Gear:30

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 CoveredGet Our Free Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysLuke Koppa on Public Lands SaleGEAR:30 ep. 353: Our Thoughts on Peak SkisJason Blevins’ article on Peak SkisTOPICS & 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)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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:BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredJason Blevins’ article on Peak SkisGEAR:30 ep 191: Bode on Peak SkisGEAR:30 ep 163: Bode on Crosson Skis 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 Effort (26:55)What Needs to Happen Next? (31:00)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 SportsTOPICS & 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)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister Cine

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 CoveredSki vs Bike Industry, Part 1Our ‘Bikes vs Skis’ Series:Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 1Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 2Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 3Bikes vs Skis, 3rd Edition (2021): Part 1Bikes vs Skis, 3rd Edition (2021): Part 2Bikes vs Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 1Bikes vs Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 2Bik

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 CoveredOur ‘Bikes vs Skis’ Series:Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 1Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 2Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 3Bikes vs Skis, 3rd Edition (2021): Part 1Bikes vs Skis, 3rd Edition (2021): Part 2Bikes vs Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 1Bikes vs Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 2Bikes vs Skis, 1st Edition (2018): Part 1Bikes vs Skis, 1st Edition (2018): Part 2TOPICS & TIMES:Health of the Bik

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)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Pod

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)The Skiing! (52:20)Coffee & Coffee Gear (1:00:44)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Koppa, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss what they’ve been getting up to lately, and the gear they’ve been using to do so. Luke recaps his first trip to Palisades Tahoe, being there during Level 1’s mind-blowing SuperUnknown event, finally experiencing the iconic Wildflour Bakery, and some of the skis that stood out throughout the week. Kristin covers her recent trip down to the tropics, and Jonathan goes over some of the touring skis, boots, and bindings he’s been liking. We also dive into ski socks, the particular socks each of us used most this season, some new midlayers we’ve all been testing, and more.RELATED LINKS:Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Luke’s Trip Report (3:57)Kristin’s Trip Report (11:22)Jonathan’s Trip Report (12:58)Volkl Revolt 101 vs. Fischer Ranger 102 FR (14:52)Salomon QST Echo 106 (18:11)Salomon MTN 96 & MTN Pure Binding (23:01)ON3P Jeffrey & Mango Skis (28:49)Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA (33:09)Our Favorite Ski Socks This Year (36:19)Patagon

What new thoughts and ideas emerge when you bring together in conversation makers of hybrid ski bindings and AT bindings and snowboard bindings and splitboard bindings? Well you’re about to find out, because at Blister Summit 2025, Jonathan Ellsworth led a conversation along these lines with Will Ritter of Spark R&D; Royal White, from Burton; Andy Merriman, from ATK Bindings; and Cobey Nash, from the very new company, AlpenFlow Design. Enjoy, this is a great one.RELATED LINKS:Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Exploring the Evolution of Bindings (3:11)Customer Feedback in Product Development (5:47)Design Principles of New Companies (08:50)The Importance of User Experience (12:13)Evolution of ATK Bindings (15:00)The Future of Snowboard Bindings (18:02)Challenges in Binding Production (21:02)User Errors / Misuse of Bindings (23:58)Understanding Binding Mechanics & Maintenance (34:03)The Importance of Familiarity with Gear (37:10)The Shift towards Lightweight Ski Gear (41:18)Ethical Conside

If you think all goggles are the same, well, think again. At our Blister Summit 2025, Jonathan Ellsworth spoke with Steven Kennedy (Giro), Ted Ligety (Shred Optics), Stefan Stahl (Glade Optics), and Gabriel Lobbi (Provuu) about some different approaches — and solutions — to the problem of seeing well on snow.RELATED LINKS:Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Introductions (4:15)Different Approaches to the Problem (7:00)Photochromic & VLT (11:34)High-Contrast Lenses (17:08)Lens Shapes (19:53)Goggles & Helmet Fit (24:11)Flat-Light Optimization (28:48)What's the Best Question I Haven’t Asked? (32:05)Audience Questions (33:45)Goggle Care (40:58)Materials (42:11)Shield Helmets & Corrective Lenses (50:27)Fogging (53:23)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Luke Koppa sits down with Kara Williard, Jonathan Ellsworth, and the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb to talk about the many skis Jonathan and I opted to take out during closing weekend at CBMR; Kara’s powder-filled winter trips, and the two skis and single boot she used throughout; and Justin’s latest, crazy biking / skinning / snowboarding adventure + some of the boards and boots he’s been testing. Finally, we dive into some ski-touring boots discussions, and Jonathan tells us about his surprise visit from Cody Townsend.RELATED LINKS:Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ MembershipTOPICS & TIMES:Jonathan & Cody’s Surprise Coffee Date (2:49)Colby MunicipalBoundaryLine (6:07)Kara’s Trip Report (8:45)Justin’s Trip Report (14:43)Salomon QST X (16:23)Luke’s Closing-Day Skis (24:02)New Snowboards & Boots (26:32)Jonathan’s Closing-Day Skis (35:46)Black Crows Anima Birdie (47:06)Atomic Hawx Ultra 115 XTD (49:25)La Sportiva Sender (53:26)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes

