’s skis and snowboards.
This year, G3 is launching their recyclable “R3” ski and snowboard program, guaranteeing that products manufactured going forward can be broken down, reused, and recycled. So Kara Williard talked to Oliver about this process, what it entails, and how it can be more widely applied to the outdoor industry. Plus, we get the details on the 23/24 R3 ski and snowboard lineup, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Founding G3 (3:43)
Innovation over the years (7:12)
“Right to Repair” and R3 Introduction (10:47)
The Life Cycle Problem (27:11)
Ride, Reuse, Recycle (32:51)
R3 lineup (45:06)
Scaling & Working Together (50:56)
Crashes and Close Calls (58:13)
What We’re Celebrating (1:00:20)
RELATED LINKS:
Exclusive Offer: Get 50% off OpenSnow w/ code blister23
23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-Order
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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Too often, the consumer reviews you find online are incomplete and unhelpful. But through our Blister Labs partnership with Western Colorado University & the University of Colorado Boulder, we’re working to change that. With Blister Community Reviews, we are creating a better method of gathering, synthesizing, and displaying user feedback from people of all shapes, sizes, ability levels, and locations, to produce even more helpful consumer product information for outdoor enthusiasts all around the world.
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the origins of our Blister Community Reviews initiative; the takeaways from our beta testing at Blister Summit 2023; our goals for the future; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Blister Community Reviews: Background & Origins (4:17)
Takeaways from Beta Testing (16:58)
Going Forward: Goals & Timeline (22:10)
Crashes & Close Calls (29:34)
What We’re Celebrating (40:20)
RELATED LINKS:
VIDEO: Blister Labs Summit Panel
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! So in this inaugural edition of GEAR THERAPY, Jason Verlinde — a self-described “average / normal / non-industry / non-pro Blister member” — poses some gear questions and conundrums to Jonathan Ellsworth & Luke Koppa, and “gets to confess my ignorance and state my real-world situation, with the experts weighing in, straightening me out, and steering me toward some products I might love.” Enjoy!
TOPICS & TIMES:
Gear Therapy Explained (3:36)
Why It’s Hard Out There for a GearHead (10:05)
Meet the Patient: Jason Verlinde (12:10)
Jason’s Ski Quiver (14:33)
Putting On Cold Ski Boots & Liners (20:35)
The Blister Approach to Reviews (33:00)
Line Blade & Steep Terrain (44:10)
"Loose and Surfy"? (52:55)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:00:08)
What We're Celebrating (1:07:28)
RELATED LINKS:
23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-Order
CRAFTED: Jason Verlinde on Guitar Making
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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Two years ago, a group of pro skiers, photographers, filmmakers, and friends launched 1000 Skis. They did this because they wanted to “move the culture forward,” make skis they weren’t seeing on the market, and because they just flat-out love skiing.
Magnus Graner and Pär “Peyben” Hägglund were two of those founding members, and Luke Koppa sat down with them for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from the origins of the brand to their prototyping process; how they’ve prioritized — and acted on — sustainability from the start; the challenges and rewards of the unique ways in which they’ve been filming The Bunch’s upcoming film; why they like what’s currently happening in freesking; what they hope to see from the industry in the future, and more. We also touch on why Peyben had to break into a French villa to record this conversation…
As is illustrated by their wide-ranging personal careers in the snowsports world, Magnus and Peyben are thinking a LOT about all sorts of this world’s different elements and aspects, so it was really fun to get their thoughts on a whole bunch of them.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Intros & 1000 Skis Background (2:35)
Design Philosophy & Brand Values (6:15)
Making Skis for Yourselves & for Consumers (10:23)
Prototyping Process (14:14)
Life Cycle Analysis & Sustainability Efforts (22:28)
Why the All-Red Graphics? (34:27)
The 1000 Skis Lineup (42:23)
Mount Points (47:50)
The Bunch & Media Recs (53:30)
Current State & Future of Freesking (1:05:26)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:12:18)
What We’re Celebrating (1:14:55)
RELATED LINKS:
23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-Order
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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For this week’s edition of GEAR:30, Scarpa North America’s CEO, Kim Miller, is back to talk about Scarpa’s Green Manifesto and their pathway to B Corp certification. Kim and Kara Williard discuss what measuring and accounting for progress looks like; the tricky balance of sustainably innovating without compromising performance; the process of recycling products and materials; assessing the life cycle of various products; and some of the gear that best exemplifies Scarpa’s commitment to these values (starting with a tele boot back in 2009!).
TOPICS & TIMES
Kim’s Career & Values (4:03)
Scarpa’s Business Culture (12:14)
Transparency & Accountability (13:18)
Measurements & Metrics (16:59)
Life Cycle Analysis of Gear (33:52)
Service vs. Profit (38:23)
Working Together as an Industry (44:21)
Gear & the Green Manifesto (45:33)
A Sense of Urgency (51:40)
All Pillars of Sustainability (55:49)
Scarpa as a B Corp (1:02:25)
Leading with Passion (1:13:16)
Kim’s Crashes & Close Calls Story (1:18:16)
What We’re Celebrating (1:21:33)
RELATED LINKS:
GEAR:30 Ep.79: SCARPA CEO, Kim Miller, Part 1
GEAR:30 Ep. 84: SCARPA CEO Kim Miller on the F1 LT & More
23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-Order
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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Today we’re providing some updates and discussing the implications of the initial results of our Blister Labs wheelset testing with Greg Vanderbeek (assistant professor of mechanical engineering at CU Boulder & the Western Colorado University / CU Boulder partnership program here in Gunnison, CO) and Travis Hainsworth (associate director of the Western-CU Boulder Computer Science Program).
TOPICS & TIMES:
Project Overview (4:19)
Carbon vs Aluminum = Complicated (7:13)
Preliminary Data / Fancy Squishing Machines (8:42)
Lacing Patterns, Impact Loading, & Dynamic Loading (12:12)
Marketing Wheelsets (14:43)
Challenges (18:58)
Next Steps (24:23)
Variables (26:38)
Learn More (38:32)
RELATED LINKS:
Video: Blister Labs Wheelset Testing
OUR OTHER PODCASTS
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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When it comes to gear, how do you balance the specific needs of world-class athletes with those of average skiers and riders?
In this conversation from Blister Summit 2023, McKenna Petersen (K2 athlete), Drew Peterson (Salomon athlete), Tyler Curle (Moment athlete & ski builder), and Jed Yeiser (K2 engineer) discuss the product development process; the roles that athletes, designers, and product managers play; the weirdest prototypes they’ve tried; what “evolutionary” and “revolutionary” changes we should expect in the future; which discontinued products they’d like to bring back, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Intros & Backgrounds (2:48)
Balancing Needs of Pro Athletes vs the Public (7:31)
Are We in an Evolutionary or Revolutionary Stage of Ski Design? (25:15)
Weirdest Prototype You’ve Tried? (34:17)
How Have Your Responsibilities Evolved? (42:59)
Changing Popular Products (47:13)
What Product Would You Bring Back? (52:46)
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Summit 2024 Registration
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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Odds are that just about every piece of clothing you own has been applied with some sort of surface treatment, and those (typically petroleum-based) treatments contribute to a significant portion of the apparel industry’s already massive carbon footprint. With their recent collaboration, Beyond Surface Technologies and WNDR Alpine are changing that.
So Luke Koppa got the whole story from BST’s CEO, Matthias Foessel, and WNDR Alpine’s Matt Sterbenz, including the details of WNDR Alpine’s Phase Series apparel collection; how BST’s “miDori bioWick” treatment actually works; how it differs from existing plant-seed-based treatments; why it’s important to take a holistic approach when developing alternative processes and treatments, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Matthias’ Background (2:53)
Fabric Surface Treatments: Background (5:31)
Surface Treatments: Environmental Impact (11:15)
WNDR Alpine, Beyond Surface Technologies, & Checkerspot (14:42)
What does miDori bioWick do? (18:52)
WNDR Alpine Phase Series (25:15)
Algal Oils vs Plant Seed Oils (29:05)
What’s Next? (36:12)
Holistic Approach to Surface Treatments (40:59)
What We’re Celebrating & Crashes & Close Calls (46:26)
RELATED LINKS:
23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-Order
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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For decades,Kästle has been making high-end skis for everything from racing to Nordic and skimo. But what sparked their recent launch into the ski boot category? It’s far from a simple process, so Kara Williard talked with Alessandro Speranzoni, Kästle’s global ski boot product engineer, and Alex Pritzlaff, their U.S. product manager, to discuss the origins of the project; the design details of their boots, including their mysterious “Secret Mix” plastic composition; the 23/24 Kästle boot lineup; some new projects they have in the works, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Alessandro & Alex’s Background (3:22)
Kästle’s heritage (6:49)
The “Ski Boot Challenge” (10:02)
Prototyping & Design (13:41)
Key Blend / “Secret Mix” Plastics (21:04)
Fit & Liners (31:44)
Stance & Boot Boards (37:34)
“K Release” Buckles (40:08)
23/24 Lineup (41:53)
Women-Specific Boot & Ski Project (52:25)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:05:32)
What We’re Celebrating (1:07:15)
RELATED LINKS:
23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Happy Hour (for Blister Members)
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Tyrolia’s Protector bindings with “Full Heel Release” is something that every skier ought to know about. Tyrolia calls it “the safest binding we have ever made,” and exactly how it works and how it’s supposed to reduce knee injuries is the topic of this conversation with Andrew Couperthwait, VP of Winter Sports for HEAD / Tyrolia.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Overview of Protector Bindings (4:10)
How Traditional Alpine Bindings Release (5:51)
Protector Technology (8:19)
Backwards Twisting Falls (10:57)
Two Distinct Movements (16:12)
Why 7mm? (20:22)
Retention (25:24)
Knee Bindings vs. Protector Bindings (32:17)
ISO Norms & Boot Soles (36:07)
Look Pivot vs Protector Bindings (40:44)
Priorities: Release or Retention? (46:49)
Development of Protector Technology (49:22)
Product Evolution (52:24)
Where to Find Protector Bindings (58:56)
Crashes & Close Calls (1:00:59)
What We're Celebrating (1:12:37)
RELATED LINKS:
23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide
Video: Blister Summit Bindings Panel
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Ferreol is a relatively new company that designs and builds skis in Quebec, and they are working hard to push beyond conventional ski materials and construction. They created their own “Innovation Lab” to not only test skis but also develop new materials — and they’re not keeping it to themselves. Instead, they’re collaborating with other brands in order to move things forward at a greater scale.
So Luke Koppa sat down with Ferreol co-founder, Jonathan Audet, to discuss all of that, including the development of their own alternative to titanal alloy; fully replacing fiberglass with natural flax fibers; their 23/24 ski lineup, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Origins of Ferreol (3:38)
Blindspots in the Market (7:00)
Replacing Fiberglass w/ Flax (8:45)
Life Cycle Analysis (11:24)
Ferreol’s 23/24 Lineup: (19:18)
Surfer 112 (19:18)
Pioneer 104 (23:19)
Explo 96 (28:26)
ZigZag 92 (30:43)
Ferreol Innovation Lab: Background (34:01)
Developing an Alternative to Titanal (36:49)
Ski Design App (50:13)
Ferreol Skis: Who Should Get Them? (51:45)
What We’re Celebrating / Crashes & Close Calls (59:37)
RELATED LINKS:
23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide
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Ok, you know the drill. Which ski company is most similar to which bike company? What’s the latest incendiary thing that will come out of Dylan Wood’s mouth? This final installment of our 4th edition of Bikes vs Skis is definitely another fun one.
TOPICS & TIMES:
RELATED LINKS:
OUR OTHER PODCASTS
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At Blister Summit 2023, we brought together Hoji (Dynafit), Lars Chickering-Ayers (CAST Touring), and Giray Dadali (Daymaker Touring) for an extremely interesting and important discussion on the past, present, and future of ski bindings. We get their thoughts on “acceptable use” for certain bindings; the “Age of Confusion” surrounding different binding designs; being “handcuffed by standards” and thinking about the binding / boot / ski interface as a whole; what we should (or should hope to) expect from bindings in the future, and much, much more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
RELATED LINKS
Episode Sponsors:
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Which bike company and which ski company is currently holding the ‘Cool Kids Belt’? Which brand do other companies secretly wish they could trade places with? We debate these questions and more in our latest edition of Bikes vs. Skis. Check it out, and let us know your current answers to these questions.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Best Bang for The Buck: Bike (7:22)
Best Bang for The Buck: Skis (10:39)
Most Dialed & Complete Lineup? (14:51)
Who Holds the ‘Cool Kids’ Belt? (22:52)
Specific Bike the Cool Kids are On? (28:35)
Most Coveted Bikes & Skis (31:11)
Flying Under The Radar? (41:32)
Brand that Other Co’s Would Switch Places With (47:51)
Most Overhyped? (55:40)
Who Has the Most Brand Loyalty? (1:01:04)
Who Would You Buy Stock in Today? (1:05:04)
Crashes and Close Calls (1:19:15)
What We’re Celebrating (1:22:31)
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Bikes vs Skis, 3rd Edition (2021): Part 1
Bikes vs Skis, 3rd Edition (2021): Part 2
Bikes vs Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 1
Bikes vs Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 2
Bikes vs Skis, 1st Edition (2018): Part 1
Bikes vs Skis, 1st Edition (2018): Part 2
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If you spend any time — inbounds or in the backcountry — skiing or riding in avalanche terrain or near tree wells, then you need to listen to this episode. Because we’re talking about a new system designed to increase your chances of survival if buried in an avalanche or tree well: the Safeback SBX. Our guest is Tor Berge, the CEO of the Norwegian company, Safeback, and Tor and I have a wide ranging conversation about avy gear in general, while also diving deep into the development process of their SBX system and exactly how it works. There’s lots of good food for thought in this one.
