Gear:30

What’s the difference between a true race boot; a race-inspired ski boot; and a high-performance freeride or freestyle boot? Matt Manser is back to talk about all of these things and more, and to walk us through Atomic’s new range of Redster ski boots, and their new freeride & freestyle boot, the Remedy 130. Plus, you’ll hear the most important rant / public service announcement in GEAR:30 history.RELATED LINKS:Blister Rec Shop: Willi’sBecome a BLISTER+ MemberJoin us @ Blister Summit 2025JE’s Flash Review of Atomic Remedy 130TOPICS & TIMES:How Atomic Protects Their Athletes (2:22)Update: Blister Summit Forecast (3:16)Important Rant / PSA: “Plug Boots” (5:37)Overview of Atomic’s New Boots (15:57)New Redster Boots: TR, STR, & TX (19:10)Redster TX & Remedy 130 (23:43)Formula Plastics (36:57)The ‘Uh Oh’ Boot (46:44)More on the Remedy 130 (51:18)Redster vs Remedy Shells (54:19)Other Elements of the Remedy (56:31)Geometry Changes (1:01:54)Adding Screws & Flex Patterns (1:06:05)New Liners (1:12:5

In today’s episode, Luke Koppa sits down with Jonathan Ellsworth and Kara Williard to discuss just a small portion of all the gear we’ve been testing lately. We cover Head’s overhauled collection of Kore skis; Jonathan makes a confession after he took some carving skis off piste; Kara and Luke discuss a bunch of boots they’ve been testing; Jonathan poses an age-old question about boot flexes; Kara breaks down the setups she’s bringing to Japan; and much more.RELATED LINKS:Blister Recommended Shop: SkiBootRXCarv | Use code BLISTER32 for 10% offJoin us @ Blister Summit 2025Become a BLISTER+ MemberTOPICS & TIMES:Carv (1:18)Ski Boot RX (2:10)Summit 2025 (2:58)Ski Boots (7:09)Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD Boa & Salomon Shift Alpha Boa (7:42)Head Kaliber BOA2 (11:45)Armada & Phaenom Boots (13:10)Would Your Rather: Too Soft or Too Stiff? (16:21)Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro W (22:31)4FRNT MSP CC (27:21)Dynastar M-Pro Skis (29:49)New Head Kores (33:10)Head Supershape e-Titan: Carving Ski or Mogul Ski (37:44)Nordica Enf

Today we’ve got 2 episodes in 1 for you. We first talk about the biggest development in the world of snowsports gear: dual BOA ski boots. Joining Jonathan for that conversation are Salomon’s Lauren Samuels and Cesar Brouck, and you’re going to learn a lot more about the Dual BOA system in general, and also some of the very specific design decisions that Salomon made to implement this system into their new S/Pro Supra dual BOA ski boot. Then, we dive deep into the weeds with Quentin Boutry, the man behind Salomon’s new 4th generation of QST skis.RELATED LINKS:Our Blister Rec Shop: Viking Ski ShopBLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredJoin Us! Blister Summit 2025TOPICS & TIMES:Jonathan’s Neighborhood Ski Shop (1:45)Blister Summit News & Updates (3:50)Did You Know? PT (4:38)Part 1: New S/Pro Dual BOA Ski Boot (8:20)Who’s this Boot For? (11:20) Benefits of Dual BOA? (12:15)The R&D Process (27:27)Cable Routing of the Dual BOA (36:44)The ‘Step In’ Experience (39:13)Part 2: New Salomon QST Skis (44:17)Get to