Today we are sharing the first of our Blister Summit 2025 panel sessions, and we’ve got a great one to kick things off. We’re asking the pros — Hoji, Ted, Anne, and Jess — how they go about assessing and testing ski and snowboard gear, and what advice they have for the rest of us? Plus you’ll hear Ted share one of his favorite (but questionable??) ways of testing skis.RELATED LINKS:Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ BLISTER YouTube ChannelTOPICS & TIMES:BLISTER+ Updates (00:00)Intros (5:34)Evaluating Prototypes (8:21)Assessing Gear for Yourself (11:35)Going in Blind vs Getting Info First (18:05)Gear You Liked but Didn’t Expect to? (23:29)Advice on How to Evaluate (28:41)Trickiest Variables when Testing? (34:10)Ted’s Favorite Testing Method (38:55)Audience Q&A:Evaluating Pow Skis Outside of Pow? (46:26)Intuitive Products vs. Adapting to Them (49:27)Personal Preference vs. Objective Performance (54:00)How to Rule Out a Bad Tune? (55:29)How Many Runs Should You Take? (56:48)What Notes Do You Take? (1:00

Kara Williard catches up with Christoph Lentz, Fischer’s Global Product Manager for Alpine Boots, to discuss what they’ve been up to since the launch of their RC4 Lineup two seasons ago; how this lineup has expanded and evolved, including the new models for the 25/26 season; why Fischer has invested so much time and energy into “inner boots,” including using D3O padding in their latest liners; their all-new touring boot; the process for Vacuum molding plastics; Christoph’s favorite part of his job; and a whole lot more. RELATED LINKS:Our Blister Recommended ShopsGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ BOA & the Death of Buckles? 2024 Ski Boot Design | Blister Summit PanelTOPICS & TIMES:Christoph’s Role & How it Came to Be (4:05)Reflecting on the RC4 Pro (10:20)25/26 RC4 Lineup / New Models (20:11)RC4 Pro for Women (25:03)Inner Boots, aka Liners (27:24)D3O in Liners (29:52)Vacuum Plastics & Molding Process (37:01)The New Traverse (43:06)Current Trends in the Ski Industry (51:17)CHECK OUT OUR O

As part of the 5850 Fest at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Jonathan talked with Ted Ligety about the tricky conditions and the very challenging course here in Sun Valley for the Super G and GS races, and the incredibly demanding business of going fast.RELATED LINKS:Our Blister Recommended ShopsGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ GEAR:30 Ep. 326: DPS Carbon Pisteworks 79Blister Podcast Ep. 332: Ted Ligety 24/25 World Cup PreviewTOPICS & TIMES:Unique Course & Unique Challenges (5:32)Course Sets & Resets (10:54)Brignone Coming To Win (15:21)Lara Gut-Behrami (20:17)Best Super G's Women's Run (23:41)Lindsey Vonn (25:32)Men's Super G (29:29)Ski Tuning (36:22)GS Races (41:01)Slalom Races (44:24)What's Next for Ted? (45:48)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Koppa talks with several of our reviewers about some of the latest gear they’ve been testing. Paul Forward discusses a bunch of the lightweight powder touring skis he’s been on, as well as some new models from Heritage Lab. Then, Kristin Sinnott and Sascha Anastas cover some new all-mountain skis and apparel that they’ve been using, and we round things out with a conversation with Dylan Wood about some very interesting new big-mountain skis, including the Dynastar M-Free 112, how it compares to the Rossignol Sender Free 110, the Head Kore 112 Ti, and more.RELATED LINKS:Our Blister Recommended ShopsGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Ep. 226 w/ Heritage Lab SkisTOPICS & TIMES:Paul Forward’s Recent Touring (1:42)Black Diamond Helio 115 (5:37)La Sportiva Capo (13:27)ON3P Billy Goat 118 Tour (16:29)Faction La Machines (18:46)Heritage Lab Models (22:37)Kristin Sinnott & New Head Kores (41:44)RMU Valhalla 97 (43:49)New Apparel (45:13)Sascha Anastas & DPS Wailers (48:33)Buttnski Down Pants (51:51)Ro

