BLISTER Podcast

We’re proud to announce our new Blister + Spot Membership , because we know it’s going to help a lot of people. So today, I’m talking with Spot founder, Matt Randall, about how it works; why it’s important for anyone who doesn’t have insurance; why it’s important for anyone who (like Matt & Jonathan) has insurance but high deductibles; and more. Check it out, and please share this conversation...

You wake up, check your phone, and the weather app says it’s going to snow 12” this weekend. You’re stoked! But should you be? How accurate is that forecast? And what makes one forecast more or less accurate than another? Today we’re talking to OpenSnow founder and meteorologist, Joel Gratz, about the science of weather forecasting; the many weather models being used today; his love of skiing and...

Since becoming Jamaica’s first Olympic alpine ski racer, nothing has slowed down for Benji Alexander . So we caught up with Benji to talk about post-Olympics life; opening doors for other athletes; ensuring the future of snowsports; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Life after the Olympics (5:45) What have you been working on? (7:10) Opening the door for more athletes & countries (11:59) Why repre...

Jonathan sat down in Blister HQ with Connor Ryan and Drew Petersen to talk about the Salomon Quality Ski Time Film Tour , their friendship, their missions, Hilaree Nelson, the act of celebrating others, skiing, running, and a whole lot more. TOPICS & TIMES: Salomon QST Film Tour in CB (1:50) New Trend: Scuffed-Up Yeti Coolers (5:20) The Films in the Tour (10:32) Filming: Skiing, Producing, Dir...

Cody and Jonathan discuss the latest 50 Project episode (The Sphinx); the US Alpine Team’s new name & sponsor; Cotopaxi closing its San Francisco store after repeated break ins; NFL Talk; Mountain Town Advice; what we’re reading & watching; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Latest Fifty Project ep: The Sphinx (4:51) The “Stifel” US Alpine Team (17:36) Private ski areas donating to politicians...

Markus Eder is one of the best (and most versatile) big-mountain skiers ever. Hoji just stated this again on GEAR:30 (ep.220) , and Cody Townsend ranks Markus’ Ultimate Run as the best ski edit of all time (Blister Podcast ep.193) . Today, we talk to Markus about training; skateboarding as prep for ski season; the golden age of skiing; competing; filming the Ultimate Run; lessons from Hoji and Sam...

Jason Levinthal is a pioneer in the world of modern skiing, and now, J Skis is opening their new “Intergalactic Headquarters” right on Main Street in Burlington, Vermont. So I headed to Burlington to check out the new space; ask J what inspired this move; hear J’s predictions and trends for the upcoming season; and discuss one big thing that the entire ski industry needs to work on. TOPICS & T...

One of the greatest big-mountain snowboarders of all time came to Western Colorado University for another installment of our Blister Speaker Series . But Jeremy isn’t simply one of the best to ever ride a board; by founding Protect Our Winters , Jeremy has had a massive impact on the broader snowsports world, and is working to address one of the biggest issues of our time: climate change. So we ta...

If you spend time in the mountains, then it’s crucial to always be learning — there are new skills to acquire, and old skills to brush up on. So we’re talking about mountain safety, backcountry education, and pedagogy — what are the most effective ways to convey and instill information?  — with IFMGA guide, Mark Smiley, the creator of Mountain Sense , an online collection of video courses des...

Cody and Jonathan discuss the life & legacy of Hilaree Nelson; Yvon Chouinard giving away Patagonia; Kipchoge & GOATs; burro racing; mountain sex; what we’re reading & watching; Cormac McCarthy; the return of The 50 Project; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Hilaree Nelson: Life & Legacy (2:45) Yvon Chouinard’s Gift (15:46) Kipchoge & GOAT Culture (28:55) Alaskan Gold: Yeti Coolers...

For the final installment of our Mountain Towns & Local Food Systems series, Kara Williard talks to Rachel Landis, Executive Director of the Good Food Collective in Durango, CO. Rachel discusses why she left a career of guiding and ski patrol to be the ultimate facilitator of local food systems; they nail down what a food hub is; what a “just and regional food system” looks like; how she works...

Mountain Gazette owner & editor, Mike Rogge, is back to discuss the outdoor industry & mainstream media; detail the aftermath of the previous issue of the Mountain Gazette; and highlight several of the pieces in the next issue, including a career retrospective on Seth Morrison. TOPICS & TIMES Wildfires (2:28) Jimmy Chin & TGR (7:31) Mainstreaming of the Outdoor Industry (10:21) Inf...

Why did one of the best freeride skiers of the past 20 years become a farmer? Kara Williard and I talk with Salomon skier, Chris Rubens , about starting First Light Farm in Revelstoke, BC, with his partner Jesse; how skiing and farming are more related than you might think; and why Chris finds farming to be one of the most meaningful things he has ever done. TOPICS & TIMES How Chris became a F...