After a great day of skiing together, Jonathan talked with Jake Stevens (Rossignol’s Winter Sports Equipment Director for North America) about world-cup race skis vs. recreational skis: what do they have in common; how do they incorporate technological advances; and what are the available options between skis designed to win gold medals and those designed to have fun on the weekends with your family and friends? It’s a conversation that is guaranteed to get you thinking about various approaches to the mountain — and your own approach to sliding around on snow.RELATED LINKS:OpenSnow.com/buy - code: blister50Our Blister Rec Shop: Spokane Alpine Haus5850 Fest, Ketchum, IdahoBLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredJoin Us! Blister Summit 2025TOPICS & TIMES:Jake’s Background in Racing (8:47)Ski Gear at the World Cup Level (12:13)Line Control Technology (27:46)The Direction of Tech Developments (30:31)Understanding the Options via Rossignol’s Hero Line (33:13)Rossignol Arcade 88 (45:51)Surprising Products & World Cup

Freeride athlete Nat Segal has had a long and impressive journey as a professional skier, and part of this journey has been getting in a properly fitting ski boot. Our Blister Recommended Shop, Pulse Boot Labs and Ski Co., has been an important part of this process. So, Kara Williard sat down with Nat and Bryn Vickers from Pulse to hear about bootfitting from an athlete’s perspective; Nat’s current setup; bootfitting stories from her career; and we hear about some recent filmmaking projects, including her latest short film, Mountain Joy, which covers her journey of managing a chronic disease. RELATED LINKS:A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 6: Ski Boot Flex w/ Pulse Boot Labs Our Blister Rec Shop: Pulse Boot Labs and Ski Co.Watch Mountain Joy BLISTER+: Get Yourself CoveredBlister Summit 2025TOPICS & TIMES:The Season in Revelstoke (4:07)Nat’s Background (5:43)Bootfitting Considerations for Athletes (9:36)Nat’s Journey with Boots (14:35)Athlete Bootfitting Stories (22:18)“No Pain No Ga

For the first time in company history, Armada is releasing a ski boot: the AR ONE. It’s a project that’s been in development for five years, and this release comes with a number of questions, like: why do a boot? And why now? What sort of boot is the AR ONE, how is it different from what’s out there, and … who's it for? We discuss all of these questions and more with Matt Rihm, Armada’s VP of Product, and Bransford Briggs, Ski Boot Product Manager.RELATED LINKS:CARV: getcarv.com (use code BLISTER32)Blister Rec Shop: Boot MechanicsGEAR:30 Ep #327 w/ Boot MechanicsBLISTER+: Get Yourself CoveredBlister Summit 2025TOPICS & TIMES:Boot Mechanics (1:20)Carv (2:11)The New Armada AR ONE (6:37)A “Hybrid Cabrio” Boot (12:40)Matt's Background (14:50)Bransford’s Background (15:34)Development of the Boot (18:10)Heel Hold (21:26)Liner (24:09)Fit (25:30)Instep & the 2nd Buckle (28:33)Redneck Engineering (31:56)Plastic (34:28)Fine-Tuning Flex (39:00)Range of AR ONE Models (44:51)Who’s It For? (49:12)Where to Find Them

Luke and Jonathan discuss some of the frontside skis they’ve recently been on; why choosing the right frontside ski requires as much consideration as any other type of ski; and they give an update on how they’ve been using the CARV system (so far) to enhance their ski reviews.RELATED LINKS:1: Blister Rec Shop: Alpenglow Sports2: Taos Ski Valley3: Blister Summit 2025: Learn More4: Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Alpenglow Sports (1:12)Taos (2:26)Blister Summit 2025 (3:10)Frontside Skis (8:20)- Stockli Montero AR- Volkl Peregrine 80 & 82- Nordica Steadfast 85CARV & Our Ski Reviews (21:44)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest installment of our “Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting” series, Kara Williard is joined by Master Bootfitter & Instructor — and Founder of Boot Mechanics, a Blister Recommended Shop  — Jeremy Johnston. This one is all about you, the audience, as we make our way through a bunch of your questions. We discuss the process of stance alignment; what’s happening on both ends of the spectrum when it comes to low-volume and high-volume boot design; the process of downsizing; forward lean and ramp angle; and a bunch of other bootfitting mysteries and complexities. RELATED LINKS:1: Blister Rec Shop: Boot Mechanics 2: GetCarv.com, use code: BLISTER323: OpenSnow.com/buy, use code: blister504: Blister Summit 2025: Learn More5: Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Boot Mechanics Background (3:44)Stance Alignment Process (8:38)Adjusting Flex & Forward Lean / 1-Boot Quivers (17:54)Are Boots Getting Roomier? (23:50)Performance Boots (28:22)Performance Boots for HV Feet (30:30)How Lon

