Gear:30

For this edition of Shop Talk, we are back with Kai Palkeinen, founder of Pulse Boot Lab, to hear about what Kai’s been up to since we last talked, including opening a third location in Collingwood; the evolution of Pulse and what they have in mind for the future; their process for developing and refining some 3D printing technology that is being applied to more than just ski boots; what it means to spend the day fitting race boots; why liners are everything, subjective, and also circular (?); Kai’s thoughts on some recent new boot tech, and more.TOPICS & TIMES New Collingwood Location (2:41)Skiers That Care (5:57)The Race Skillset (7:16)The Evolution of Pulse (9:49)3D Printing & Verticals (14:04)Other Pulse Initiatives? (26:17)BOA Hype (32:06)Liners: Subjective & Circular (40:26)RELATED LINKS:Blister Recommended Ski Shop: Pulse Custom Boot LabEp. 35: New Innovations in Bootfitting with Pulse Boot LabEp 217: A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 3: Stance Balancing with Pulse Boot Labs Bl

Dr. Sean Humbert is back to provide an update on our ski testing at Blister Labs; discuss the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning for product reviewing and ski recommendation engines; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Skier, Biker, Mechanical Engineer (4:00)Update on Blister Labs Ski Testing (5:35)Artificial Intelligence & Ski Testing (9:48)Ski Recommendation Engines (16:20)Other Labs Initiatives + AI Engine Compatibility (21:42)Crashes & Close Calls (26:00)What We’re Celebrating (29:51)RELATED LINKS:GEAR:30 ep.198: Sean Humbert on Ski Testing & Dynamic ModellingGEAR:30 ep.213: Manufacturers vs. Researchers & ReviewersBlister + Spot MembershipBlister Summit 2023 RegistrationOUR OTHER PODCASTSHappy HourBlister PodcastBikes & Big Ideas CRAFTEDOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Manser is back to go deep on the just-unveiled 23/24 Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD (and Hawx Ultra XTD BOA GW); the new Hawx Ultra XTD Mimic Professional liner; the all-new Atomic Backland XTD; and why we’re suddenly seeing the proliferation of the BOA system on ski boots. We also discuss ponies, children’s cough syrup, and Matt shares his own ‘Crashes & Close Calls’ story.TOPICS & TIMES:Scotch, Kid’s Cough Syrup, & Happy Hour (9:22)BOA Teaser (16:01)23/24 Hawx Ultra XTD (17:42)Last Width and Plastics Used (19:59)Measured Weights (29:44)Comparisons to Other Boots (32:47)Glued-On Sole (36:21)23/24 Liner Improvements with Mimic (39:33)Gnar Bar & Walk Mechanism (45:25)The BOA in The Room (51:49)Fit / Importance of Fit (1:01:56)Durability & Repairability (1:03:26)Why BOA now? (1:10:02)Boot Out? (1:16:32)23/24 Women’s Hawx Ultra XTD (1:19:01)23/24 Hawks Ultra XTD Mimic Professional Liner (1:21:57)Consumer Options for Liners (1:23:42)Backland (1:29:51)23/24 Backland XTD 120 construction (1:38:

Jonathan talks about shop life, gear, the price of single-day lift passes, and more with Alex and Matt from Powder7 in Golden, Colorado. Then Blister bike editor, David Golay, joins Jonathan to tell his Crashes & Close Calls story.TOPICS & TIMES:What is Powder7 + Origin Story (3:57)Defining Ski Days (10:58)Lift Ticket Day Passes (16:59)Powder7 Test (32:07)Gear & Ski Width (37:48)Boot Fitting (48:53)Ski Trade-In Program (51:44)Crashes & Close Calls (1:00:42)What We're Celebrating (1:13:00)RELATED LINKS:Blister + Spot MembershipBlister Summit 2023 RegistrationOUR OTHER PODCASTSHappy HourBlister PodcastBikes & Big Ideas CRAFTEDOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’ve got a masterclass on the history and evolution of snowboard design with Jeremy Jones, as well as Jeremy’s own philosophy behind product creation and refinement at Jones Snowboards. Jeremy and I discuss “progression bumps”; a new Jones board coming out this spring; prototyping; finding design inspiration in unexpected places; a number of the boards in the current Jones lineup; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Splitboards: why did you start with splits? (6:36)Making gear work vs. dialing in gear (11:25)Progression Bumps: Evolutions & Revolutions (13:55)Jones Tweaker & Nose Shape (17:10)New Board: the Jones Butterfly (19:55)Philosophy of Product Changes (21:54)Storm Chaser & Inspiration from Surfing (30:08)Design evolution since the early 80's (32:11)Are you more picky about shape or flex? (39:14)Manufacturing errors? Tolerances & Variations (43:32)Supply Chain update (49:05)Project X Boards (52:10)Product Name Changes & ‘Know Thyself’ (54:06)Jones Apparel (1:01:40)Crashes & Close

We’re talking ski gear, customer trends, & sustainability initiatives (from the POV of a shop owner) with Mike Donohue of Outdoor Gear Exchange, our Blister Recommended Shop in Burlington, Vermont. And we have a great listener-submitted story for “Crashes & Close Calls.”TOPICS & TIMES:Outdoor Gear Exchange History & Consignment (4:11)Mike’s History & OGE Today (7:15)Telemarking Roots, Splitboarding, & Gear (9:56)Ski Boots & Mike’s Touring Gear (12:57)Shift Bindings (16:29)Skis (20:25)Customer Trends (22:48)Buying New vs Used Gear (29:01)Sustainability: Shop Owners & Manufacturers (31:11)Crashes & Close Calls (41:16)What We’re Celebrating: Relationship Questions! (48:14)RELATED LINKS:Blister + Spot MembershipBlister Summit 2023 RegistrationOUR OTHER PODCASTSBlister PodcastBikes & Big Ideas CRAFTEDOff The CouchHappy Hour Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, Kara Williard, and Dylan Wood discuss some of the notable gear they’ve been reviewing this season. They also discuss Christmas quesadillas; whether it’s okay to put sweaty ski socks on boot dryers; and we launch a new segment: Crashes & Close Calls.TOPICS & TIMESChristmas Quesadillas (6:09)Wagner Custom 104 & Summit 106 (11:29)Scarpa 4-Quattro XT (21:03)Happy Hour! (25:26)Our New Boot Dryer (27:45)Fischer Ranger 115 W (34:36)Head Supershape e-Rally (39:17)Our Alpine Binding Test (42:45)Folsom Cash 93 & Spar 88 (44:48)Insulated Flylow Jackets and Another Anorak Debate (51:50)Crashes & Close Calls (56:14)RELATED LINKS:Blister Recommended Shop: Willi’s Ski & BoardNEW: Blister + Spot MembershipBlister Summit 2023 RegistrationOUR OTHER PODCASTSOff The CouchBlister PodcastBikes & Big Ideas CRAFTEDHappy Hour (for Blister Members) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travis Hainsworth is a whole lot of fun. And when he’s not out on his highly questionable one-ski quiver, he’s busy being the associate director of the  Western-CU Boulder Computer Science Program here in Gunnison, CO, and an integral member of our Blister Labs team. So in this conversation, we’re talking “SoRo”;” MoCap”; wheelset testing; his dream of becoming the first Red-Bull-sponsored mathematician; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Subarus, Bourbon, & Travis’ One-Ski Quiver (7:29)“Soft Robots” (11:37)Dirt Biking, Broken Bones, & Mechanical Engineering (18:47)Fur-Lined Hoods & Travis's Ski Set Up (24:45)Blister Labs Wheel Testing (28:48)Extracting the Data & What We're Trying To Learn (43:33)Red Bull Sponsored Mathematicians (46:24)System Dynamics & Intro To Robotics Courses (49:03)When Results? (57:51)What We're Celebrating (1:00:21)RELATED LINKS:NEW: Blister + Spot MembershipVideo: Blister Labs Wheelset TestingBlister Summit 2023 RegistrationGet Your Blister x John Fellows Artist Ser