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Today we’re talking about skis built for the deepest of days, the ones we dream about — and the kind that Mike McCabe and Jonathan Ellsworth were fortunate enough to ski recently in Alaska. And if you’ve ever heard someone say, “All skis are great in pow,” well, they’re here to blow up that notion. So what design elements work best in deep snow? What about low-angle terrain vs. steeper terrain? How wide is too wide? Is a softer flex pattern better? They discuss all of this and more.
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Kara Williard speaks with Coalition Snow founder and CEO, Jen Gurecki, about running a ski and snowboard brand owned and operated by women that designs products for everyone; what the evolution of these business goals has looked like; their brick-and-mortar storefront; “Far Out” trips around the world; inclusive initiatives designed to grow snowsports and build a lasting community; Coalition's 23/24 ski and snowboard lineup; what needs to happen for the ski industry to survive and thrive; Jen’s goals for the future; and more.
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Jonathan is currently in AK with Paul Forward, Chugach Powder Guides, and a great crew. So he & Paul talk about the skis they’ve been getting time on (from Heritage Lab, Folsom, DPS, K2); some new skis we’d like to see; crème brûlée crust; and the new Lange Shadow boot.
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Jonathan and Luke talk about closing day at CBMR; the gear JE is bringing to AK; liners; the Rossi Sender Free 110, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, Volkl Revolt 114, Luke’s new stitches, & more.
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Jonathan talks with Blizzard’s Christian Avery about the overhauled Rustler & Sheeva skis; where their Hustle line of skis slots into the mix; and why we shouldn’t be sleeping on the Cochise.
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For this edition of Shop Talk, Kara Williard talks with Jeff Perry and Isabel Berg from Gear West, our Blister Recommended Shop in Long Lake, Minnesota, to learn about how they build a year-round community around Gear West’s “campus”; what it means to provide service for everything from ski racing to park skiing; some gear trends they’re noticing; how new uphill access at their local mountain, Buck Hill, has influenced the community and their gear purchases; what it looks like to train and staff a large year-round specialty shop, and much more.
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Kara Williard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk with Jeff Colt, Brand Director of ZipFit, to make the case for why liners, or “inner boots” are one of the most overlooked yet most important pieces of gear. We also discuss the legacy of Sven Coomer; the growth of ZipFit as they bring new products to market; the Fischer x ZipFit collab with the RC4 Pro series; and Jeff shares his own ‘Crashes & Close Calls’ story from the Blister Summit.
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For this edition of Shop Talk, Kristin Sinnott is back with the owners of the Spokane Alpine Haus, Drew and Rachel Harding, to discuss skiing with kids. We cover how we were introduced to the sport as kids, what it looked like to bring our own kids into the sport, and how it’s going. We also talk about how shops can help facilitate children and families getting into the sport, what it looks like to grow the next generation of skiers and snowboarders, what to look for in kids' gear, the gear that’s helped us get our families out on the hill, and more.
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Drew and Rachels' Background in Skiing as Kids (2:07)
Kristin's Background (5:02)
Affordability (5:56)
Child Care and Traveling with Kids for Skiing (8:05)
Drew and Rachel's Kids Intro to Skiing and Parent Mentorship (10:42)
Seasonal Leases (19:31)
Parental Advice for Soft Goods and Apparel (23:14)
iGrow stitches and Boot Cuff Considerations? (27:48)
Boot Considerations and Growth (34:27)
Hard Goods and Ski Poles (36:47)
Leashes and Harness (41:38)
Sense of Freedom for Kids (46:33)
How Can Ski Shops Play a Roll In Kids Skiing (49:59)
Helmets and Goggles (52:21)
Kids Join the Conversation (56:01)
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Luke Koppa is joined by Justin Bobb, Kara Williard, Dylan Wood, and Kristin Sinnott to discuss some of the standout gear they were able to test at last week’s Blister Summit, from skis to snowboards, ski boots, bindings, and even snow blades. Then about halfway through, Jonathan Ellsworth jumps in and adds his thoughts on a couple of the skis he got on, too.
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For this edition of Shop Talk, we are back with Kai Palkeinen, founder of Pulse Boot Lab, to hear about what Kai’s been up to since we last talked, including opening a third location in Collingwood; the evolution of Pulse and what they have in mind for the future; their process for developing and refining some 3D printing technology that is being applied to more than just ski boots; what it means to spend the day fitting race boots; why liners are everything, subjective, and also circular (?); Kai’s thoughts on some recent new boot tech, and more.
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Dr. Sean Humbert is back to provide an update on our ski testing at Blister Labs; discuss the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning for product reviewing and ski recommendation engines; and more.
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Matt Manser is back to go deep on the just-unveiled 23/24 Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD (and Hawx Ultra XTD BOA GW); the new Hawx Ultra XTD Mimic Professional liner; the all-new Atomic Backland XTD; and why we’re suddenly seeing the proliferation of the BOA system on ski boots. We also discuss ponies, children’s cough syrup, and Matt shares his own ‘Crashes & Close Calls’ story.
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Jonathan talks about shop life, gear, the price of single-day lift passes, and more with Alex and Matt from Powder7 in Golden, Colorado. Then Blister bike editor, David Golay, joins Jonathan to tell his Crashes & Close Calls story.
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Today we’ve got a masterclass on the history and evolution of snowboard design with Jeremy Jones, as well as Jeremy’s own philosophy behind product creation and refinement at Jones Snowboards. Jeremy and I discuss “progression bumps”; a new Jones board coming out this spring; prototyping; finding design inspiration in unexpected places; a number of the boards in the current Jones lineup; and more.
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We’re talking ski gear, customer trends, & sustainability initiatives (from the POV of a shop owner) with Mike Donohue of Outdoor Gear Exchange, our Blister Recommended Shop in Burlington, Vermont. And we have a great listener-submitted story for “Crashes & Close Calls.”
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Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, Kara Williard, and Dylan Wood discuss some of the notable gear they’ve been reviewing this season. They also discuss Christmas quesadillas; whether it’s okay to put sweaty ski socks on boot dryers; and we launch a new segment: Crashes & Close Calls.
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Travis Hainsworth is a whole lot of fun. And when he’s not out on his highly questionable one-ski quiver, he’s busy being the associate director of the Western-CU Boulder Computer Science Program here in Gunnison, CO, and an integral member of our Blister Labs team. So in this conversation, we’re talking “SoRo”;” MoCap”; wheelset testing; his dream of becoming the first Red-Bull-sponsored mathematician; and more.
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Too often, passionate skiers have to mourn the discontinuation of our all-time favorite ski designs. So Marshal Olson started Heritage Lab Skis to fix that. In this conversation, we talk with Marshal about all things Heritage Lab, including how it got started; how it’s going; their ‘smokin’ rocks’ warranty policy; order updates; and what’s next.
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Matt Manser, Atomic’s ski boots product manager, is back to discuss the current lineup of Atomic ski boots and what’s new for this season; running through airports in ski boots; Tom Cruise; the Atomic Redster CS vs. the Hawx Ultra Professional; and more.
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Kristin Sinnott and Kara Williard caught up with Kjerstin Klein, co-owner of Willi’s Ski and Board. They dove into Kjerstin’s adventurous background as a model and sponsored snowboarder (among several other amazing things); and what it looked like for Kjerstin and her husband Greg to take on Willi’s and maintain it as a family-owned ski shop. Kjerstin explains how to successfully jump into a family business; techniques for how to stay innovative; what it means to truly grow the sport; why ski shops are “conduits” within the ecosystem that is the ski industry; and we learn a lot about the Winter Divas program, a women’s focus group that Kjerstin founded to grow women’s presence and leadership in the industry, plus a whole bunch more.
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Kristin Sinnott and Kara Williard talk with Blizzard-Tecnica’s Women2Women program founder and ski legend, Leslie Baker-Brown, about her background in ski racing, and her remarkable 32 years of work for Blizzard-Tecnica. They dive into the origins story of the W2W program, including how it spans beyond women-specific gear via community-building, scholarship programs, and more. Leslie explains Blizzard-Tecnica’s design process for women’s gear, including designing the #1 selling ski in the world; she talks about what it looks like to work with women through the iterative prototyping process; what gives her hope and inspiration for the future; and where we can still work to improve the industry.
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Just in time for our Blister Recommended Shop, Powder Hound, to celebrate its 10-year business anniversary, Kara Williard chatted with the owner and founder, Eric Helmbrecht. They dove into a bunch of topics as a reflection of the 10 years Powder Hound has been a staple shop in Girdwood, AK, including how skis, boots, and bindings have progressed; the ways in which the industry has changed; what it looked like to be adaptable during a global pandemic; accomplishments they’re proud of; getting their start at the Palmer State Fair; what it feels like to ski on skis that are over 140 mm underfoot; snowboarding trends; and more.
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For the fourth installment of our Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, we talked with Jake "Fasa" Nelson, who not only works at the Moment Ski Factory, but also happens to run one of the best bootfitting shops in the Reno area. Fasa runs us through what a “big-mountain freeride” approach to bootfitting looks like; how his background in running informs his understanding of feet and biomechanics, how to work with the unique preferences of athletes (and some of the insanity that athletes can tolerate); what it means to be a “tour guide” rather than a bootfitter; and much more.
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Eric Hjorleifson is back on GEAR:30 to answer questions from our Blister Members about gear; his tinkering process; coming to the Blister Summit; how he trains for an upcoming season; mental preparation, and … we get some bonus questions from Markus Eder, too. (We also announce our new “Blister After Hours” sessions — that’s our working title — so learn about that and let us know if you have better ideas for what we ought to call the new show.)
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We talk with Skip and Mac Beitzel, the owners — and father / son duo — from Hickory & Tweed, located in Armonk, New York. We go over the history of the shop; Skip’s background of ski ballet and hot dogging; seasonal lease programs; personal ski quivers; & more.
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A bunch of our reviewers discuss why our 22/23 Winter Buyer’s Guide is still unique and still the best resource for your winter gear; what’s new & different this year; some of our personal favorite gear of the season; some industry trends and speculation; and why pumpkin-flavored pastries make Drew Kelly sweat.
TOPICS & TIMES
What makes the Blister Buyer’s Guide unique? (3:36)
What’s New (10:23)
Our Women-Specific Sections & Unisex Skis (12:16)
Gear Trends (14:40)
Leveling Out (21:41)
More Specified Gear (23:31)
Groomer Skiing (29:47)
Insulated Apparel (33:23)
Specific Gear Shoutouts (35:12)
Our BLISTER Spectrums & Quivers (45:50)
What We’re Celebrating (52:23)
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Hickory and Tweed: BLISTER Recommended Shop
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22/23 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide
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For Part 3 of our Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting series, Kara Williard and Kai Palkeinen, Founder of Pulse Boot Labs, dive into the intricate topic of stance balancing and canting ski boots. Kai explains Pulse Boots Labs’ analytical approach to getting it right, his refined methodology of “red light, green light”; the multi-step process of looking at the foot, insole, liner, shell, and then potentially cuff alignment and canting; and all the intricate variables that can play into this process, including snow surface, attitude, and communication.
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Folsom builds custom skis in Denver, Colorado, and they have a LOT going on these days. So we discussed it all with their head ski builder / owner / CEO, Mike McCabe, including their 22/23 lineup; new shapes; new construction materials; their very cool Junior Skis Trade-In Program; Blister Labs; and more.
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Those waterproof & breathability ratings on the tags of that rain jacket or those ski pants you’re about to buy: where did they come from? What’s the history? And how relevant are those standards? We discuss all of this and more with Dr. Lauren Cooper, who heads up our Blister Labs work on technical apparel.
