BLISTER Podcast

So how does a kid from a little town in New York end up becoming a global product manager at one of the largest ski and boot manufacturers in the world, and living in Austria? And why does he believe that studying philosophy in college and in grad school turned out to be the ideal preparation for his day-to-day responsibilities at Atomic? We’re talking to Matt Manser about his background, his stud...

What items should you be carrying with you, and what do you need to know before venturing out into the backcountry in the first place? We're discussing these critical topics of backcountry travel and wilderness medicine with blister reviewer, AWLS instructor, and physician Paul Forward — and giving a status update on Jonathan Ellsworth, after his own backcountry accident this past summer. TOPICS &...

We talk to Danny Davis about the upcoming Peace Park 6; why Peace Park should become a new discipline; "technical" tricks vs. "stylish" tricks; the Olympics; and the need for a unified snowboarding tour; and Danny's growing passion for splitboarding. TOPICS & TIMES: Danny’s health & contest culture (3:31) Why Danny was splitboarding so much last season (6:28) The beauty of going from the b...

Scott Gaffney is one of the most accomplished ski movie directors of all-time, and the guy behind so many of the iconic Matchstick Productions films. So we talked to Scott about how he got into filming ski movies; how he got connected with Matchstick Productions; and which Matchstick films are his personal favorites. We also talk a lot about working with the likes of Shane McConkey, Eric Hjorleifs...

DPS Phantom is a new product that claims to eliminate the need to ever again wax your skis or board. Sounds crazy, so we talked to DPS founder, Stephan Drake, and Jeff Bates, the technological developer of Phantom, to have them explain how this is possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know him from his course previews of Redbull Rampage and WC DH, but you don't know Claudio Caluori like this. We discuss Rampage, this past DH season, soccer, life, China, Elon Musk ... and pretty much everything else. TOPICS & TIMES: Why is Claudio in Beijing? (3:49) How would you describe Rampage in a single sentence? (5:10) Claudio’s pick for our “Rampage No-Fear Zombie” Award (8:32) Wh...

We talk to Pete Wagner about why the "indie" ski scene is so confusing; the Wagner factory and the unique connection with Telluride; what about their ski-building process that Pete is most proud of, and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Why the “indie” ski scene is so confusing (2:43) Of the potential customers coming to check out Wagner Custom, what is it that they care about the most? (4:55) Pete’s new...

We are live on location in Las Vegas for the Interbike tradeshow, and we talk to Blister bike editor, Noah Bodman, about the current state of Interbike; the most intriguing bikes we rode; the most interesting products we’ve seen; and the most bizarre stuff to grace the trade show floor. TOPICS & TIMES: The current state of Interbike (1:00) Interbike location: Vegas vs. Reno (2:40) Who are the...

We talk to Peter Bauer (4-time world champ, freeriding pioneer, and co-founder of Amplid) about the history and culture of snowboarding, its inextricable ties to skiing, and the current health of the sport. TOPICS & TIMES: Growing up in Bavaria, skiing at the age of two, and getting on his first snowboard (4:25) Being asked by Jake Burton to ride for Burton (14:27) The early days of snowboard...

Today on the podcast, we’re talking about Adam Ondra’s ceiling-shattering ascent of the 150-foot route in Flatanger, Norway that Ondra named, “Project Hard,” his proposed new rating of 9c / 5.15d, and whether we'll see Ondra - or anyone else - now set their sights on the next grade, 5.SIXTEEN. We then discuss the World Championships Downhill races that are happening this weekend in Cairns, Austral...

We talk to Flylow co-founder, Dan Abrams, about the early days of Flylow; how the outerwear industry has changed; and Dan breaks news about a new technology that Flylow is developing and rolling out soon. TOPICS & TIMES: Kids names, kids, and being a ski bum with kids (2:30) How & when did Flylow get started? (8:28) At what point did it finally feel like you were past the startup phase? (1...

This episode is part 2 of our conversation with Eric Hjorleifson, we discuss the state of the ski industry; the AT boot he's been working on for years and why he thinks it could represent the next chapter in ski boot design, and more... TOPICS & TIMES: Hoji on the state of skiing today + a quick history of his trajectory in the industry (2:30) Eric’s take on weight / lightweight gear (9:03) Th...

Eric Hjorleifson is one of the best big-mountain skiers of all-time, and he's also known for being one of the master tinkerers in the ski industry, and someone who absolutely obsesses over ski, boot, and bindings design. So we talked to Hoji about skiing pillows, ski design, and the evolution of his Renegade, Hoji, and Raven. TOPICS & TIMES: How and When did you first get involved with 4FRNT S...

