Benji Alexander’s Bid to Become Jamaica’s 1st Olympic Alpine Ski Racer (Ep.178)
Benji Alexander is a passionate ski racer and backcountry skier with a stranger-than-fiction backstory. So we talk to Benji about how Burning Man got him into skiing; what inspired his Olympic aspirations; the numerous logistics he has had to navigate to make this happen; the financial hurdles that all Olympic hopefuls have to face; and what motivates him to keep pushing forward.
Mountain Town Economics, Pt 1: Affordable Housing, Short-Term Rentals, & More (Ep.177)
Our guest is Dr. Jenny Stuber, a sociologist and author of the book, Aspen and the American Dream. Jenny talks about some of the policies that the town of Aspen has employed, and which of them might be applicable to other towns trying to navigate the needs of full-time residents, part-time residents, local workers, and the visitors that many of these towns rely on.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (July 2021) (Ep.176)
Cody and Jonathan discuss athletes & mental health; the affordable housing issues facing mountain towns; Pit Viper vs. far-right extremists (??); the ongoing consolidation of outdoor media; and more.
Revelshine founder, Jake Bilbro, on Skiing & Wine Culture, and the Joys of Getting Out but Going Easy (Ep.175)
Jonathan Ellsworth was in Ketchum, Idaho, this past week hanging out and riding bikes with Blister member, Jake Bilbro, who is the founder of Revelshine. In this conversation, they talk about Jake’s unique background; skiing and wine culture; the joys of getting out but going easy; and more.
Dr. Rami Hashish on Optimizing Athletic Performance, Aging Well, & Rethinking Work (Ep.174)
We talk with Dr. Rami Hashish about a whole lot of topics surrounding high-level human performance, injury prevention, and how to age well. Dr. Hashish is the founder of the National Biomechanics Institute, has a Doctorate of Physical Therapy and a PhD in Biomechanics, serves on the review board for various national and international medical and engineering journals, and sits on a global committee for spine and brain injury.
Doug Chadwick on Our Need for a New Understanding of Nature (Ep.173)
This week we discuss grizzlies, whales, microbes, humankind, & the future of the world with the wildlife biologist & author, Doug Chadwick. All of these are topics in Doug’s excellent new book, Four Fifths a Grizzly: A New Perspective on Nature that Just Might Save Us All.
Your Insurance Probably Sucks. Spot Can Change That. (Ep.172)
If you’re reading this, then you need to listen to this episode. Because many of us in the outdoor community either don’t have insurance, or have deductibles that we can barely afford to pay when the inevitable accident happens. But Spot is disrupting the insurance industry with a hard-to-believe alternative that is actually affordable. We sat down with the co-founder and CEO of Spot, Matt Randall, to discuss exactly how Spot works; why the insurance industry is such a mess; and why we think you and pretty much everyone you know ought to be covered by Spot.
Reviewing the News with Cody Townsend (May / June 2021) (Ep.171)
Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about Cody’s recent adventure in AK; surges in National Park visits; ski patrol unionization; UFOs … and more.
Skiing Indoors? Alpine-X & the Future of Snowsports (Ep.170)
We talk to the CEO of Alpine-X about his vision of developing indoor snowsports destinations in North American metropolitan markets. Could this have a similar effect that indoor climbing gyms have had on the popularity of climbing? Could such indoor facilities help create a more inclusive and more diverse snowsports demographic? Could this lead to a world where some people only ski indoors?
Matthias Giraud & Chase Ogden on ‘Super Frenchie’, Ski Base Jumping, & More (Ep.169)
We talk with Matthias Giraud and Chase Ogden about their excellent new film, Super Frenchie, which documents Matthias’ exploits as a skier, base jumper, and ski base jumper, while also detailing the philosophy of life that drives his decision to do things like ski base off the Matterhorn.
Book Club: Andrew Alexander King on the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (Ep.168)
We talk with mountaineer, climber, and big-wave surfer, Andrew Alexander King, about the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, and why this book written in the 2nd century is still so relevant today.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (April 2021) (Ep.167)
Cody and Jonathan discuss some recent criticism of REI; spraying vs. not spraying the locations of your outdoor adventures; Mt. Bohemia’s plan to incentivize vaccinations; gear libraries & outdoor accessibility; sex and ski touring; & more.
Report: The 20/21 Ski Season in Europe (Ep.166)
We talk to Sebastian Steinbach of Blacksheep Sports in Munich, Germany, about this past season; we revisit some of Sebastian’s predictions prior to the ski season; and we get his early predictions for what he thinks this next ski season will look like in Europe.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Mar 2021) (Ep.165)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the introduction of criminal charges for triggering avalanches; the case against straightlining; ski area news; our media recommendations; & more.
Adventure Photographer, Adam Clark (Ep.164)
We talk to the skier and adventure photographer Adam Clark about how he got started in photography; how he went about making a name for himself and honing his craft; his favorite camera gear; one of his most memorable ski trips; and a whole lot more.
