Jonathan Ellsworth, Author at BLISTER

On CRAFTED, Eli is joined by fellow Blister contributor Zack Henderson to talk all things paella. What started as a casual interest has turned into a full-blown culinary rabbit hole — and they dig into everything from technique to tradition, with some very unconventional twists. In this episode they dive into the mysteries of the socarrat; explore a Pacific Northwest take on the dish; and brainstorm potential flavor combinations (some more plausible than others). Along the way, we talk table beer, saffron, Fernet, and confront Eli’s long-running rice curse.

Amateur Hour: Blister reviewer, Zack Henderson, on Paella (Ep.71)

May 28, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Today on CRAFTED, Eli is joined by fellow Blister contributor Zack Henderson to talk all things paella. We dive into the mysteries of the socarrat; explore a Pacific Northwest take on the dish; brainstorm potential flavor combinations, and more.

Forty years ago (May 22, 1985) snowboarding was featured for the first time ever in a massive, mainstream film: the James Bond movie, A View to a Kill’. So on Blister Cinematic, in honor of its 40th anniversary, Jonathan, JBobb, and Simon, break down the opening on-snow action of the film; discuss its historical significance; and share a number of wild facts about this crazy movie and its star-studded cast.

James Bond: ‘A View to a Kill’ w/ Jonathan Ellsworth, Justin Bobb, & Simon Stewart (Ep.39)

May 27, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Forty years ago, snowboarding was featured for the first time ever in a massive, mainstream film. So today, we break down the on-snow action of ‘A View to a Kill’; discuss its historical significance; & share some wild facts about this crazy movie and its star-studded cast.

On CRAFTED, Jonathan talks books, book recommendations, the state of independent bookstores, the art of reading, and the craft of writing, and our guest is the perfect person to talk about it all. Arvin Ram is a writer, avid reader, owner of the indie bookstore, Townie Books, and the director of the Mountain Words Festival here in Crested Butte, so we also discuss the intersection of mountain culture and book culture.

Reading Culture: Books, Reading, & Indie Bookstores Today w/ Arvin Ram, Owner of Townie Books (Ep.70)

May 21, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Jonathan talks books, book recommendations, the state of independent bookstores, the art of reading, and the craft of writing, with Arvin Ram, who is a writer, avid reader, owner of the indie bookstore, Townie Books, and the director of the Mountain Words Festival.

On Blister Cinematic, Cody and Jonathan discuss The Eiger Sanction, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this week; it stars Clint Eastwood, the biggest movie star in the world at the time; and, importantly, Alex Honnold has called this the most realistic climbing film that Hollywood has ever produced. So … is Alex right? And how does the rest of the film hold up?

‘The Eiger Sanction’ w/ Cody Townsend & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.38)

May 20, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Cody and Jonathan discuss The Eiger Sanction, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this week; it stars Clint Eastwood, the biggest movie star in the world at the time; and, importantly, Alex Honnold has called this the most realistic climbing film that Hollywood has ever produced. So … is Alex right? And how does the rest of the film hold up?

Lots of people dream of starting a company in the outdoor industry. But how do you go about actually doing that? At Blister Summit 2025, we talked with four individuals who had the dream — and the audacity — to start their own companies: Klem Branner, Venture Snowboards; Will Ritter, Spark R&D; Jamie Grant, CARV; and Cobey Nash, AlpenFlow Design. On this episode of the Blister Podcast, you’ll hear them talk about the highs, the lows, and the breakthroughs that come with starting a company — and the even more challenging work of keeping a company going.

Founder Stories: Creating a Company in the Outdoor Industry (Venture Snowboards, CARV, Spark R&D, & AlpenFlow Design) (Ep.357)

May 19, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We talk to Klem Branner, Venture Snowboards; Will Ritter, Spark R&D; Jamie Grant, CARV; and Cobey Nash, AlpenFlow Design about the highs, the lows, and the breakthroughs that come with starting a company — and the even more challenging work of keeping a company going.

