Jonathan Ellsworth
At our Blister Summit in Mt. Crested Butte, we talked with Kjerstin Klein (Winter Divas founder & co-owner of Willi’s Ski Shops); Louise Lintilhac (skier, writer, brand manager, & public relations); Andrea Charest (Mammut athlete, guide, & owner of Petra Cliffs); and Kara Williard (boot fitter & Blister reviewer) about the current state of women in the ski industry; where progress has been made; where the most work still needs to be done; the concept of “shrink it and pink it”; gender-specific vs. unisex products; mentorship; and more.
McKenna Peterson & Jed Yeiser on Developing Skis; the Blister Alpine Binding Test; & More (Ep.189)
Jonathan was in the Cascade mountains of Washington this week with K2 skier, McKenna Peterson, and K2 ski designer, Jed Yeiser, and after a great day of skiing, we sat down to talk about ski developing and prototyping; ski testing; our ski-binding shootout; biathlons; flip flips; & books.
Running Through the News (Mar 2022) (Ep.112)
Blister running editor, Matt Mitchell, is joined by Blister reviewer, Gordon Gianniny, to discuss current events in the running world. The two dish on race results from the month of March, including the Way Too Cool 50k, Chuckanut 50k, and the Barkley Marathons; talk through the significance of Broken Arrow Skyrace’s prize purse announcement; look forward to the North American Golden Trail Series; and speculate about what Kilian Jornet is up to after leaving his longtime sponsor.
Ski Binding Design | BLISTER Summit ’22 Panel Discussion
At our 2022 Blister Summit, we brought together a wide-ranging group of panelists to discuss alpine ski bindings; their features and how they affect on-snow performance; the real-world considerations anyone might want to take into account when thinking about alpine bindings; Amer’s brand-new Strive binding; and much more. Watch the video here
Benji Alexander on the Olympics, the Aftermath, & What’s Next (Ep.205)
Benji Alexander is back on the podcast to talk about becoming Jamaica’s first Olympian alpine ski racer; his experience in Beijing and his race runs; competition and representation at the Olympic games; and more.
Blister Summit Recap & Ski Reviews (Ep.188)
Kristin Sinnott, Kara Williard, and Sascha Anastas talk about the Blister Summit and discuss a bunch of the gear they spent time on from Fischer, Salomon, Dynastar, Renoun, Rossignol, and more.
Adam Hill on Anxiety, Addiction, Ironmans, & Personal Transformation (Ep.111)
We talk to Adam Hill about how dealing with anxiety disorder led him into Ironman competitions; his new book, Shifting Gears; and the process and mechanisms of personal transformation.
Gear Myths & More w/ Cody Townsend (Ep.187)
Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth review some news, then talk about 5 gear myths; cookware; coffeemakers; & more.
Flash Review: 22/23 Kästle ZX108
Here are Dylan Wood and Jonathan Ellsworth's initial impressions of the ZX108 and how it compares to the ZX115 and ZX100.
Jason Hardrath on FKTs & What Makes Him Tick (Ep.110)
Jason Hardrath holds more “Fastest Known Times” than anyone in the world. We talk to him about his upbringing; how a nearly fatal car accident introduced him to the world of FKTs; and his upcoming film, “Journey to 100,” which chronicles Jason’s attempt to climb the 100 tallest peaks in the state of Washington over 50 days; and more.
Flash Review: 22/23 Kästle ZX 115
The Kästle ZX115 was one of the most surprising skis we got on at the 2022 Blister Summit — and very much in a good way. Check out Jonathan Ellsworth's initial impressions.
Jason Blevins & Chris Davenport (Ep.204)
We talk to Colorado Sun journalist, Jason Blevins, about this ski season & his predictions for next year’s, then we’re joined by Chris Davenport to talk about the 30th anniversary of the US Extreme Championships in Mt. Crested Butte; the Winter Olympics in Beijing; and more.
12 New Skis from the Blister Summit (Ep.186)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth give a quick recap of the Blister Summit, then discuss a dozen of the skis we spent time on at the event.
Jason Koop on Recent Research, Training Myths, & Bad Science (Ep.109)
CTS coach Jason Koop makes his return to talk about the increase in ultramarathon-specific research; myths around running economy; the art of pairing coaches with athletes; how to sift through all the bad science on social media; and his time with Timothy Olson on the PCT.
Logan Williams on the Black Canyon 100k; Recovery; & Running as an Art Form (Ep.108)
Our running editor, Matt Mitchell, sat down with Salomon athlete Logan Williams to discuss his recent top 10 finish at the Black Canyon 100K. This top-10 finish happened after Logan ruptured his achilles last year at Black Canyon, so Logan talks about what returning to the scene of the crime meant for him; his relationship with injury; how he’s recovering from racing 62 miles through the desert; his thoughts on running as an artform, and a whole lot more.
Blister Summit Panel Session Topics & Speakers + Product Design & Innovation (Ep.185)
We give an update on the topics we’ll be discussing at our upcoming Blister Summit, and tell you who the athletes, founders, product designers, and snow safety experts are that we’ll be discussing these things with. Then, we’re reposting a fantastic conversation on product design and innovation — it’s a must-listen for anyone interested in either of those things.
On the Creation of a “Hyper-Performance” Trail Shoe Company: Speedland (Ep.107)
Why would two friends who’d been working at the highest levels of product design at Nike and Under Armour leave to create a hyper-specific, hyper-performance trail running shoe company? We talk to Speedland co-founders, Dave Dombrow and Kevin fallon to get the answers; to learn about their journeys into and through the design world; and to discuss the design elements of what a “hyper-performance” trail shoe looks like to them.
Search And Rescue: What You Need to Know, and How / Why You Should Get Involved (Ep.203)
When things go wrong in the backcountry, your local Search And Rescue organization becomes crucial. But what do you know about how Search And Rescue actually works? We talk with our friend, Cy Whitling, about how and why he got involved in Search And Rescue, why we all need to understand how SAR units operate, and why you should consider getting involved.
Reviewer Reports: Custom Insoles, Skis Boots, & Skis (Ep.184)
Kara Williard spells out the case for custom insoles in your ski boots, and we discuss everything from the Volkl Secret 96, Salomon Stance 88W, WNDR Alpine Reason 120, 4FRNT Renegade, the Lange RX 130 LV, Salomon Shift Pro 130, the new Line Blade Optic 96, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 95, and Moment Deathwish 104 with Kara, Luke Koppa, and Eric Freson.
Flash Review: 21/22 Atomic Hawx Ultra 130 Professional
Update 2.9.22: Luke Koppa adds his thoughts on the Atomic Mimic Professional liner (used with a non-Atomic shell) and Atomic Professional Dual Strap (vs. a Booster strap).