Too often, passionate skiers have to mourn the discontinuation of our all-time favorite ski designs. So Marshal Olson started Heritage Lab Skis to fix that. In this conversation, we talk with Marshal about all things Heritage Lab, including how it got started; how it’s going; their ‘smokin’ rocks’ warranty policy; order updates; and what’s next.TOPICS & TIMES:What is Heritage Lab Skis? (4:34)How did you get it started? (11:25)Shapes & Designs (17:15)Testing & Production (21:48)Who are They For? (26:46)Warranty, Returns, & Smokin’ Rocks (28:06)Where are the Skis Built? (30:13)Build Types & Talking about ‘Classic Designs’ (32:52)Stated Radius Numbers (37:29)Biggest Surprises So Far? (39:13)What's Next? (40:27)Orders & Current Status (42:05)Where to Learn More (46:07)RELATED LINKS:Blister Recommended Shop: Hickory & TweedExclusive Offer: OpenSnow.com/BlisterNEW: Blister + Spot MembershipBlister Summit 2023 RegistrationGet Your Blister x John Fellows Artist Series ShirtOUR OTHER PODCAS

Matt Manser, Atomic’s ski boots product manager, is back to discuss the current lineup of Atomic ski boots and what’s new for this season; running through airports in ski boots; Tom Cruise; the Atomic Redster CS vs. the Hawx Ultra Professional; and more.TOPICS & TIMES: Scotch & our upcoming CRAFTED episode (5:06)Overview of Atomic’s current boot lineup (8:28)Redster talk (12:19)Redster Club Sport (17:46) Hawx Ultra (30:48)Professional Series (36:18)Ski Boots & Temperature Stability (43:41)New Hawx Ultra (46:05)Hawx Prime (47:36)Hawx Magna (50:31)Hawx XTD (53:23)Differences in Women’s boots? (55:58)Cuff Heights, Etc (1:00:40)Backland (1:03:20)Airport Sprint Test (1:07:31)What We're Celebrating (1:13:34)RELATED LINKS:Blister Recommended Shop: Powder7.comBlister Summit 2023 RegistrationGet Your Blister x John Fellows Artist Series ShirtOUR OTHER PODCASTSOff The CouchBlister PodcastBikes & Big Ideas CRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kristin Sinnott and Kara Williard caught up with Kjerstin Klein, co-owner of Willi’s Ski and Board. They dove into Kjerstin’s adventurous background as a model and sponsored snowboarder (among several other amazing things); and what it looked like for Kjerstin and her husband Greg to take on Willi’s and maintain it as a family-owned ski shop. Kjerstin explains how to successfully jump into a family business; techniques for how to stay innovative; what it means to truly grow the sport; why ski shops are “conduits” within the ecosystem that is the ski industry; and we learn a lot about the Winter Divas program, a women’s focus group that Kjerstin founded to grow women’s presence and leadership in the industry, plus a whole bunch more.TOPICS & TIMES: Kjerstin’s Background (4:18)Being a Model & Sponsored Snowboarder (9:31)Jumping into a family business (13:12)Staying Innovative (19:01)Advice for family-run small businesses (21:50)Ski shops as conduits (23:19)Families that ski together stay together (

Kristin Sinnott and Kara Williard talk with Blizzard-Tecnica’s Women2Women program founder and ski legend, Leslie Baker-Brown, about her background in ski racing, and her remarkable 32 years of work for Blizzard-Tecnica. They dive into the origins story of the W2W program, including how it spans beyond women-specific gear via community-building, scholarship programs, and more. Leslie explains Blizzard-Tecnica’s design process for women’s gear, including designing the #1 selling ski in the world; she talks about what it looks like to work with women through the iterative prototyping process; what gives her hope and inspiration for the future; and where we can still work to improve the industry.TOPICS & TIMES Leslie’s Background in Ski Racing (4:17)Competing for Middlebury (4:41)32 years with Tecnica! (7:45)Where women-specific gear started (9:35)How the idea of W2W was born (14:36)The Four Pillars (20:00)How W2W has Evolved (22:52)The #1 Ski in the World (27:22)Women-Specific Ski Boots (34:38)What’s h

Just in time for our Blister Recommended Shop, Powder Hound, to celebrate its 10-year business anniversary, Kara Williard chatted with the owner and founder, Eric Helmbrecht. They dove into a bunch of topics as a reflection of the 10 years Powder Hound has been a staple shop in Girdwood, AK, including how skis, boots, and bindings have progressed; the ways in which the industry has changed; what it looked like to be adaptable during a global pandemic; accomplishments they’re proud of; getting their start at the Palmer State Fair; what it feels like to ski on skis that are over 140 mm underfoot; snowboarding trends; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:AT Boots & 50/50 Boots (4:22)Weight Trends (8:55)Macro Industry Trends (16:15)Global Pandemics & Adaptability (23:40)Influx of Skiers and Industry Growth (25:07)Employment Challenges (28:36)Things you’re Proud of (31:14)Palmer State Fair (32:11)Year-Round Stable Shop (36:26)Season Lease Program (39:25)Fat Skis (44:00)Breathable & Waterproof Gear (46:12)Bindin

For the fourth installment of our Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, we talked with Jake "Fasa" Nelson, who not only works at the Moment Ski Factory, but also happens to run one of the best bootfitting shops in the Reno area. Fasa runs us through what a “big-mountain freeride” approach to bootfitting looks like; how his background in running informs his understanding of feet and biomechanics, how to work with the unique preferences of athletes (and some of the insanity that athletes can tolerate); what it means to be a “tour guide” rather than a bootfitter; and much more.TOPICS AND TIMES Self-taught bootfitting & mentorship (1:59)Moment Factory Showroom & Store (4:58)Big-mountain freeride approach to bootfitting (8:18)Suspension and shock absorption in the system (14:03)Running vs. skiing (20:13)Feet are adaptive and can be trained (24:27)Custom Insoles (32:11)Fitting preferences for athletes (38:42)Circulation & gauging tolerance (45:42)Touring or 50/50 boots (53:06)Bootfitting is subjective (1:

Eric Hjorleifson is back on GEAR:30 to answer questions from our Blister Members about gear; his tinkering process; coming to the Blister Summit; how he trains for an upcoming season; mental preparation, and … we get some bonus questions from Markus Eder, too. (We also announce our new “Blister After Hours” sessions — that’s our working title — so learn about that and let us know if you have better ideas for what we ought to call the new show.)TOPICS & TIMES:Catching Up / Coming to the Blister Summit (3:34)What gear is going to change most in the next 10 years? (13:03)Our Alpine Bindings Test (16:19)What gear do people obsess over that doesn’t really matter? (18:19)How has your skiing changed as you’ve gotten older? (19:46)When are you moving to Austria? (27:26)Golden Alpine Holidays lodges (30:07)Touring binding priorities? (35:45)What would you like to design from scratch? (43:04)Mental Prep for something challenging? (46:14)The Bec des Rosses (55:31)Which element of your setup gets you the most excited