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In the second installment of our “Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting” series, Blister reviewer (and bootfitter) Kara Williard is joined again by Master Bootiftter, Sam Tischendorf. But this time it is all about you, the audience, as we make our way through a bunch of your questions. Sam and Kara explain some of the technical mysteries — and at times, controversies — within bootfitting, such as forward lean and ramp angle; provide a deeper explanation of why custom insoles are so imperative as the foundation to a boot’s fit; the differences between rigid and flexible feet; they make a case for women-specific ski boots; and they end on some horror stories and Sam’s true feelings about DIY bootfitting.
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Can engineering actually help us discover real-world characteristics about products that will be meaningful to end users? Or, when we incorporate quantitative data, do we mostly run the risk of having that data leading people astray? To lay out the concerns, stakes, and potential rewards, Jonathan Ellsworth talks with Thomas Laakso, the vice president of product and operations at DPS Skis, and Dr. Sean Humbert of Blister Labs.
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Few things in the world of ski gear are as complex, important, or misunderstood as bootfitting. So in this 1st episode of our new series on bootfitting, we dive into the basics with Sam Tischendorf, Masterfit University instructor, former clinical podiatrist, and lead bootfitter.
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Greg Vanderbeek is back with a Blister Labs update on our mountain-bike-wheels testing. We discuss why the dynamic modeling we’ve been doing in the field is a critical component for ongoing testing back at Western Colorado University; what our test results are revealing about carbon vs. aluminum wheels; and we talk about the joy of new tires, the magic of espresso, and more.
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You do your research when it comes to your ski & bike & trail gear. But what about your eyewear? Julbo CEO, Dave Crothers, makes the case that there’s a whole lot more to lens technology that everyone ought to be considering, and that lenses are not all pretty much the same. Hear him out.
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On the latest edition of our Reviewing the Reviewer series, our resident ski reviewer, bike tester, boot fitter, and sustainable farmer, Kara Williard, is in the hot seat. We cover everything from ski and bike gear preferences to scorpion-eating chickens; Kara’s stint as a Tall-Tee-clad park rat; whether goalie gloves smell worse than sweaty ski boots; and much more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Kara’s background (4:39)
Worst thing she did during high school? (12:18)
College days (14:02)
Kara’s family of goalkeepers (16:17)
Gross goalie gloves (18:25)
Kara’s skiing & bootfitting background (20:31)
First time she met Jonathan (31:26)
Mountain biking & gear preferences (36:26)
Her favorite reviewers (46:06)
Her favorite skier & bikers (47:21)
Jungle farming with scabies & scorpion-eating chickens (50:06)
What she’s better at than Sam Shaheen (54:28)
Favorite books, movies, & musicians (57:21)
Random review: her own red chile (1:03:05)
Best question we haven’t asked you? (1:07:38)
What We're Celebrating (1:12:04)
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Luke Koppa, Kara Williard, and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about our upcoming test, where we’ll be mounting up more than 20 pairs of the same ski with more than 20 different alpine bindings in the attempt to find out what really separates the most popular alpine (and 50/50) bindings from one another.
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A few years ago, Kitsbow undertook an incredibly ambitious plan to move to Old Fort, North Carolina, and bring all of their apparel production to the United States, after years of working with overseas factories. In doing so, they not only found a way to adapt to today’s challenging supply chain logistics, but they also trained an entirely new workforce and spearheaded the revitalization of their new hometown, which had been losing manufacturing jobs for decades. So we talked with their CEO, David Billstrom, about how they did that while weathering a global pandemic; how doing so has been a boon to the brand, their customers, and their local community; and how they hope to be a blueprint for other companies to do the same.
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We talk to Naked Sports Innovations’ president and co-founder, Lindsay Dakota, about how the concept of “simplexity” drives Naked’s design process; growing a small brand sustainably; the future of footwear; and how ski racing influenced the design of their new trail shoe.
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Blister reviewer, Drew Kelly — the man with the best turn in Crested Butte — is in the hot seat today, and in this insanely wide-ranging conversation, we talk about choss monsters, cave trolls, geek beaks, Drew’s dating profile, birding, Sweet Nasty, the universe, gear preferences, and more.
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In this Blister Labs update, we sit down with Greg Vanderbeek to talk about how he chose his grad school based on proximity to climbing; starting a custom motorcycle business; what we’re currently working on with respect to mountain bikes at Blister Labs; and more.
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Luke and Jonathan discuss Jonathan’s travels across France & Italy; his visits to the Lange factory and ATK bindings factory; provide updates on our Mtn Bike Buyer’s Guide and Winter Buyer’s Guide; and more.
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Few people spend as many days as we do testing skis on snow. But Rossignol’s AJ Kruajitch definitely does. So Jonathan Ellsworth spent a day at Les Deux Alpes going through AJ’s testing process, then talking with him and Jake Stevens about the similarities and differences in our approaches.
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A recyclable ski? Jonathan sat down with David Bouvier to talk about Rossignol’s new “Essential” ski; discuss the origin of the project; the challenges posed by making the circular economy of a ski a priority; who this Essential ski is for; and how this project will influence other Rossignol products.
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In part two of our conversation with ATK CEO (and one of ATK’s chief product testers), Davide Indulti, we discuss ATK’s current binding lineup; the design differences between their four collections: Race, Speed Touring, Touring, & Free Touring; how Davide thinks ATK bindings stack up against the competition; some new products that are in the works; and more.
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The Italian company, ATK Bindings, has been taking the tech-binding world by storm. And in this first podcast that the brand has ever done, we talk with ATK CEO (and son of ATK’s founder), Davide Indulti, about the surprising origins of this family business; a pivotal moment in ATK’s history; where ATK saw the biggest opportunities to improve tech bindings; and more.
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In this Blister Labs update, Sean Humbert joins us to talk about the movie Real Genius; flies; ski testing and dynamic modeling; math and slarving; and more.
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Growing up in Tahoe (4:46)
Sean’s engineering background (8:27)
From flies to robotics (24:55)
Blister Labs (29:32)
Ski testing & dynamic modeling (35:38)
Edge angles, load cases, & stability (50:02)
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Today, in another edition of our Reviewer Reports series, we’ve got a wide-ranging conversation with Kristin Sinnott, Dylan Wood, Kara Williard, Drew Kelly, and Luke Koppa, where we cover everything from the setups Drew used while touring for several weeks in Alaska this spring, to a whole bunch of skis that all of us have been using this spring — in both the backcountry and the resort. We also touch on some new outerwear, get an update from Kara on some heated socks, and discuss some unique gear and tricks Kristin’s been using to ski with her son.
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We talk with Spark R&D founder, Will Ritter, about the current happenings at Spark; compare the splitboarding and backcountry skiing communities and gear trends; go over design highlights from their current lineup; and more.
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We talk with DPS’s VP of product and operations about the recent history of DPS; discuss some of the specific skis in their lineup; hear a defense of carbon fiber; define a new rule for product design; clarify DPS Phantom; & more.
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We talk with Rachel and Drew Harding from The Spokane Alpine Haus about the highlights and challenges of this past season; skiing with kids; heated socks; and more.
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Jonathan talks about our most recent Blister Summit panel sessions; our upcoming Blister ‘Brand Lineup’ videos; an event this weekend; what we’re celebrating; & more.
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Luke and Jonathan discuss new skis, ski boots, liners, and apparel from Faction, Salomon, ZipFit, Dynastar, Renoun, Majesty, Strafe, Lange, and more. Plus gas-station food and owls.
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We talk with Bode Miller about his new company, Peak Skis and their new “Keyhole Technology”; revolutionizing ski manufacturing; his vision for Scarpa ski boots; his take on the Winter Olympics; and a whole lot more.
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We’re talking new gear and gear trends with Lucas Evans and Jeff Perry of Gear West, our Blister Recommended Shop in Long Lake, Minnesota.
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Jonathan Ellsworth was in the Cascade mountains of Washington this week with K2 skier, McKenna Peterson, and K2 ski designer, Jed Yeiser, and after a great day of skiing, we sat down to talk about ski developing and prototyping; ski testing; our ski-binding shootout; biathlons; flip flips; & books.
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Kristin Sinnott, Kara Williard, and Sascha Anastas talk about some of their highlights from the Blister Summit and discuss a bunch of the gear they spent time on from Fischer, Salomon, Dynastar, Renoun, Rossignol, and more.
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Cody and Jonathan review some news, then talk about 5 gear myths; cookware; coffeemakers; & more.
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Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth give a quick recap of the Blister Summit, then discuss a dozen of the skis we spent time on at the event.
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Today we’re giving you an update on the topics we’ll be discussing at our upcoming Blister Summit, and telling you who the athletes, founders, product designers, and snow safety experts are that we’ll be discussing these things with. Then, in case you missed it, we’re reposting one of our favorite conversations we’ve ever had on product design in innovation, which ran previously on our Off The Couch podcast. It’s a must-listen for anyone interested in design and innovation.
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Kara Williard spells out the case for custom insoles in your ski boots, and discusses the Blizzard Black Pearl, Volkl Secret 96, & Salomon Stance 88W. Eric Freson talks about his trip to Canada and the WNDR Alpine Reason 120, 4FRNT Renegade, the Lange RX 130 LV, and the Salomon Shift Pro 130. And Luke Koppa talks about the new Line Blade Optic 96, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 95, and Moment Deathwish 104.
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How should a ski boot actually fit? What does it feel like to have a “properly fitting” ski boot? And how do you achieve that? We’re discussing these questions and topics with Sebastian Steinbach, who is a boot fitting instructor in Europe for Masterfit University, and the owner of the freeride ski shop, Black Sheep Sports, in Munich, Germany.
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Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss a ton of next season’s new products, and some of the most intriguing product categories.
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We were recently in Sun Valley, Idaho, hanging out at Sturtevants, one of our Blister Recommended Shops, and talking with Sturtevants owner, Olin Glenne about Rotarun Ski Area (which could serve as a blueprint for local ski hills in other places); Olin’s lifelong love of skiing; the skiing in and around Sun Valley, and some of his favorite gear.
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Today we are excited to introduce you to a very big new initiative at Blister: Blister Labs. Blister Labs is a new partnership between Blister, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the brand-new, state-of-the-art engineering facility at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado. Joining me to talk about why we believe that Blister Labs represents a significant new development in the outdoor industry is Dr. Jeni Blacklock, who is the director of the Rady Partnership Program between CU Boulder and Western Colorado University.
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Jonathan Ellsworth and Blister Summit director, Kristin Sinnott, discuss the ins and outs of our upcoming Blister Summit; why we’re including free professionally guided backcountry tours; which brands will be there; when to arrive & where to stay; and more.
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Matt Manser, Atomic’s ski boots product manager, is back to discuss Jonathan’s trip; Matt’s Jura coffee maker; our scotch & rye whiskey tasting sessions; skiing Zauchensee and Kitzsteinhorn on the Atomic Redster G9 RS, X9 S, and X9 WB; ski boot terms (and unconditional love); and some modifications we made to Jonathan’s ski boots — which you might want to consider for your own.
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We talk with ON3P Skis founder, Scott Andrus, about what’s been going on at ON3P, and we walk through the brand’s 22/23 lineup of skis.
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Paul Forward and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the backcountry gear Paul’s been testing around Girdwood, Alaska, including skis from Moonlight and Movement; bindings from Moment and Dynafit; skins from G3 and Pomoca; and Scarpa boots. We also discuss current trends (fads?) in ski poles, and the underrated value of a good snow saw.
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MountainFLOW is disrupting the ski and snowboard industries by producing high-performing products that are also biodegradable and more sustainable than the conventional products in their categories. So we talked with founder, Peter Arlein, about the environmental impacts of ski wax; his appearance on Shark Tank; the upcoming ban on fluorocarbon waxes at the highest levels of ski racing; and Peter reveals mountainFLOW’s brand-newproduct, which we think is going to have another significant impact on the ski industry.
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John Weir from Bentgate in Golden, CO, is back to discuss advances in backcountry skis; draw comparisons between some high-profile touring boots; and reassess the pros, cons, & compromises of various AT bindings.
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We talk to professional skier, Hadley Hammer, about the gear she’s most & least picky about; her own gear preferences; some of the keys to happiness; and we fight about The Queen’s Gambit.
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We’re pulling back the curtain on ski testing, and to provide their wealth of experience in this arena are The Ski Monster co-founder & CEO, George Michaelsen, and Matt Berkowitz, who is now the brand director of The Ski Monster and who has participated in too many ski tests to count. We discuss good ways and bad ways to conduct gear tests; how and why The Ski Monster has been able to ramp up the amount of gear testing they’re doing; and why not all gear tests are created equal.
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Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss our 21/22 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide and some corresponding industry trends and category highlights. They also talk snowblades, clarify our Buyer’s Guide ‘Best Of’ Awards, and go on a rant or two.