This week, DPS introduced a new product that represents quite a departure for the company: the DPS Carbon Pisteworks 79. And today, you’re going to hear one of the deepest dives we’ve ever done on GEAR:30 about the design and development of a new ski; how Blister Labs was involved; and the lengthy process of developing a ‘metal ski without the metal.’RELATED LINKS:Blister Rec. Shop: Powder HoundSubmit your Bootfitting QuestionsBlister Summit 2025Blister Pod: Jonathan on this DPS PrototypeBlister Pod: Ted Ligety on this New SkiTOPICS & TIMES:Powder Hound Updates (2:39)Next GEAR:30: Submit Your Questions (4:30)DPS’s 20th Anniversary, News, & New Release (5:30)Weight & Suspension (11:47)Ted Ligety's Involvement (19:27)Dr. Sean Humbert (22:19)Goals for the ProjectNumerical Simulation (38:36)Modal Testing (48:21)Lab Tests & Field Measurements (49:51)Building a Metal Ski Without the Metal (51:18)Locating the DPS Pisteworks 79 (53:09)Where to Get the Pisteworks 79 (57:06) Hosted on Acast. See ac

Today, Olin Glenne, the owner of Sturtevants bike & ski shop is back on GEAR:30 to talk about the state of the bike industry and ski industry; the World Cup Finals that are being held in Sun Valley in March of 2025; Sun Valley’s impressive ski race programs and some things those programs are doing that might be good ideas for race programs elsewhere to consider. Olin and Jonathan also talk a lot about ski tuning and ski finishing; ski base flatness (and who should obsess the most about it); and more.RELATED LINKS1: 5850 Fest2: Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+3: Get Our Winter Buyer’s Guide4: Blister Summit 2025: Learn MoreTOPICS & TIMES5850 Fest (1:11)Status of the Bike industry (4:16)Status of the Ski Industry (6:16)Ski Season Readiness (9:04)WC Finals in Sun Valley (13:03)Sun Valley’s Racing Program (18:43)Ski Tuning & Ski Finishing (30:27)What’s New at Sturtevants (53:13)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac

Luke and Jonathan offer their early-season reviewer reports, then Jonathan talks to Bangtail Bike & Ski’s new owner about why he did something that no other shop in the world has done — but why others might want to.RELATED LINKS1: Blister Rec Shop: Powder7.com2: GetCarv.com, use code: BLISTER323: Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+4: Get Our Winter Buyer’s Guide5: Blister Summit 2025: Learn MoreTOPICS & TIMESPowder 7 (1:44)Carv Update (3:04)JE’s Updates (5:01)Powder / Chop Skis Episode (5:46)James Bond, Babysitter (6:59)Opening Day in CB (9:43)Luke’s Report (15:00)- RMU Apostle 106- Rossignol Sender Soul 102- Fischer Curv GT 85- Ferreol Explo 86- Black Crows Octo vs Mirus Cor- Line Blade- Rossignol Arcade 88JE's Skis (26:41)- Armada Declivity 108- Armada Declivity 102Shop Talk: Bangtail’s 1st (32:08)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CARV is a slick and sophisticated system that aims to help skiers improve their skiing and have more fun on snow. And this winter, Blister is partnering with CARV to do 2 things: (1) see how — and how well — CARV accomplishes this for our team of Blister reviewers; and (2) see if the analysis we get from CARV provides insights that will enhance our ski reviews. So if you’re a fan of new tech, high edge angles, and / or getting better at skiing, listen up.RELATED LINKS1: Blister Rec Shop: Pulse Boot Lab & Ski Co2: Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+3: Get Our Winter Buyer’s Guide4: Blister Summit 2025: Learn MoreTOPICS & TIMES:Pulse Boot Lab & Ski Co (1:56)Blister Summit Update (3:15)What is CARV? (9:13)The Ski Coaching Paradox (11:46)Confirmation Bias in Skiing (19:05)Origin Story, Duct Tape, & University (20:57)Tech & its Evolution (23:43)Data & Data Interpretation (31:16)Edging & Transitions (38:21)Ski IQ (41:20)CARV Off Piste? (43:07)CARV 2 & Blister Reviews (52:47)Summary &

