Blister Reviewer BadgeJonathan Ellsworth

Hilary Eisen goes on the Blister Podcast to discuss the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the changes being made to it, why outdoor enthusiasts should care, and what they can do to help protect NEPA

What You Need to Know – and Do – about the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) (Ep. 134)

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You are probably familiar with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but what do you know about the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)? NEPA is a critical piece of legislation, and each of us needs to understand what it does and why it matters so much — especially since some major changes to NEPA are being proposed that could have extremely serious environmental and human rights consequences. So to help us understand the high stakes of the changes being proposed, we spoke to Hilary Eisen, the policy director for the Winter Wildlands Alliance.

2021-2022 4FRNT Raven

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For the 20/21 season, 4FRNT is offering a new, special edition of their excellent Raven ski. Check out our First Look & Flash Review for more on this collab with Eric Hjorleifson & Pomoca, and how the newest Raven compares to the rest of the market.
Kingswood Skis founder, Alex Herbert, goes on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast to discuss ski design, the 2020 Southern Hemisphere ski season, and more

Kingswood Skis founder, Alex Herbert (Ep.104)

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Kingswood Skis is a custom indie ski manufacturer based on the South Island of New Zealand, and we caught up with Kingswood founder, Alex Herbert, to talk about ski materials, sidewalls, cosmetics & ski repairs, base material thickness, Kingswood’s rather unconventional Race Department.
Cam McCaul goes on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas podcast to discuss filming for TGR's Accomplice, commentating, preparing to ride big lines, the most underrated type of mountain biking, and more

Cam McCaul on Bike Films, Preparing for Big Lines, & the TGR Film, Accomplice (Ep. 28)

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We caught up this week with Cam McCaul to talk about some of the bike films that made the biggest impression on him; the new TGR film he’s in called, Accomplice; how he prepares for riding big lines; his work as a commentator; and which discipline he thinks many people fail to really appreciate: slopestyle, DH, or big-mountain riding.
Shaun Martin goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss his Navajo heritage, professional running, coaching, and more

Shaun Martin on the Navajo Approach to Running, Coaching, & Community (Ep. 55)

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Our guest is Shaun Martin, who we’ve talked about before on this podcast in our conversations with Sanjay Rawal, since Shaun appeared in Sanjay’s film, 3100: Run and Become. But this time we’re talking to the man himself, and Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk to Shaun about his background, heritage, coaching philosophy, and a whole lot more.
Tyler Jones goes on the Blister podcast to discuss BlackAFinSTEM, Black Birders Week, her master's work on bees, & more

BlackAFinSTEM, Birders, & Bees (Ep.133)

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BlackAFinSTEM was started to encourage and support Black individuals who are working in — or who are just passionate about — the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and also to encourage, support, and increase the visibility of Black naturalists and Black people who recreate and work outdoors. So we talk to Tyler Jones, the co-organizer of Black Birders Week, about all of the above, plus the difference between a bird and a trash bag; Taco Bell & STEM; her graduate work on bees (!!!); and more.
Faith E. Briggs goes on Blister's Off the Couch Podcast to discuss her film, This Land; running track and trail running; and diversity in the outdoors and beyond

Faith E. Briggs on Growing Up, Running, & Her Film, This Land (Ep. 54)

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Faith E. Briggs is a filmmaker, a runner, and an outdoor enthusiast, and Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk to Faith about her latest film, This Land; growing up and running track & cross country and transitioning into long-distance running & trail running; and our current / not-merely-current circumstances here in America.
Peter Nelson and Sally Roy discuss their film, The Pollinators, on the Blister Podcast. They discuss the current status of bees, why it very much matters, monoculture, why bees are dying, soil, and much more

Bees, Green Lawns, “Perfect” Apples, & the Reinvention of Farming (Ep.132)