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Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, is back on GEAR:30 to talk about Moment’s 21/22 lineup of skis; the new Moment factory; the new Deathwish 104; snowblading; & more.
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Once upon a time, a couple of friends who were scheming to get some gear for their own adventures ended up creating a phenomenal outdoor shop. We talk to Trygve Sande and Rune Kvalsnes about the origins of Vertical Playground; their trip with Hoji where the idea of the 4FRNT Raven was born; the ski touring and mountain biking scene in central Norway; some of their favorite gear; and more.
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We talk to Pete Wagner about three big new things happening at Wagner Custom Skis, where everything is built right in Telluride, Colorado.
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We talk with Greg Klein, president of Willi’s Ski and Snowboard Shops, which is family owned and operated with several locations in the greater Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania. We talk about what brought Greg’s father (Willi) to PA; Seven Springs Mountain Resort; the key ingredients of a great ski shop; ski length & ski width; Willi’s women’s program; shop beer vs. shop pizza; & more.
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This week, we sat down with McKenna Peterson, one of the stars of Matchstick Productions’ new film, The Stomping Grounds, to discuss her personal gear preferences; what ski equipment she’d most like to see get made; the topic of women-specific gear; the best ways to get more women involved in skiing; and more.
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Matt Manser is back for a deep dive on Atomic’s new 21/22 lineup, and we also discuss ski boot design and construction in general; the “Frodo Pro”; “Complete Tech” vs. “Hybrid Tech”; Immanuel Kant; Omar Little; and he offers his take on Bode Miller’s recent GEAR:30 thoughts on ski boots.
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It is difficult to overstate the innovation that Eric Pollard has brought to modern skiing, and in this conversation, you’ll get to hear more about how Eric sees the world and finds himself pursuing new directions. We also talk about graphics; Season’s all-black topsheets; and each of the models in Season’s ski lineup.
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We had Bode on the Blister Podcast (ep. 154) talking about education, mental preparation, and more, and that is a not-to-be-missed conversation. This time around, we dive deep into gear talk, and Bode makes clear that his different and creative ways of thinking weren’t just hallmarks of his approach to racing, they define his approach to skis, ski boots, bindings, and eyewear, too.
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Flylow founder (and certified gear nerd) Dan Abrams is back to talk about the skis and ski boots he’s interested in for the coming season; Flylow’s mountain bike apparel; and what’s new in the Flylow lineup for Winter 21/22.
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Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth answer listener gear questions; share some info about our new winter buyer’s guide; and Luke shares with us some good news, but also presents new reasons for us to worry about him.
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We’re talking with Rachel and Drew Harding, the owners of The Spokane Alpine Haus, about the ski scene in Spokane, Washington; the Alpine Haus’ massive equipment leasing program; interesting ways to destroy skis; kid’s gear; and more.
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Today we are airing the panel session on ski design that we held at the Blister Summit. We talk to the designers behind the skis from Blizzard, Folsom Custom Skis, Rossignol, Dynastar, and Wagner Custom Skis to get their respective design philosophies; discuss current trends in ski design; debate whether skis are being dumbed down today; determine once and for all whether stated sidecut radius numbers are fake; & more.
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You had to know we’d do this, right? We’re doing a deep dive on coffee with Sam Higby of First Ascent. We discuss the difference between good and bad instant coffee; light roasts vs. dark roasts (and what some dark roasts have in common with hot sauce or double IPAs); the brewing process & brewing at altitude; how to make great coffee on a budget; and more.
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Chris Davenport walked over to Blister HQ from Aspen to talk about how he thinks about ski gear and his own personal preferences. We also discuss monoskiing; which gear he is most and least picky about; ski width; mount points; weight; and whether Shane McConkey would be into these GEAR:30 conversations.
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Andrew Alexander King tells us about his experience on Denali and some of the most important gear he used.
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The planning (1:32)
The Between Worlds Project (3:32)
The training (5:51)
The surprises (11:41)
The gear (18:16)
The climb (30:51)
What's next (57:54)
What We're Celebrating (1:06:26)
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Our prior podcast on The Between Worlds Project
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This spring, Sam Shaheen and four of his friends took on the very big challenge of a Denali expedition. So in this conversation, we get the debrief from Sam, discuss what he and his crew learned in the process, and go over some of the most important gear he used (including a homemade unicorn nose guard), and of that gear, what worked well and what didn’t.
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This week we’re talking with the co-founder of WaveCel, Dr. Steve Madey. We discuss the origins of and the development of WaveCel; Steve makes what might be the best case we’ve ever heard about why rotational forces play such a critical role in brain injuries; and we discuss how WaveCel compares to MIPS and Koroyd.
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Previously on GEAR:30 we laid out our Mt. Rushmore of Ski Suspension. Now, we’re moving to the opposite end of the spectrum to talk about the poppiest skis we’ve been on. We define some terms, talk about some of the characteristics that can help make a ski more poppy; and we work our way through a whole bunch of skis. Check it out, and let us know what skis you think are most deserving.
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We talk with the Head of Product at POC, Oscar Huss, about headforms — the things they stick into helmets to mimic your head before smashing up helmets in testing; the numerous variables that need to be considered when setting up a way to test “safety”; the different considerations that go into designing kids helmets; and more.
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We talk with the president & CEO of Pret Helmets about Pret’s approach to helmet design; the “dart test” portion of the safety certification process; the prospects of implementing customizable helmet liners; why Pret places such an emphasis on ventilation; and more.
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We talk with Rob Wesson about Giro’s approach to various helmet safety standards and certifications; the differences between a $65 helmet and a $260 helmet; the pros and cons of adding a chin bar to a full-face helmet, or a large visor to an enduro bike helmet; and more.
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In our new GEAR:30 mini-series, we’re talking to key designers in the world of snowsport andbike helmets to stitch together a current state of helmet tech and helmet R&D.
To get things started, we are talking with Ståle Møller, the co-founder of Sweet Protection, about the pros and cons of the two different safety certifications out there; advances in materials & our understanding of head injuries; ventilation; the unique challenges of designing helmets for various activities; and how to know when you ought to replace your helmet.
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Matt Manser is back to talk about bike crashes and ski boot suspension.
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Carl Moriarty was the Design Director at Arc’teryx, and is currently the Design Director at Rapha. We discuss his background and career in the outdoor industry, then dive into several principles of technical apparel design; the pros and cons of various technologies; the challenge of balancing high performance with sustainability; and how being clear on these things can help us evaluate advertising claims about new pieces.
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Which tech bindings feel the most like alpine bindings? What “very light” skis offer the best suspension and damping? Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about a bunch of ski touring gear they’ve been reviewing and answer a number of your touring-related questions.
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We talk with Sebastian Steinbach, the owner of Blacksheep Sports Freeride Shop in Munich, Germany, about a bunch of ski touring gear, including the new Tecnica Cochise 130, Lange XT3 Tour Pro, Dalbello Quantum Free 130, Plum Summit 12 binding, Moment Wildcat Tour 108, and more.
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Paul Forward and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about a bunch of the powder skis Paul’s been reviewing this season in Girdwood, Alaska.
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Today we’re talking about one of the most important concepts in ski design: suspension. So what do we mean by “suspension”? Are terms like “plush” or “damp” synonyms, or are there important differences? And what are some of the best skis of all-time when it comes to suspension? Let the debate begin.
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Luke Koppa & Jonathan Ellsworth report on the new skis they’ve been reviewing from Black Crows, Salomon, Dynastar, Wagner, RMU, Moment, & more.
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Our patron saint of GEAR:30 is back on the show today, and we talked to Hoji about the new Dynafit Radical Pro; how it compares to the Hoji Free boot; the evolution of the “Hoji Hole” testing prototypes; and more.
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GEAR:30 ep.138: Escape Route director, James Reddy on the Radical Pro
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Sascha Anastas and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss a couple of new liners they’re reviewing: the Zipfit World Cup liner, and the Atomic Mimic Professional liner that Matt Manser and Jonathan talked about on episode #132 of GEAR:30.
And be sure to check out the Blister Summit Panel sessions that we’re rolling out on our BLISTER YouTube channel. We just posted a conversation about Rossignol’s 21/22 lineup — and Rossi’s decision to retire their “7 Series” and the Soul 7, and what they are going for with the Black Ops series that replaces it.
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MADE is a new company that’s setting out to make custom technicalapparel. Their 3 co-founders are all veterans of the technical apparel and outdoor industries, and Luke Koppa and I talked to Cheryl LeBarr, Capri Philip, and Dustin Butcher about whythey started MADE and how they are making this happen. (And, of course, we argue about anoraks, too.)
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Today we’ve got another Shop Talk episode for you, where we speak with folks from one of our Blister Recommended Shops to get their perspective on a mix of topics ranging from broadly applicable to all of us, to topics that help us better understand what’s going on in the local community that each shop serves.
James Reddy, the director of Escape Route in Whistler and Squamish, British Columbia, joins us to talk about Escape Route’s backcountry-only focus; the ski culture(s) of the Sea-to-Sky Corridor; elephant snot; the new Dynafit Radical Pro boot; the Fritschi Tecton; avy pack comparisons, and more.
SPECIAL PROMO FOR OUR CANADIAN LISTENERS: Go to escaperoute.ca and enter the promo code “blisterreview” for $50 off your purchase of $200 or more! Good till 6.30.21
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Luka Koppa, Sascha Anastas, Kara Williard, and Jonathan Ellsworth offer a bit of a recap of our inaugural Blister Summit in Mt. Crested Butte, then discuss a number of skis from 4FRNT, Rossignol, Wagner Custom Skis, Dynastar, Icelantic Skis, WNDR Alpine, and Folsom Custom Skis that we spent time on at the Summit.
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Today we’ve got another Shop Talk episode for you, where we speak with folks from one of our Blister Recommended Shops to get their perspective on a mix of topics ranging from broadly applicable to all of us, to topics that help us better understand what’s going on in the local community that each shop serves.
Mark "Osman" Osell and Jeff Perry join us from Gear West in Long Lake, Minnesota. We talk about the Minnesota ski scene; the Gear West campus; dropping cliffs in the Iowa backcountry; the fantastic bike culture of Minnesota, and more.
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Today we’ve got another installment of our “Reviewing the Reviewer” series, where we ask various BLISTER reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews. And since we like to rank & review things around here, we also give a score to each of our reviewers’ answers, then come up with a cumulative review grade for each of them. And in the hot seat today is our mountain bike and ski reviewer, Dylan Wood.
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Our inaugural Blister Summit launches in less than two weeks! So Kristin Sinnott, our Blister Summit director, and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about the origins of the idea, why we think it’s important; why we think you should come!; and we cover a ton of the details and logistics of this first-of-its-kind event in the snowsports world.
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Today we’ve got another Shop Talk episode for you, where we speak with folks from one of our Blister Recommended Shops to get their perspective on a mix of topics ranging from broadly applicable to all of us, to topics that help us better understand what’s going on in the local community that each shop serves.
Eric Helmbrecht, owner of Powder Hound Ski & Bike Shop in Girdwood, Alaska, is back on the show to talk about this season in Girdwood; Fizz Nation; some of the gear that he and his staff are particularly high on this season; and, of course, we had to talk about Juras.
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Product Manager of Atomic Ski Boots, Matt Manser, is backto talk about heel pockets and tongue volume and Luke Koppa’s feet and how plug boots are not a thing and Atomic’s new Hawx Ultra and their new “Professional” Series of Liners and Dual Straps.
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We’re talking with Megan Shenton, the head of the ski dept. at Outdoor Gear Exchange, about how this ski season is going so far in New England; the history of Outdoor Gear Exchange; some of her personal favorite gear and some of the OGE staff’s favorite products; and more.
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Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth offer their initial thoughts on the new Volkl Mantra M6 & Secret 96; reviewer, Drew Kelly (aka, The Hulk), makes his GEAR:30 debut to compare the Volkl Katana 108 vs the HEAD Monster 108 vs the Blizzard Cochise 106; Luke discusses some of the Movement skis he’s been getting time on; & more.
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Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about some of the skis they’ve recently been testing; name some of the most surprising products of 2020 and some of the standoutproducts of 2020; offer a few gear predictions for 2021; and end with what they’re celebrating this week.
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We’re talking with Chris Gerston, founder of Backcountry Essentials, talking about Bellingham; starting Backcountry Essentials; and some of the gear that he thinks works really well for skiing at Mt Baker and for volcano skiing.
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Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss several listener questions about ski quivers; 1-boot quivers; some game-changing news in the ski boot world; a number of skis, apparel pieces, and ski masks we’ve been testing; & what we’re celebrating this week.