Gearing Up for the Famous Chamonix-to-Zermatt Haute Route (Ep.347)

May 16, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Jonathan talks to BLISTER members, Bobak Farzin and Lukas Friedli, who teamed up to take on the famous Haute Route. We talk about their trip; the gear they used; what worked well for them; what worked less well; and, they offer some great advice for anyone thinking about doing any multi-day ski touring trip.

‘Jeremiah Johnson’ stars one of the most famous actors of all time, Robert Redford. But why did Mountain Gazette editor, MIke Rogge, want to discuss this film that came out 53 years ago? Why was it so important to Robert Redford? And how did it inspire one of the most popular GIFs / memes today?? Get all the answers on our latest episode of Blister Cinematic.

‘Jeremiah Johnson’ w/ Mike Rogge & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.37)

May 13, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

‘Jeremiah Johnson’ stars one of the most famous actors of all time, Robert Redford. But why did Mike Rogge want to discuss this film that came out 53 years ago? Why was it so important to Robert Redford? And how did it inspire one of the most popular GIFs / memes today??

Craig ‘Weazy’ Murray on Winning Natural Selections’ 1st SKI Comp; GRITT; & More (Ep.356)

May 12, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We go behind the scenes of Natural Selection’s first ski comp with Craig ‘Weazy’ Murray, winner of the men’s division. We also talk about Weazy’s other passions, including riding mtn bikes at an increasingly high level, and why his work with GRITT means so much to him.

Mali Noyes just pulled off a mind-blowing feat in the ski world: completing the Chuting Gallery in 47 days. That’s 93 chutes (she actually did more than that) around the Wasatch in 47 days, with over 200,000 feet of vert climbed, while navigating tricky conditions, complex terrain, incredible physical demands, and mental and emotional fatigue. And she pulled it all off in a time that seems almost unfathomable. So how did she do it? And what led her to take it on? Jonathan Ellsworth talks with Mali about all of it, including some of the best advice she received from Greg Hill, Cody Townsend, Janelle Smiley, and Sam Smoothy.

Mali Noyes’ Incredible Feat: Skiing the Chuting Gallery in 47 Days (Ep.355)

May 5, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Mali Noyes just pulled off a mind-blowing feat: skiing the Chuting Gallery in 47 days. So how did she do it? And what led her to try? Jonathan talks with Mali about all of it, including some of the best advice she received from Greg Hill, Cody Townsend, Janelle Smiley, and Sam Smoothy.

What new thoughts and ideas emerge when you bring together in conversation makers of hybrid ski bindings and AT bindings and snowboard bindings and splitboard bindings? At Blister Summit 2025, Jonathan Ellsworth led a conversation along these lines with Will Ritter of Spark R&D; Royal White, from Burton; Andy Merriman, from ATK Bindings; and Cobey Nash, from the very new company, AlpenFlow Design.

What’s New in Ski & Snowboard Bindings (Burton, Spark R&D, ATK Bindings, AlpenFlow Design) (Ep.345)

May 14, 2025May 2, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

What new ideas emerge when you bring together makers of hybrid ski bindings and AT bindings and snowboard bindings and splitboard bindings? At the Blister Summit, we brought together Will Ritter of Spark R&D; Royal White, from Burton; Andy Merriman, from ATK Bindings; and Cobey Nash, from the new company, AlpenFlow Design. Enjoy.

Flash Review: 25/26 Völkl Mantra 88

April 18, 2025April 18, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Völkl is updating the Mantra 88 next season, and the new version has been impressive so far — here are Jonathan’s initial takeaways.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.

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We’re all familiar with ‘Top Gun’ — a school that separates the best of the best. But what if we told you there is an elite certification program designed to test the best bartenders in the business? On our CRAFTED podcas, Eli is discussing that program — Bar 5 Day — with Steve Olson and Doug Frost.

Is This the ‘Top Gun’ for Bartenders? (Ep.66)

April 16, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We’re all familiar with ‘Top Gun’ — a school that separates the best of the best. But what if we told you there is an elite certification program designed to test the best bartenders in the business? Today, we’re discussing that program — Bar 5 Day — with Steve Olson and Doug Frost.