Cody and Jonathan discuss what’s going on at the National Ski Patrol; the proposed Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola; “pigloos”; mountain-town advice; what we’re reading & watching; and more. TOPIC & TIMES: Cody & JE’s Sleep Updates (1:31) Cody Went Skiing (3:49) Don’t-Miss GEAR:30 episodes (5:38) Blevin’s Corner: National Ski Patrol is a Mess (10:13) Gunstock Mtn Resort Update (22:40)...

We catch up with Chris about his recent ski trip to Portillo, Chile, and discuss his decision to join Bode Miller at Peak Skis . TOPICS & TIMES: Blister News & Updates (0:00) Skiing in Portillo, Chile (5:40)  Superstars Camp : the history (11:38) Ski Instruction: Chris’ philosophy (18:57) Joining Peak Skis (24:52) Bode Miller: when did you guys first meet? (31:49) Ski availability &am...

We talk with Lynsey Gammon of Gracie’s Farm in Park City, Utah, about topsoil health and climate change; turning barren soil into a thriving farm; farm-to-restaurant connectivity; bee dinners; cow cuddling; women and farming; and more. TOPICS & TIMES What is Gracie’s Farm? (4:35) How Lynsey got into farming (6:18) Transforming ranch land to farmable land (9:11) Climate Change & Topsoil Hea...

The United States Congress just passed a historic climate bill, so we spoke with the executive director of POW , Mario Molina, to discuss the backstory and details of the bill, and what needs to happen now. TOPICS & TIMES: Background & Climate Details of the New Bill (2:45) Consquences if this hadn’t passed? (10:34) The oil & gas leases in this bill (16:10) Mario's Background (25:29) C...

This week Jonathan is talking with our very own Kara Williard, who, when she’s not testing skis or doing a million other things for us at BLISTER, is raising chickens and growing food in the Gunnison Valley. We discuss what it means to build and support local food systems in mountain towns; the best practices for growing food in these cold climates; chicken tractors and therapy chickens; and the m...

Cody and Jonathan cover Gunstock Mountain Resort’s fight to operate; access issues & potential solutions; WC DH MTBers forming a union; mountain-town advice; what we’re reading & watching (answer: TOP GUN) and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Hunters, Skiers, & Offroaders: Cody on the onX meetup (4:58) Gunstock ski area’s fight to operate (13:38) Update: New info on Gunstock after we recorded...

How do we grow participation in snowsports, support rural mountain communities, and produce more Olympic skiers and snowboarders? We sat down with Will Brandenburg of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation to discuss all of the above. TOPICS & TIMES: Will’s title & the work of SVSEF (2:16) From a small ski hill to the Olympics (6:32) Hockey rinks & ski areas (30:27) Increasing snowspo...

Another brief attempt to wrap our heads around the images — and the significance — of the James Webb Space Telescope, with a few recommendations for further reading & listening. RELATED LINKS: The Daily: A View of the Beginning of Time Ars Tecnica on James Webb GEAR:30 conversation with Drew Kelly Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan and Blister Summit Director, Kristin Sinnott, discuss the new format for our next Blister Summit (February 2023, Mt. Crested Butte, CO). We also discuss how to get the best pricing; what we learned from past Blister Summits; and who ought to come to our next one. TOPICS & TIMES: Blister Summit ‘23 Details & Dates (2:50) What Is It / Who’s It For? (6:52)  Gear Demos & Test...

Cody and Jonathan discuss the Mountain Gazette story about outdoor influencers & accountability; Matthew Fairbrother’s bikepacking — and enduro racing — across Europe; the ‘most Canadian’ news story; what we’re reading & watching; recent Supreme Court rulings; mountain-town advice; & more. TOPICS & TIMES: Reviewing the News vs. White Noise (2:19) Accountability & Outdoor Influe...

Kimmy Fasani is a pioneer of women’s snowboarding, mother of two, partner of Chris Benchetler , author, and (among other things) someone who has been dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis. So we checked in with Kimmy to talk about how she’s doing, what she’s been learning, and what we can learn from her. TOPICS & TIMES: Being diagnosed with breast cancer (1:10) Paying attention to signals (5:...

Cody and Jonathan discuss the ethics of trail magic; wildfire management; how Cody broke his toe; a new segment for Reviewing the News; and a whole lot more. TOPICS & TIMES: Coffee Update (2:33) 50 Project Update (7:00) Ethics of Trail Magic (14:08) Full Circle Everest Expedition (21:33) Outside layoffs (25:37) MountainFLOW’s Fluoro Wax Takeback Program (37:50) Wildfire management (47:41) What...