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We’ve got another edition of Shop Talk for you, where we talk with folks from one of our Blister Recommended Shops to get their perspective on a mix of topics that range from broadly applicable to all of us, to topics that help us better understand what’s going on in the local community that each shop serves.
Today, we’ve got Eric Gerrmann & George Michaelsen, two friends who started The Ski Monster. You can stop by their very cool shop located at 60 Canal St in Boston, Massachusetts, or you can check them out online at theskimonster.com.
We talk about how George and Eric met; how getting fired - twice! - turned out to be a very positive development; the diverse customer base they serve; why ski shops ought to work to elevate the experience of purchasing all of this expensive gear; and more.
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We talk to Blister reviewers Sascha Anastas & Paul Forward about their ski quivers; binding preferences; coffee in AK; your questions; and more.
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Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the opening day of the ski season; approaches to building ski quivers; our specific selections; Luke’s latest rant; What We’re Celebrating; & more.
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Today we’re talking with one of our Blister Recommended Shops to get their perspective on a mix of topics that range from broadly applicable to all of us, to topics that help us better understand what’s going on in the specific local community that each particular shop serves.
Earlier this week I sat down in Blister headquarters with Tyson Stellrecht, the founder of Boise Gear Collective, to talk about the selling of bothused gear and brand new gear; how it’s going with backcountry.com one year later; why Tyson isn’t moving into e-commerce; gear snobs; predictions for the upcoming season; and more.
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If you are a true gear head, you are going to love this conversation. And if you aren’t a full-on gear nerd but you’d like to better understand what “waterproof” really means, and when you should and shouldn’t worry about a 10k or 20k rating on the jacket or pants you are thinking of buying, then you also ought to listen to this conversation.
Luke Koppa and I spoke this week with Michael Cattanach, who is the Product Design Director at Polartec. Polartec is a very interesting company with a hundred years of history behind it. But you might not be too familiar with them, since Polartec makes the textiles and fabrics that a lot of your favorite outerwear and apparel are made of, but they don’t make or sell the end products. In other words, Polartec makes the ingredients used to make your favorite apparel. And so today, we’re going to dive deep into the details about ingredients and textiles and fabrics, and Polartec’s history, and what Polartec is up to today.
Now as we said, we do get into the weeds quite a bit in this conversation, so we strongly encourageyou to check out the show notes to this episode, where we have listed a number of very relevant terms and definitions.
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Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the highlights and big takeaways from our new Winter Buyer’s Guide. We’ll talk about some of our Best Of award winners; whether or not the 20/21 crop of ski gear represents a step forward; and more. Then we answer a lot of the questions you submitted.
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Today we’ve got another edition of Blister Shop Talk, where we check in with one of our Blister Recommended Shops to get their perspective on topics that range from universally applicable, to topics that help us better understand what’s going on the particular, local communities that they serve.
Bentgate is an outstanding shop located in Golden, Colorado, and our guest today is John Weir. John and I talk about fitting AT boots; the rise of splitboarding; John’s (really good) predictions for this upcoming season; some of the precautions and protocols that Bentgate is taking and putting in place this winter; a lasting (positive) effect that COVID may have on the bootfitting process; and more.
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We sat down in Blister HQ with Cody Townsend to talk about coffee makers, bindings, beacons, terrain management, mortality, movies, and more.
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What do you know about Alpaca wool? And how well do you know the ins and outs of manufacturing in Peru? We talk about these things and more with the founders of Arms of Andes, which is a company that makes outdoor clothing from Royal Alpaca wool that is single-sourced and produced in Peru. We discuss the characteristics and benefits of Royal Alpaca wool; the traditional method used to collect the wool; their commitment to (and the unique challenges of) manufacturing in Peru; what they’re doing to try to be one of the most sustainable clothing brands in the world; and more.
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We’ve got Folsom Skis CEO, Mike McCabe, back on the show to catch us up on what’s been going on at Folsom; the PPE equipment they’ve been making; their lineup for the 20/21 season; and more. Mike also flips the script and asks me how things have been at Blister, and we wrap with what we’re celebrating this week. I also provide a quick update on the status of our 20/21 Winter Buyer’s Guide.
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Black Sheep Sports is a freeride shop in Munich, Germany, and we talk to its founder, Sebastian Steinbach, about this past ski season; his predictions for the upcoming ski season in Europe — and whether we’ll see a backcountry boom in Europe? We then talk about the critical art of customer service; why friends shouldn’t tell friends to just “Go buy this boot”; and more.
Order our 20/21 Winter Buyer’s Guide
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For some time now, Faction has been one of the hottest brands in skiing. But how much do you actually know about the company? This week we are talking about the history of the brand, some key moments in the company, and some big recent changes; you’ll hear what it’s like to go skiing with anddesign skis for Candide Thovex; and we go over Faction’s lineup for the upcoming season.
We’re joined by Faction engineer, Daniel Tanzer; product manager, Josh Cohen; and North American marketing manager and mono ski advocate, Hank Lampert.
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Last week, it was announced that Jason Levinthal had sold 4FRNT Skis. So we talked to Jason about how this deal came about; learn the background of the new leadership group at 4FRNT; ask what the group does and doesn’t intend to change about the brand; and more.
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We talk to Northern-Michigan-based Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis co-founder & product engineer, Jeff Thompson, about their 20/21 lineup; their unusual “nanoMag” construction; and more. Then Luke Koppa talks about skiing pow this week (??) in Crested Butte.
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Not all bikes or skis are equally good at all things — and the same goes for protective face masks. So we talked with Alex Lauver and Kat Schoewe of Outdoor Research about what type of masks are the most and least effective; how Outdoor Research’s work on medical-grade PPE has influenced their commercially available Essential Face Mask; we make some predictions about the upcoming ski season; and more.
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Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, is back on the show to talk with Jonathan Ellsworth about the 20/21 lineup. Come to learn what’s new, stay for all their arguments and tangents.
[Note: Luke accidentally says in the conversation that the previous (19/20) Commander had a -10 cm mount point; it actually had a -8 cm mount point.]
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Voormi is not interested in being just another outdoor apparel company. They develop their own textiles inhouse; they manufacture in the United States; and they’ve got some big plans. So we sat down in Blister HQ with Timm Smith, their head of materials development, to learn more about the Voormi story and where the brand is heading.
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WATCH THE VIDEO ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
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Matt Sterbenz, Pep Fujas, and Xan Marshland came to Crested Butte and sat down with us in Blister HQ to fill us in on WNDR Alpine’s new materials, new updates to the Intention 110, and their brand new ski, the Vital 100. And you’ll also hear some stories about Matt and Pep competing in slopestyle events against each other back in the day, and more.
To learn more about the WNDR Alpine backstory, check out these other conversations we’ve had with them:
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Jonathan Ellsworth talks to David Golay, Dylan Wood, & Luke Koppa about the Guerrilla Gravity Gnarvana; Manitou Mezzer & RockShox ZEB; Rocky Mountain Instinct BC; our 20/21 Winter Buyer’s Guide (become a Blister Member to reserve your copy + get a ton of other benefits); and … ‘The Year of Ellsworth.’
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Normally on GEAR:30 we dive deep into the details of specific ski, apparel, or bike equipment. But this week, we’re taking a close look at a massive emerging category — CBD products in general — and one specific company in particular, Aprch. And to walk us through some of the relevant science, regulations, production processes, and the trajectory of this industry, we’re talking with Aprch co-founder, Adam Hunter.
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LINKS TO LEARN MORE:
• CBD Researcher, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam
• Article on Dr. Mechoulam's research findings regarding CBD and potential benefits
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In our “Reviewing the Reviewer” series, we ask various BLISTER reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews. And since we like to rank & review things around here, we also give a score to each of our reviewers’ answers, then come up with a cumulative review grade for each of them.
In the hot seat today is Kristin Sinnott, and I recently subjected Kristin to our regular gauntlet of Reviewing-the-Reviewer questions, which led to answers that involved Family Feud, killer bees, ski dance videos, her background in alpine and nordic skiing; and some of her gear preferences.
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Kristin Sinnott and Justin Bobb join Jonathan Ellsworth to talk about some of the kid’s gear they’ve found to be the most game changing. And even if you don’t have kids, you should still definitely listen to this episode if only to learn about a piece of gear that we’ve currently named, “The JBobber.” And there’s another piece of equipment that currently has a unanimous approval rating among our Blister parents, and might be the single greatest piece of kid’s gear of all time? Check it out.
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Kingswood Skis is a custom indie ski manufacturer based on the South Island of New Zealand, and we caught up with Kingswood founder, Alex Herbert, as the southern hemisphere ski season is getting underway to talk about ski materials, sidewalls, cosmetics & construction, base material thickness, and Kingswood’s rather unconventional Race Department.
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Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth answer your questions and discuss our preferred gear for skiing funky spring / summer snow; what we’re reading; ski knickers?; mountain bike shoes; ski boot liners & durability; and more.
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We’re talking with the founder of ON3P Skis, Scott Andrus, about the new ON3P lineup for the upcoming season. There is a lot of new and interesting stuff going on at ON3P, and we break quite a bit of news in this conversation. Check it out.
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Last week on our Bikes & Big Ideas podcast, we got the backstory from 28-year-old Adam Miller about his founding of Borealis Fat Bikes, Why Cycles, and Revel Bikes, and you can hear the whole fascinating backstory on our Bikes & Big Ideas podcast, episode #25.
And today we are airing the 2nd half of our conversation, where Adam dive deep into the details about Revel’s new wheels — that he claims are the strongest wheels on the market — and this thing they’re using called “fusion fiber.” We talk about what it is; why Adam believes these wheels are the strongest; their recyclability; the unique production process; other applications of fusion fiber, and more.
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In celebration of episode #100, of course we had to have Hoji back on, our patron saint of GEAR:30.
We discuss all the tinkering he’s been doing during quarantine; what ski gear has the most room for improvement; snowmobiles; climbing skins; the Pomoca & 4FRNT collab; monoskiing; and then one of the best big-mountain skiers of all time talks about one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
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What outdoor gear is in need of the biggest improvement? How old is too old to try your first backflip? If you had to opt for skis that are too long or too short, which would you pick? What should I do with my life? How does one start reviewing for Blister? Could you please provide an unbiased review and comparison of the Blister Membership, Deep Dive Subscription, and Blister Premier Membership? Luke Koppa and I answer these and many more.
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In our “Reviewing the Reviewer” series, we ask various BLISTER reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews. And since we like to rank & review things around here, we also give a score to each of our reviewers’ answers, then come up with a cumulative review grade for each of them.
In the hot seat today is mountain bike and ski reviewer, Eric Freson, and Luke Koppa and I recently subjected Eric to our regular gauntlet of reviewing the reviewer questions, but we also threw in a few questions specifically for Eric, including, How many times have you broken your neck? The story behind his co-founding the freeride team at Western Colorado University? And, of course, we ask him about a couple of Freson-isms, like “torksmash” and “smoking rocks.”
You can also watch the video of our conversation on our Blister YouTube Channel.
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Mystery Ranch has a long history of working with and making packs for the US military, fire departments, and law enforcement. They also make everything from backpacks for everyday use, to packs for backcountry skiing, and the company has quite a unique culture. So we sat down with product designer, Alex Rich, to discuss what it’s like to design packs for US special forces; how their military designs trickle down to outdoor packs (and vice versa); how their design ethos reflects their sustainability culture; and more.
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Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, and Luke’s mustache discuss the pros and cons of a number of current AT bindings, including the new Marker Duke PT, the SHIFT binding, Daymaker Alpine adaptors, frame bindings, and tech toe bindings. They then discuss four new touring skis: the J Skis Slacker, Sego Condor, 4FRNT Raven, and Volkl Blaze 106. Then it’s time to talk Tiger King.
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Since we now have to learn how to tele ski and shoot a tele video, we’re crowdsourcing a crash course in telemark technique (see Blister Podcast episode 125) and in telemark gear. So here in Tele Gear Part 1, we’re talking again with the artist, Geoff McFetridge; Flylow Gear co-founder and president, Dan Abrams; and Blister reviewers Paul Forward and Kristin Sinnott.
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Reviewers Paul Forward, Luke Koppa, and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about the signs we’re going stir crazy; Shane McConkey’s Volant Spatula vs. other modern pow skis; the DPS Koala 119; the new LINE Vision 118; our current nominations for best underwear; Luke’s new mustache; and more.
And you should also listen to this Bikes & Big Ideas episode, where Jonathan Ellsworth talks to several outdoor-industry companies that have pivoted to fight COVID-19.
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Bison Wool? Bison Down? That’s a thing? Well it’s being used by one company, United By Blue, who started salvaging otherwise wasted bison fibers, and is now incorporating them into a growing range of products.
