Blister Reviewer BadgeJonathan Ellsworth

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.
Eric Hjorleifson goes on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast to discuss what he's been tinkering with during the COVID-19 pandemic, his thoughts on Michael Jordan, the new 4FRNT x Pomoca collaboration, & more

Hoji on Tinkering, Climbing Skins, Monoskiing, & Michael Jordan (Ep.100)

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In celebration of episode #100, we of course had to have Hoji back on, our patron saint of GEAR:30. We discuss all the tinkering he’s been doing during quarantine; what ski gear has the most room for improvement; snowmobiles; climbing skins; monoskiing; and then, one of the all time greats talks about another all time great, Michael Jordan.
Blister Outdoor Gear review Crested Butte

Georgia Porter on Career Shifts, Strength Training, & the 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials (Ep.50)

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We talk to Georgia Porter about her dislike of running as a kid; her grandma who was running ultras back before running ultras was a thing; how to incorporate apple fritters and beer into your training regimen; competing at the 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials; her belief that all runners would benefit from learning to love strength training; and more.
Bikes vs. Skis: which bike brand is most similar to which ski brand, and how are different bike brands stacking up against each other? We discuss this and more on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas podcast

Bikes vs. Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 1 (Ep. 24)

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Which bike company is currently most like which ski company? And which bike and ski company do most other bike and ski brands secretly wish they could trade places with? Noah Bodman, Jonathan Ellsworth, David Golay, and Eric Freson make parallels and analogies between these two industries to see if it gives us a better sense of the current position, reputation, and trajectory of a bunch of different brands in these sports.

Your Questions + Our Review of PBR’s ‘Hard Coffee’ (Ep.99)

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What outdoor gear is in need of the biggest improvement? How old is too old to try your first backflip?; If you had to opt for skis that are too long or too short, which would you pick? What should I do with my life? How does one start reviewing for Blister? Could you please provide an unbiased review and comparison of the Blister Membership, Deep Dive Subscription, and Blister Premier Membership? Luke Koppa and Jonathan answer these and many more.
Hillary Gerardi, winner of the 2018 Skyrunner Extra World Series Circuit, goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss mountain scrambling, trail running, living in Vermont & France, Research Center for Alpine Ecosystems, & More

Hillary Gerardi, Mountain Scrambler (Ep.49)

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Hillary Gerardi won the 2018 Skyrunner Extra World Series Circuit, and yet, she still doesn’t necessarily think of herself as a runner. So Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss this with Hillary, and what it is that she enjoys most about being in the mountains. Hillary was born in Vermont, but lives in Chamonix and works at the Research Center for Alpine Ecosystems, so of course, we discuss all of that, too.
Chugach Powder Guides lead guide, Henry Munter, goes on the Blister Podcast to discuss the current state of heli skiing, how COVID-19 has impacted heli skiing, environmental impacts of heli skiing, & more

On the State of Heli Skiing: Henry Munter, Chugach Powder Guides (Ep. 128)

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Henry Munter is a lead heli guide and the general manager of Chugach Powder Guides in Girdwood, AK, and we talk with him about making the call to shut down operations right as the heli season was in full swing; the evolution of heli skiing; decision making, memory, and some of the tools and practices Henry uses in forecasting, guiding clients, and handling all types of different aspects of the business; and we discuss environmentalism and heli skiing, and how Henry and others at CPG are thinking about those two things.
Eric Freson participates in "Reviewing the Reviewer" on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast

Reviewing the Reviewer: Eric Freson (Ep.98)

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On our latest “Reviewing the Reviewer” episode of GEAR:30, we talk to mountain bike and ski reviewer, Eric Freson, about his gear preferences; how many times he’s broken his neck; co-founding the freeride team at Western Colorado University; and Fresonisms like “torksmash” and “smokin rocks.”
Chris King Precision Component's Kirby Bedsaul goes on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas podcast to discuss how and why Chris King became a certified B Corp

Why & How Chris King Became a B Corp (Ep.23)

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What, exactly, does it mean for a company to be a Certified B Corporation business, and why should anyone care? To learn more, we reached out to Chris King Precision Components — which just completed the process of becoming one of the very few B Corp manufacturing companies in the bike industry — and asked about what the process of becoming a B Corp entails, why they decided to do it, and we also discuss Chris King’s approach to manufacturing out of their homebase of Portland, Oregon.
Rickey Gates joins Jonathan Ellsworth on Blister's Off the Couch Podcast to talk about "Cross Country, a 3700-Mile Run to Explore Unseen America"

Rickey Gates on Running across America (Ep.48)

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In 2017, Rickey Gates set out on an odyssey to run across America — 3,700 miles from South Carolina to San Francisco. We talked to Rickey about this cross-country adventure and what he learned along the way, and how it fits in with his other projects, like his “Every Single Street” initiative; “Hut Run Hut” and “Bus Run Bus”; and “50 Classic Trails.”

Jenny & Scott Jurek on Cooking, Running, & Kids (Ep.47)

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Late last week, Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked with Jenny and Scott Jurek. This probably wasn’t the conversation that you ought to have when you get to talk with a running icon like Scott Jurek and someone who is as accomplished and interesting as Jenny, but, whatever. We had fun, and you will, too. Among other things, we talk about Scott’s very first race; Jenny’s transition from climbing to running; Scott’s love of cooking; Jenny’s ambition to set the Slowest Known Time on the Pacific Crest Trail; and the process of co-writing their wonderful book, North.
X Games Real Ski Gold Medalist, Jake Mageau goes on the Blister Podcast to discuss his skiing career, filming for Real Ski, fishing, his thoughts on style, & more

X Games Real Ski 2020 Gold Medalist, Jake Mageau (Ep. 127)

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The creativity and talent on display in X Games Real Ski is always so bonkers that it can be easy to overlook all that goes into making these 90-second edits. So we talked with Real Ski 2020 winner, Jake Mageau, about what really goes into filming a successful 90-second edit; scouting and settling on locations; the insane “Mind Flip” he puts down in this edit, and more.
Bill Walton discusses bikes, Bike for Humanity, basketball, and music on the Bikes & Big Ideas podcast

Basketball Legend Bill Walton on His Love of Bikes, Life, & Humanity (Ep. 21)

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Bill Walton is not only one of the greatest basketball players of all time, his passion for bikes is all-time, too. So we talked to Bill about his life-long love of bikes, and about his upcoming event, Bike For Humanity, which is a virtual event that Bill created as a way for all of us to show our solidarity in these times. We also discuss the top-5, all-time, NBA ‘bike’ guys; Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, and more.
Jonathan Ellsworth & Luke Koppa discuss on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast the new Marker Duke PT binding, how the Duke PT compares to other touring bindings; J Skis Slacker; Sego Condor 108; Volkl Blaze 106; 4FRNT Raven; & Tiger King

AT Binding Shootout, New Touring Skis, & Tiger King (Ep.96)

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Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, and Luke’s mustache discuss the pros and cons of a number of current AT bindings, including the new Marker Duke PT, the SHIFT binding, Daymaker Alpine Touring adapters, frame bindings, and tech toe bindings. They then discuss four new touring skis: the J Skis Slacker, Sego Condor, 4FRNT Raven, and Volkl Blaze 106. Then it’s time to talk Tiger King.
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