To mark the occasion of our 50th episode, we bring back our very first guest on the podcast, Jed Yeiser, to talk about what's going on at K2, Rossignol's move into mountain biking, and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Backcountry Safety - Jed talks about two impactful experiences of his own (4:31) What's up with K2? (15:05) Jed goes in-depth over a few skis in K2's 17/18 lineup (24:30) All-Mountain skis...

We talk to Blister's outerwear editor, Sam Shaheen, about the most important new tech & trends in apparel; how & why he first got involved with Blister; starting his own outwear company at the age of 15, and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Sam’s background (2:00) Starting your own outerwear company at the age of 15 (5:55) The significant challenges of building an outerwear company (11:00) How —...

On our last podcast, we told you about a serious ski accident that Blister founder, Jonathan Ellsworth, was fortunate to survive. But the crash itself was only a part of the story, and the weeks after the crash were full of a number of very consequential events, decisions, and lessons, and we discuss them here. TOPICS & TIMES: My primary pre-accident mistake (7:10) The decision not to go to th...

On July 9, Blister founder, Jonathan Ellsworth, was involved in a near-fatal fall while ski touring on Independence Pass. This is the account of what happened; what can be learned from the incident and our decision-making; and what's next for him. TOPICS & TIMES: Jonathan's friends describe the accident (0:00) Our group — who was there (5:00) The objective that day (10:00) The line (17:30) The...

Jason Levinthal just acquired 4FRNT Skis, so we talk to Levinthal and 4FRNT founder, Matt Sterbenz, about the deal; what brought it about; what we can expect going forward; and the state of the ski industry in general. TOPICS & TIMES: So what exactly just happened here? (2:52) Will this affect where 4FRNT skis are produced? What else will change? (11:41) What does it mean to be an "indie" ski...

Tommy Caldwell is one of the most accomplished big-wall climbers of all time. And while his freeing of the Dawn Wall on Yosemite’s El Capitan might be the feat that he’s best known for, his catalog of accomplishments in the climbing world is ridiculous. But Tommy is more than just an all-time great climber, he’s also just published a truly excellent book called, The Push, that John Krakauer calls...

Jim Harris is as passionate about and as involved in the outdoors industry as anyone, but a serious accident threatened to change that. But the real story here is Jim's "crazy" recovery, and the lessons he has learned (and that we would do well to learn from him) about dealing with obstacles, understanding self-identity, and defining self worth. TOPICS & TIMES: Jim's entrance — and rise — in t...

In this episode, Blister's climbing editor joins us in the attempt to wrap our heads around Honnold’s successful free solo of El Cap, and to debate whether this is the greatest athletic achievement ever. TOPICS & TIMES: What exactly did Alex Honnold just do? (2:40) Difference between free solo climbing vs. free climbing vs. aid climbing vs. rope soloing (5:45) Talk about the specifics of the F...

We talk to ridiculously-well-rounded-skier Michelle Parker about joining the Arc'teryx team, her work with S.A.F.E.A.S Clinics, her upcoming trips, gear, mountain lions, and a whole lot more. TOPICS & TIMES: Michelle's recent and upcoming trips (2:05) Joining the Arc'teryx team, and why it's a good fit (4:34) Where are you on the gear-head spectrum between "Don't care" and "Eric Hjorleifson" (...

We just got back from week-long review trip in Bend, Oregon, and while we were in Bend, we went to pay a visit to one of the best big-mountain skiers of all time, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa. We talk about a whole bunch of topics, but it is particularly fascinating to hear Sage talk about his preparation — how cautious he claims to be in the mountains — which isn’t exactly obvious given that Sage has th...

We brought a bunch of next year’s skis to Mt Bachelor for a week of testing, so on this podcast, we discuss what we've been skiing, what was the most surprising, and what else stood out. Then we talk about what our 1-ski quiver and 2-ski quiver selections would be for Mt Bachelor. So here are our very fresh thoughts on a number of very high-profile skis. TOPICS & TIMES: DPS Wailer A 112 (2:30)...

We’re talking again to Blister's bike editor, Noah Bodman, about what’s interesting in the world of bikes this season, including where the most innovations are taking place, whether Noah thinks that 26” wheels will eventually make a comeback, and whether e-bikes are gaining public acceptance. Noah and I also discuss several particular bikes, including the YT Jeffsy, the Canyon Spectral, and a coup...