GEAR:30

Odds are that just about every piece of clothing you own has been applied with some sort of surface treatment, and those (typically petroleum-based) treatments contribute to a significant portion of the apparel industry’s already massive carbon footprint. With their recent collaboration, Beyond Surface Technologies and WNDR Alpine are changing that. So Luke Koppa got the whole story from BST’s CEO...

For decades, Kästle has been making high-end skis for everything from racing to Nordic and skimo. But what sparked their recent launch into the ski boot category? It’s far from a simple process, so Kara Williard talked with Alessandro Speranzoni, Kästle’s global ski boot product engineer, and Alex Pritzlaff, their U.S. product manager, to discuss the origins of the project; the design details of t...

Tyrolia’s Protector bindings with “Full Heel Release” is something that every skier ought to know about. Tyrolia calls it “the safest binding we have ever made,” and exactly how it works and how it’s supposed to reduce knee injuries is the topic of this conversation with Andrew Couperthwait, VP of Winter Sports for HEAD / Tyrolia. TOPICS & TIMES: Overview of Protector Bindings (4:10) How Tradi...

Ferreol is a relatively new company that designs and builds skis in Quebec, and they are working hard to push beyond conventional ski materials and construction. They created their own “Innovation Lab” to not only test skis but also develop new materials — and they’re not keeping it to themselves. Instead, they’re collaborating with other brands in order to move things forward at a greater scale....

Ok, you know the drill. Which ski company is most similar to which bike company? What’s the latest incendiary thing that will come out of Dylan Wood’s mouth? This final installment of our 4th edition of Bikes vs Skis is definitely another fun one. TOPICS & TIMES: Yeti (5:53) Black Crows vs Revel (9:36) Line Skis (12:10) Propain Bikes vs. Line Skis (18:54) Season Skis & Snowboards (20:08) D...

At Blister Summit 2023, we brought together Hoji (Dynafit), Lars Chickering-Ayers (CAST Touring), and Giray Dadali (Daymaker Touring) for an extremely interesting and important discussion on the past, present, and future of ski bindings. We get their thoughts on “acceptable use” for certain bindings; the “Age of Confusion” surrounding different binding designs; being “handcuffed by standards” and...

Which bike company and which ski company is currently holding the ‘Cool Kids Belt’? Which brand do other companies secretly wish they could trade places with? We debate these questions and more in our latest edition of Bikes vs. Skis. Check it out, and let us know your current answers to these questions. TOPICS & TIMES: Best Bang for The Buck: Bike (7:22) Best Bang for The Buck: Skis (10:39) M...

If you spend any time — inbounds or in the backcountry — skiing or riding in avalanche terrain or near tree wells, then you need to listen to this episode. Because we’re talking about a new system designed to increase your chances of survival if buried in an avalanche or tree well: the Safeback SBX . Our guest is Tor Berge, the CEO of the Norwegian company, Safeback, and Tor and I have a wide rang...

Today we’re talking about skis built for the deepest of days, the ones we dream about — and the kind that Mike McCabe and Jonathan Ellsworth were fortunate enough to ski recently in Alaska. And if you’ve ever heard someone say, “All skis are great in pow,” well, they’re here to blow up that notion. So what design elements work best in deep snow? What about low-angle terrain vs. steeper terrain? Ho...

Kara Williard speaks with Coalition Snow founder and CEO, Jen Gurecki, about running a ski and snowboard brand owned and operated by women that designs products for everyone; what the evolution of these business goals has looked like; their brick-and-mortar storefront; “Far Out” trips around the world; inclusive initiatives designed to grow snowsports and build a lasting community; Coalition's 23/...

Jonathan is currently in AK with Paul Forward, Chugach Powder Guides , and a great crew. So he & Paul talk about the skis they’ve been getting time on (from Heritage Lab, Folsom, DPS, K2); some new skis we’d like to see; crème brûlée crust; and the new Lange Shadow boot. TOPICS & TIMES: Tricky Weather and Epic Powder Day (3:31) Chugach Powder Guides (6:50) Snowpack and Types of Snow (8:34)...

Jonathan and Luke talk about closing day at CBMR; the gear JE is bringing to AK; liners; the Rossi Sender Free 110, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, Volkl Revolt 114, Luke’s new stitches, & more. TOPICS & TIMES: Closing Day (2:47) Latest on Luke’s Diet (10:05) JE’s Alaska Trip / Gear (11:56) Zipfit vs Atomic Mimic Professional Liner (18:28) Rossignol Sender Free 110 (27:44) Armada Declivity 102 Ti...

Jonathan talks with Blizzard’s Christian Avery about the overhauled Rustler & Sheeva skis; where their Hustle line of skis slots into the mix; and why we shouldn’t be sleeping on the Cochise. TOPICS & TIMES: From Intern to Product Manager (5:18) History of Blizzard (11:33) Freeride Then & Now (17:22) Don’t Sleep on the Cochise (23:30) Overview of the Lineup (30:33) Rustler 10 (39:...