Kara Williard is back with Eric Helmbrecht of Powder Hound, our Blister Recommended Shop in Girdwood, Alaska to discuss a the ups and downs of their season up in Alaska; our tips and tricks on how to make the most of any season, including some of our favorite gear for low-tide skiing; 25/26 gear including the new Salomon QST Lineup, Dual BOA, boot trends, aftermarket liners; and more. RELATED LINKS:Blister Rec. Shop: Powder Hound Become a BLISTER+ MemberTOPICS & TIMES:Ski Season in Girdwood (3:25)25/26 Salomon QST Lineup (5:49)Skiing at Palisades (10:44)Dual BOA (12:09)Boot Trends (17:25)Realistic Expectations for Ski Boots (21:54)Aftermarket Liners (27:18)Making the Most of a Low-Tide Season (34:32)Narrow All-Mountain Skis (43:56)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blister reviewers Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, Sascha Anastas, Kristin Sinnott, and the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb discuss a bunch of new ski and snowboard gear they spent time on at last week’s Blister Summit. They also talk about several prototypes they got on at the Summit, so if you want to get a little glimpse into the future, you’re in luck.RELATED LINKS:Taos Ski ValleyBlister Rec Shop: Willi’s Ski & Board ShopGet Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Chile Rant / Taos Ski Valley (0:59)Deals from Willi’s Ski Shop (1:53)Story from a BLISTER+ Member (3:11)Prototypes at the Summit (7:54)Giro Meetups (10:21) Icelantic Pioneer Prototype (10:55) J Skis Hotshot Prototype (15:45) Romp Zorro 100 Prototype (17:06)Salomon Addikt Pro 66 (18:35)Kaestle Marble 84 (21:17)Majesty HNX Ti (23:05)New Salomon QST Skis (25:55)DPS Carbon Pisteworks 79 (30:10)Mito Skis (34:59)ON3P Woodsman 100 (38:02)Liberty Radian 100 (41:09)Snowboard Gear (42:58)J Skis Escalator (46:00)Patagonia Powslayer & Nano

Crested Butte Mountain Resort recently got 40+ inches of new snow in just a few days, so it was time to break out the big skis. Jonathan and Luke discuss the very new (and very different) Head Kore 118Ti and Kore 112Ti; the latest iteration of the ON3P Billy Goat 118; Tyrolia’s Attack Hybrid binding; Salomon’s revised QST Blank and QST 106, and more.RELATED LINKS:Blister Rec. Shop: Mountain OpsJoin us @ Blister Summit 2025Become a BLISTER+ MemberTOPICS & TIMES:Mountain Ops  (1:21)Blister Summit (2:26)Head Kore 118Ti & 112Ti (3:20)Tyrolia Attack Hybrid (14:40)ON3P Billy Goat 118 (21:00)Rossignol Sender Free 118 (25:03)Salomon QST Blank (27:35)Salomon QST 106 (32:50)Summit (38:35)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are talking about love, materials science, and ski construction. More specifically, we’re going to be looking at graphene, and why you might soon be hearing more about it in skis in the near future. Our guests are Haley and Kevin Keith, the founders of Mito Materials, and you’ll hear them explain their journey into the ski industry, and the unique properties of their functionalized graphene material.RELATED LINKS:CARVBlister Rec Shop: Viking Ski Shop Become a BLISTER+ MemberJoin us @ Blister Summit 2025Mito x Folsom: Case StudyTOPICS & TIMES:CARV (2:10)Viking Ski Shop (3:09)Functionalized Graphene (4:30How Haley & Keith Met (6:14)Manipulating Material Properties (6:55)Graphene In Skis (13:17)The Data & How it's Collected (16:02)How Did it End Up in Skis? (21:03)Mito at the Blister Summit (25:03)Is All Graphene Created Equal? (28:02)Carbon vs Graphene (31:25)Folsom Ultralights (38:45)Where to Learn More (41:26) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.