Reviewing the Reviewer: Kristin Sinnott (Ep.106)
On our latest “Reviewing the Reviewer” episode of GEAR:30, we talk to Kristin Sinnott about her gear preferences; Family Feud; killer bees; her background in alpine and nordic skiing; and more.
Jonathan Ellsworth
Pivot Cycles’ Elorie Slater on Industry Trends, Bike Prices, & Female Participation in MTB (Ep. 30)
We talk with Elorie Slater about her unusual path to becoming the head of marketing for Pivot Cycles; her take on the bike industry in the time of COVID, and where the industry goes from here; bike prices and “entry level” pricing; and the notion of women-specific gear and female participation in mountain biking.
Skid Row Running Club founder, Judge Craig Mitchell (Ep. 57)
The Skid Row Running Club is “an unusual running club that uses the power of running to improve the lives of those who are at risk of homelessness and addiction” in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles, CA. We talk to its founder, Judge Craig Mitchell, about why he started the club; his background as a runner and teacher; the duty of police officers to protect and serve; the need for minimum sentencing reform; and much more.
Olympian Dotsie Bausch on Cycling, Switch4Good, & the Dairy Industry (Ep. 135)
Dotsie Bausch is a 7-time USA Cycling National Champion, an Olympic medalist, a featured athlete in the film, The Game Changers, and the executive director of Switch4Good. We talked to Dotsie about her very unusual path to an Olympic podium; her work at Swith4Good; and what we ought to understand about dairy products and the dairy industry.
Win Shoes, Shorts, & a Top from New Balance
This week TWO people will each get a pair of shoes from New Balance, and get to pick from any of their shorts and tees / tanks!
Our Favorite Kid’s Gear, Part 1 (Ep.105)
Kristin Sinnott and Justin Bobb join Jonathan Ellsworth to talk about some of the kid’s gear they’ve found to be the most game changing. And even if you don’t have kids, you should still listen to learn about a piece of gear that we’ve currently named, “The JBobber.” And there’s another piece of equipment that currently has a unanimous approval rating among our Blister parents, and might be the single greatest piece of kid’s gear of all time? Check it out.
The History & Future of the BC Bike Race with Dean Payne & Simon Stewart (Ep. 29)
We talk with Dean Payne, the president and co-founder of the BC Bike Race, about the origins and evolution of one of the most epic bike races and events in the world. And Simon Stewart (aka, Mr. Tank Driver) is sitting in as co-host to discuss with Dean all things BC Bike Race, the world’s largest hockey stick, drinking with Russell Crowe, and what goes into putting together an event like this.
Abby & Cordis Hall on Couple Goals, FKTs, & their Pfiffner Traverse ‘Date Run’ (Ep. 56)
Abby and Cordis Hall are both very good runners who both run for Adidas TERREX and who both recently set FKTs for the Cottonwood Marble Loop in Death Valley. And Abby and Cordis are soon going to both be going after another FKT, this time, on the rather gnarly Pfiffner Traverse. So we discuss all of that, plus the benefits and challenges that arise when your partner is also a competitive runner. And we also talk about a current rule that is in place specifically for women’s FKTs that deserves to be re-considered.
What You Need to Know – and Do – about the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) (Ep. 134)
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
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 (Ep.104)
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 on Bike Films, Preparing for Big Lines, & the TGR Film, Accomplice (Ep. 28)
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 on the Navajo Approach to Running, Coaching, & Community (Ep. 55)
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.
BlackAFinSTEM, Birders, & Bees (Ep.133)
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.
Your Questions + What We’re Celebrating (Ep.103)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth answer your questions and discuss our preferred gear for skiing funky spring / summer snow; what we’re reading; ski knickers?; mountain bike shoes; ski boot liners & durability; and more.
Faith E. Briggs on Growing Up, Running, & Her Film, This Land (Ep. 54)
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.
Bees, Green Lawns, “Perfect” Apples, & the Reinvention of Farming (Ep.132)
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.
Creating Your Own Sport: Buzz Burrell & the Invention of the ‘FKT’ (Ep.53)
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)
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.
ON3P Skis 20/21 Lineup with Scott Andrus (Ep.102)
We talk to the founder of ON3P Skis, Scott Andrus, about the ON3P lineup for the upcoming season. There is a lot of new and interesting stuff going on at ON3P, and we break quite a bit of news in this conversation. Check it out.