Gear:30

In the second installment of our “Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting” series, Blister reviewer (and bootfitter) Kara Williard is joined again by Master Bootiftter, Sam Tischendorf. But this time it is all about you, the audience, as we make our way through a bunch of your questions. Sam and Kara explain some of the technical mysteries — and at times, controversies — within bootfitting, such as forward lean and ramp angle; provide a deeper explanation of why custom insoles are so imperative as the foundation to a boot’s fit; the differences between rigid and flexible feet; they make a case for women-specific ski boots; and they end on some horror stories and Sam’s true feelings about DIY bootfitting. TOPICS AND TIMESCustom insoles (4:40)Socks & Shell Fit (13:12)Forward Lean / Ramp Angle (18:51)Fore / Aft Balance (30:20)Binding Delta? (32:26)“The old skinny heel” (34:11)Aftermarket Liners (41:23)Time to Upgrade? (44:32)Flat Feet and Foot Flexibility (51:47)Rigid Feet Need Love (56:33)Women-Specific Boots (57:38)

Can engineering actually help us discover real-world characteristics about products that will be meaningful to end users? Or, when we incorporate quantitative data, do we mostly run the risk of having that data leading people astray? To lay out the concerns, stakes, and potential rewards, Jonathan Ellsworth talks with Thomas Laakso, the vice president of product and operations at DPS Skis, and Dr. Sean Humbert of Blister Labs.TOPICS & TIMES:Will Data Set Us Free? (6:12)Variability & Defining Uncertainty (14:05)Data & Real-World Applicability (16:58)DPS Pagoda Tour Update (29:03)Quantifying the User Experience? (34:34)Interrogating Engineering (37:42)RELATED LINKS:Become a Blister Member / Get Our Buyer’s GuideGEAR:30: Thomas Laakso on DPS SkisGEAR:30: Ski Testing & Dynamic Modeling w Sean HumbertVIDEO: Blister Labs Panel SessionSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & NewsletterOUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchBLISTER Podcast  Our GDPR privacy policy was upda

Few things in the world of ski gear are as complex, important, or misunderstood as bootfitting. So in this 1st episode of our new series on bootfitting, we dive into the basics with Sam Tischendorf, Masterfit University instructor, former clinical podiatrist, and lead bootfitter.TOPICS & TIMES:Sam Tischendorf’s background in Clinical Podiatry (4:56)How She Got into Skiing (8:41)Her Current Work as a Bootfitter (16:40)Masterfit University (21:41)Tecnica’s Women 2 Women & P165 (30:05)Bootfitting is Feelings (37:47)Communication with your Bootfitter (58:10)The Customization Process (1:04:29)Boot Longevity (1:10:58)What We’re Celebrating (1:22:23)RELATED LINKS:A Very Deep Dive on Ski BootsBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & NewsletterOUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchBLISTER Podcast  Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greg Vanderbeek is back with a Blister Labs update on our mountain-bike-wheels testing. We discuss why the dynamic modeling we’ve been doing in the field is a critical component for ongoing testing back at Western Colorado University; what our test results are revealing about carbon vs. aluminum wheels; and we talk about the joy of new tires, the magic of espresso, and more.TOPICS & TIMES:The Joys of New Tires (4:21)Wheelest Testing Update (7:49)Age-Old Question: Carbon vs. Aluminum Wheels (13:34)What We're Celebrating (21:14)RELATED LINKS:GEAR:30 ep. 204: Blister Labs / Greg VanderbeekAll Blister Labs Current ProjectsCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister PodcastCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasOff the Couch Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

You do your research when it comes to your ski & bike & trail gear. But what about your eyewear? Julbo CEO, Dave Crothers, makes the case that there’s a whole lot more to lens technology that everyone ought to be considering, and that lenses are not all pretty much the same. Hear him out.TOPICS & TIMES:Julbo & Dave’s background (4:08)The Eyewear Industry Today (17:55)Differences in Lenses (20:10)Photochromic or Photochromatic? (30:51)Evolution of photochromic lenses - (33:06)“Categories” (36:23)Polarized lenses (38:43)Forte of photochromic lenses?“High Contrast” vs “Light Amplifier”Closing Remarks: DYR (50:27)What We’re Celebrating (53:03)RELATED LINKS:Subscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTEDBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasOff the Couch Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the latest edition of our Reviewing the Reviewer series, our resident ski reviewer, bike tester, boot fitter, and sustainable farmer, Kara Williard, is in the hot seat. We cover everything from ski and bike gear preferences to scorpion-eating chickens; Kara’s stint as a Tall-Tee-clad park rat; whether goalie gloves smell worse than sweaty ski boots; and much more.TOPICS & TIMES:Kara’s background (4:39)Worst thing she did during high school? (12:18)College days (14:02)Kara’s family of goalkeepers (16:17)Gross goalie gloves (18:25)Kara’s skiing & bootfitting background (20:31)First time she met Jonathan (31:26)Mountain biking & gear preferences (36:26)Her favorite reviewers (46:06)Her favorite skier & bikers (47:21)Jungle farming with scabies & scorpion-eating chickens (50:06)What she’s better at than Sam Shaheen (54:28)Favorite books, movies, & musicians (57:21)Random review: her own red chile (1:03:05)Best question we haven’t asked you? (1:07:38)What We're Celebrating (1:12:04)RELAT

Luke Koppa, Kara Williard, and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about our upcoming test, where we’ll be mounting up more than 20 pairs of the same ski with more than 20 different alpine bindings in the attempt to find out what really separates the most popular alpine (and 50/50) bindings from one another.TOPICS & TIMES:Teasers (0:30)Our Reference Ski: K2 Mindbender 99Ti  (5:30)The Binding Lineup (10:01)More info for Blister Members (25:29)Tangent: Animal Encounters (27:34)What We’re Celebrating (31:19)RELATED LINKS:Our Blister Summit Panel on Ski Binding DesignBlister LabsSubscribe 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.

A few years ago, Kitsbow undertook an incredibly ambitious plan to move to Old Fort, North Carolina, and bring all of their apparel production to the United States, after years of working with overseas factories. In doing so, they not only found a way to adapt to today’s challenging supply chain logistics, but they also trained an entirely new workforce and spearheaded the revitalization of their new hometown, which had been losing manufacturing jobs for decades. So we talked with their CEO, David Billstrom, about how they did that while weathering a global pandemic; how doing so has been a boon to the brand, their customers, and their local community; and how they hope to be a blueprint for other companies to do the same.TOPICS & TIMES:Covid shields and facemasks (4:57)Moving to North Fort, NC (10:34)The Toyota Way (25:15)Domestic manufacturing & efficiency (31:53)Revitalizing a community (38:05)Employee purchase as a Public Benefit Corporation (52:54)David’s Big Idea (1:00:28)What We’re Celebrating

We talk to Naked Sports Innovations’ president and co-founder, Lindsay Dakota, about how the concept of “simplexity” drives Naked’s design process; growing a small brand sustainably; the future of footwear; and how ski racing influenced the design of their new trail shoe.TOPICS & TIMES:The Naked Sports’ Running Band (8:01)Simplexity (11:13)Fit (17:26)Sustainability (19:42)Expanding Naked’s product line (23:40)What is a “cooling face fabric?” (25:04)Working with Vibram (27:48)The Naked T/r Trail Racing Shoe (29:19)How ski racing influenced this shoe (31:57)Small brands & the state of trail running (48:41)What We’re Celebrating (52:01)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Off The Couch podcastBlister PodcastBikes & Big Ideas podcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Blister reviewer, Drew Kelly — the man with the best turn in Crested Butte — is in the hot seat today, and in this insanely wide-ranging conversation, we talk about choss monsters, cave trolls, geek beaks, Drew’s dating profile, birding, Sweet Nasty, the universe, gear preferences, and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Meet Drew Kelly (2:52)Growing up in New England (4:38)Music, Writing, & Film (12:52)College (14:02)Moving through mountains (17:56)Birding & Dating Profiles (20:35)Ski Gear Preferences (27:36)Backcountry Touring Gear (36:00)Duke PT vs. ATK Freeraider (39:52)Packing for the backcountry (42:37)Choss Monstering (45:02)Favorite Blister Reviewer? (53:25)Favorite Skier & Favorite Runner (55:19)Stupidest thing you've ever done? (1:00:26)What are you better at than Sam Shaheen? (1:02:03)Gear you’re most & least picky about? (1:03:44)Favorite Books, Movies, & Music (1:08:25)Random Review (1:21:16)Best question I haven't asked you? (1:24:09)What We’re Celebrating (1:29:39)RELATED LINKS:Secure Y

