GEAR:30

Paul Forward and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the backcountry gear Paul’s been testing around Girdwood, Alaska, including skis from Moonlight and Movement; bindings from Moment and Dynafit; skins from G3 and Pomoca; and Scarpa boots. We also discuss current trends (fads?) in ski poles, and the underrated value of a good snow saw. TOPICS & TIMES: Deep Pow & Fast Groomers SKIS: Moonlig...

MountainFLOW is disrupting the ski and snowboard industries by producing high-performing products that are also biodegradable and more sustainable than the conventional products in their categories. So we talked with founder, Peter Arlein, about the environmental impacts of ski wax; his appearance on Shark Tank; the upcoming ban on fluorocarbon waxes at the highest levels of ski racing; and Peter...

John Weir from Bentgate in Golden, CO, is back to discuss advances in backcountry skis; draw comparisons between some high-profile touring boots; and reassess the pros, cons, & compromises of various AT bindings. TOPICS & TIMES: Update on Bentgate (3:29) Boots: Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro vs Dynafit Radical Pro (8:41) Scarpa F1 LT (19:03) Advances in backcountry skis (22:29) AT Bindings (26:49...

We talk to professional skier, Hadley Hammer , about the gear she’s most & least picky about; her own gear preferences; some of the keys to happiness; and we fight about The Queen’s Gambit. TOPICS & TIMES: The Queen’s Gambit (3:04) Binge-listening to GEAR:30 (11:55) What gear are you the pickiest about? (18:03) Inclusion, Diversity, & Ski Boots (22:36) Inbounds skis & ski length (2...

We’re pulling back the curtain on ski testing, and to provide their wealth of experience in this arena are The Ski Monster co-founder & CEO, George Michaelsen, and Matt Berkowitz, who is now the brand director of The Ski Monster and who has participated in too many ski tests to count. We discuss good ways and bad ways to conduct gear tests; how and why The Ski Monster has been able to ramp up...

Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss our 21/22 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide and some corresponding industry trends and category highlights. They also talk snowblades, clarify our Buyer’s Guide ‘Best Of’ Awards, and go on a rant or two. TOPICS & TIMES: Early-season turns & the new Nordica Enforcer 104 Unlimited (6:21) Our new glossy Buyers guide (11:27) Weight Trends (13:25) Unisex vs....

Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, is back on GEAR:30 to talk about Moment’s 21/22 lineup of skis; the new Moment factory; the new Deathwish 104; snowblading; & more. TOPICS & TIMES: Moment’s new factory (4:51) Supply chain issues? (11:35) New Deathwish 104 (15:25) Deathwish (22:12) Wildcat skis (25:23) Commander skis (29:16) Touring Skis (35:14) Deathwish Tour vs Wildcat Tour (37:56) Sales o...

Once upon a time, a couple of friends who were scheming to get some gear for their own adventures ended up creating a phenomenal outdoor shop. We talk to Trygve Sande and Rune Kvalsnes about the origins of Vertical Playground ; their trip with Hoji where the idea of the 4FRNT Raven was born; the ski touring and mountain biking scene in central Norway; some of their favorite gear; and more. TOPICS...

We talk to Pete Wagner about three big new things happening at Wagner Custom Skis, where everything is built right in Telluride, Colorado. TOPICS & TIMES: Wagner’s new “Summit” skis (4:45) Summit 106 (15:56) Summit 107 (19:42) Summit 97 (21:30) Factory skis vs. the full custom process (22:49) Current consumer trends? (25:18) Avalanche cores (27:13) New James Niehues collab (33:42) Next Level S...

We talk with Greg Klein, president of Willi’s Ski and Snowboard Shops , which is family owned and operated with several locations in the greater Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania. We talk about what brought Greg’s father (Willi) to PA; Seven Springs Mountain Resort; the key ingredients of a great ski shop; ski length & ski width; Willi’s women’s program; shop beer vs. shop pizza; & more. TOP...

This week, we sat down with McKenna Peterson , one of the stars of Matchstick Productions’ new film, The Stomping Grounds, to discuss her personal gear preferences; what ski equipment she’d most like to see get made; the topic of women-specific gear; the best ways to get more women involved in skiing; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Recommend Shop info: Blacksheep Sports (00:57) Kristin Sinnott on t...

Matt Manser is back for a deep dive on Atomic’s new 21/22 lineup, and we also discuss ski boot design and construction in general; the “Frodo Pro”; “Complete Tech” vs. “Hybrid Tech”; Immanuel Kant; Omar Little; and he offers his take on Bode Miller’s recent GEAR:30 thoughts on ski boots. TOPICS & TIMES: Manser on Bode Miller on ski boots (8:24) Atomic ski boots range walkthrough (17:42) Redste...