Cam Smith on Setting The Grand Traverse Record & Training for Skiing, Running, & Mtn Biking (Ep.163)
Last Sunday, Cam Smith and Tom Goth set a new record at the Grand Traverse, which is a point-to-point ski race from Crested Butte to Aspen. Starting at midnight, racers travel 40 miles across the Elk Mountain range, climbing over 6,800 vertical feet. Cam is also a repeat winner of the Triple Crown of The Grand Traverse, so we talked to Cam about his record-setting night; skiing vs. skimo; his World Cup ski goals; and how he specifically trains for skiing and mountain running and mountain biking.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Feb 2021) (Ep.162)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the new rule changes re: filming in National Parks; whether it’s okay to leave your skis in the lift line to hold your spot; the future of freeride comps; the record number of avalanche fatalities in the U.S. this season; a new development in backcountry skiing; the shocking story of Dean Cummings; and we share some music, tv, and book recommendations.
Backcountry Travel, Snow Science, & the Art of Avalanche Forecasting (Ep.161)
We talk to Zach Guy, the lead forecaster for the Crested Butte Avalanche Center, about the science of snow, the art of avalanche forecasting, and what every backcountry traveler can be sending in to their local avy center to help them produce more accurate forecasts.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Jan 2021) (Ep.160)
Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the first Winter Summit of K2 by the Sherpa and Nepali team, including Nirmal Purja; TNF x Gucci collab; mountain-town dynamics; Sam Anthamatten vs Cody on the SHIFT binding; our inaugural Blister Summit; and more.
Andrew Alexander King & The Between Worlds Project (Ep.159)
Andrew Alexander King is an explorer, alpinist, climber, and surfer who was born in Detroit; has climbed over 50 different mountains around the world from Kilimanjaro to the highest mountain in the Atlantic, Indian, and the Pacific Ocean; is currently aiming to become the first African American to climb the highest mountain and volcano on each continent; and is the founder of the The Between Worlds Project.
Sam Anthamatten on Steep Skiing, La Liste 2, the FWT, & Gear Choices (Ep.158)
Sam Anthamatten does things in the mountains that few skiers do, and in this conversation, you’ll get a better sense of the background and the trajectory that helped Sam get to where he is today. We also get an update from Sam on the status of La Liste 2; we talk about the process of flashing massive, big-mountain lines; and more.
Reviewers’ 2020 Highlights & 2021 Resolutions (Ep.157)
For our first Blister Podcast of 2021, we asked a few of our reviewers to share one highlight of the past year; one thing they’re most looking forward to in 2021; and one new year’s resolution. We got quite a range of answers — and apparently Kristin Sinnott and Jonathan Ellsworth will be starting up a new reality TV show? Please enjoy, and Happy New Year!
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Dec 2020) (Ep.156)
Cody Towsend and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about chess & The Queen’s Gambit; savants & skier savants; ski media; political appointees; avalanche accidents; Cody’s new film, The Mountain Why; and more.
Snowboarder Elena Hight on Competition, Transitions, & Blank Canvas (Ep.155)
Elena Hight is an X Games Gold Medalist, two-time Olympian, and a badass. We discuss her new film, Blank Canvas; competitive drive; how similar or different it is preparing to ride a big backcountry line versus a half-pipe contest run; her time in the mountains with the likes of Hana Beaman, Travis Rice, and Danny Davis; the art of getting better at dealing with changes and transitions in life; and more.
Bode Miller on Education, Mental Preparation, Technology, Ski Design, & More (Ep.154)
We catch up with one of the greatest ski racers of all time to discuss his involvement in rethinking education; the use of technology and data in skiing; the crucial lesson his grandmother taught him at a young age; his greatest competitive advantage as a ski racer; what he aims to do in terms of ski design with Crosson skis; and more.
Inclusivity & Innovation in the Outdoor Industry: Moosejaw CEO, Eoin Comerford (Ep.153)
We talk with Moosejaw’s CEO, Eoin Comerford, about how to increase diversity and inclusivity in the outdoor industry; the Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator; what Moosejaw’s aims are today, and how those aims are informed by Moosejaw’s parent company, Walmart; and more.
On Guide Books & Decision Making in the Backcountry (Ep.152)
Sales of backcountry guide books are up, and more and more people are venturing out. So we talked with Beacon Guide Books founder, Andy Sovick about how he got into publishing guide books; why he actually dislikes the term “guide books”; whether or not backcountry guide books should even exist; the responsibilities that come with publishing them; why Andy is an advocate of the “ATES” system (Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale); and more.
Athletic Brewing Company founder, Bill Shufelt (Ep.151)
Athletic Brewing Company is a fast-growing brand in an emerging category that is about to blow up: non-alcoholic craft beer. So we talked to Athletic Brewing’s founder about why he started the company; the stigma of not drinking; why “near beer” has been so bad; why there’s such a need for products like this in the outdoors community; Athletic’s brewing process; how he feels about the emerging competition in the space; and more.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Nov 2020) (Ep.150)
Today we are launching a new segment on the Blister Podcast. Each month, Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the biggest stories and most interesting news headlines from the world of outdoor sports, and on occasion, the broader world, too. We also share some of the best things we’ve watched, read, or listened to.
Adaptive Sports & Recreation: Past, Present, & Future (Ep.149)
Did you know that 1 out of 5 people in the United States have a disability? That is just one reason why you ought to know about the world of adaptive sports. So to get an overview of the past, present, and future of adaptive sports and recreation, we sat down with Chris Read and Betty Philbin of the Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte.