Gear:30

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Recap of the season (2:59)Family ski dynamics (8:16)“I’m sorry…” (17:04)Layering (27:12)Heated socks? (33:25)What We're Celebrating (47:22)RELATED LINKS:Blister Summit Panel SessionsSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideGEAR:30 ep. 160: The Spokane Alpine HausCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasOff the Couch See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.RELATED LINKS:Blister Summit Panel SessionsSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideWatch: Spirit of the PeaksCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasOff the Couch See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:New Ski / Prototype (5:41)Gas-Station Food (10:31)192cm & 182cm Dynastar M-Free 108 (20:19)Majesty Skis Dirty Bear XL (24:09)Renoun Endurance 98 vs. 88 (27:36)Faction La Machine Mega, Mana 2 & 3, Dancer 2 & 3 (31:26)Clarification: Lange RS vs Lange RX (36:00)ZipFit GFT touring liner (39:08)Salomon S/Lab MTN Summit (43:43)Apparel: Strafe Recon Kit, Strafe Nomad, & Flylow Knight Anorak (48:11)What We’re Celebrating (53:05)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: Bentgate MountaineeringBlister ‘Crash Course’ Video: SnowbladingBlister Summit Panel SessionsSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasOff the Couch See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Bode on the Winter Olympics (3:30)Peak Skis (10:07)Peak skis line up: 6 models (14:40)“Keyhole Technology” (18:23)Scarpa ski boots partnership (30:45)Crystal Ball: Peak Skis in 10 years? (39:25)Alpine-X (48:58)More on Peak Skis (59:51)What We’re Celebrating (1:05:44)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: mountainFLOWGEAR:30, ep 163: Bode on Ski Design, Boots, & OpticsBlister Podcast, ep 154: Bode on Education, Mental Prep, & TechnologyBlister Summit Panel SessionsSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasOff the Couch See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Shop overview & Lucas & Jeff’s backgrounds (2:30)Consumer interest this season? (8:42)Splitboarding performance vs solids (10:46)Uphill skiing (15:12)Nidecker’s new binding (21:58)Skis, ski boots & flex patterns (25:05)Unisex vs. women’s specific skis (38:30)RELATED LINKS:Our previous Gear West GEAR:30 podcastBlister Summit Panel SessionsSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideOUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasOff the Couch See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Skiing the Cascades (6:05)Arc — K2's R&D Center (9:42)Testing conditions / the snow (20:50)K2 Dispatch 120 (29:39)The testing process (31:29)Our alpine ski binding shootout (38:40)Flip flops (50:14)Biathlon (54:35)Books & WiFi passwords (59:30)What We’re Celebrating (1:06:28)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: mountainFLOW Eco WaxEpisode Sponsor: Powder Hound, AKStuff We Like (March 2022)Blister Summit Panel: Ski Binding DesignSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideOUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasOff the Couch See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Summit Recap & Highlights (3:33)Panel Sessions (10:49)Advice from pros (13:52)The gear demos + discussion with participants (14:47)Skis: Fischer Ranger series (22:27)Salomon Stella 106 (24:42)Dynastar E-Pro 99 Women’s (26:57)Renoun Endurance 98 (28:26)Rossignol Sender 104 TI (29:42)Differences in skis & what was available (31:14)Boots, apparel, & backcountry skiing (33:24)What We’re Celebrating (40:40)RELATED LINKS:Subscribe to our Weekly Gear Giveaway / NewsletterBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideEp. 186: Luke & Jonathan on 12 New Skis from the Blister SummitCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTSBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasOff The Couch See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cody and Jonathan review some news, then talk about 5 gear myths; cookware; coffeemakers; & more.TOPICS & TIMES:Diversity, Fairness, & the Olympics (10:10)Equal Pay: USA Soccer (17:36)Gear Myths Myth 1: Stiff boots (20:36)Myth 2: Light gear (or heavy gear) is always better (30:51)Myth 3: You need 100% waterproof apparel (41:41)Interlude: Cookware (49:50)Myth 4: High DIN settings (57:13)Myth 5: Less-advanced skiers are fine skiing anything (1:04:53)What We’re Celebrating (1:11:51)What We’re Reading & Watching (1:13:52)Moccamaster vs. Jura (1:23:45)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: Willi’s Ski ShopsSubscribe to our Weekly Gear Giveaway / NewsletterBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideBlister Podcast: Benj Alexander’s Bid to Become Jamaica’s 1st Olympic Alpine Ski RacerCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTSBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasOff The Couch See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Blister Summit (3:20)New (pink) Flylow gear (9:32)Kastle ZX115 (11:21)Moment Wildcat 116 (14:01)Fischer Ranger 102 & 108 (16:19)Wagner 109 & Will’s custom 105 (20:49)Line Blade Optic 114 (27:31)Icelantic Saba Pro 117 (30:04)K2 Dispatch 120 (33:11)K2 Dispatch 110 (35:11)Rossignol Sender 104 Ti vs 106 Ti (37:15)What We’re Celebrating (42:19)RELATED LINKSEpisode Sponsor: Vertical PlaygroundOur GEAR:30 episode with VPGSubscribe to our Weekly Gear Giveaway / NewsletterBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTSBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasOff The Couch See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Summit A, Feb 21st (0:40)How We Review Gear (2:48)Ski Bindings (3:15)Athlete Panel (4:51)Ski Design (5:28)Blister Labs (8:10)AUA: Ask Us Anything (9:37)Summit B, Feb 25th (10:09)How We Review Gear (10:10)Ski Boot Design (10:45)Backcountry Safety & Safety Eqpt. (12:11)Athlete Panel (14:31)Women in the Ski Industry (16:52)Product Design & Innovation (19:33)What is Speedland? (24:27)Nike Basketball (26:32)Kevin Fallon’s background (29:09)Dave Dombrow’s background (32:51)How did you get jobs at Nike, Under Armour? (36

