BLISTER Podcast

Today we are talking about weather forecasting — as well as finding your people in this dark, cold, and sometimes lonely universe — with two of the weather forecasters from OpenSnow , Bryan Allegretto and Evan Thayer. We discuss last season’s historic winter; how much stock you ought to put into ‘El Nino / La Nina’ predictions; whether the stated snowfall amounts at various ski areas are fake news...

Jonathan and Blister reviewer (and guide, doctor, and bow hunter), Paul Forward, discuss Paul’s first day of the ski season; their recent, respective injuries; Paul’s favorite ski movies; why we need to broaden the tent of who — and what — counts as, “the outdoor community,” and they discuss some ideas and practices that the broader outdoor industry should probably adopt. TOPICS & TIMES: Paul’...

Today, Angel Collinson and Jonathan discuss an experience that every single one of us will deal with at some point in our lives: grief. It’s a topic that we don’t talk much about in outdoor media circles — how to process it, how best to help others who are grieving, etc. And yet, for reasons that are rather painfully obvious to the outdoor community, we clearly need to. TOPICS & TIMES:  W...

Last week, Trevor Kennison & Level 1 founder & director, Josh Bermann, came to Western Colorado University for our Blister Speaker Series for a follow-up conversation about their new film, Full Circle . We discussed what life’s been like for both of them since the film premiered; we take questions from the audience; and Trevor answers the big question: is he glad the injury happened? We’ll...

Cody and Jonathan discuss the latest FIFTY film, Comstock, and the conflict that lies at the heart of the FIFTY Project; FIS vs POW; a new division of Blister called, ‘Blister Cinematic’; bigfoot & aliens; the Most Canadian News; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: The 100, etc. (6:35) Cody’s lastest FIFTY film, ‘Comstock’ (13:43) Follow Up: New Ski Areas (30:03) FIS vs POW (34:02) Blister Cinematic...

What goes into getting a ski area ready for opening day? We discuss snow making, maintaining & operating chairlifts, and ski area culture and sustainability with Taos Ski Valley’s chief operations officer, John Kelly. TOPICS & TIMES: John’s role at TSV (4:57) Starting out as a Lifty (5:12) The lead-up to opening a ski area (6:56) Early season snowmaking variables (10:40) How snowmaking has...

Trevor Kennison is one of the most remarkable athletes in the world, and like Travis Rice, Candide Thovex, Courtney Dauwalter, and Alex Honnold, he forces us to see things differently and rethink what’s possible. Josh Berman and his team at Level 1 Productions have created a film, Full Circle , that premieres this week in New York, and that documents Trevor’s incredible story and exploits, and the...

Last Thursday, Mark Abma came to Western Colorado University for another edition of our Blister Speaker Series. He broke down his segment from the MSP film, ALL IN; discussed his part in the new MSP film, Land of Giants; and he talked about his preparation for ski season; longevity; confidence; pressure; staying calm; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Revisiting your segment from “ALL IN” (5:43) Evolv...

Cody and Jonathan pay tribute to Robb Gaffney; discuss the growth in snowsports and who is more passionate: alpine skiers, cross country skiers, or snowboarders; the sale of Silverton Mountain; the Most Canadian News; Cody’s latest FIFTY film, ‘Split’; & more TOPICS & TIMES: Time to Get Jonathan on a Snowboard (5:00) Remembering Rob Gaffney (13:29) SIA Report: Snowsports Participation is U...

What does the future of snowsports look like? At our last Blister Summit, we asked Nina Waters (Blizzard-Tecnica), Dr. Len Necefer (Natives Outdoors & Sonoran Avalanche Center), Dan Abrams (Flylow), & Hanna Whirty (Icelantic) to discuss some of the current realities, biggest challenges, and significant opportunities for the outdoor sports industry. You can also check out the video of this...

Last Thursday, Angel Collinson came to Western Colorado University for another edition of our Blister Speaker Series. We talk about her ski career, purpose, passion, and how to think about when it might be time to alter the path you're on. TOPICS & TIMES: Angel’s education (3:40) Philosophy (6:29) Brass tax moment in her ski career (10:37) Talk about leaving “the ski dream” a couple years...

Mike Rogge is back to talk with Jonathan about outdoor media, plus Mountain Gazette’s new issue #200, which includes contributions from Jeremy Jones, comedian Steve Martin, cartoonist Harry Bliss, Karl Fostvedt, and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Battle of Our Big Books (6:34) Issue #200 highlights (16:14) Jeremy Jones’ piece (20:06) Karl Fostvedt’s writing (23:53) Steve Martin & Mountain Gazette (...

