Jonathan Ellsworth
Simply put, the exploits of the explorer, John Colter (who was a member of Lewis & Clarke’s famous expedition), are mind boggling. And in their short film, "Colter: A Legacy of Adventure," Sawyer Thomas and Riis Wilbrecht set out to venture through the territory John Colter had explored two centuries ago, across some of the most remote terrain in the lower 48 states. So we talked to Sawyer and Riis about John Colter and why they chose this particular adventure; the (serious) difficulty of running, skiing, and trekking through this terrain; the logistics of shooting this film; and more.
Ibis Cycles founder, Scot Nicol (Ep.15)
We talk to Ibis Cycles founder, Scot Nicol, about the new Ripmo 2; the current Ibis lineup; Scot’s background in the early (and awesome) days of mtn biking; the history and trajectory of Ibis; and a whole lot more.
A Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots, Part 4: Liners, Ramp Angle, & Forward Lean (Ep.88)
Ski boot liners are probably the most overlooked and least appreciated piece of ski gear out there, but they are a critical piece of equipment. So Matt Manser, the product manager of Atomic Ski Boots, is back to demystify the extremely complex, very expensive, and poorly understood category of ski boot liners. Along the way, we also discuss Atomic’s new “Mimic” liner technology and the new-for-next-season Hawx Prime XTD.
Deep Dive: Folsom Blister Pro 104
We compare the Blister Pro 104 to the Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Nordica Enforcer 100, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, Volkl Mantra 102, ON3P Woodsman 108, ON3P Wrenegade 108, Moment Wildcat 108, Blizzard Cochise, K2 Mindbender 99 Ti, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Salomon QST 106, Armada ARV 106Ti, Blizzard Rustler 10, 4FRNT MSP 107, and J Skis Metal.
Eric Walker on Running 5k a Day for 365 Days (Ep.39)
By some measures, Eric Walker is a pretty normal guy. He lives in Minnesota, he’s not a professional runner, he’s 38 years old, and he’s a husband and a dad. But at some point in 2018, Eric found himself committed to the goal of running 5 kilometers every day for 365 days … and a year later, he’d done it. So Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked to Eric to find out what motivated him to do this? How he actually pulled it off? What he learned in the process? And whether this something he thinks the rest of us should try?
Mtn Guide Rob Coppolillo on Backcountry Travel, Education, & Gear (Ep.119)
We talk to IFMGA / AMGA mountain guide, Rob Coppolillo (author of The Mountain Guide Manual and the new book, The Ski Guide Manual) about how he got into guiding; the current state of backcountry and avalanche education; his take on the pros and cons of avalanche airbag packs; the fundamental question of the most effective way to travel in the backcountry; and more.
Marathoner Nell Rojas on Strength Training, Speed Work, & Low Mileage (Ep.38)
Nell Rojas is fascinating. And fast. So fast that on February 29th, she's got a shot at making the USA Marathon team, despite the fact that she didn’t race her 1st marathon until 2018. But she then won her 2nd marathon (the very competitive Grandma's Marathon), and now, the Olympic Trials are right around the corner. So we talked to Nell about her unique background; the dynamics of being coached by her dad (Rick Rojas); her uncommon emphasis on strength training, low mileage, speed work, and more.
Patagonia’s Glen Morden & Corey Simpson on Product Performance & Sustainability (Ep.86)
Patagonia’s Glen Morden (Product Innovation, Materials, & Development) and Corey Simpson (Communications) came to Crested Butte to ski with us and to discuss how Patagonia is thinking about sustainability and product performance; how they continue to evolve on this front; talk about a few of their new pieces; their prototyping process; and more.
19/20 Folsom Blister Pro 104
Check out some of our on-snow impressions of the Folsom Blister Pro 104.
10th Annual Blister Awards — Outdoor Retailer Snow Show
Check out Part 2 of our Blister Outdoor Retailer awards, including classics like best / worst graphics, gear we were most tempted to steal, the "WTF is that?" award, and many more...
Liza Howard on Donut Money; Parenting; Age & Expectations; Band of Runners; & More (Ep.37)
Liza Howard is smart, funny, accomplished, humble, and by her own account … is extremely susceptible to peer pressure. She’s run marathons to impress a guy, still runs marathons for donut money, has won the Leadville 100 (and other big races) multiple times, is a coach, a parent, a NOLS Wilderness instructor, and the director of the terrific non-profit, Band of Runners. Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and you are in for a treat.
2020 Outdoor Retailer Highlights (Ep.85)
We sat down at the Outdoor Retailer / SIA show to discuss some of the most notable trends, interesting products, weirdest products, and the thing at the show that caused Jonathan to legally change his name.
Duncan Callahan on Winter Training; Coaching & Competing; & More (Ep.36)
Duncan Callahan is back on Off The Couch, and we discuss the increasing amount of coaching he’s doing with Carmichael Training Systems (including our own Maddie Hart); thoughts on winter training; the logistics of being a coach versus being an athlete, and more.
2021-2022 Nordica Enforcer 100
Nordica is changing the Enforcer 100 — a 5-time winner of our “Best Of” award. Check out our First Look & Flash Review to see what’s different, what’s stayed the same, and our initial on-snow impressions.
Blister Speaker Series 2.4: Wendy Fisher (Ep.118)
Wendy Fisher is one of the all-time greats. She is a two-time World Extreme Skiing Champion; was on the U.S. Ski Team; filmed with Warren Miller and MSP; and played a huge role in showing the world what women could do in big-mountain arenas. We spoke to Wendy about all of this and more (including a few fantastic Shane McConkey and Seth Morrison stories).
Trail Sisters founder, Gina Lucrezi (Ep.35)
Trail Sisters is a trail running community for women and an online journal that offer lots of great resources — including articles and stories, grants, retreats, directories for female coaches, trail locations, and races that meet the trail sisters standards for gender equity. So we spoke to Gina Lucrezi, the founder of Trail Sisters, about the unusual way in which Gina got into running; her impressive accomplishments as a runner; the remarkable things happening at Trail Sisters; the ways you can get involved with and support Trail Sisters; and more.
Thor Verdonk: A Life in Ski & Ski Boot Design (Ep.117)
In the world of ski and ski boot design, Thor Verdonk is well known and very well respected. So we talked to Thor about his background, his 25+ year career with the Rossignol Group and how he became the Global Brand Director for Lange, then we talk about the history of ski design and ski boot design; developing the Rossi S7; and we get his predictions about what the ski industry will look like 10 years from now.
Win a 2-Night Stay at Elevation in Crested Butte
Enter for your chance to come ride with us in Crested Butte!