In this Blister Labs update, we sit down with Greg Vanderbeek to talk about how he chose his grad school based on proximity to climbing; starting a custom motorcycle business; what we’re currently working on with respect to mountain bikes at Blister Labs; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Figuring out Greg’s Title (3:49)School & Custom Motorcycles (7:03)Climbing & Mountain Biking (17:25)Skiing (22:37)Blister Labs update (26:00)Why Wheelsets? (33:01)Lab Testing + In-Field Testing (36:30)What We’re Celebrating (46:20)RELATED LINKS:Blister Summit 2023More about Blister LabsVideo: Blister Labs Panel, Blister SummitGEAR:30: Blister Labs with Jeni BlacklockGEAR:30: Blister Labs with Sean HumbertSubscribe 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.

Luke and Jonathan discuss Jonathan’s travels across France & Italy; his visits to the Lange factory and ATK bindings factory; provide updates on our Mtn Bike Buyer’s Guide and Winter Buyer’s Guide; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Italian vs. French Food (2:18)Update: Our Winter Buyer’s Guide (15:20)Update: Our Mtn Bike Buyer’s Guide (22:01)Lange factory & ATK factory (24:51)What We're Celebrating (33:19)RELATED LINKS: ATK Bindings, Pt 1ATK Bindings, Pt 2Rossignol’s Recyclable SkiSki Testing & Ski DevelopmentBlister LabsVideos from our Blister Summit 2022Subscribe 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.

Few people spend as many days as we do testing skis on snow. But Rossignol’s AJ Kruajitch definitely does. So Jonathan Ellsworth spent a day at Les Deux Alpes going through AJ’s testing process, then talking with him and Jake Stevens about the similarities and differences in our approaches.TOPICS & TIMES:Introducing Jake & AJ (2:51)Brand development since 1907 (17:13)The testing process: similarities & differences (20:17)“Band of Tasters” (40:10)Accounting for different tastes (48:05)What We’re Celebrating (56:10)RELATED LINKS:Blister LabsVideos from our Blister Summit 2022Subscribe 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.

A recyclable ski? Jonathan sat down with David Bouvier to talk about Rossignol’s new “Essential” ski; discuss the origin of the project; the challenges posed by making the circular economy of a ski a priority; who this Essential ski is for; and how this project will influence other Rossignol products.TOPICS & TIMES:David’s role(s) at Rossignol (2:52)Rossignol’s history (4:04)The “Essential” ski (7:01)Stats on ski waste and landfills (11:17)David’s product-development history (14:15)More details on Essential (22:26)Biggest challenges (28:24)The 7 materials (39:06)A new way forward (47:36)When & where will the ski be available? (48:42)RELATED LINKS:Blister LabsVideos from our Blister Summit 2022Subscribe 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.

In part two of our conversation with ATK CEO (and one of ATK’s chief product testers), Davide Indulti, we discuss ATK’s current binding lineup; the design differences between their four collections: Race, Speed Touring, Touring, & Free Touring; how Davide thinks ATK bindings stack up against the competition; some new products that are in the works; and more.TOPICS & TIMESOverview: ATK’s 4 binding categories (1:33)ATK Kuluar binding (5:14)Kuluar vs. RT & Crest bindings (10:11)ATK Raider 12 (12:34)Testing products 80-90 days per winter (15:22)Brakes Placement: Front vs. Rear (19:30)ATK Raider 12 cont.  (23:10)ATK Freeraider bindings (31:14)Downhill performance differences (35:47)Sneak Peeks (42:39)Releasability (50:45)ATK vs. Salomon & Marker bindings (56:46)What We’re Celebrating (1:00:57)RELATED LINKS:ATK Bindings, Part 1Blister LabsVideos from our Blister Summit 2022Subscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS

The Italian company, ATK Bindings, has been taking the tech-binding world by storm. And in this first podcast that the brand has ever done, we talk with ATK CEO (and son of ATK’s founder), Davide Indulti, about the surprising origins of this family business; a pivotal moment in ATK’s history; where ATK saw the biggest opportunities to improve tech bindings; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:ATK, Ferrari, & the family business (2:18)Decisive moment in ATK’s history (15:02)Room to improve tech bindings? (22:00)2010 RT binding (33:49)“Performing through lightness” (36:55)What We’re Celebrating (49:28)RELATED LINKS:Blister LabsVideos from our Blister Summit 2022Subscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this Blister Labs update, Sean Humbert joins us to talk about the movie Real Genius; flies; ski testing and dynamic modeling; math and slarving; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Growing up in Tahoe (4:46)Sean’s engineering background (8:27)From flies to robotics (24:55)Blister Labs (29:32) Ski testing & dynamic modeling (35:38)Edge angles, load cases, & stability (50:02)RELATED LINKS:Blister LabsVideos from our Blister Summit 2022Subscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today, in another edition of our Reviewer Reports series, we’ve got a wide-ranging conversation with Kristin Sinnott, Dylan Wood, Kara Williard, Drew Kelly, and Luke Koppa, where we cover everything from the setups Drew used while touring for several weeks in Alaska this spring, to a whole bunch of skis that all of us have been using this spring — in both the backcountry and the resort. We also touch on some new outerwear, get an update from Kara on some heated socks, and discuss some unique gear and tricks Kristin’s been using to ski with her son.TOPICS & TIMES:Drew’s AK Ski & Boot Setups (4:31)Tecnica Zero G Tour Scout W (7:35)Faction Mana 2 & Mana 3 (13:51)Trail Magik Kid Carrier & Jelly Bean Bribes (20:10)Plum Pika and Blizzard Hustle 10 (25:14)K2 Mindbenders (27:30)Salomon S/Lab MTN Summit + ZipFit GFT Liner (36:18) Strafe Lynx Pullover & Willow Half-Bib (39:03)Heated Socks & Gloves (42:59)RELATED LINKS:Videos from our Blister Summit 2022Blister LabsSubscribe to our Newslette

We talk with Spark R&D founder, Will Ritter, about the current happenings at Spark; compare the splitboarding and backcountry skiing communities and gear trends; go over design highlights from their current lineup; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Bozeman backcountry conditions (3:54)Spark R&D: Background (5:52)Spark’s new building (7:35)Current supply chain & shipping logistics (13:00)Splitboarding State of the Union (19:40)Ski Touring Gear vs. Splitboarding Gear (23:36)Touring gear that never sees the backcountry (28:45)Weight preferences & the “gram race” (32:38)Spark R&D’s latest product developments (35:41)Biggest improvements across the industry? (40:58)What We're Celebrating (52:00)RELATED LINKS:Videos from our Blister Summit 2022Blister LabsSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideGEAR:30 Ep. 27 w/ Spark R&DGEAR:30 Ep. 28 w/ Spark R&DCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasOff the Couch See acast.com/

We talk with DPS’s VP of product and operations about the recent history of DPS; discuss some of the specific skis in their lineup; hear a defense of carbon fiber; define a new rule for product design; clarify DPS Phantom; & more.TOPICS & TIMES:Thomas’ engineering & product background (5:06)DPS: state of the union (11:55)Carbon fiber (19:18)22/23 DPS skis (23:54)Embarrassment & Design Principles (35:01)Phantom (40:04)Blister Labs (50:35)What We’re Celebrating (52:50)RELATED LINKS:Videos from our Blister Summit 2022Blister LabsSubscribe 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.