So we talked with Brendan Raugh, senior apparel designer at United By Blue, which sells bison fiber outerwear. We talk about how United By Blue was founded as a waterway cleanup company; how they went on to develop an entire line of apparel around salvaged bison coat fibers; the logistics of creating a new supply chain; how bison fibers compare to sheep’s wool and goosedown; what the futures holds for the company and their unique material; and more.
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Full Tilt ski boots are beloved by some (including the likes of Bode Miller, Tom Wallisch, Seth Morrison, and Sammy Carlson), but they get pigeonholed by others who think of them as only being for park rats.
So we are joined by Austin Peters, the Ski Boot Engineering Manager for Full Tilt and K2 Ski Boots, to talk about the history of Full Tilt; what makes Full Tilts unique; why you might opt for a Full Tilt vs an ‘overlap’ ski boot; and what’s new for 20/21 (including Sammy Carlson’s new pro model).
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Picture Organic Clothing is going way beyond common sustainability practices with things like castor bean oil waterproof membranes and sugar cane waste-derived polyester, and they are attempting to eliminate polybags from their entire supply chain.
So Sam Shaheen sat down with Picture’s co-founder, Julien Durant, and their sustainability manager, Florian Palluel to talk about these ambitious projects. And then we go in-depth on the new air-permeable membrane, Xpore, that they are putting in direct competition with Gore Pro and TNF Futurelight.
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Luke Koppa, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the new skis, boots and apparel they’ve been testing. We also discuss what skis we prefer for off-piste, icy conditions; the merits of slim fit ski pants; which ski boots are best described as “donkeys”; and more.
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We talk with Graham Lonetto, the Alpine Director for the USA at Swix — the company that invented color-coded waxes, and one of the largest manufacturers of ski wax in the world — about different types of waxes and application methods; the most common mistake made when waxing skis; the FIS’s ban on fluorocarbons in waxes; and more.
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Ski boot liners are probably the most overlooked and least appreciated piece of ski gear out there, but they are a critical piece of equipment. So Matt Manser, the product manager of Atomic Ski Boots, is back on GEAR:30 for Part 4of our “Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots” series, and this time, we’re demystifying the extremely complex, very expensive, and poorly understood category of ski boot liners.
We kick off the conversation by brushing up a bit on plastics (specifically, the not-so-straightforward label, “Grilamid”); then we discuss forward lean and ramp angles; and then we jump down the rabbit hole on ski boot liners, and talk about the different types of liners and their pros and cons; the “30 seconds” test and why Atomic views it as so critical; whether it’s smart to shove an aftermarket liner into a high-performance shell; and then Matt talks about a brand new liner from Atomic that incorporates their “Mimic” technology. In the process, we also talk about next year’s Hawx Ultra 130 S alpine boot, and the also-new-for-next-year Hawx Prime XTD.
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OTHER EPISODES IN THIS SERIES:
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Sam Shaheen was recently in Courmayeur, Italy to test the new SCOTT Superguide Freetour in the spectacular mountains surrounding Mont Blanc. After several days of big lines and long tours, he came away thoroughly impressed.
So, in the first half of this conversation, he talks with SCOTT’s CMO, Reto Aeschbacher, about the backstory of SCOTT, the challenges of managing large product lines, and the motivation behind their new line of backcountry skis. Then he does a deep dive with SCOTT’s Ski Product Manager, Franz Marsan, about the new Superguide Freetour.
You can also watch this conversation on our Blister YouTube channel.
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Patagonia’s Glen Morden (Product Innovation, Materials, & Development) and Corey Simpson (Communications) came to Crested Butte to ski with us and to discuss how Patagonia is thinking about sustainability and product performance; how they continue to evolve on this front; talk about a few of their new pieces; their prototyping process; and more.
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We sat down at the Outdoor Retailer / SIA show to discuss some of the most notable trends, interesting products, weirdest products, and the thing at the show that caused Jonathan to legally change his name.
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In part 2 of our conversation with SCARPA CEO, Kim Miller, Kim offers his predictions for the ski industry and how SCARPA is positioning itself for the future; discusses which materials they use in their boots and why; shares the lessons learned from the Maestrale 2017 recall; and then unveils a brand-new boot, the F1 LT.
To see the new SCARPA F1 LT for yourself, head over to the BLISTER Youtube Channel to watch a video of the conversation.
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We talk to Lange’s Global Brand Director, Thor Verdonk, about Lange’s use of 'dual core' technology; why “ski boots should be alive”; the brand-new, 3rd generation, Lange XT3; heat-moldable shells; 3d printed boots; the future of Lange; and more.
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Last week we talked about the best ski gear of the past decade, so now it’s time to make our predictions about what gear will look like 10 years from now? What product categories have the most room for improvement? What ski gear will actually change the most? What gear will change the least? And what are our wildest gear predictions for where gear could be in 10 years? We discuss all of this and more in a roundtable discussion.
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Of the entire past decade, what was the most influential ski, ski boot, and ski binding? What was the best ski? What were the biggest trends? And what was our selection for the Best Product of the Decade? We cover all of this and more.
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Today we’re catching up with Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, about some of the skis, AT boots, and an AT binding that Paul has been spending time on in Girdwood, Alaska. Paul and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the Volkl Mantra 102; the DPS Koala 119; the new Atomic Backland Carbon AT boot; the Fritschi Xenic lightweight touring binding; and more.
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Earlier this week, Sam Shaheen visited SCARPA’s North American headquarters to talk with SCARPA’s CEO, Kim Miller, and they had a great conversation that we’ll be releasing in two parts.
Here in Part 1, Kim and Sam discuss his impressive career in the outdoor industry; SCARPA’s philosophy of ski boot design; their position within the market; the specifics of the new Maestrale XT; Kim’s thoughts on boot/binding compatibility; and more.
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Last week, Sam Shaheen, Luke Koppa, and I addressed some of the questions you have been asking us about ski quivers, and we also discussed the topic of the one-boot quiver. And now, we are running part 2 of this conversation, this time, with our reviewers Kristin Sinnott, Sascha Anastas, and Kara Williard.
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We recently published the 19/20 edition of our reviewers’ personal selections for their 5-ski, 4-ski, 3-ski, 2-ski, and 1-ski quivers. And now, we’re addressing some of your questions related to how we design our quivers; what our biggest takeaways are; the dreaded 1-boot quiver; and more.
And if you’d like to get our recommendations for assembling your own ski quiver, then just become a Blister Member, send us an email, and we’ll remove the guesswork for you.
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DWRs — or “Durable Water Repellent” coatings — play a huge role in the performance of your outdoor gear, and are used on nearly every waterproof garment on the market. But most DWRs are made with chemicals called PFCs, which can be harmful to you and the environment.
Nikwax, however, makes products intended to extend the lifespan of outdoor gear, and none of their specialized cleaning, conditioning, or waterproofing products have ever used PFCs. So we talked with Heidi Allen from Nikwax about how DWRs work; the dangers of PFCs; how the industry is attempting to shift away from PFCs; garment care; and more.
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We talk to Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, about Moment’s entire “Commander” series; why we still need to do a better job educating skiers; how the Deathwish got its name; the history of the Bibby and the Blister Pro; some upcoming changes to the Blister Pro; and more.
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to catch the video of this episode (coming soon).
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The North Face is attempting to do something that many have tried, but few have succeeded: compete head-to-head with Gore-Tex in the waterproof / breathable fabric category. So we talked with Scott Mellin, the Global General Manager of Mountain Sports at The North Face, about their new fabric technology, Futurelight; the ideas behind it; what sets it apart in the crowded waterproof / breathable fabric market; sustainability practices related to Futurelight; some stories from athlete testing, and much more.
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In our “Reviewing the Reviewer” series, we ask various BLISTER reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews. And since we like to rank & review things around here, we also give a score to each of our reviewers’ answers, then come up with a cumulative review grade for each of them.
In the hot seat today is mountain bike reviewer, David Golay, who shares how he went from playing sports in upstate New York, to researching metal alloys in Australia, to reviewing for BLISTER, and he shares a phenomenal story starring Jed Yeiser (of previous Blister podcast episodes fame).
Watch the video of our conversation on our YouTube Channel.
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Today, Marker unveiled their brand-new Duke PT binding, so Luke Koppa, Sam Shaheen, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the new binding and where it fits with respect to the Shift MNC and CAST Touring binding.
We also discuss some big new changes at GORE; the new GORE-TEX Pro vs. The North Face Futurelight; the appalling behavior of backcountry.com; several new skis from Moment, Blizzard, and Prior; and Jonathan Ellsworth’s New Favorite Thing.
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Gore-Tex has been the leader in waterproof fabrics for decades, and today, they’re announcing a complete overhaul of their flagship fabric, Gore-Tex Pro. So this week we went to Banff, Alberta, and sat down with the category manager of Gore’s “Pro” line, Mark McKinnie, for an in-depth discussion about the new fabrics. We talk about what makes the new Gore Pro unique; the 3 different versions of Gore Pro; Gore’s intensive validation and field-testing processes; how the new ‘Pro’ fits into Gore’s sustainability goals; and much more.
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How do the world’s elite ski racers and their technicians squeeze every drop of performance out of their skis? We sat down with Cameron Smith who runs the race department for Head USA to learn about all the major aspects of ski tuning including base vs edge angles, base prep, and waxing. We also discuss why World Cup racers have 50 skis per discipline; the elusive “speed wagon”; and the delicate balance of science and superstition in ski racing.
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In this episode, we answer a bunch of the questions you submitted, then assess some of the product reviews from several of the other ski review publications — and one gear recommendation website.
And fair warning here, we get pretty fired up. Because there are still a lot of fake reviews and extremely misleading product reviews and product recommendation services out there, and this needs to stop.
There is a little bit of strong language in this episode, so please don’t listen if that offends you. But we here at BLISTER are far more offended by the fake and / or misleading reviews and product recommendations in the outdoor sports world that are posing as legitimate consumer product information. Anyway, judge for yourself.
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We just released our new 19/20 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide, and given that it’s over 200 pages long, there’s a lot to talk about.
So we’re going to have a 2-part conversation about the Guide, and here in part 1, we’re going to discuss some of our Blister “Best Of” selections; and some of the products that just missed the cut; some general trends and takeaways from putting this big book together, and we find out the real reason why Luke prefers mittens to gloves.
Then, next week in Part 2, we’re inviting you to submit questions about the guide or related to the guide, and we’ll be answering those and covering a few other topics of our own.
Click to Send Us Your Questions about the new Buyer’s Guide
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This episode is the 2nd installment of our “Reviewing the Reviewer” series, where we ask various Blister reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews.
Today, it’s the founder of Blister’s turn. So you’re going to be hearing about Jonathan Ellsworth’s life, including being charged by a bear; nearly burning his house down; teaching philosophy; his favorite gear in the world; and of course, the things he’s better at than Sam Shaheen.
And we are also putting up a video of this conversation here and on our YouTube channel, so if you want to watch Sam Shaheen in full payback mode, or watch Luke Koppa putting up his dukes, go check it out.
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We’ve been working on a special project with Folsom Custom Skis, and it’s finally time to discuss the details about the new Blister Pro 104 with Folsom’s Mike McCabe.
We also talk about Folsom’s (insane?) new plan to build and deliver custom skis in 2-3 days; go over some highlights from the 19/20 Folsom lineup; and we ask Mike how much of a nightmare it was to work with us on this project.
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For centuries, hemp has been cultivated around the world and usedto make just about everything: rope, clothing, paper, currency, sails — even the earliest American flags. But in 1937, the United States effectively banned the cultivation of hemp, and since then, hemp has faced an uphill battle of public perception and viable production in the US.
Just last year, however, Congress passed the Farm Bill, which re-legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp.
So we spoke to Rob Jungmann, one of the pioneers of hemp apparel in the United States and the owner of Jungmaven apparel, to discuss Rob’s history in the hemp textile industry; the many uses for hemp (including eating it and building houses with it); how hemp differs from cotton in textiles; and shooting hemp T-shirts with a shotgun (seriously).
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Misconceptions about down are everywhere — fill power, proper care, and animal welfare are all often wildly misunderstood. So today, in part 3 of our “What You’re Wearing” miniseries, we talk to Matthew Betcher of Allied Feather & Down, a company that works with and supplies down for some of the biggest names in the outdoor industry. (There’s a good chance your down jacket is stuffed with Allied down.)
Matthew and I discuss down’s fascinating entrance into the outdoor industry; the physical characteristics that make down such a high-performance fiber; the myths about “fill power” caused by marketing strategies; why and how you should DEFINITELY wash your down apparel; animal welfare & the Responsible Down Standard; and much more.
Have a garment containing Allied down? Check out trackmydown.com to learn about where it came from.
