BLISTER Podcast

Brendan Leonard ( semi-rad.com ) is back to talk about fatherhood; creative work and the nuts-and-bolts of creating; ‘staying in your lane’; and his new book, MAKE IT, which is an easily digestible guide to making just about anything, actually. TOPICS & TIMES: Cooking (3:20) Fatherhood (6:50) Child Rearing as a Creative Project (12:54) Outdoor Activity Level (14:54) Tips for Pacing @ Hardrock...

Cody and Jonathan discuss the case for climate optimism; this season’s record number of skier visits; Super El Nino; the Most Canadian News; mountain town advice (including a new pick-up line for use in mtn towns?); and of course, they’re talking about Succession. TOPICS & TIMES: The Case for Some Climate Optimism (9:16) Record # of Skier Visits (14:56) Mtn Towns Being Loved to Death? (23:39)...

So how much of the Icelantic backstory do you know? Jonathan talks to Ben Anderson about the lucky breaks, tough beats, and key moments in the history of Icelantic; where their name and logo came from; working with Never Summer; prototyping & developing skis; how Icelantic got into the music business; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: What is Icelantic? (5:34) Ben’s background (7:22) When did you...

Angel Collinson just experienced “the best two weeks of my life,” so we discuss that; the process of self discovery; Sam Elias’ & Hillary Allen’s recent Open Mic pieces , and why writing is often wrestling; and then in our ‘Ask Angel’ segment, we go over a number of the questions that you had for Angel. TOPICS & TIMES: The Best 2 Weeks of Angel’s Life (2:19)  How to discover, “Who am...

Ever been mad about a brand killing off or changing your favorite product? Ever been confused by the sea of very similar-seeming products that a brand makes? Today, Jonathan is talking with our bike editor, David Golay, and our running editor, Matt Mitchell, about brand identity, creating customer loyalty, trend chasing, and more in the ski, bike, and running industries, and what advice we have fo...

While Cody is off trying to get on top of some peak somewhere, we brought in a guest host who can actually draw more than 100 listeners: Dr. Len Necefer, founder of Natives Outdoors and the Sonoran Avalanche Center . Len and Jonathan talk about the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial, The Most Sonoran News, Luis Benitez & the creation of a new federal office of outdoor recreation, mountain town advice,...

In this hilarious conversation, Jonathan asks Hoji, Rory, McKenna, and Forrest about their favorite lines, closest calls, and craziest stories from their years of professional skiing & snowboarding. (You can also watch this panel session — and all the Blister Summit panel sessions and brand lineup videos — on the BLISTER YouTube channel ) TOPICS & TIMES: Introductions (3:06) Favorite Line...

This past Saturday, Jonathan had a phenomenal day in the mountains with Chugach Powder Guides , and our helicopter pilot, Tori Palmer. So he sat down with Tori to get her pilot’s perspective on the day, and to discuss her path to becoming a heli pilot and the training that’s involved; what you should - and should not - do as a passenger in a heli; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Piloting in the Chug...

Angel Collinson and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss her life since retiring from professional skiing, our Blister Open Mic series, and her recent piece, “How to Not Burn Out.” Then Angel answers your questions about finding peace; marriage & kids; and whether she thinks she’ll ever ski again. TOPICS & TIMES:  Updates from Angel (5:15) Tips on Slowing Down (23:37) Open Mic: “How to Not Burn...

Cody and Jonathan discuss the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial; Yakama Nation & hydro-electric energy development; the federal proposal to ban fixed anchors in wilderness areas; ski patroller vs. skier; wieners in the wild; the most Canadian news; mountain town advice; and more. TOPICS & TIMES Our Atlanta Listeners (10:50) Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Trial (13:10) Yakama Nation & Hydro-Electric Energ...

Mountain Gazette editor / owner, Mike Rogge, is back to discuss this historic winter in Tahoe; urban through hikes; mutton busting; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Winter in Tahoe (6:35) Blister Summit (11:31) MG State of the Union (17:31) Urban Thru Hikes (23:19) East Coast Stories (33:59) Mutton Busting (37:38) Jeremy Jones (50:15) How to Get Issue 199 (53:10) RELATED LINKS: Become a Blister+Spot...

Chuck Mumford and Chris Garcin started Pit Viper to inject more fun into skiing and riding. But behind all the party vibes, they’ve also been sneaking in a good bit of functionality and performance into their products, too. So Jonathan Ellsworth talked to Chuck and Chris about the early days of trading sunglasses for hotdogs; growing the company; forest gnomes; working with Gronk; Chuck’s philosop...

JT Holmes does it all. From big-mountain skiing to ski-base jumping to stunt work, he has consistently pushed boundaries and explored new opportunities. And now, JT is joining Peak Skis . So Jonathan Ellsworth talked to JT about what led to this new partnership; his incredibly diverse career; the current state of ski media; speed riding; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Backstory on joining Peak Skis...

