Jonathan Ellsworth, Author at BLISTER

on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast, we talk with Folsom Custom Skis CEO, Mike McCabe, about Folsom's 2022-2023 ski lineup, their new UltraLITE touring ski construction, using graphene in skis, new Cash 93 and G-Wagon ski shapes, and more

Folsom Custom Skis: 22/23 Updates (Ep.216)

September 30, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Folsom builds custom skis in Denver, CO, and they have a LOT going on these days. So we talked with Folsom owner, Mike McCabe, about their 22/23 lineup; new shapes; new construction materials; their very cool Junior Skis Trade-In Program; and more.

Jonathan Ellsworth reviews the K2 Dispatch 110 for BLISTER.

2022-2023 K2 Dispatch 110

September 29, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for two lengths of the new K2 Dispatch 110.

On Blister's Open Mic series, Drew Petersen shares his thoughts on seasonal traditions, mindfulness, and how they've evolved for him over the years

Drew Petersen: ‘Tis the Season

September 27, 2022September 27, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

On this week's Open Mic, professional skier Drew Petersen shares some thoughts on seasonal traditions, how they've evolved for him, mindfulness, and more.

For the final installment of Moutain Towns & Local Food Systems on the Blister Podcast, Rachel Landis of the Good Food Collective in Durango, CO, discusses what it means to build connectivity, bring people together, and be a facilitator of local food for a regional food hub.

Mountain Towns & Local Food Systems, Pt 4: The Good Food Collective (Ep.228)

September 26, 2022September 26, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

For the final installment of Moutain Towns & Local Food Systems, Rachel Landis of the Good Food Collective in Durango, CO, discusses what it means to build connectivity, bring people together, and be a facilitator of local food for a regional food hub.

Those waterproof & breathability ratings on the tags of that rain jacket or those ski pants you’re about to buy: where did they come from? What’s the history? And how relevant are those standards to what you actually do outside? On GEAR:30, we discuss all of this and more with Dr. Lauren Cooper, who is heading up our Blister Labs work on technical apparel, and this conversation is sure to get you thinking.

Blister Labs: Technical Apparel Ratings & Standards – Origins & Relevance (Ep.215)

September 23, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Those waterproof & breathability ratings on the tags of that rain jacket or those ski pants you’re about to buy: where did they come from? What’s the history? How relevant are those standards? We discuss all of this & more with Dr. Lauren Cooper.

The Alchemist co-founder & brewer, John Kimmich, Pt 2 (Ep.7)

September 22, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

With Heady Topper, John Kimmich created one of the most sought-after craft beers in the world, and effectively created the profile of the modern IPA. In Part 2 of our conversation, we dive into the evolution of Heady Topper; why making great beer is not enough for John & Jen; & more.

Andrew Alexander King: On Climbing in the Alps

September 20, 2022September 20, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

This time on Open Mic, Andrew Alexander King shares his thoughts on both the physical and philosophical aspects of climbing high peaks.

Mountain Gazette owner & editor, Mike Rogge, is back on the Blister Podcast 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.

Mainstreaming Outdoor Media; Seth Morrison; Media Literacy; & More with Mountain Gazette’s, Mike Rogge (Ep.227)

September 20, 2022September 19, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Mountain Gazette owner & editor, Mike Rogge, is back to discuss the outdoor industry & mainstream media; detail the fallout from the previous issue of the Mountain Gazette; and highlight several of the pieces in the next issue, including a career retrospective on Seth Morrison.

2022-2023 BLISTER Digital Winter Buyer’s Guide

June 2, 2023September 15, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

270+ skis, 50 boots, and 230+ pages of honest, accurate product reviews and comparisons. Order our 22/23 Winter Buyer's Guide or become a Blister Member to read the Digital Guide NOW.

Our 2022-2023 Winter Buyer's Guide is restricted to those who have purchased the Guide or who are active Blister Members. To learn more about our Guide and Membership options, click here. If you’re already a Blister Member or have purchased the 22/23 Winter Buyer's Guide and are seeing this message, please log in and then refresh this page.

The Alchemist co-founder & brewer, John Kimmich, Part 1 (Ep.6)

September 22, 2022September 14, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

With Heady Topper, John Kimmich created one of the most sought-after beers in the world, and effectively created the profile of the modern IPA. Here in Part 1, we talk to John about his path to opening The Alchemist with his wife, Jen, in 2003; the business — and current landscape — of craft beer; what distinguishes great beer from mediocre beer; and more.

Why did one of the best freeride skiers of the past 20 years become a farmer? On our Blister Podcast, we talk to Chris Rubens about starting First Light Farm with his partner, Jesse, in Revelstoke; the parallels between skiing & farming; and why Chris finds farming to be so meaningful.

