Blister Reviewer BadgeJonathan Ellsworth

Jonathan Ellsworth writes a response to backcountry.com's lawsuits against small businesses.

Boycott Backcountry.com?

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For some time now, backcountry.com has been involved in business practices that the outdoor community needs to stand against. So we explain why; we offer a detailed response to the statement put out by their CEO; and we lay out what we think needs to happen next.
Maggie Guterl goes on Blister's Off The Couch Podcast to discuss being the first woman to win the Big Dog's Backyard Ultra.

Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra Winner, Maggie Guterl (Ep.24)

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Maggie Guterl just became the first woman ever to win Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra, a multi-day race that does not have a fixed-distance finish line. So we talked to Maggie about how this extraordinary race works, and Maggie does a brilliant job of detailing what it was like to overcome the unique physical and mental challenges of Big’s; the significance of being the race’s first female champion; the next insane race she has her sights set on, and more.
Rachael Burks goes on the Blister Podcast to discuss her ski career, her time studying at Oxford, Shakespeare, Star Wars, Julian Carr teaching her to backflip, and more.

Rachael Burks on Skiing & Shakespeare & Sweatpants & More (Ep.107)

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Rachael Burks is known for skiing burly lines and her signature backflip, but she is also known for her boundless enthusiasm, which is on full display in our conversation about skiing and Shakespeare; her spot-on impression of Julian Carr; podiuming in a comp on rental skis; her best ski season ever; her abiding love of sweatpants, Star Wars, fantasy novels, Red Bull Rampage; and more.
Sam Shaheen, Luke Koppa, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the new Marker Duke PT binding, New Gore-Tex Pro, The North Face Futurelight fabric, and more on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast

New Marker Duke PT; Backcountry.com; New Apparel & Skis (Ep.72)

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Today, Marker unveiled their brand-new Duke PT binding, so we discuss the new binding and where it fits with respect to the Shift MNC and CAST Freetour System; some big new changes at GORE; the new GORE-TEX Pro vs. The North Face Futurelight; the appalling behavior of backcountry.com; several new skis from Moment, Blizzard, and Prior; and more.
Paul Basagoitia goes on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas podcast to discuss His Spinal Cord Injury, Road to Recovery, & New Film, Any One of Us

Paul Basagoitia on His Spinal Cord Injury, Road to Recovery, & New Film (Ep.12)

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Paul Basagoitia was the first back-to-back winner of Crankworx Slopestyle, participated in Red Bull Rampage numerous times, and was one of the top riders in the game. But one tiny mishap led to a crash that left him paralyzed, and Paul’s life was changed in an instant. So we talk to Paul about his ascension in the sport, the events surrounding his accident, his road to recovery, how he views Rampage today, and his new Red Bull / HBO film, Any One of Us that chronicles it all — and provides an unfiltered look at life after a spinal cord injury.
winner of the Moab 240, Mike McKnight, goes on Blister's Off The Couch Podcast to discuss his recent win, how he managed to win three 200-mile races in a single year, and more.

Triple Crown of 200s Winner, Mike McKnight (Ep.23)

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Simply put, Mike McKnight is amazing. He won the Bigfoot 200 in August, the Tahoe 200 in September, and he just won the Moab 240. And in covering those ~640 miles of racing, he smashed his own cumulative-time record for the 3 races by … 43 hours. That’s not what you’d expect from a chubby kid who grew up on a dairy farm and didn’t participate in sports til he tried 1 season of highschool football, nor from a person who broke his back in a ski accident 8 years ago and had 2 rods and 9 screws placed in his spine, along with part of his hip bone. So we talk to Mike about all of this and more.
Jonathan Ellsworth talks with Climate Neutral CEO, Austin Whitman, on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas podcast about Climate Neutral, how it started, its goals, and how everyone can help.

How You Can Help Brands Go Climate Neutral (Ep.11)

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These days, a lot of brands — and especially a lot of outdoor brands — like to talk about sustainability. But what concrete steps are companies actually taking to measure, reduce, and offset their carbon emissions? We talk to Climate Neutral CEO, Austin Whitman, about how Climate Neutral is enlisting brands to reduce and pay for their emissions and helping consumers to identify which brands are taking real action; the problem of “greenwashing”; the cost of reducing carbon emissions; the legitimacy of carbon offsets; and what individuals & companies can do right now.
Jonathan Ellsworth interviews runners in the Moab 240 on Blister's Off The Couch podcast

Interviews from Mile 201 of the Moab 240 (Ep.22)

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What’s it like to run two hundred and one miles … and know that you still have another 40 miles to go? And why would you sign up and subject yourself to this? To find out, we went to Moab, Utah, to the Moab 240 Endurance Run to capture the very raw and unfiltered reactions from runners, pacers, friends, medics, and concerned mothers from the Geyser Aid Station at mile 201 of the Moab 24. And we also learned what this race — and this community — is really about.
Blink of an Eye director, Paul Taublieb, goes on the Blister Podcast to discuss the film

‘Blink of an Eye’ writer & director, Paul Taublieb (Ep.106)

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If the story told in the new film Blink of an Eye weren’t true, nobody would believe it. Friendship, brotherhood, heroes, triumph, tragedy, and redemption are the topics, and we discuss all of them on our latest Blister Podcast with the film’s writer & director, Paul Taublieb. If you are interested in or intrigued by auto racing, you will love this one. And if you have zero interest in NASCAR, then you especially need to listen, for reasons we’ll explain.
Cam Smith goes on Blister's Off The Couch Podcast to discuss how he went from living in Illinois to winning races like the Grand Traverse & Grand Traverse Triple Crown.