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Update: Blister Summit (0:00)Custom Insoles (6:34)WNDR Alpine Reason 120 & 4FRNT Renegade (22:53)Shampoo update from Luke (30:13)Line Blade Optic 96 (31:23)Blizzard Black Pearl 97, Volkl Secret 96, Salomon Stance 88W (36:20)Lange RX 130 LV (39:39)Moment Deathwish 104 (46:10)Shaggy’s Ahmeek 95 (49:40)Salomon Shift Pro 130 (53:02)What We’re Celebrating (59:20)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: Backcountry EssentialsEpisode Sponsor: mountainFLOW.comBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Weekly Gear Giveaway / NewsletterBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTSBlis

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Blister Summit update (2:56)Sebastian’s boot-fitting background (5:37)Biggest Mistake When Buying Ski Boots (12:56)Shell fit (16:37)Alpine ski boots & running shoes (19:17)Your instep (29:33)Does "performance fit" always mean "tighter"? (35:29)Pressure vs Pain (47:05)Aftermarket liners & custom insoles (1:03:45)What We’re Celebrating (1:11:49)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: mountainFLOW eco-waxBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideOUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister PodcastOff The CouchBikes & Big Ideas See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss a ton of next season’s new products, and some of the most intriguing product categories. TOPICS & TIMES:Lightweight Boots (3:30)Supercapacitor airbags (24:56)Volkl (32:25)Dalbello (39:17)Salomon (41:21)Blister Summit (43:58)Line (45:07)Atomic (48:51)K2 (53:09)Scarpa (56:55)Dynafit (59:17)Faction: from Dictator to Dancer (1:01:03)What We're Celebrating (1:01:49)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: Bentgate MountaineeringBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Intro & powder skiing (4:30)Rotarun Ski Area (10:00)Sun Valley & coaching McKenna Peterson (14:30)Skiing & DJ’ing (18:11)Surtevants’ operation (28:55)Mountain biking around Sun Valley (33:00)Ski gear (36:20)Ski boots (50:40)What We’re Celebrating (1:06:05)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: mountainFLOW Eco WaxIntroducing: Blister LabsBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:What is Blister Labs? (2:17)The Rady Engineering Facility at Western (6:21)CU Boulder’s involvement (8:04)New standards? (11:29)Key faculty: Greg Vanderbeek & Sean Humbert (14:16)Jeni’s current position & background (22:38)Working at a bike shop and the NIST (31:37)Some of Jeni’s recent work (41:05)Blister Labs & the new “Outdoor Industry Engineering” program (43:23)RELATED LINKS:Video: Blister LabsBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newslet

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.TOPICS & TIMES:What is the Blister Summit? (1:15)Logistics & guided backcountry tours (5:15)When to arrive / more logistics (8:51)Mt Crested Butte (11:45)Where to stay (12:41)Brands that will be there (14:57)Protocols for Covid (18:12)What we’re most excited about (21:22)Come meet pro athletes & Blister reviewers (26:56)RELATED LINKS:Blister Summit: What, Where, WhenBlister Summit Registration See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Jura coffee (6:09)Scotch & Rye Whiskey (8:26)Trip Report: Austria (18:27)Skiing the Atomic Redster G9 RS, X9 S, X9 WB (26:03)Johnny Dapp (32:33) Atomic’s factory (35:29)Ski boot terms (40:11)Modifications to Jonathan’s Redster CS ski boots (48:35)What We’re Celebrating (1:06:06)RELATED LINKS:Episode sponsor: mountainFLOWAll of the previous GEAR:30 episodes with Matt ManserBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Overview of the past year + Scott’s brother (3:45)Supply chain issues & materials (11:21)Custom skis & unisex branding (19:29)Top sheets (26:25)#blameandrus (28:25)Ski Lineup:Park Skis (35:18)Magnus and 1000 Skis (39:27)Jeffrey 110 & 102 (46:11)Woodsman 102 & 110 (50:35)Billy Goat 110 & 118 (57:10)Touring skis (1:04:08)Wrenegade 102 & 110 (1:10:16)What We’re Celebrating (1:14:09)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: Blacksheep SportsGEAR:30 episode: Shop Talk: Blacksheep SportsBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Deep Pow & Fast GroomersSKIS:Moonlight Cruiser (6:15)Movement Alp Tracks 106 (12:26)BINDINGS:Moment Voyager XIV (13:40)Dynafit Superlite 150 (20:12)CLIMBING SKINS: G3 Minimist vs Pomoca (29:54)Ski Poles: Trends & Fads? (35:14)Snow Saws (47:34)BOOTS: Scarpa F1LT & Alien RS (50:53)What We’re Celebrating (58:26)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: mountainFLOWEpisode Sponsor: PowderHoundGEAR:30 episode: mountainFLOWGEAR:30 episode: Shop Talk: PowderHoundBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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-new product, which we think is going to have another significant impact on the ski industry.TOPICS & TIMES:Background of mountainFlow (3:39)Wax & its environmental consequences (10:13)Going on Shark Tank (14:43)Ski wax misconceptions (19:56) ‘Deck of cards’ analogy (21:53) More interest from backcountry or resort riders? (23:57)Ban on fluorocarbons (25:42)Ceramic Nano Technology (27:15)New Product Reveal (30:47)MountainFLOW bike chain lube (36:15)What We’re Celebrating (38:42)RELATED LINKSAvocadoJonathan’s Sleep ExperimentGetting Here: Gunnison & Crested ButteBlister