We talk with Skip and Mac Beitzel, the owners — and father / son duo — from Hickory & Tweed, located in Armonk, New York. We go over the history of the shop; Skip’s background of ski ballet and hot dogging; seasonal lease programs; personal ski quivers; & more.TOPICS & TIMES Hickory & Tweed story (3:21)Ballet & hot dogging (11:12)Seasonal lease program (19:07)East Coast Skiing (30:34)Narrow and Deep (35:36)Soft Goods and Custom Top Sheets (50:57)Blow your mind guarantee (1:03:34)What We’re Celebrating (1:07:38)RELATED LINKS:Hickory and Tweed: BLISTER Recommended Shop SPECIAL OFFER: OpenSnow.com/BlisterBecome a Blister Member / Get Our Buyer’s GuideSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter2023 Blister Summit 22/23 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s GuideOUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchBLISTER Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A bunch of our reviewers discuss why our 22/23 Winter Buyer’s Guide is still unique and still the best resource for your winter gear; what’s new & different this year; some of our personal favorite gear of the season; some industry trends and speculation; and why pumpkin-flavored pastries make Drew Kelly sweat.TOPICS & TIMES What makes the Blister Buyer’s Guide unique? (3:36)What’s New (10:23)Our Women-Specific Sections & Unisex Skis (12:16)Gear Trends (14:40)Leveling Out (21:41)More Specified Gear (23:31)Groomer Skiing (29:47)Insulated Apparel (33:23)Specific Gear Shoutouts (35:12)Our BLISTER Spectrums & Quivers (45:50)What We’re Celebrating (52:23)RELATED LINKS:Hickory and Tweed: BLISTER Recommended Shop Become a Blister Member / Get Our Buyer’s GuideSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter2023 Blister Summit 22/23 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s GuideOUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchBLISTER Podcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f

For Part 3 of our Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting series, Kara Williard and Kai Palkeinen, Founder of Pulse Boot Labs, dive into the intricate topic of stance balancing and canting ski boots. Kai explains Pulse Boots Labs’ analytical approach to getting it right, his refined methodology of “red light, green light”; the multi-step process of looking at the foot, insole, liner, shell, and then potentially cuff alignment and canting; and all the intricate variables that can play into this process, including snow surface, attitude, and communication.TOPICS & TIMESHow does this process start? (3:22)The Foundation (4:57)Red Light, Green Light (6:50)Pulse Methods (10:53)Binding Ramp Angle (17:06)Why Liners Matter (24:37)Cuff Alignment (26:14)Canting Schools of Thought (35:06)Rigid vs. Flexible (41:33)Communication and Stopping Points (47:47)Snow Surface (49:32)What We’re Celebrating (54:00)RELATED LINKS:Blister Recommended Ski Shop: Pulse Custom Boot LabEp. 35: New Innovations in Bootfitting with Pulse Boot LabA V

Folsom builds custom skis in Denver, Colorado, and they have a LOT going on these days. So we discussed it all with their head ski builder / owner / CEO, Mike McCabe, including their 22/23 lineup; new shapes; new construction materials; their very cool Junior Skis Trade-In Program; Blister Labs; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Folsom & Fatherhood (3:25)Folsom Spar series (11:26)Completo, Cash, & Primary series (17:21)Cash family (20:12)Folsom Rapture (26:00)New Model: G-Wagon (32:15)New Model: Cash 93 (37:42)UltraLITE construction (39:00)Orders & Production Cycle (45:30)Folsom’s Aspen shop (49:32)Folsom’s Denver shop (51:36)Blister Labs (52:41)Junior Skis Trade-In Program (58:15)What We’re Celebrating (1:08:10)RELATED LINKS:Become a Blister Member / Get Our Buyer’s GuideMore on Blister LabsSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & NewsletterSEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchBLISTER Podcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Those waterproof & breathability ratings on the tags of that rain jacket or those ski pants you’re about to buy: where did they come from? What’s the history? And how relevant are those standards? We discuss all of this and more with Dr. Lauren Cooper, who heads up our Blister Labs work on technical apparel.TOPICS & TIMES:Dr. Cooper’s background (3:37)History of standards & ratings (7:23)Current Standards (11:11)What does the ISO standard tell us? (17:08)What doesn’t the ISO standard tell us? (18:05)Next Steps (22:36)RELATED LINKS:Become a Blister Member / Get Our Buyer’s GuideMore on Blister LabsVIDEO: Blister Labs Panel SessionSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & NewsletterOUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchBLISTER Podcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.