Recently, Austin Smith created a stir when he posted a video of a prototype of a snowboard binding … that rotates. So Jonathan talks with Austin about the idea, his prototyping process, the testing process, and his predictions for whether we’ll see a development like this come to market.RELATED LINKSOpenSnow.com/buy (use code Blister50)Blister Rec Shop: Teton Village SportsGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Get Our Winter Buyer’s GuideTOPICS & TIMES:OpenSnow Deal for GEAR:30 Listeners (1:30)Blister Rec Shop: Teton Village Sports (2:17)BLISTER+ News / Time to Get on Snow (3:16)Austin’s Roadtrip (5:50)Rotating Snowboard Binding (9:13)Testing the Prototype (12:02)Safety vs. Ride Quality (18:23)Future Predictions for Bindings (20:51)Realizing Dreams, Lessons Learned (23:22)Board Preferences & Riding Styles (25:21)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, Kara Williard sits down with some of the crew from our Blister Recommended Shop, Powder7, to quiz them on gear; discuss the skis, boots, and outerwear they’re most excited about this season; gear they’re sad to see go; the best and worst topsheets; and get some of their hot takes. Then we dive into the topic of circular business and how Powder7 has maintained this as a key part of their business model since they were based out of a garage through their ski trade-in / ski recycling program.RELATED LINKSBlister Recommended Shop: Powder7Our Full List of Blister Recommended ShopsGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Get Our Winter Buyer’s GuideTOPICS & TIMESMost Exciting Skis This Season? (4:30)Boots (11:23)Bindings (17:51)Blizzard Anomaly & Black Pearl (23:01)Gear Updates / Overhauls (28:56)Outerwear & Apparel (31:02)Awards: Topsheets (36:38)Powder7 Bussiness Circularity (41:54)Event Season & What’s Next (55:40)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBike

The snow’s been falling here in Crested Butte, and we’re already fantasizing about those really deep days. So today, Jonathan Ellsworth and Paul Forward are discussing pow skis. They start by making the case for wide pow skis, then, they talk about a bunch of current pow skis, old pow skis, and some design specifics that they think are good ideas when you’re building a wide ski that’s designed to float for days.RELATED LINKSGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Get Our Winter Buyer’s GuideTOPICS & TIMES:The Case for Wide Pow Skis (7:45)1st Gen DPS Lotus 138 (27:56)Line Pescado (21:09)Heritage Labs 132 (34:18)K2 Powabunga (43:33)Volkl BMT 122 (54:32)DPS Lotus 124 Tour (57:06)K2 Hellbent (59:49)Praxis Protest (128) (1:01:17)Praxis Powderboards (1:04:07)Folsom Rapture (1:06:38)4FRNT Renegade (1:09:51)Faction La Machine 5 (1:10:35)Blizzard Spur (1:14:22)Salomon Rocker2 122 (1:22:53)Volkl Shiro (1:27:53)K2 Reckoner 124 (1:32:30)Paul’s Injury & Recovery (1:35:38)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister

