GEAR:30

Latest Episodes:

Skiing with Your Eyes Closed, Shop Pizza, Egg Beaters, & Ski Boots with Greg Klein Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

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?

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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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Folsom’s Spar 78, New ‘Rotor’ Pow Ski, & Jonathan’s Custom Touring Ski Project Dec 08, 2023

Show notes

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.

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Episode Sponsor: Powder7.com

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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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Reviewer Reports: Early-Season Ski Gear Testing, Mtn Biking in Nepal, & More Dec 01, 2023

Show notes

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

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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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Biggest Ski Buying Mistakes + Ski Tuning, Ski Wax, & Ski Boots Nov 24, 2023

Show notes

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)

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Join Us! Blister Summit 2024

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The Pro's Gear: Ted Ligety Nov 17, 2023

Show notes

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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Parlor Custom Skis: Building Skis in Boston, Custom vs. Semi-Custom Skis, & the Age-Old Question of Ski Width for East-Coast Skiing Nov 10, 2023

Show notes

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)

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Episode Sponsor: Skiboot Rx

Episode Sponsor: Taos Ski Valley

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Coming soon: Blister Cinematic

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Jeremy Jones & Xavier Nidecker on Re-Up Tech: What it Is & Why it Matters Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

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)

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Episode Sponsor: OpenSnow.com/Blister

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Coming soon: Blister Cinematic

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Giray Dadali on the new Daymaker Touring TEKDAPTERS Oct 27, 2023

Show notes

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)

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Episode Sponsor: Zimmermans Ski & Snowboard

Video: Ski Binding Designs with Giray, Hoji, & Lars Chickering-Ayers

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Our 23/24 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide Recap Oct 20, 2023

Show notes

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)

Order our 23/24 Winter Buyer’s Guide

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A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 5: Debunking Bootfitting Myths & Misconceptions Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

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)