Cody and Jonathan discuss the state of Warren Miller films; Mikaela Shiffrin & Lebron James; Eddie Bauer dropping its entire team of professional athletes; the Most Canadian News; Mtn Town Advice; & more. TOPICS & TIMES Public Service Announcement! (1:00) Snowpocalypse (4:00) Recycling Warren Miller? (12:40) Mikaela Shiffirin / LeBron James (21:07) The best named bill in history? (30:3...

Our friend (and wildly accomplished artist & designer), Geoff McFetridge , came to CB to pay us a visit, and after two great days of skiing, Geoff and Jonathan sat down in Blister HQ to talk telemark vs alpine skiing; ski graphics (and Geoff’s favorite graphic on a ski in Blister HQ); broadening outdoor media; Blister swag; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Coming to CB (3:29) Telemark vs. Alpine...

Our 3rd Blister Summit just wrapped up, so today, Jonathan shares a few words about it; announces the dates for our 2024 Blister Summit, and offers a few thoughts about what the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb described as “the time of my life — literally one of the best weeks ever.” TOPICS & TIMES: Community Feedback (1:36) Dates: Blister Summit 2024 (4:01) Special Thanks (6:11) RELATED LINKS...

Jonathan sits down with Drew Petersen in Blister HQ to talk about skiing with Western Colorado University’s freeride team, and to dive deeper into certain topics around mountain towns and mental health that Drew explores in his film (that you can watch on YouTube), Ups & Downs . Give it a listen, and please share this one with your friends, because we’ve all got something to learn on these top...

Cody and Jonathan discuss Kyle Smaine, tragedy, & avalanche safety; separating vs always staying together in the backcountry; Mountain Town Advice, the most Canadian news; coffee gear; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Babies, Getting Sick, & the NFL (4:34) Coffee Gear (8:10) Kyle Smaine (10:26) Tragedy & Improving Avalanche Safety Backcountry Ethics: Separating/Staying Together (20:07) Do...

Today we’re talking about the ski industry, ski manufacturing, and sustainability in general, and Atomic’s own historical and quite recent initiatives, including their new annual Impact Statement they released today. Last week Jonathan was at Atomic’s headquarters in Altenmarkt, Austria, to discuss — and see — what one of the largest manufacturers in the ski industry has been up to on the sustaina...

We talk to Jess Baker and Rachael Burks about sailing, skiing, and what happens when you combine a renewable energy sailboat with an arctic ski expedition in Greenland for the first time ever, which they documented in the film, Going Greenland . TOPICS & TIMES: How did you two first meet? (2:57) Jess & Rachael’s history (5:21) Jess’s Background (9:22) Rachael’s Background (14:44) Babies &a...

When trying to gain clarity on issues of climate change (where we are, where we’ve been, and where we should go from here) it is a good idea to talk to Bill McKibben . Bill’s book, The End of Nature (1989) was one of the first books written for the general public about these issues; and through the creation of 350.org and 3rd Act , Bill has continued to bring attention to these issues and mobilize...

Cody and Jonathan discuss Cody’s not-so-excellent recent adventures; nuclear fusion; whether ski areas should be nationalized; iPhones, Apple watches, & 911 calls; our first ever Relationship Advice questions; The White Lotus; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Cody’s Not-So-Excellent Adventures (4:31) Nuclear Fusion (14:32) Nationalize Ski Areas? (22:08) Blister Pod #219: Community-Run Ski Areas A...

As 2022 comes to an end and we look forward to 2023, Jonathan Ellsworth caught up with a number of our Blister reviewers to have them reflect on some of their favorite moments of 2022, and share with us their resolutions for 2023. TOPICS & TIMES: Update on Blister Summit (0:00) David Golay (4:15) Kara Williard (7:56) Eric Freson (13:21) Kristin Sinnott (19:58) Luke Koppa (30:05) Matt Mitchell...

Last month, Mountain Hardwear athletes, Garrett Madison , Ted Hesser , and their team summited an unnamed, unclimbed peak in Nepal above the village of Khembalung. So we talked with them about how this mission came about; the details and style of the climb; naming the peak; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Meeting (3:08) Garrett’s Background (4:55) Ted’s Background (6:47) The Mission (8:18) How did y...

Cody and Jonathan discuss the FWT x FIS merger; the claim that tech + skiing with the right technique will prevent avalanches; the most Canadian news; Mountain Town Advice; our least favorite QBs; our big disagreement about the ending of The Bear (with spoilers); and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Misery Loves Company (3:37) FWT x FIS (7:16) Tech - & Technique - Will Prevent Avalanches? (21:30) Out...