Cam Smith on Moving through Mountains (Ep.21)

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When Cam Smith graduated high school in Rockford, Illinois in 2014, he had little or no mountain experience. But fast forward a few years, and Cam is now an accomplished trail runner, mountain biker, a member of the U.S. ski mountaineering team, a repeat winner of the Grand Traverse Mountain Run from Crested Butte to Aspen, and a repeat winner of the Grand Traverse Triple Crown. So we talk to Cam about his journey, his goals, his relation to running and skiing and mountain biking, his work as a coach and as a guide at the Adaptive Center here in Crested Butte, and more.
Blister Speaker Series at Western Colorado University; event 2.2: Honnold Foundation executive director, Dory Trimble

Blister Speaker Series 2.2: Honnold Foundation ED, Dory Trimble (Ep.105)

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When Alex Honnold, was looking for a new executive director for his Honnold foundation, he tapped Dory Trimble. And with the massive success of the film, Free Solo, Dory has guided what started as Alex's small, personal passion project into a rapidly growing nonprofit working on global solar energy initiatives. So in our latest Blister Speaker Series, we talk to Dory about what it’s like working with Alex; how she’s managed the explosive growth of the Honnold Foundation; and she offers great advice for anyone interested in getting involved with organizations committed to doing social good.
Running coach, Jason Koop, goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss his running career, how he got into coaching, his approach to coaching, and more

Jason Koop: Runner, Head Coach at CTS Ultrarunning (Ep.20)

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Jason Koop is a passionate runner, the author of Training Essentials for Ultrarunning, the head coach of CTS Ultrarunning, and someone who is not afraid to speak his mind. So we talked to Jason about his endurance coaching; “nonsensical” training aids & techniques; his recent running of the 330 km Tor de Geants; the current state of the minimalist / maximalist shoe debate; what he thinks the running scene will look like 10 years from now; and a *whole* lot more.
Dash Longe goes on the Blister Podcast to talk about his new film, Stone's Throw, his recent move to DPS Skis, and more.

Dash Longe on Skiing, Ski Films, & Ski Design (Ep.104)

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Dash Longe is a skier who’s been doing it — and going big — for a long time. So I spoke to Dash about his brand new film, Stone’s Throw, and about ski films in general; his coming up during the heyday of the freeskiing revolution in Tahoe; ski design and Dash’s work on the DPS Koala 119; and more. Check out this post for the whole conversation — and watch Dash's film, Stone's Throw.
Luke Koppa, Sam Shaheen, & Jonathan Ellsworth discuss on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast the 19/20 Blister Winter Buyer's Guide, the 19/20 Blister Best Of winners and runner-ups, and more.

19/20 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide, Part 1 (Ep.68)

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We just released our new 19/20 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide, and given that it’s over 200 pages long, there’s a lot to talk about. So we’re going to have a 2-part conversation about the Guide, and here in part 1, we’re going to discuss some of our Blister “Best Of” selections; and some of the products that just missed the cut; some general trends and takeaways from putting this big book together, and we find out the real reason why Luke prefers mittens to gloves.
Kyle Robidoux goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss how running has helped him as someone with limited vision, including running dozens of marathons and ultramarathons

Kyle Robidoux on Running, Skiing, & Being Legally Blind (Ep.19)

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Kyle Robidoux is passionate about running and skiing and beer. He has run 25 marathons and ultra marathons, including three 100-mile races, and the Boston Marathon six times. Kyle also happens to be legally blind. So Kyle and I talk about his background, his anger about his receding vision and what he did about it; how he got into running and trail running; his efforts to create more inclusive trail races; his advice about how to deal with loss of any kind; and what specific things we all can do to be more supportive of everyone dealing with disabilities. (And we talk about beer.)
Corey Rich goes on the Blister Podcast to discuss his new book, "Stories Behind the Images: Lessons from a Life in Adventure Photography"

Adventure Photographer, Corey Rich (Ep.103)

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Adventure photographer, Corey Rich, has spent a lot of time documenting some of the most interesting and amazing athletes in the world. So we talk to Corey about his time with the likes of Fred Beckey, Chris Sharma, Tommy Caldwell, Ashima Shiraishi; why making mistakes and being vulnerable makes for great storytelling; his excellent new book; what his dream assignment would be; and much, much more.
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