GEAR:30

Latest Episodes:

What is NNormal? NNormal’s CEO on Kilian Jornet; NNormal’s Name & Origin Story; & Company Principles Jul 18, 2025

Show notes

Jonathan talks with Sito Luis Salas, the CEO of NNormal, about NNormal founder, Kilian Jornet, and his recent performance at Western States, and they also discuss the NNormal name, its origin story, and its well-defined principles. NNormal is a company we predict you’ll be hearing about more and more in the coming years, and in this conversation, you’ll see why.

Note: We Want to Hear From You!

Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you’d like us to have on GEAR:30. Or if you’d like to nominate yourself for a ‘Gear Therapy’ episode, let us know that, too! You can email us at info@blisterreview.com

RELATED LINKS:

BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered

Get Our Newsletter & Weekly Gear Giveaways

TOPICS & TIMES:

Shoutout to BLISTER+ Members (1:17)

Mallorca (2:23)

What is NNormal? (3:23)

The Origin Story (4:40)

Kilian Jornet (10:50)

Kilian’s Recent Performance at Western States (15:01)

The Name ‘Nnormal’ (21:11)

NNormal’s Target Audience (22:52)

More on NNormal’s Principles (32:48)

Prototyping & Testing (43:56)

The Future of Trail Running (49:04)

1% For The Planet (53:52)

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The Pro's Gear: Marcus Goguen, 2025 Freeride World Tour Champion Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

Jonathan talks to the reigning FWT champion, Marcus Goguen, about the gear he skis on to film, rip around the resort, and yes, win the FWT. We also talk about his new YouTube series (it’s must-see-TV), and Marcus breaks news about his new project that comes out in October.

Note: We Want to Hear From You!

RELATED LINKS:

BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered

Get Our Newsletter & Weekly Gear Giveaways

Blister Podcast #341: Marcus Goguen

Marcus’ YouTube Channel

TOPICS & TIMES:

Shoutout to BLISTER+ Members (2:19)

Paintball! (3:55)

2025 FWT Championship Season (6:09)

Marcus’ New YouTube Series (10:29)

The gear Marcus used most this past season (18:02)

Mount Point: Thoughts & Preferences (26:00)

Rocker Profile vs Sidecut (30:05)

Are You More Particular about Skis or Boots? (34:14)

Ski Poles (38:31)

Product Testing / R&D (40:56)

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Public Lands Update, More Peak Skis News, & New Gear We're Reviewing Jul 04, 2025

Show notes

Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the latest with respect to public lands and the revisions to the reconciliation bill; share more news about Peak Skis; and preview some new gear they’re going to be talking about and testing in the very near future.

RELATED LINKS:

BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered

Get Our Free Newsletter & Gear Giveaways

Luke Koppa on Public Lands Sale

GEAR:30 ep. 353: Our Thoughts on Peak Skis

Jason Blevins’ article on Peak Skis

TOPICS & TIMES:

Skratch Labs (1:30)

New BLISTER+ Program (2:04)

Public Lands Status & the Revised Bill (8:14)

More Peak Skis News (14:29)

New Gear We’re Reviewing (23:04)

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Our Thoughts on Peak Skis & What Needs to Happen Next Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

Today, Jonathan lays out more fully his thoughts about the Peak Skis debacle; Luke Koppa offers his perspective too; and they discuss Jonathan’s initial comments made here on GEAR:30 back on May 23, what he’s been up to and learning since then, and what we think needs to happen going forward.

RELATED LINKS:

Skratch Labs

BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered

Jason Blevins’ article on Peak Skis

GEAR:30 ep 191: Bode on Peak Skis

GEAR:30 ep 163: Bode on Crosson Skis

Peak's Crowdfunding Form C Doc

TOPICS & TIMES:

Be Like Rocco, Rosemary, & Shashi (1:10)

Some Background re: Peak (4:54)

Reckless Spending (8:01)

False Promises & Broken Contracts (11:57)

How to Operate in the Outdoor Community (16:00)

Lawsuits (23:17)

Peak’s Crowdfunding Initiative (26:55)

What Needs to Happen Next? (31:00)

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Southern Hemisphere Skiing, Sustainability, & Shop Strategies w/ Outside Sports Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

Today, we head south to the snow, and back behind the counter at Outside Sports in New Zealand. We talk about the gear and innovations they're stoked on; what it takes to keep a mountain town business thriving; sustainability from a local shop’s perspective; business strategies for adapting to the unpredictability of climate change; and a whole lot more.

RELATED LINKS:

Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+

Blister Recommended Shop: Outside Sports

Ep.260: A Guide to Skiing in New Zealand with Outside Sports

TOPICS & TIMES

Consumer-Driven Conversation (4:54)

Momentum: Local Distributor in NZ (7:57)

What’s Been Most Exciting? (12:42)

The Challenges (20:48)

Commitment to Values (25:44)

1% for the Planet (26:25)

Helping the Community (27:46)

Climate Change in NZ (32:44)

How to Adapt (34:54)

Exciting New Gear (40:24)

The Winter Ahead (46:12)

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The New Rules of Apparel: PFAS, What’s Changed, & What It Means for You Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

In this panel conversation from Blister Summit 2025, we discuss why all of your outdoor apparel recently changed — and how that will impact your own experiences.

