Jonathan Ellsworth
On our latest episode of GEAR:30, we talk to Lange’s Global Brand Director, Thor Verdonk, about Lange’s use of “dual core” technology; why “ski boots should be alive”; the brand-new, 3rd generation, Lange “XT3”; heat-moldable shells; 3d printed boots; the future of Lange; and more.
Bike Industry Predictions for the Next Decade (Ep.14)
What will the mountain biking industry look like 10 years from now? What current product categories have the most room for improvement, and where will the actual advancements in bike tech take place by the end of 2029? What categories of riding will have grown, and which will have shrunk? We discuss all of this and more, including our wildest predictions for this next decade.
The Evolution of Grayson Murphy (Ep.34)
In 2019, Grayson Murphy won the US Mountain Running Championship; the World Mountain Running Championship; and the Xterra Trail Run World Championship. But there were many twists and turns along the way in getting there, and perhaps even more impressive and instructive than her wins is her willingness to experiment, adjust, and explore new ideas and practices, which we discuss in this conversation.
Geoff McFetridge: Artist, Designer, Skater, Skier (Ep.116)
Geoff McFetridge is an iconic designer and visual artist who’s worked with the Beastie Boys, Pharrell Williams, Spike Jonez and Rick Rubin, and companies ranging from Patagonia, Nike, the New York Times, Oreo, and many more. Geoff is also a passionate skateboarder and skier, and a big fan of … BLISTER??? So we talk to Geoff about going from being a sponsored skater to starting a skateboard company to designing for some of the biggest companies, bands, musicians, and directors in the world. We discuss skate vs. ski vs. snowboard culture; being a “conflicted” telemarker; and a whole lot more.
Ski Gear Predictions for the Next Decade (Ep.82)
What will ski gear look like 10 years from now? What gear has the most room for improvement? What gear will *actually* change the most, and what will change the least? And what are our wildest gear predictions for where gear could be in 10 years? We discuss all of this and more.
Best Mtn Bike Gear of the Past Decade (Ep.13)
Of the entire past decade, what was the most influential bike or bike part? What were the best bikes or bike parts? What were the biggest gear trends? And what was our selection for the Best Product of the Decade? We cover all of this and more.
Sanjay Rawal on Running Dumb, Training Slow, & Finding Joy through Exertion (Ep.33)
We talk to Sanjay Rawal about his rather spectacular performance — and even more spectacular meltdown — near the end of the California International Marathon, and discuss the concepts of running dumb; training slow; finding joy through exertion; whether it is possible to run a great time by not caring about running a great time; and more.
Ski & Snowboard Industry Predictions for the New Decade (Ep.115)
What will the ski & snowboard industry look like 10 years from now? Will backcountry skiing and splitboarding keep growing? Will indoor ski areas become more common? Will there be fewer or more ski companies in existence 10 years from now? We offer our predictions on all of these questions and more.
Best Ski Gear of the Past Decade (Ep.81)
Of the entire past decade, what was the most influential ski, ski boot, and ski binding? What was the best ski? What were the biggest trends? And what was our selection for the Best Product of the Decade? We cover all of this and more.
Diets & Nutrition with Kylee Van Horn (Ep.32)
What’s the best way to eat to feel good and perform well? Nutrition and Diet are massive topics, as are all of the related issues surrounding them. So on our latest Off The Couch podcast, we talk with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Kylee Van Horn, about the various diets out there; whether certain diets are prone to help or hurt training recovery; athletes & eating disorders, and more.
Our 2020 New Year’s Resolutions (Ep.114)
We’ve been thinking and talking about New Year’s resolutions, so in this episode, we ask a number of BLISTER reviewers what they’re pursuing in this new year and new decade.
New Skis, Ski Boots, & Bindings with Paul Forward (Ep.80)
We catch up with reviewer, Paul Forward, about some of the skis, AT boots, and an AT binding that Paul has been spending time on in Girdwood, Alaska. Paul and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the Volkl Mantra 102; the DPS Koala 119; the new Atomic Backland Carbon AT boot; the Fritschi Xenic lightweight touring binding; and more.
How to Design a Great Race (Ep.31)
New running events seem to be popping up all the time, which raises the question: Are there some specific policies, and practices that should be built into all or most running events? To help us think about this, we talked to Caleb Efta, the race director of the High Lonesome 100, about some of the specific policies and requirements of the event that are designed to mitigate its environmental impacts and increase gender equality.
New Year’s Resolutions with Brendan Leonard (Ep.113)
A recent conversation with Brendan Leonard (semi-rad.com) about his 2019 goal of running 52 marathons in 52 weeks (!!!) got us thinking that we should take a more creative approach to New Year’s Resolutions and goals. And then very soon, we’ll be posting a series of interviews with some Blister reviewers and other folks about their own take on new year’s resolutions, and some of their own creative goals.
Deep Dive: Nordica Enforcer 88
We compare the Enforcer 88 to the Nordica Enforcer 93, Blizzard Brahma, Folsom Spar 88, Head Monster 88 Ti, Black Crows Orb, Parlor Cardinal 90, Armada Invictus 89 Ti, Atomic Vantage 90 Ti, Salomon XDR 88 Ti, Liberty Evolv 90, K2 Ikonic 84 Ti, & Renoun Z-Line 90.
Nordica Announces New Enforcer Skis & HF Boots
Today, Nordica announced that they’re changing one of our favorite skis, the Enforcer 100; they’re releasing a new Enforcer 94; and they’re launching an entire collection of new ski boots. Learn more here.
Brendan Leonard on Running 52 Marathons in 52 Weeks (Ep.30)
For 2019, Brendan Leonard (semi-rad.com) set a goal for himself: run 52 marathons in 52 weeks. He told very few people about this goal, and we are proud to report that Brendan accomplished his goal with several weeks to spare. So we talked to Brendan about what prompted him to create this plan; why he decided to tell very few people about it; exactly what the parameters were for these ‘marathons’; how he handled the logistics; what he learned along the way; and more.
Ski Quiver Questions, Part 2 (Ep.78)
Last week on GEAR:30, Sam Shaheen, Luke Koppa, and I addressed some of the questions you have been asking us about ski quivers, and we also discussed the topic of the one-boot quiver. And now, we are running part 2 of this conversation with our reviewers Kristin Sinnott, Sascha Anastas, and Kara Williard.
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2019 — In the Garage
Next up in our Holiday Gift Guide are the big-ticket items, whether those are actual items themselves, or new experiences. Check out our picks.