Jonathan talks with Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, about Moment’s latest skis; some former Moment skis; some other companies’ skis; Moment snowboards?; why Hoji is a traitor(!!); and more.RELATED LINKSGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Get Our Winter Buyer’s GuideVIDEO: Luke J @ the Blister SummitTOPICS & TIMES:Company Overview & Mt. Rose (5:41)Factory Updates (8:43)Snowboards?? (17:08)Moment’s 24/25 Lineup (22:58)Deathwish 104 & Countach 110 (23:36)Wildcat (29:32)Meridian (35:18)Countach 104 vs the old Belafonte (40:39)Commander Series & Touring Skis (45:49)ATK x Moment Voyager Evo Binding (50:31)Reverse-Camber Skis (53:17)Q’s from Tyler Curle & Scott Andrus (1:00:16)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kara Williard catches up with Drew and Rachel Harding of our Blister Recommended Shop, Spokane Alpine Haus, to hear all about the exciting recent developments at the shop; how this news runs counter to a lot of what you see from local retailers these days; what ski / snowboard gear they’re excited about for the 24/25 season, and more. RELATED LINKSSpokane Alpine HausBlister Recommended Shops Become a BLISTER+ Member24/25 Blister Winter Buyer’s GuideTOPICS & TIMESStore Background (1:39)Big Announcement & All the Details (10:52)Bringing in Bikes (20:20)Advice for Small Retailers (30:32)Love What You Do (31:26)Season Lease Program (33:00)The Winter Ahead (35:17)24/25 Gear (37:53)Ski Network & Community (41:55)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! So in this edition of GEAR THERAPY, BLISTER+ member, Pete Brantley, talks about getting back into skiing and playing football for the Oregon Ducks (and Chicago Bears!). Then he poses his most-pressing gear questions, and gets Jonathan’s best recommendations.RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: Taos Ski ValleyBecome a BLISTER+ Member24/25 Blister Winter Buyer’s GuideTOPICS & TIMES:Pete’s Story & ‘Hot Dog… The Movie’ (4:15)Football: Oregon Ducks & Chicago Bears (21:45)Pete’s Crashes & Close Calls Story (30:47)Gear Therapy Begins (35:53)Atomic Maverick 95 (37:38)Chamonix / New Blister Guide to Chamonix (44:28)JE's Recommendations (47:37)Backcountry Skiing (1:12:56)Ski Boots & Ski Bags (1:13:53)Custom Footbeds (1:20:34)Our reviews & Pete’s Gear Purchases (1:27:02)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTED Hosted on Aca

We talk to ON3P Skis founder, Scott Andrus, about the 24/25 ON3P lineup; building skis in Portland, Oregon; and we dive into the weeds about numerous aspects of ski design and ski manufacturing that you really won’t hear about anywhere else.RELATED LINKSOpenSnow.com/buy (code: BLISTER50)Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Get Our Winter Buyer’s GuideCrafted Podcast: Scott Andrus on KnivesCrafted Podcast: Scott Andrus on CoffeeTOPICS & TIMES:Overview of New Stuff at ON3P (3:00)Origin Story of ON3P (7:00)Moving to Year-Round Manufacturing (9:44)USA Manufacturing (10:25)ON3P (Jack the) Ripper Rocker (14:30)Freeride Skis (16:02)Mount Points (20:08)Ramp Angle / Rocker Profile (22:45)Touring Skis (28:49)Freestyle Skis (34:34)Where They Start w/ Ski Design (41:18)Park Skis (49:00)The new ‘Oski’ (50:20)Team Rattlecan! (52:32)Unisex Skis (57:55)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re talking about exploding fabrics, microwaving hotdogs, and whether the color of your jacket affects its performance. Dr. Jeni Blacklock is back to discuss all of this, and to provide an update on the Blister Labs’ testing that’s been happening at the Rady School of Computer Science & Engineering at Western Colorado University, as part of the partnership program between Blister, Western Colorado University & the University of Colorado Boulder.RELATED LINKSGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Get Our Winter Buyer’s GuideCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTEDTOPICS & TIMES:Apparel Testing Overview (1:25)Friction & UV Tests (3:53)Exploding Fabric?? (6:16)Color & Other Variables (12:23)What’s Next? (20:44) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.