New York Times sportswriter, Karen Crouse (Ep.65)
We talk to Karen Crouse about her new book on the history and principles of the Olympian incubator town of Norwich, Vermont; the current state of the Olympics; and how all-time achievers like Michael Phelps and Tiger Woods have informed her thoughts on the price of greatness.
Black Crows Skis – Camille Jaccoux & Julien Regnier (Ep.64)
We talk to the co-founder and the head ski designer of one of the hottest brands skiing, Black Crows about the origins and design principles of the brand, a few of the important skis in the history of the company, and what’s next.
Matt Manser, Atomic Ski Boots (Ep.63)
We talk to the global product manager of Atomic ski boots about how a kid from a little town in New York got that position, how his study of philosophy helped him get there, the design decisions behind the Atomic Hawx Ultra & Ultra XTD boots, and more.
Backcountry Travel & Wilderness Medicine (Ep.62)
What items should you be carrying with you, and what do you need to know before venturing out into the backcountry in the first place? We discuss backcountry travel and wilderness medicine with Blister reviewer, AWLS instructor, and physician Paul Forward.
Danny Davis on Peace Park, the Olympics, and More (Ep.61)
We talk to Danny Davis about the upcoming Peace Park 6; why Peace Park should become a new discipline; “technical” tricks vs. “stylish” tricks; the Olympics; and the need for a unified snowboarding tour; and Danny’s growing passion for splitboarding.
Scott Gaffney – Skier & Director, Matchstick Productions (Ep.60)
We talk to one of the most accomplished ski movie directors of all time about working with legends like Shane McConkey; his favorite Matchstick Productions films; and the most mind-melting sessions he ever witnessed.
DPS Phantom & the End of Ski Wax (Ep.59)
DPS Phantom is a new product that claims to eliminate the need to ever again wax your skis or board. Sounds crazy, so we talked to DPS founder, Stephan Drake, and Jeff Bates, the technological developer of Phantom, to have them explain how this is possible.
Claudio Caluori on Redbull Rampage, DH, & the Meaning of Life (Ep.58)
You know him from his course previews of Redbull Rampage and WC DH, but you don’t know Claudio like this. We discuss Rampage, this past DH season, soccer, life, China, Elon Musk … and pretty much everything else.
Wagner Custom Skis founder, Pete Wagner (Ep.57)
We talk to Pete Wagner about why the “indie” ski scene is so confusing; the Wagner factory and the unique connection with Telluride; what about their ski-building process that Pete is most proud of, and more.
Camo is the New Black: Interbike 2017 (Ep.56)
On location in Las Vegas, we talk to Blister bike editor, Noah Bodman, about the current state of Interbike; the most intriguing bikes we rode; the most interesting products we’ve seen; and the most bizarre stuff on the trade show floor.
Peter Bauer on the Past, Present, & Future of Snowboarding (Ep.55)
We talk to Peter Bauer (4-time world champ, freeriding pioneer, and co-founder of Amplid) about the history and culture of snowboarding, its inextricable ties to skiing, and the current health of the sport.
Adam Ondra’s New Grade + DH World Championships (Ep.54)
This week, we discuss the hardest sport route in the world and Adam Ondra’s proposed new grade, then debate (and bet on) this weekend’s World Championships Downhill races in Cairns, Australia.
Flylow Co-Founder, Dan Abrams (Ep.53)
We talk to Flylow co-founder, Dan Abrams, about the early days of Flylow; how the outerwear industry has changed, and Dan breaks news about a new technology that Flylow has been developing and will be rolling out soon.
Eric Hjorleifson on Skiing Trends & His Boot Project (Ep.52)
In part 2 of our conversation with Eric Hjorleifson, we discuss the state of the ski industry; the AT boot he’s been working on for years and why he thinks it could represent the next chapter in ski boot design, and more…
Eric Hjorleifson on Ski Design & Pillow Lines (Ep.51)
Eric Hjorleifson is one of the best big-mountain skiers of all-time, and he’s also known for being one of the master tinkerers in the ski industry, and someone who absolutely obsesses over ski, boot, and bindings design. So we talked to Hoji about skiing pillows, ski design, and the evolution of his Renegade, Hoji, and Raven.
