GEAR:30

Latest Episodes:

A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 6: Ski Boot Flex w/ Pulse Boot Labs Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

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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New Gear from Blister Summit 2024 Feb 16, 2024

Show notes

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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Consignment, Gear Repair, & Sustainability w/ Lone Pine Gear Exchange Feb 09, 2024

Show notes

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

BLISTER Recommended Shops

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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Blister Labs Update: Ski (and Boot) Flex Test Feb 02, 2024

Show notes

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:

Boone Mountain Sports

OpenSnow

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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Reviewer Reports: Storm Cycles, All-Mountain Skis, 3D-Printed Goggles, & More Jan 26, 2024

Show notes

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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Raide: Building a Solutions-Based Backcountry Brand Jan 19, 2024

Show notes

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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Skier Ability Ratings Revisited; Monoskiing; & More with Powder7’s Jordan Jones Jan 12, 2024

Show notes

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:

OpenSnow.com/Blister

Taos Ski Valley Ski Week

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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Gear Predictions, 2024 Jan 05, 2024

Show notes

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+

Join Us! Blister Summit 2024

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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Gear of the Year, 2023 Dec 30, 2023

Show notes

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

Ski Boots (4:21)
Snowboard Boots & Boards (17:56)
Snowboard Bindings (22:03)
Ski Bindings (26:06)

Standout Products (31:54)

Best Values (51:36)

Not New But Still Amazing Award (1:00:33)

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Blister Community Reviews Launch; How Much Info is Too Much / Too Little; & Other Contentious Topics Dec 22, 2023

Show notes

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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