Mountain Towns & Local Food Systems, Pt. 3: Chris Rubens on Skiing & Farming in Revelstoke (Ep.226)

September 12, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Why did one of the best freeride skiers of the past 20 years become a farmer? We talk to Chris Rubens about starting First Light Farm with his partner, Jesse, in Revelstoke, BC; the parallels between skiing & farming; and why Chris finds farming to be so meaningful.

Can engineering actually help us discover real-world characteristics about products that will be meaningful to end users? Or, when we incorporate quantitative data, do we mostly run the risk of having that data leading people astray? We discuss with Thomas Laakso, the vice president of product and operations at DPS Skis, and Dr. Sean Humbert of Blister Labs.

Blister Labs: Product Manufacturers vs. Researchers & Reviewers (Ep.213)

February 1, 2024September 9, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Can engineering actually help us discover real-world characteristics about products that will be meaningful to end users? Or, when we incorporate quantitative data, do we mostly run the risk of having that data leading people astray? We discuss with Thomas Laakso, the vice president of product and operations at DPS Skis, and Dr. Sean Humbert of Blister Labs.

On our latest CRAFTED podcast, we talk with one of our favorite artists, John Fellows, whose signature style can be found across the outdoor industry. We discuss John’s background in art; the business of art & graphic design; the development of his trademark style; and we announce our new Blister Artist Series.

John Fellows: Artist, Illustrator, & Graphic Designer (Ep.5)

September 7, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

John Fellows is one of our favorite artists, and his signature style can be found across the outdoor industry. We discuss his background in art; the business of art & graphic design; the development of his style; and we announce our new Blister Artist Series that we are launching with John.

on the Blister Podcast, 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.

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (August 2022) (Ep.225)

September 5, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

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.

Few things in the world of ski gear are as complex, important, or misunderstood as bootfitting. So in this 1st episode of our new GEAR:30 podcast series on bootfitting, we dive into the basics with Sam Tischendorf, Masterfit University instructor, former clinical podiatrist, and lead bootfitter.

A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt 1: The Basics (Ep.212)

September 2, 2022September 2, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Few things in the world of ski gear are as complex, important, or misunderstood as bootfitting. So in this 1st episode of our new series on bootfitting, we dive into the basics with Sam Tischendorf, Masterfit University instructor, former clinical podiatrist, and lead bootfitter.

On our latest CRAFTED podcast, we talk with Danielle and Katie Nichols, the two amazing sisters behind CORK Restaurant & Natural Wine Shop. Danielle and Katie provide a fantastic introduction and overview of natural wine; explain how they got into it; and they tell us about “Twinkie Wines,” too.

What is Natural Wine? Danielle & Katie Nichols of CORK, Stowe, VT (Ep.4)

August 31, 2022August 31, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

To find out, we talked with Danielle and Katie Nichols, the two amazing sisters behind CORK Restaurant & Natural Wine Shop. Danielle and Katie provide a fantastic introduction and overview of natural wine, explain how they got into it; and they tell us about “Twinkie Wines,” too.

Chris Davenport joins us on the Blister Podcast to discuss his move to the Peak Ski Company executive team; the future of Peak Skis; his relationship with Bode Miller; his annual trip to Ski Portillo in Chile for Superstar Camp; and more

Chris Davenport on Skiing Portillo & Joining Peak Skis (Ep.226)

August 29, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We catch up with Chris about his recent ski trip to Portillo, Chile, and discuss his decision to join Bode Miller at Peak Skis.

Get Our 2022-2023 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide

January 9, 2023August 26, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Pre-order your print and/or digital copy of the most honest, accurate, genuinely useful buyer's guide in the ski industry. Includes 270+ skis, 50+ boots, & much more. Prices go up September 5th, so pre-order now!

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An Update on Blister Labs’ Mountain Bike Wheel Testing

Blister Labs: MTB Wheelset Testing & Establishing Proof of Concept (Ep.211)

February 1, 2024August 26, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Greg Vanderbeek is back with a Blister Labs update on our mountain-bike-wheels testing. We discuss why the dynamic modeling we’ve been doing in the field is a critical component for ongoing testing back at the lab; what our test results are revealing about carbon vs. aluminum wheels; and more.

On the CRAFTED podcast, we meet up with Offset Bier co-founder, Conor Brown, and talk to him about why the name “Offset Bier”?; approachability vs. complexity; brewing in a state with strict liquor laws; their “No Flights, No Whining” policy; and more.

The Origins & Ethos of Offset Bier, Park City, Utah (Ep.3)

August 25, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Offset Bier has quickly established itself as the best brewery in Park City, and one of the very best in the state. But Offset is also a community hub for skiers, runners, and bikers, and we discuss all of the above with their founder, Conor Brown.

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