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Most of us know that bee populations are struggling to survive, but why? And why do bees play such a critical role in the production of food? We talk to Peter Nelson and Sally Roy about their new film, The Pollinators, which tells the story of bees and beekeeping and soil and farming practices and pesticides and the EPA and why we need to change the way we produce food — and what each of us can do to help the cause.
Buzz Burrell goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss establishing the concept of a Fastest Known Time; the trends of FKTs, starting an organic farm, & more

Creating Your Own Sport: Buzz Burrell & the Invention of the ‘FKT’ (Ep.53)

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A few weeks ago Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked to the legend, Buzz Burrell, about his first ever long-distance run; starting the first organic farm in Colorado; the time he delivered a baby; inventing the hydration pack; and more. Then we discuss Buzz’s role in establishing the concept of the Fastest Known Time; creativity and FKTs, the process of approving FKT submissions, and some of the trends he’s seeing in the world of FKTs.

Food Sovereignty, Indigenous Rights, & the Film, Gather (Ep.131)

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We talk with our friend, Sanjay Rawal, about his new film, Gather. (Sanjay directed the film, Renan Ozturk was the cinematographer, & Jason Momoa produced it.) Gather tells the story of the growing food sovereignty movement among Native American tribes across the U.S., and this film is sure to cause you to re-evaluate your own relationship to food and to land and to a lot of other things.
Nurse Sascha Anastas discusses on the Blister Podcast the most responsible and safest ways to recreate in the time of COVID-19

How to Recreate Responsibly in the Time of COVID (Ep. 130)

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As a number of locations are beginning to relax travel restrictions and are able to welcome visitors back, we wanted to discuss some important reminders and best practices for recreating responsibly in this time of COVID. We’ve also included some important links in the show notes to this episode that you should check out to ensure that you are up-to-date on state and local ordinances. So give this a listen, and let’s all do our best to do things the right way.
Zach Bitter goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss his world record fastest 100 miles on a treadmill

Zach Bitter on His New 100-Mile Treadmill World Record (Ep.52)

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Not only does Zach Bitter hold the world record for the fastest time that a human has run 100 miles, he recently just set the record for fastest 100 miles ever run … on a treadmill?? So we spoke to Zach about when he first got the idea to attempt this; the biggest differences between running 100 miles on a treadmill vs a track; his preparation and strategy; and Mike McKnight’s recent ‘Zero-Calorie 100’ effort.

Strongest Wheels on the Market? Revel Wheels & “Fusion Fiber” Ep.101

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We dive deep into the details with Revel Bikes founder, Adam Miller, about Revel’s new wheels — which he claims are the strongest wheels on the market — and this thing they’re using called “fusion fiber.” We talk about what fusion fiber is; their recyclability; the unique production process; other applications of fusion fiber, and more.

20/21 4FRNT Raven

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Check out Jonathan Ellsworth's thoughts on the new Raven.

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Blister Book Club; Geoff McFetridge & Jonathan Ellsworth discuss Jack Turner's The Abstract Wild on the Blister Podcast

Geoff McFetridge on The Abstract Wild by Jack Turner (Ep. 129)

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In the latest installment of our Blister Book Club, we talk with the artist, Geoff McFetridge, about Jack Turner’s book, The Abstract Wild. We discuss why Geoff selected this book; why it isn’t designed to be a comfortable read; why we need to get clear on the distinction between “the wild” and “wilderness”; and why we think that every reader of BLISTER ought to read this book.
Mike McKnight goes on Blister's Off The Couch Podcast to discuss how and why he ran 100 miles without consuming a single calorie.

Testing Limits: Mike McKnight on Running 100 Miles, 0 Calories (Ep.51)

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Is it humanly possible to run 100 miles without consuming a single calorie? On May 8th, Mike McKnight set out to find out, and Mike not only accomplished this extraordinary feat, he did it in 18 hours and 37 minutes. So we talked to Mike about why and when he first thought this was possible; how he prepared and trained for the feat; intermittent fasting and his ketogenic diet; some of the criticism he’s received for even attempting this; and what else he thinks might be possible.
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