What’s Up with K2? And Rossignol Mtn Bikes? (Ep.50)
To mark the occasion of our 50th episode, we bring back our very first guest on the podcast, Jed Yeiser, to talk about what’s going on at K2, Rossignol’s move into mountain biking, and more.
New Tech & Trends in Outerwear (Ep.49)
We talk to Blister’s outerwear editor, Sam Shaheen, about the most important new tech & trends in apparel; how & why he first got involved with Blister; starting his own outwear company at the age of 15, and more.
A Nearly Fatal Birthday, Part 2 (Ep.48)
On our last podcast, we told you about a serious ski accident that Blister founder, Jonathan Ellsworth, was fortunate to survive. But the crash itself was only part of the story, and the weeks after the crash have been full of a number of very consequential events, decisions, and lessons, and we discuss them here.
A Nearly Fatal Birthday in the Backcountry (Ep.47)
On July 9, Blister founder, Jonathan Ellsworth, was involved in a near-fatal fall while ski touring on Independence Pass. This is the account of what happened; what can be learned from the incident and our decision-making; and what’s next for him.
4FRNT Skis – Matt Sterbenz & Jason Levinthal (Ep.46)
Jason Levinthal just acquired 4FRNT Skis, so we talk to Levinthal and 4FRNT founder, Matt Sterbenz, about the deal; what brought it about; what we can expect going forward; and the state of the ski industry in general.
Tommy Caldwell, Big-Wall Climber (Ep.45)
We talk to one of the most accomplished big-wall climbers of all time about his excellent new book; risk; Alex Honnold’s latest free solo; obsessive focus vs. a desire for balance; the future of climbing, and more.
Jim Harris, Perpetual Weekend (Ep.44)
Jim Harris is as passionate about and as involved in the outdoors industry as anyone, but a serious accident threatened to change that. But the real story here is Jim’s “crazy” recovery, and the lessons he has learned (and that we would do well to learn from him) about dealing with obstacles, understanding self-identity, and defining self worth.
Alex Honnold’s Free Solo of El Cap (Ep.43)
In this episode, Blister’s climbing editor joins us in the attempt to wrap our heads around Honnold’s successful free solo of El Cap, and to debate whether this is the greatest athletic achievement ever.
Michelle Parker — Skier, Climber, Biker, “Pretend Band Member” … (Ep.42)
We talk to ridiculously-well-rounded-skier Michelle Parker about joining the Arc’teryx team, her work with S.A.F.E.A.S Clinics, her upcoming trips, gear, mountain lions, and a whole lot more.
Sage Cattabriga-Alosa (Ep.41)
We sat down with one of the best big-mountain skiers of all time to talk about kids, intuition, preparing for big lines, and a whole lot more.
New Ski Reviews from Mt Bachelor (Ep.40)
Blister reviewers talk about some of the most surprising skis we reviewed at Mt Bachelor, then discuss what our 1-ski and 2-ski quiver picks would be for Mt Bachelor.
So here are our very fresh thoughts on a number of very high-profile skis.
New Bike Stuff! (Ep.39)
We talk to Blister’s bike editor, Noah Bodman, about where the most innovations are taking place in the bike world; whether e-bikes are gaining acceptance; several particular bikes (including the YT Jeffsy, the Canyon Spectral, and a couple of “plus” bikes); and the upcoming World Cup DH season.
DPS Skis Founder, Stephan Drake (Ep.38)
We talk to DPS Skis founder, Stephan Drake, about the early days of DPS, ski design, and the new DPS ski boot that aims to change skiing as we know it.
New Gear – Powder Skis with Paul Forward (Ep.37)
We’re talking again with blister reviewer and Alaskan heli guide, Paul Forward about a number of pow skis he’s been on this season.
Magnus Granér, X Games Real Ski Gold Medalist (Ep.36)
In a word, Magnus Granér is different. We talk to him about his Real Ski win, SLVSH, The Bunch, growing up in Sweden, attending the real Hogwarts School, skiing on Mars, and more…