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4FRNT Skis founder, Matt Sterbenz, recently launched WNDR Alpine, a company that’s incorporating biotech into skis. So we sat down with Sterbenz and WNDR’s brand manager, Xan Marshland, to discuss the creation of and the future plans for WNDR Alpine; its relation to the biotech company, Checkerspot; and we dive deep into the details of their new ski, the Intention 110, which is available now for pre-order.
To learn more about WNDR Alpine and its relation to the Berkely-based biotech company Checkerspot, check out our latest BLISTER Podcast with Sterbenz and Checkerspot’s co-founder & CEO, Charlie Dimmler.
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Why are more and more companies making products out of wool?
In part two of our “What You’re Wearing” miniseries, we’re taking a closer look at the fabric that was once most associated with itchy old sweaters and fancy suits, but that’s now being used in some of the most comfortable and highest-performing apparel on the market. But how exactly does wool naturally suppress odor? How does the species of sheep affect the finished product? And is wool actually more environmentally friendly than other fibers?
To answer these questions and more, we’re talking with Josh Vaughan, head of Wholesale Sales at Icebreaker. We walk through every step of making wool garments (from sheep to shirt); discuss some exciting new uses for wool in apparel, and Josh provides some incredibly in-depth answers about the secrets behind wool’s unique natural properties.
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Crosson Skis is a small, new company building skis outside of Seattle — and they are making some very big claims.
So we talk to their founder, Chase Englehart, about the origins of Crosson; what makes their skis different — and better — than what’s out there; manufacturing skis in Tukwila, WA; working with athletes like Bobby Brown and Banks Gilberti; and their 19/20 lineup.
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How do elite ski racers like Marcel Hirsher, Mikaela Shiffrin, Bode Miller, and Daron Rahlves “feel” their gear, and their ski boots in particular? Matt Manser and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss how some of the all-time greats are superhumanly attuned to the slightest changes of a binding or ski boot.
They also discuss Forward Lean (how to measure it, whether lots or less of it is better, etc.); ‘static’ power straps vs. ‘elastic’ Booster Straps; whether WC skiers or WC DH mtn bikers are pickier about their equipment; and more.
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Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, & Sam Shaheen argue about the new Volkl Mantra 102 and how it compares to the M5 Mantra; discuss with more civility the Line Vision 98; Dalbello Lupo Pro HD ski boot; Camp Nano 22 vs. Orbit Wire carabiners; and close with several extremely random reviews.
This episode is presented by Tribe Alpha & GEAR:30 listeners get a special discount!
Tribe Alpha is great ecommerce for the great outdoors, and can help you improve the performance of your ecommerce site. With more than 25 years of web experience, Tribe Alpha has a long and successful history working with retailers in the outdoor industry, and will help you grow your ecommerce business.
GEAR:30 listeners: visit tribealpha.com/gear to receive a 10% discount off their standard pricing.
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Today we are launching a new series called, “Reviewing the Reviewer,” and the idea is pretty simple: we’ll be asking various Blister reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences, to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews. And since we like to rank & review things around here, we will be scoring each of our reviewers’ answers to come up with a review grade for each of them.
I sat down with Luke in Blister HQ and asked him about where he grew up and what he was into as a kid; his gear preferences and what gear he is most picky about and least picky about and why; then ON3P Skis founder, Scott Andrus, wrote in with a number of questions for Luke; and I also asked Luke things like: who his favorite BLISTER reviewer is, and I got him to rank his siblings from most favorite to least favorite, before wrapping up with some questions about Luke’s favorite books, music, and movies.
This episode is presented by Tribe Alpha — tribealpha.com/gear
Tribe Alpha is great ecommerce for the great outdoors, and can help you improve the performance of your ecommerce site. With more than 25 years of web experience, Tribe Alpha has a long and successful history working with retailers in the outdoor industry, and will help you grow your ecommerce business.
Bonus: GEAR:30 listeners get a special discount. Just visit tribealpha.com/gear to receive 10% off their standard pricing.
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How much do you actually know about the clothes in your closet, and the stuff you wear to go play in the mountains? Today we’re introducing our “What You’re Wearing” miniseries, where we’ll be shining a light on the most foundational part of apparel: the fibers.
In part one, we dive into the world synthetic fibers with Sara Ellis from Gore (the makers of GORE-TEX) to discuss everything from the performance and environmental impact of synthetics compared to natural fibers; the crazy new material that Gore developed with Underarmour; what’s on the horizonin terms of waterproof / breathables; and more.
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We talk to DPS Skis founder, Stephan Drake, about the new DPS 19/20 product lineup, and about two new skis — that incorporate a brand-new construction — they are introducing for their DPS “Dreamtime” event, which officially runs from July 15th to August 1st.
Stephan also breaks news about their “Koala” skis, gives an update on the DPS ski boots that he and I spoke about back on Ep. 38 of the Blister Podcast, and shares some new developments with DPS Phantom base glide treatment.
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Other Conversations We’ve Had with Stephan:
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Last week on GEAR:30, we talked plastics with Atomic Ski Boots product manager, Matt Manser. Here in part 2, we talk with Matt about the messy world of flex ratings; progressive vs. linear flex patterns; the actual differences between some brands’ 120 and 130 rated boot; how Atomic arrives at their own flex ratings; the next areas of innovation that Atomic is focused on, and more.
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Ski boots are made of plastic, and different plastics feel and perform very differently from one another. So we get deep into the details with Atomic Ski Boots product manager, Matt Manser, to help you figure out which plastics are used in your ski boots, and the pros & cons & general performance characteristics of different plastics — which will help you understand why you might like or dislike your current boots, and what you ought to be looking for in your next pair.
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BLISTER Editors Sam Shaheen and Luke Koppa discuss their time this week at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, including mind-boggling new technologies like titanium-coated fibres; inventive sustainability stories involving recycled medical supplies; and noteworthy trends — both good and bad.
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Things get a little loose in this roundtable conversation, and kind of go off the rails. So consider yourself warned. But there are a few gems in here, including our group review of the ON3P Woodsman 108; Luke Koppa’s take on the new Tecnica heat-moldable hiking shoe, the Plasma S; Kristin Sinnot’s and my conversations about two new ski boots we’re excited about, and more.
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GPS communication devices can be the difference between life and death in remote places. So we talk with Bivy’s Pitt Grewe about the different types of technology and devices on the market; how these devices can affect decision making; satellite networks; complicated payment plans; and … Pitt’s impressive skills as a DJ.
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Last Saturday, Sam Shaheen skied three different lines in one day on the Colorado 14er, Torrey’s Peak. Jonathan Ellsworth sits down with Sam to discuss the details of this “Torrey’s Peak Triple Crown”; the ‘D-Scale’ of rating ski descents; the gear, apparel, and food he used on the mountain; and the safety and decision-making process throughout the day.
We’ve also included a complete list of the gear, apparel, and food that Sam used on the day in the the shownotes to this episode.
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Jonathan Ellsworth talks about testing the ON3P Woodsman 108 and Black Crows Navis while heli skiing with Eleven Experience in Iceland, and Sam Shaheen and Luke Koppa talk about their time on the Volkl Mantra 102 & Revolt 121, Faction Candide 5.0, and more.
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Supercapacitors, Venturi valves, and scary-high currents — this week we discuss airbag design and technology with Black Diamond’s Director of Design Engineering.
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This week we talk to Patagonia’s senior material developer, Pasha Whitmire, about how Patagonia designs, develops, and tests their technical fabrics; myths surrounding waterproof / breathable materials; why the future of fabric development lies in sustainability; the advantages and disadvantages of working with big names like Gore-Tex; and a whole lot more outerwear geekery.
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Sam and Luke’s article on Outerwear Care
Information on Breathability Testing
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We talk to ON3P founder, Scott Andrus, about the 19/20 ON3P lineup, building skis for Michael Jordan & Tinker Hatfield, and we break quite a bit of news along the way.
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Near-death experiences, avalanche airbags, and changing risk tolerance — this week we talk to mountain guide and Mammut’s safety expert, Doug Workman, about life and survival in the mountains.
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Sam Shaheen, Luke Koppa, and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about new goggles; new skis; which ski companies made the biggest impressions on us this season; funniest answers so far to our BLISTER Survey; and more.
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Avalanche beacons might not be as sexy as other ski & snowboard gear, but their proper use and design can be the difference between life and death. So we sat down with the co-founder of Backcountry Access, Bruce Edgerly, to talk about avalanche transceiver design, backcountry safety research, and the most important — yet often overlooked — aspects of a rescue.
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Sam Shaheen, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about some of their favorite new skis, then — in what might be our most anticipated review ever — Sam Shaheen gives us his honest, in-depth, pretty hilarious, and surprisingly insightful take on the dating app, Tinder.
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Alaska is a place where your gear really needs to hold up. So we talk to Eric Helmbrecht, owner of Powder Hound Ski Shop in Girdwood Alaska, about the trends he’s seeing in skiing and snowboarding; the gear with the most and the least durability issues; some of his favorite gear; the most Alaskan thing ever; and more.
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Blister editors Sam Shaheen, and Luke Koppa, talk about the enormous amount of new apparel that has arrived at our HQ over the past few weeks. Sam and Luke are both serious nerds when it comes to this stuff, and their conversation highlights a ton of new apparel, from crazy new tech all the way to head-turning casual pieces. Let the geek-out begin.
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We talk to Prior’s head snowboard and ski shaper,Dominic Morin, about the origins of Prior, their philosophy of ski and snowboard shaping, their craziest designs, their new shapes for 19/20,and the legacy of Chris Prior.
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We talk to Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, about next year’s lineup of skis; space movies; Ryan Gosling; Tyler Curle’s ski preferences; the “Google Bump”; and … more Ryan Gosling.
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Today we’re talking about a whole bunch of skis, including the new Line Outline and new Sir Francis Bacon; the new Nordica Enforcer 104 Free; the 4FRNT InThayne; and the J Skis Friend. We also talk a bit about Luke and Sam’s article on caring for outerwear; and Jonathan Ellsworth makes a quasi-apology / mini confession about his previous stance on lightweight, inbound skis. Finally, there is a MASSIVELY IMPORTANT teaser about a forthcoming GEAR:30 episode.
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The Outdoor Retailer / SIA show ended yesterday, so we sat down right after to debrief and discuss some of the most notable trends we saw, talk about the products we’re dying to try (and were most tempted to just steal), and some of the other odd and / or noteworthy people and things we saw at the show.
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Are you one of the many people who have ever wished that your ski touring boots were a bit stiffer or more comfortable? Well then listen up, because the bootfitters at Pulse Boot Lab in Revelstoke have come up with a number of innovativeways to achieve both.
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The Pulse ProFlex Kickstarter Campaign
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We talk to K2 ski designer, Jed Yeiser, about the 13 new skis that make up K2’s brand new “Mindbender” series.
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We discuss the latest skis and outerwear we’re reviewing, including the Black Crows Corvus, Rossi Black Ops, Parlor Cardinal 90, Argent Skis Badger, Flylow Baker Bibs, and Patagonia Micro Puff Storm.
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Caleb and Morgan Weinberg are brothers who founded Romp Skis in Crested Butte, Colorado, so we sat down with them at our headquarters in CB to discuss their backgrounds, what it specifically means to them to be a “custom” ski building manufacturer, how they ended up building skis for the 10th Special Forces Group, and more.
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Today we are making good on some past promises, so I sat down with Luke Koppa and Sam Shaheen at our Blister headquarters at Elevation in Mt Crested Butte. We start by talking about 3 skis that just missed the cut from earning a Best Of award from us this year. Then we turn to talk about a number of new skis we’ve been getting on or are about to get on, including the Folsom Trophy Carbon, Rossignol Black Ops 118, the HEAD World Cup Rebel i.Speed Pro, the Dynastar PR-OTO Factory, and the Moment Commander 98 and 108.
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Not all gear is great — or even good. So today we’re discussing a number of intriguing products that turned out to disappoint.
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Today we’re talking with the one and only Eric Hjorleifson about his brand-new boot, the Dynafit Hoji Free, what’s new with this boot, and how it differs from the current Hoji Pro Tour.
Then you’re going hear Eric talk about trying to improve and refine the latest iteration of his favorite ski, the 4FRNT Renegade, and finally, we wrap up our gear geekery by talking a bit about outerwear and Eric’s work with Arc’teryx.
And if you somehow missed it yesterday, we ran over on the Blister Podcast platform what was basically Part 1 of our conversation, where we talk to Hoji about his new film, “Hoji.”
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Last week we talked to Will Ritter, the founder of the biggest splitboard binding company in the world, Spark R&D, about the origin story of Spark R&D, and some of the milestones and setbacks that the company has achieved — and survived — along the way.
This week we’re running Part 2 of our conversation, and Will and I discuss some of Spark R&D’s current products, discuss the old hard boots vs. soft boots debate, talk collaborating with companies like CAST Touring and 22 Designs, and using solar power at the Spark R&D factory.