For this edition of Shop Talk, Kara Williard talks with Jeff Perry and Isabel Berg from Gear West , our Blister Recommended Shop in Long Lake, Minnesota, to learn about how they build a year-round community around Gear West’s “campus”; what it means to provide service for everything from ski racing to park skiing; some gear trends they’re noticing; how new uphill access at their local mountain, Bu...

Kara Williard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk with Jeff Colt, Brand Director of ZipFit, to make the case for why liners, or “inner boots” are one of the most overlooked yet most important pieces of gear. We also discuss the legacy of Sven Coomer; the growth of ZipFit as they bring new products to market; the Fischer x ZipFit collab with the RC4 Pro series; and Jeff shares his own ‘Crashes & Close...

For this edition of Shop Talk, Kristin Sinnott is back with the owners of the Spokane Alpine Haus , Drew and Rachel Harding, to discuss skiing with kids. We cover how we were introduced to the sport as kids, what it looked like to bring our own kids into the sport, and how it’s going. We also talk about how shops can help facilitate children and families getting into the sport, what it looks like...

Luke Koppa is joined by Justin Bobb, Kara Williard, Dylan Wood, and Kristin Sinnott to discuss some of the standout gear they were able to test at last week’s Blister Summit, from skis to snowboards, ski boots, bindings, and even snow blades. Then about halfway through, Jonathan Ellsworth jumps in and adds his thoughts on a couple of the skis he got on, too. TOPICS & TIMES  Fischer RC4 BO...

For this edition of Shop Talk, we are back with Kai Palkeinen, founder of Pulse Boot Lab , to hear about what Kai’s been up to since we last talked, including opening a third location in Collingwood; the evolution of Pulse and what they have in mind for the future; their process for developing and refining some 3D printing technology that is being applied to more than just ski boots; what it means...

Dr. Sean Humbert is back to provide an update on our ski testing at Blister Labs ; discuss the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning for product reviewing and ski recommendation engines; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Skier, Biker, Mechanical Engineer (4:00) Update on Blister Labs Ski Testing (5:35) Artificial Intelligence & Ski Testing (9:48) Ski Recommendation Engines (16:...

Matt Manser is back to go deep on the just-unveiled 23/24 Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD (and Hawx Ultra XTD BOA GW ); the new Hawx Ultra XTD Mimic Professional liner; the all-new Atomic Backland XTD ; and why we’re suddenly seeing the proliferation of the BOA system on ski boots. We also discuss ponies, children’s cough syrup, and Matt shares his own ‘Crashes & Close Calls’ story. TOPICS & TIMES:...

Jonathan talks about shop life, gear, the price of single-day lift passes, and more with Alex and Matt from Powder7 in Golden, Colorado. Then Blister bike editor, David Golay, joins Jonathan to tell his Crashes & Close Calls story. TOPICS & TIMES: What is Powder7 + Origin Story (3:57) Defining Ski Days (10:58) Lift Ticket Day Passes (16:59) Powder7 Test (32:07) Gear & Ski Width (37:48)...

Today we’ve got a masterclass on the history and evolution of snowboard design with Jeremy Jones , as well as Jeremy’s own philosophy behind product creation and refinement at Jones Snowboards . Jeremy and I discuss “progression bumps”; a new Jones board coming out this spring; prototyping; finding design inspiration in unexpected places; a number of the boards in the current Jones lineup; and mor...

We’re talking ski gear, customer trends, & sustainability initiatives (from the POV of a shop owner) with Mike Donohue of Outdoor Gear Exchange , our Blister Recommended Shop in Burlington, Vermont. And we have a great listener-submitted story for “Crashes & Close Calls.” TOPICS & TIMES: Outdoor Gear Exchange History & Consignment (4:11) Mike’s History & OGE Today (7:15) Telema...

Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, Kara Williard, and Dylan Wood discuss some of the notable gear they’ve been reviewing this season. They also discuss Christmas quesadillas; whether it’s okay to put sweaty ski socks on boot dryers; and we launch a new segment: Crashes & Close Calls. TOPICS & TIMES Christmas Quesadillas (6:09) Wagner Custom 104 & Summit 106 (11:29) Scarpa 4-Quattro XT (21...

Travis Hainsworth is a whole lot of fun. And when he’s not out on his highly questionable one-ski quiver, he’s busy being the associate director of the  Western-CU Boulder Computer Science Program here in Gunnison, CO, and an integral member of our Blister Labs team. So in this conversation, we’re talking “SoRo”;” MoCap”; wheelset testing; his dream of becoming the first Red-Bull-sponsored ma...