Cody and Jonathan discuss marketing jargon in the outdoor industry; the sale of Jackson Hole Mtn Resort; another mountaineering controversy; mountain town advice; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Why Cody & Elyse purchased BLISTER+ (10:17) McSweeney’s on Marketing Jargon & Outdoor Gear (16:14) Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Sold (28:05) Strava: the nicest social media platform? (34:32) Kristin...

Skier Zack Giffin (host of the TV series, Tiny House Nation & co-host of the podcast, Tiny House Tales ) makes a compelling case for how smaller living spaces can be a significant part of the solution to affordable housing; homelessness; climate issues, energy consumption, and creating more socio-economically diverse communities — which is a fancy way of saying, real, actual communities. This...

What is 1% for the Planet , who started it, and what do they do? Furthermore, when a crisis breaks out (like the current fires in Hawaii), many of us wonder how best to contribute, which organizations to donate to, and how to go about determining that? To help us get a better handle on all of these topics, we’re talking with Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet, and our hope is that this conver...

Angel Collinson and Jonathan discuss jealousy; imposter syndrome; her Open Mic piece on “steeping” ; and more of your ‘Ask Angel’ questions — including one of the strangest we’ve ever received. TOPICS & TIMES: Still Adjusting (5:17) Oppenheimer & Barbie (17:12) Angel’s Open Mic piece (20:55) Steeping & Integrating Experiences (27:50) Ask Angel: if you could be any animal…? (34:07) Jeal...

We talk with Bjarne Salén about his adventures & exploits with Cody Townsend for The Fifty Project , then we talk about his other big project: getting people to rethink how and where we live, and creating solutions to make that possible (see bjarnebuilds.com ). This conversation is an excellent complement to Blister Podcast ep. #270: Mountain Towns & Outdoor Recreation: Challenges & So...

Cody and Jonathan discuss a potential pay cut for wildland firefighters; a robotic exoskeleton that aims to provide “unprecedented experiences for everyone with an outdoor lifestyle”; a skier’s ‘embarrassing’ checklist of life goals; whether sex before skiing enhances or detracts from performance; and much more. TOPICS & TIMES: Wildland Firefighters Pay Cut (5:53) Robotic ExoSkeleton for Outdo...

For anyone who lives in or visits mountain towns, this conversation contains some of the best ideas and proposals we’ve ever heard for helping both mountain towns and outdoor recreation survive and thrive. Colorado Sun reporter, Jason Blevins lead this discussion, and joining him are Dara McDonald, (Crested Butte Town Manager), Jonathan Houck (Gunnison County Commissioner), Pete Wagner (Wagner Cus...

Angel Collinson is back to talk about her recent reunion with Sage Cattabriga-Alosa & Ian McIntosh, then she & Jonathan dive deep into some crucial relationship dynamics that we all need to better understand; vampire erotica; your ‘Ask Angel’ questions; our Open Mic Series; & more. TOPICS & TIMES: Bass Coast & Reconnecting w/ Sage & Ian (1:35) Sage & Hobbying to the Max...

Before you head into the mountains or hit the trails to go bike, hike, run, camp, or climb, wildfire, lightning, and smoke exposure are factors that need to be well understood and assessed. OpenSnow founder and meteorologist, Joel Gratz is back on the podcast to discuss the science and practice of smoke forecasting and wildfire tracking, and to share some of the most common weather-related mistake...

Why do we need centers of art in mountain towns and places of great natural beauty? It’s a question that any of us who live in or visit mountain towns ought to consider — and perhaps especially if you are someone who hasn’t typically sought out the art programming and events in the mountain towns you frequent. Last week, Jonathan was in Sun Valley, Idaho, to discuss this topic with Courtney Gilber...

Cody and Jonathan discuss beaming solar energy from space; cupcake crimes; cultural appreciation vs. appropriation; the FKT (fastest known time) culture; an important Public Lands Rule proposal; mountain town advice; and what they’ve been reading & watching (including why Cody’s been watching lots of reruns of The Office). TOPICS & TIMES: Beaming solar Energy From Space (10:28) Jack Kuenzl...

Angel Collinson has some big news to share: she’s back on land, and she’s considering a return to skiing. Then Angel and Jonathan dive deep into the topic of forgiveness; reflect on Mary McIntyre’s excellent Open Mic piece; and also discuss hot sauce, twerking, and John Collinson’s important question for his sister. TOPICS & TIMES: Life Updates: Back on Land (2:09) Upheaval & Stability (6:...

Ever dreamed of starting your own business in the outdoor industry — or ever wondered what it takes, and how you’d go about it? We talk about the state of startups in the outdoor industry with Moosejaw CEO, Eoin Comerford. And as the CEO of an outdoor retail company — as well as his work with the Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator , where Eoin works closely with new companies and founders — Eoin is extr...