It is difficult to overstate the innovation that Eric Pollard has brought to modern skiing, and in this conversation, you’ll get to hear more about how Eric sees the world and finds himself pursuing new directions. We also talk about graphics; Season’s all-black topsheets ; and each of the models in Season’s ski lineup.  TOPICS & TIMES: From ‘Drawn from Here’ to Season (3:27) 1st time mee...

We had Bode on the Blister Podcast (ep. 154) talking about education, mental preparation, and more, and that is a not-to-be-missed conversation. This time around, we dive deep into gear talk, and Bode makes clear that his different and creative ways of thinking weren’t just hallmarks of his approach to racing, they define his approach to skis, ski boots, bindings, and eyewear, too. TOPICS & TI...

Flylow founder (and certified gear nerd) Dan Abrams is back to talk about the skis and ski boots he’s interested in for the coming season; Flylow’s mountain bike apparel; and what’s new in the Flylow lineup for Winter 21/22. TOPICS & TIMES: The skis & ski boots Dan is considering (4:01) Update on Flylow’s mountain bike apparel (14:53) Production logistics & mic drops (19:09) Winter gea...

Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth answer listener gear questions; share some info about our new winter buyer’s guide; and Luke shares with us some good news, but also presents new reasons for us to worry about him. TOPICS & TIMES: Info on our new Buyers guide (3:14) Q: What’s your favorite ski ever? (10:24) Q: Best way to communicate with a boot fitter? (15:27) Q: More accessible skis vs. more...

We’re talking with Rachel and Drew Harding, the owners of The Spokane Alpine Haus , about the ski scene in Spokane, Washington; the Alpine Haus’ massive equipment leasing program; interesting ways to destroy skis; kid’s gear; and more.  TOPICS & TIMES: Rachel & Drew’s origin story (2:10) The ski scene in Spokane (11:38) The 5 ski areas and how they differ (14:44) The shop & the Sp...

Today we are airing the panel session on ski design that we held at the Blister Summit . We talk to the designers behind the skis from Blizzard, Folsom Custom Skis, Rossignol, Dynastar, and Wagner Custom Skis to get their respective design philosophies; discuss current trends in ski design; debate whether skis are being dumbed down today; determine once and for all whether stated sidecut radius nu...

You had to know we’d do this, right? We’re doing a deep dive on coffee with Sam Higby of First Ascent . We discuss the difference between good and bad instant coffee; light roasts vs. dark roasts (and what some dark roasts have in common with hot sauce or double IPAs); the brewing process & brewing at altitude; how to make great coffee on a budget; and more.  TOPICS & TIMES: Sam’s bac...

Chris Davenport walked over to Blister HQ from Aspen to talk about how he thinks about ski gear and his own personal preferences. We also discuss monoskiing; which gear he is most and least picky about; ski width; mount points; weight; and whether Shane McConkey would be into these GEAR:30 conversations. TOPICS & TIMES: Chris’ 1st comp: the CB Extremes (3:44) Old skis & how they've changed...

Andrew Alexander King tells us about his experience on Denali and some of the most important gear he used. TOPICS & TIMES: The planning (1:32) The Between Worlds Project (3:32) The training (5:51) The surprises (11:41) The gear (18:16) The climb (30:51) What's next (57:54) What We're Celebrating (1:06:26) RELATED LINKS: Our prior podcast on The Between Worlds Project Become a Blister Member Ho...

This spring, Sam Shaheen and four of his friends took on the very big challenge of a Denali expedition. So in this conversation, we get the debrief from Sam, discuss what he and his crew learned in the process, and go over some of the most important gear he used (including a homemade unicorn nose guard), and of that gear, what worked well and what didn’t.  TOPICS & TIMES: The idea of Dena...

This week we’re talking with the co-founder of WaveCel , Dr. Steve Madey. We discuss the origins of and the development of WaveCel; Steve makes what might be the best case we’ve ever heard about why rotational forces play such a critical role in brain injuries; and we discuss how WaveCel compares to MIPS and Koroyd.  TOPICS & TIMES: What is WaveCel? (2:08) Development of WaveCel (7:06) Wo...

Previously on GEAR:30 we laid out our Mt. Rushmore of Ski Suspension . Now, we’re moving to the opposite end of the spectrum to talk about the poppiest skis we’ve been on. We define some terms, talk about some of the characteristics that can help make a ski more poppy; and we work our way through a whole bunch of skis. Check it out, and let us know what skis you think are most deserving. TOPICS &a...

We talk with the Head of Product at POC , Oscar Huss, about headforms — the things they stick into helmets to mimic your head before smashing up helmets in testing; the numerous variables that need to be considered when setting up a way to test “safety”; the different considerations that go into designing kids helmets; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Background of POC (2:29) Oscar’s background (7:34...