On the Blister Podcast, Cody and Jonathan discuss tariff zaniness; the state of outdoor-sports comps; whether it’s good when big companies move into outdoor sports (Nike & snowboarding?); and more. They also rate your takes, talk about Cody’s trips to Norway & Utah, and share what they’ve been reading & watching.

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, March / April 2025 (Ep.352)

April 14, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Cody and Jonathan discuss tariff zaniness; the state of outdoor-sports comps; whether it’s good when big companies move into outdoor sports (Nike & snowboarding?); and more. They also rate your takes, talk about Cody’s trips to Norway & Utah, and share what they’ve been reading & watching.

How do the pros — Hoji, Ted, Anne, and Jess — go about assessing and testing ski and snowboard gear, and what advice do they have for the rest of us? Learn that on this episode of GEAR:30; plus, you’ll hear Ted share one of his favorite (but questionable??) ways of testing skis.

Gear Testing Tips & Tricks w/ Hoji, Ted Ligety, Anne Wangler, & Jess Tennyson (Ep.342)

April 11, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

How do the pros — Hoji, Ted, Anne, and Jess — go about assessing and testing ski and snowboard gear, and what advice do they have for the rest of us? Plus, you’ll hear Ted share one of his favorite (but questionable??) ways of testing skis.

Bitters have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, and in cocktails for centuries. But they receive far less attention than the spirits in our glass. So on our CRAFTED podcast, we talk with the founders of Bennett Bitters about bitters in general; the complex process they use to produce some of the best bitters on the market; how they got started; and more.

Tinctures, Traditions, & Taste: the Bitters Creation Process w/ Bennett Bitters (Ep.65)

April 9, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Bitters have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, and in cocktails for centuries, but they receive far less attention than the spirits in our glass. So we talk with the founders of Bennett Bitters about bitters in general, and the complex process they use to produce some of the best bitters on the market.

Flash Review: 25/26 Völkl Mantra 84

April 2, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Today we take a look at Völkl’s narrowest ‘Mantra’ — the redesigned Mantra 84.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.

If you’re already an active member, please log in.

(If you're already logged in and a member in good standing and seeing this message in error, please refresh this page in your browser.)

Pursuing Excellence in the Service of Others: Jeff Galli, Campione Roman Kitchen (Ep.64)

April 2, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Today we’re talking about the pursuit of excellence and how that can demonstrate a deep care for other people with Jeff Galli, the GM and co-owner of Campione, a roman kitchen in Livingston, Montana that was named to the New York Time’s 50 Best Restaurants in the U.S. list in 2023.

As part of the 5850 Fest at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Jonathan talked with Ted Ligety about the tricky conditions and the very challenging course here in Sun Valley for the Super G and GS races, and the incredibly demanding business of going fast. Check out the conversation on this week’s episode of GEAR:30.

Ted Ligety on Ski Tuning, World Cup Racing, & the Art of Going Fast (Ep.340)

March 28, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

As part of the 5850 Fest at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Jonathan talked with Ted Ligety about the tricky conditions and the very challenging course here in Sun Valley for the Super G and GS races, and the incredibly demanding business of going fast.

Mountain Life & Product Design: North Drinkware Co-Founder, Matt Capozzi (Ep.63)

March 26, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Matt Capozzi has always loved being in the mountains, but he’s also enjoyed an incredible career working in product design for brands like Burton, Nike, Nixon, and Smith. In 2015, Matt had a wild idea to help people ‘bring the mountains home,’ which led to the creation of North Drinkware, which produces beautiful, artisanal products — like handblown glassware — made in Oregon.

On the Blister Podcast, Jonathan talks to US ski racer, River Radamus, about his upcoming GS race; this World Cup season; & more. Then, he talks to former World Cup ski racer, Will Brandenburg about the Herculean effort it was to build — and prep — the steepest DH and Super G race courses in the world.

2025 World Cup Finals of Ski Racing in Sun Valley with River Radamus & Will Brandenburg (Ep.351)

March 24, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Jonathan talks to US ski racer, River Radamus, about his upcoming GS race; this World Cup season; & more. Then, he talks to former World Cup ski racer, Will Brandenburg about the Herculean effort it was to build - and prep - the steepest DH and Super G race courses in the world.

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