Specifically, we’re talking about the ban on PFAS chemicals; why they’d been so extensively used in outdoor apparel (and far beyond); the real-world performance differences between them and new PFAS-free alternatives; and what you need to know to make the most of your own apparel.

To cover all of this, we brought together an excellent panel of industry professionals, including Eric Wallis (Patagonia), Dan Abrams (Flylow), Tom Mason (Ortovox), and Ross Herr (Rab).

RELATED LINKS:

Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+

TOPICS & TIMES:

What Are PFAS? (3:31)

Why the Move Away from PFAS (8:09)

New vs. Old DWR & Waterproof Membranes (10:15)

New Discoveries (18:56)

Exciting Trends (25:35)

Audience Questions:

Down vs Synthetic (28:55)

Caring For PFAS-Free Layers (32:23)

3rd-Party Water Repellants (35:53)

Non-Porous Membranes (40:05)

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Ski vs Bike Industry, Part 2: State of Shops; Gear Wins & Fails; & the Future of Each Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

In past years, we’ve done a series called ‘Bikes vs Skis’ where we’ve posed the question: Which bike company is most like which ski company? But this year, we’re zooming out a bit, and instead are putting up the whole ski industry vs the bike industry. In part 2 of this conversation, we take a look at the state of ski shops vs bike shops; what each industry is doing to grow participation and engagement in their sport; gear trend wins and fails; and we weigh in on which industry has the brighter future. You’ll hear from Blister reviewers Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, David Golay, Simon Stewart, Kara Williard, and Xan Marshland.

RELATED LINKS:

BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered

Ski vs Bike Industry, Part 1

Our ‘Bikes vs Skis’ Series:

Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 1

Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 2

Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 3

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

TOPICS & TIMES:

Ski Shops vs Bike Shops (3:13)

Growing Participation: Ski vs Bike Industry (12:52)

Lift Tickets (25:01)

BMX Bikes (26:30)

Gear Wins & Fails (29:43)

Brighter Future? Ski or Bike Industry? (38:41)

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Ski vs Bike Industry, Part 1: Similarities, Differences, Trends, & the Health of Each May 30, 2025

Show notes

In past years, we’ve done a series called ‘Bikes vs Skis’ where we’ve posed the question: Which bike company is most like which ski company? But this year, we’re zooming out a bit, and instead are putting up the whole ski industry vs the bike industry, to identify the significant similarities or differences; assess the relative health of each; and see how the trends in one might align with trends in the other. Today, you’ll hear from Blister reviewers Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, David Golay, Simon Stewart, Kara Williard, and Xan Marshland.

RELATED LINKS:

BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered

Our ‘Bikes vs Skis’ Series:

Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 1

Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 2

Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 3

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

TOPICS & TIMES:

Health of the Bike Industry (4:52)

Volatility in the Ski Industry (12:11)

Supply Chain Complexity (16:35)

Which Categories are Growing or Shrinking? (18:45)

Enduro vs DH Bikes (33:44)

Pow Skis & DH Bikes (36:40)

Small Brands & Niche Products (39:02)

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Your Questions: Our Favorite Skis This Season; Big vs Small Brands; Quiver Overlap; & More May 23, 2025

Show notes

Today, you — our prestigious GEAR:30 listeners — provided the questions, and Jonathan Ellsworth and Luke Koppa are offering their answers.

Topics include our go-to backpacks for ski-touring; how a given brand’s size, location, and ethos factor into our own purchasing decisions; what skis to get if you’re spending a lot of time cruising slow-speed groomers; when and how to replace ski boot liners when they wear out; and we answer one of the most frequent questions we get: what were our favorite skis this season?

RELATED LINKS:

Skratch Labs: Fuel Up, Hydrate, & Recover

Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+

TOPICS & TIMES:

Go-To Ski Touring Backpacks (7:32)

Supporting Indie Brands vs. Big Brands (21:07)

Ideal Skis for Slower Groomer Laps? (30:56)

Ski Boot Liner Longevity: When / How to Replace? (39:11)

ON3P Woodsman vs. Moment Countach (49:16)

Scarpa 4-Quattro Pro (53:48)

Quiver Overlap (101:54)

Our Favorite Skis This Season (1:09:58)

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Gearing Up for the Famous Chamonix-to-Zermatt Haute Route May 16, 2025

Show notes

Jonathan talks to BLISTER members, Bobak Farzin and Lukas Friedli, who recently teamed up to take on the famous Haute Route. We talk about their trip; the gear they used; what gear worked well; what worked less well; and they offer some great advice for anyone thinking about doing any multi-day ski touring trip, or anyone interested in the Haute Route itself.

RELATED LINKS:

Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+

TOPICS & TIMES:

Introductions (2:33)

Background on the Haute Route (10:40)

Ski Selection (19:11)

Ski Boot Selection (23:06)

Bindings Selection (26:21)

Gear Regrets? (29:00)

Packs — and Pack Weight (32:18)

Trickiest Gear Selections? (41:14)

Gear You Were Happiest With (49:54)