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Will Ritter is the founder of Spark R&D, the largest splitboard binding company in the world, and Spark R&D designs and manufactures all of their products in Bozeman, Montana. This turned into such an interesting conversation with Will that we are presenting it in two parts. Here in part 1, we talk about the history of Spark R&D, and whether or not you’ve ever ridden a snowboard, if you have ever thought about starting any company of any kind, listen closely, because I promise you that you will glean some very real insights into what actually goes into starting and running a company.
And then we will be posting later part 2 of our conversation, where Will and I went deeper into Spark R&D’s specific products, we discuss hard boots vs. soft boots, how much room Will thinks there is for splitboards to improve, and more.
But for now, let’s get the origin story of Spark R&D, and listen to Will kindly share some real words of wisdom for anyone thinking of starting anything.
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STAY TUNED FOR PART 2...
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Blister editors Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, and Sam Shaheen talk about the making of our 18/19 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide, the current state of Buyer's Guides in general, some of the “Best Of” award winners, and our Product of the Year.
And if you have any comments or questions about the Guide that you’d like to see us address on a future GEAR:30 episode, feel free to email us or leave a question in the comments section to this episode’s show notes on the website.
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Today we're discussing the wonders and weirdness of Interbike, 2018, with Blister's bike editor, Noah Bodman. Noah gives the rundown on Interbike's new digs (it moved from Las Vegas to Reno this year), what he saw, what he didn't see, and what he rode.
And we open with Jonathan Ellsworth giving a bit of an update on our 18/19 Winter Buyer’s Guide, and revealing some sketchy details about hisparticipation at Interbike last year.
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PRESENTING SPONSOR:
750 Miles of Trail in Gunnison/Crested Butte, CO
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We talk to Boston-based Parlor Custom Skis co-founder, Mark Wallace, about the origins story of Parlor; the very successful “Build Your Own Skis” class they offer; the new models in their 18/19 lineup — including Parlor snowboards and splitboards; and several trends on the East Coast ski scene.
And if you’d like to hear Mark talk more about custom ski building, check out our Round Table on Custom Skis, which is episode #33 of the Blister Podcast.
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750 Miles of Trail in Gunnison/Crested Butte, CO
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We are back with round 2 of Bikes vs. Skis, where our bike editor, Noah Bodman, and I ask the question, “Which particular bike company is most like which particular ski company?”
And the response to Bikes vs Skis, Part 1 certainly warmed our hearts, since we learned that a lot of you wonder about these sorts of questions, too. Noah and I talk about a number of your suggestions in this episode, so listen up to see where we think you had the better answer, and where we think you are clearly crazy.
Here in Part 2, Noah offers his rather surprising vote for the “best looking bikes ever made"; we discuss which bike is the equivalent of the Moment Bibby / Wildcat / Blister Pro; and we give our take on another 20+ bike companies.
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750 Miles of Trail in Gunnison/Crested Butte, CO
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We talk with DPS Skis founder, Stephan Drake, about DPS Dreamtime; the new DPS Wailer 110; the DPS Spoon, Lotus 138, and 124; and some very big news about DPS Phantom, the ski and snowboard base treatment that DPS introduced this past season.
(If you’d like to learn more about Stephan’s own background and the history of DPS skis, you should check out Episode #38 of the Blister Podcast. And if you’d like to hear the conversation I had with Stephan about the introduction of DPS Phantom, check out Episode #59 of the Blister podcast.)
Presenting Sponsor: The 750 Miles of Trail in the Gunnison Valley — Check out Outerbike in Crested Butte
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Which ski company is most like which bike company? Who is the Moment Skis of the bike world? And which ski company shares the most family resemblance with Yeti? Or Transition?
Jonathan Ellsworth and Blister's bike editor, Noah Bodman, have been having this conversation for years, and they're now taking the debate public. So give it a listen, then let us know in the comments section of the show notes to this episode on the site where you agree, where you disagree, and where you've got the better analogies. Then in a week or two, we'll run Part 2 of this conversation, where we’ll share some of your comments and questions, and do another round of Bikes vs Skis.
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The 750 miles of trail in Gunnison / Crested Butte
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We talk with Blister editors, Luke Koppa and Sam Shaheen, about the recent Alpenglow Mountain Festival and running with our hero, Courtney Dauwalter. Then we talk about some of the key things we learned during our ski testing this spring, including the correct thing to think about Domino's thin-crust pizza, dumb gear, and great gear.
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Jonathan Ellsworth sat down with Mike McCabe at the Folsom Skis headquarters in Denver, Colorado, to dial in "The Hammer" that they have been discussing for a long time now, and that's based on the Folsom Primary Jonathan reviewed last season.
They then talk about three other new skis that Mike's recently developed, the Spar 88, some new editions of the Rad Dad, and the Primary Plus. (You can see graphics for all these skis - including The Hammer - here on the site.)
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Jonathan Ellsworth and Blister senior editor, Sam Shaheen, discuss a number of new skis they've been reviewing recently, including two skis from Prior Skis — the CBC and the Husume. They then discuss the new Atomic Bent Chetler 100, the K2 Wayback 106, the Scott Super Guide 105, and Sam offers his thoughts on the ski that is serving as our reference ski for the lightweight AT binding comparison review we’re conducting, the Salomon MTN Explore 95.
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It seems like everyone who hasn’t been to Alaska dreams of going, and those who havebeen dream of going back. So today we’re talking about spring skiing and biking in Alaska with Eric Helmbrecht, the owner of Powder Hound ski shop in Girdwood, AK.
Eric and I talk a bit about some of the inbounds and touring gear that he thinks works particularly well in Alaska’s maritime snowpack and unique terrain, and some of the boots and bindings that are coming out next year. Then, Eric provides a bit of beta on spring skiing and biking in Alaska, and we wrap up with some talk about the quickly-growing mountain bike scene around Girdwood and Anchorage.
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G3 (aka, Genuine Guide Gear) is introducing a new touring binding — the Zed — that they’re calling the lightest fully-featured AT binding on the market. So we talk to G3’s engineers about their design philosophy and development process, current trends in AT bindings, and the compromises inherent in any AT binding.
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We just finished testing a bunch of skis at Taos, and because of a closing-week snowstorm, we ended up getting on everything from very heavy, modified race skis, to a new, extremely light big mountain ski. So Blister editors Sam Shaheen and Luke Koppa join me to go over a number of the highlights, including the new Atomic Bent Chetler 100, the HEAD Supershape i.Titan, a new carver from DPS, the Black Crows Orb, and what might be my new personal favorite ski from Blizzard.
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We're talking about new backcountry gear and some of the changes to backcountry ski culture with the founder of Bentgate, Greg Floyd. Greg founded Bentgate in Golden, Colorado back in 1994, and Bentgate has become a cornerstone shop in the front range of Colorado for all things skiing and climbing.
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We’ve got 2 parts to this episode — first, I talk with Blister reviewer, Sam Shaheen, about the most unusual ski we’ve ever reviewed (and the ski that nearly caused Sam and me to fight), the Renoun Endurance 98. And then Sam and I wrap up with an update on the Scott Scrapper 115.
Then I talk with Blister reviewers Sascha Anastas and Kara Williard about women’s ski boots and the problem it can be for good skiers (that happen to have small feet) to find boots that works for them. Having Sascha and Kara weigh in on this is great, since they are both good skiers, and Kara also happens to be very good bootfitter who works at the Boot Doctors in Taos Ski Valley. Sascha has just gone through a pretty extensive process of trying to find a new boot that really works for her, so she and Kara talk a bit about that, and why Sascha ended up going with the Atomic Hawx Ultra 110 W.
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ON3P is releasing their entire new ski line early next month. So we talk to ON3P founder, Scott Andrus, about this decision, then go over every ski in the 18/19 line, including what’s new, what's unchanged, and what’s so new and experimental that Scott didn’t want to talk about it. (But we got him to anyway.) And you can also see allthe new 18/19 ON3P graphics in the show notes to this episode on blister.
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We discuss a bunch of the brand new ski equipment we've been testing at Telluride, including the Line Sakana, ON3P Wrenegade 114, Faction Dictator 4.0, Rossi Soul 7, the new Atomic-Salomon SHIFT binding, and more.
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We talk to the CEO and head designer of Moment Skis, Luke Jacobson, about Moment's lineup for next season — what’s new, what's unchanged, and what's tweaked — and we cover everything from touring skis, kid's skis, women’s skis and even … the Chief Commander.
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We talk to blister reviewer, Paul Forward, about some of the powder skis he’s been reviewing recently in Alaska and Japan, including the Faction Prime 4.0, the Black Diamond Helio 116, and the DPS Spoon.
And then we talk to Jeremy Cole, owner of Alpine Sports, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which is one of our Blister Recommended Shops. Jeremy and I cover 3 topics: new gear; some of his favorite price-point boots & skis, and some real-world issues surrounding boots, bindings, and bench test results.
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This episode is a roundtable recap from the Outdoor Retailer / SIA show in Denver with five of our editors and reviewers about some of the most interesting new gear we saw at the show.
We hope you’d been following us along on instagram, because we put up about a hundred Insta stories that captured pretty well the highlights of what we were seeing. So if you aren’t following us on instagram, you can find us at @blisterreview.
For this round table conversation, I was joined by reviewers Sascha Anastas, Kristin Sinnott, Sam Shaheen, and Luke Koppa. We talk about a ton of gear, so check our show notes to this episode (below) or on your phone if you want to jump around in our conversation.
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This episode is presented by Marble Brewery
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This is Part 2 of our conversation with Black Crows co-founder, Camille Jaccoux, and head ski designer, Julien Regnier. Here, we get into the topic of women-specific skis, then go over what’s new in the Black Crows 18/19 lineup before it gets unveiled in Denver next week at the SIA tradeshow.
You can check out Part 1 of our conversation with Camille and Julien about the history and trajectory of the Black Crows on the Blister Podcast (episode 64), and here is Part 2:
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This episode is presented by Marble Brewery. Check out their Reserve Ale that we talk about in the intro.
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Back in 2010, Sebastian Steinbach had the crazy idea to go against traditional European ski culture and open a freeride-specific shop in Munich, Germany. Black Sheep Sports became one of the first dedicated freeride shops in Europe, and it has since evolved into one of the best freeride and backcountry shops in the Alps — which is why Black Sheep is on our list of Blister Recommended Shops.
Blister senior editor, Sam Shaheen, was in Munich earlier this season to talk with Sebastian about how Black Sheep got started, the ski culture in Europe vs the ski culture in North America, and about some of Sebastian’s current favorite skis and boots for skiing in Europe.
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Today we are talking about two new alpine-touring bindings from Fritschi, the Tecton 12, and the Vipec Evo 12. We’ve just put up full reviews of both the Tecton 12 and the Vipec Evo 12, and we wanted to go deeper with Blister reviewers Brian Lindahl and Cy Whitling about their experience with these new products, and how they would rank them against some of the the other most popular alpine touring bindings on the market.
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Volkl is unveiling today the new Mantra M5, the fifth iteration of the Mantra that Volkl originally released back in 2005. A lot has changed in skiing since then, but the Mantra is still one of the most recognizable and most iconic names in the game.
Last month, Blister editor Sam Shaheen headed to Germany to ski the new Mantra M5, to tour the extremely impressive Volkl factory in Straubing, Germany, and to speak to two key designers at Volkl: Tobias Heil, the head of R&D at Volkl, and Dominik Grunert, the lead designer on the Mantra M5 and the women’s version of the Mantra, the Volkl Secret.
This is a really fascinating conversation — and an extremely uncommon event. In 90+ years that Volkl has been around, rarely (if ever) has a review publication been granted this degree of direct access to Volkl R&D and Engineering, and Tobias and Dominik were extremely interesting, candid, and knowledgeable talking about the Mantra M5 in particular, and about the guiding design principles at Volkl in general.
So you can check out Sam’s conversation with Tobias and Dominik here, then head over to blisterreview.com to read our accompanying writeup and Sam’s initial on-snow impressions of the new Mantra M5.
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The new SHIFT MNC 13 from Salomon & Atomic represents a significant leap forward in binding design. Check out our conversation with Salomon's Cody Townsend Chris Rubens, and Benoit Sublet, and our initial on-snow impressions.
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We discuss the making of — and our takeaways from — our 17/18 Winter Buyer's Guide, including our "Best Of" awards, our Blister Spectrums, our ski quiver selections, and some of the strangest claims we saw in some of the other buyer's guides out there.
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Dynafit is introducing today their new Hoji series of boots, so we went very in-depth with Hoji himself about the boot, what makes it unique, and what's potentially still to come. (And there's more information in the show notes to this podcast episode on our website.)
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Welcome to GEAR:30.
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