At our Blister Summit 2023, Alexander Cernichiari (Ortovox) and Paul Forward (heli-ski guide, physician, & Blister reviewer) provided a state of the union on technology’s role in the backcountry and the related safety gear. They also answer questions regarding avalanche airbags, interference between avalanche beacons and other electronics, apps that aim to identify avalanche terrain, the capabilities — and limits — of smartphones, and more.

New Tech / Safety Gear in the Backcountry | Blister Summit 2023 Video

Alexander Cernichiari (Ortovox) and Paul Forward (heli-ski guide, physician, & Blister reviewer) provide a state of the union on technology’s role in the backcountry and the related safety gear, and answer questions regarding avalanche airbags, interference between avalanche beacons and other electronics, apps that aim to identify avalanche terrain, the capabilities — and limits — of smartphones, and more.
At Blister Summit 2023, we brought together reporter Jason Blevins (Colorado Sun & resident of Eagle County, CO), Dara McDonald (Crested Butte Town Manager), Jonathan Houck (Gunnison County Commissioner), Pete Wagner (Wagner Custom Skis & resident of Telluride, CO), and Paul Forward (Blister reviewer & resident of Girdwood, AK) for a wide-ranging conversation on the current challenges facing mountains and a number of potential solutions.

Mountain Town Economics | Blister Summit 2023 Video

We brought together reporter Jason Blevins (Colorado Sun & resident of Eagle County, CO), Dara McDonald (Crested Butte Town Manager), Jonathan Houck (Gunnison County Commissioner), Pete Wagner (Wagner Custom Skis & resident of Telluride, CO), and Paul Forward (Blister reviewer & resident of Girdwood, AK) for a wide-ranging conversation on the current challenges facing mountain towns and a number of potential solutions.
When it comes to gear, how do you balance the specific needs of world-class athletes with those of average skiers and riders? McKenna Petersen (K2 athlete), Drew Peterson (Salomon athlete), Tyler Curle (Moment athlete & ski builder), and Jed Yeiser (K2 engineer) discuss the product development process; the roles that athletes, designers, and product managers play; the weirdest prototypes they’ve tried; what “evolutionary” and “revolutionary” changes we should expect in the future; which discontinued products they’d like to bring back, and more.

Athletes & Product Design | Blister Summit 2023 Video

When it comes to gear, how do you balance the specific needs of world-class athletes with those of average skiers and riders? McKenna Petersen (K2 athlete), Drew Peterson (Salomon athlete), Tyler Curle (Moment athlete & ski builder), and Jed Yeiser (K2 engineer) discuss that balancing act; the weirdest prototypes they’ve tried; what “evolutionary” and “revolutionary” changes we should expect in the future; which discontinued products they’d like to bring back, and more.
At Blister Summit 2023, we sat down with K2’s head ski designer, Jed Yeiser, to discuss all the new products they’re rolling out for the 2023-2024 season. We cover their overhauled “Mindbender C” skis; how their focus on “Torsion Control Design” has evolved; implementing materials that are both higher-performing and more sustainable; how to pick between the K2 Mindbender C, Mindbender Ti, and Reckoner skis; K2’s updated Wayback touring collection and how those skis compare to their Dispatch series, and more.

Mindbenders, Waybacks, & More: 23/24 K2 Skis | Blister Summit 2023 Video

We sat down with K2’s head ski designer, Jed Yeiser, to discuss all the new products they’re rolling out for the 2023-2024 season, including their overhauled “Mindbender C” skis; implementing materials that are both higher-performing and more sustainable; K2’s updated Wayback touring collection and how those skis compare to their Dispatch series, and more.
How are we advancing the state of ski testing? At Blister Summit 2023, we brought together Jeni Blacklock, Sean Humbert, Leo Beuken, and Travis Hainsworth to discuss what we’ve been working on and why it matters, and we announce our latest initiative that we’ll be rolling out soon: Blister Community Reviews.

Blister Labs: the Evolution of Outdoor Gear Testing  | Blister Summit 2023 Video

How are we advancing the state of ski testing? At Blister Summit 2023, we brought together Jeni Blacklock, Sean Humbert, Leo Beuken, and Travis Hainsworth to discuss what we’ve been working on and why it matters, and we announce our latest initiative that we’ll be rolling out soon: Blister Community Reviews.
At Blister Summit 2023, we sat down with Salomon’s Joe Johnson to cover all the new products they’re rolling out for the 2023-2024 season — and there is a LOT. We discuss the brand-new touring-oriented QST Echo 106 ski; the role that Cody Townsend & their other athletes play when developing new products; Salomon’s revamped metal-laminate Stance skis; their evolving Strive series of alpine bindings; the new S/PRO Supra BOA boot collection, and more.

Skis, Boots, Bindings, & More: Salomon 23/24 Ski Gear | Blister Summit 2023 Video

We sat down with Salomon’s Joe Johnson to cover all the new products they’re rolling out for the 2023-2024 season — and there is a LOT. We discuss the brand-new touring-oriented QST Echo 106 ski; the role that Cody Townsend & their other athletes play when developing new products; Salomon’s revamped metal-laminate Stance skis; the new S/PRO Supra BOA boot collection, and more.
we sat down with Blizzard’s Christian Avery & Leslie Baker-Brown to go over all the new skis they’re rolling out for the 2023-2024 season. We discuss the new Rustler & Sheeva lines; how they differ from the previous iterations; Blizzard’s Women 2 Women program & how it influences their ski concepts; the purposes of their “FluxForm” & “TrueBlend” technologies, and more.

Blizzard’s New Rustler & Sheeva Skis | Blister Summit 2023 Video

We sat down with Blizzard’s Christian Avery & Leslie Baker-Brown to go over all the new skis they’re rolling out for the 2023-2024 season. We discuss the new Rustler & Sheeva lines; how they differ from the previous iterations; Blizzard’s Women 2 Women program & how it influences their ski concepts; the purposes of their “FluxForm” & “TrueBlend” technologies, and more.
At Blister Summit 2023, we sat down with Meier’s Michelle Kidd & Parker Davis to discuss the brand’s origins and some of their latest and most popular ski models. We cover their sustainability efforts, including using bio-based resins, beetle-kill pine, and repurposing waste materials; the consequences of letting customers see exactly what’s in the cores of their skis via clear top sheets; creating skis that meet the demands of athletes like Owen Leeper while still catering to more average skiers, and more.

The Craft Skiery: 23/24 Meier Skis |  Blister Summit 2023 Video

We sat down with Meier’s Michelle Kidd & Parker Davis to discuss the brand’s origins and some of their latest and most popular ski models. We cover their sustainability efforts, including using bio-based resins, beetle-kill pine, and repurposing waste materials; creating skis that meet the demands of athletes like Owen Leeper while still catering to more average skiers, and more.