GEAR:30 | BLISTER Outdoor Media & Gear Reviews

On GEAR:30, we talk with Ferreol co-founder, Jonathan Audet, about how they created their own “Innovation Lab” to test new skis and materials; the development of their own alternative to titanal alloy; fully replacing fiberglass with natural flax fibers; their 23/24 ski lineup, and more.

Ferreol Skis: Reenvisioning Ski Construction (Ep.248)

June 2, 2023 by Luke Koppa

We talk with Ferreol co-founder, Jonathan Audet, about how they created their own “Innovation Lab” to test new skis and materials; the development of their own alternative to titanal alloy; fully replacing fiberglass with natural flax fibers; their 23/24 ski lineup, and more.

Bikes vs. Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 3 (Ep.247)

May 26, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Which ski company is most similar to which bike company? What’s the latest incendiary thing that will come out of Dylan Wood’s mouth? This final installment of our 4th edition is another fun one.

At our Blister Summit 2023, we brought together Hoji (Dynafit), Lars Chickering-Ayers (CAST Touring), and Giray Dadali (Daymaker Touring) for an extremely interesting and important discussion on the past, present, and future of ski bindings. We get their thoughts on “acceptable use” for certain bindings; the “Age of Confusion” surrounding different binding designs; being “handcuffed by standards” and thinking about the binding / boot / ski interface as a whole; what we should (or should hope to) expect from bindings in the future, and much, much more. You can watch the video on our YouTube channel, or listen to the conversation on our GEAR:30 podcast.

Ski Binding Design with Hoji, Lars Chickering-Ayers, & Giray Dadali (Ep.246)

May 19, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Hoji (Dynafit), Lars Chickering-Ayers (CAST Touring), and Giray Dadali (Daymaker Touring) discuss the past, present, and future of ski bindings; “acceptable use”; the “Age of Confusion” surrounding different binding designs; being “handcuffed by standards”; and more.

Bikes vs. Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 1 (Ep.245)

May 12, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Which bike brand and which ski company is currently holding the ‘Cool Kids Belt’? Which brand do other companies secretly wish they could trade places with? We debate these questions and more in our latest edition of Bikes vs. Skis.

Safeback SBX: A New Avalanche Survival System (Ep.244)

May 5, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

If you spend any time — inbounds or in the backcountry — skiing or riding in avalanche terrain or near tree wells, then you need to listen to this episode.

On our latest GEAR:30 podcast, Folsom Custom Skis co-founder and principal design engineer, Mike McCabe talks with Jonathan about skis built for the deepest of days, the ones we all dream about — and the kind that Mike and Jonathan were fortunate enough to ski recently in Alaska. And if you’ve ever heard someone say, “All skis are great in pow,” well, they’re here to blow up that notion. So what design elements work best in deep snow? What about low-angle terrain vs. steeper terrain? How wide is too wide? Is a softer flex pattern better? They discuss all of this and more.

Powder Ski Design w/ Folsom’s Mike McCabe (Ep.243)

May 1, 2023April 28, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Today Mike McCabe and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about the design elements of skis built for the deepest of days, and their recent trip to Alaska.

Coalition Snow: 10 Years of Skis & Snowboards, 23/24 Lineup, & More w/ Founder & CEO, Jen Gurecki (Ep.242)

April 21, 2023 by Kara Williard

Kara Williard talks with Jen Gurecki, founder and CEO of Coalition Snow, about operating a women-owned ski and snowboard company for the past 10 years; how the vision has evolved; their brick-and-mortar storefront; inclusive trips around the world; initiatives to grow the sport and the community; their 23/24 lineup; and more.

On Blister's GEAR:30 podcast, Jonathan Ellsworth & Paul Forward discuss some of the skis (from Folsom, DPS, Heritage Labs, & K2) they've been skiing at Chugach Powder Guides in Girdwood, Alaska

Powder Skis in AK with Paul & Jonathan (Ep.241)

April 14, 2023April 14, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Jonathan is currently in AK with Paul Forward, Chugach Powder Guides, and a great crew. So he & Paul talk about the skis they’ve been getting time on (from Heritage Lab, Folsom, DPS, K2); some new skis we’d like to see; crème brûlée crust; and the new Lange Shadow boot.

Jonathan’s Gear for AK, Luke’s Latest Crash, & More (Ep.240)

April 7, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Jonathan and Luke talk about closing day at CBMR; the gear JE is bringing to AK; liners; the Rossi Sender Free 110, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, Volkl Revolt 114, Luke’s new stitches, & more.

On Blister's GEAR:30 podcast, We talk with Blizzard’s Christian Avery about the overhauled Rustler & Sheeva skis; where their Hustle line of skis slots into the mix; and why nobody should be sleeping on the Cochise.

Diving into Blizzard’s 23/24 Ski Lineup (Ep.239)

March 31, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We talk with Blizzard’s Christian Avery about the overhauled Rustler & Sheeva skis; where their Hustle line of skis slots into the mix; and why nobody should be sleeping on the Cochise.

Shop Talk: Gear West on Year-Round Relevance, Community, & Specialty Service (Ep.238)

March 17, 2023 by Kara Williard

We talk with Jeff and Isabel from Gear West in Long Lake, MN to hear about how they’ve built a year-round community at their “campus”; the challenges and upsides of providing multi-sport services throughout the year; the effects of recent uphill access at Buck Hill; a couple of gear trends, and more.

ZipFit “Inner Boots”; the Growth of ZipFit; Reviewing Ski Boots; & More with Jeff Colt (Ep.237)

March 10, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We talk with Jeff Colt, Brand Director for ZipFit, about “inner boots”; first-day vs. 3rd-day fit; reviewing ski boots; the new Zipfit x Fischer Ski Boots collab; and more.

Shop Talk: Skiing with Kids w/ Spokane Alpine Haus (Ep.236)

March 4, 2023 by Kristin Sinnott

For this edition of Shop Talk, we are back with the owners of Spokane Alpine Haus to talk kids and skiing, growing the next generation of skiers and snowboarders, and the gear that helps make it possible.

New Gear from Blister Summit 2023 (Ep.235)

February 24, 2023 by Luke Koppa

Luke Koppa, Justin Bobb, Kara Williard, Dylan Wood, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the standout gear they were able to test at last week’s Blister Summit, from skis to snowboards, ski boots, bindings, and even snow blades.

On this GEAR:30 episode, we are back with Kai Palkeinen, founder of Pulse Boot Lab, to hear about what Kai’s been up to since we last talked, including opening a third location in Collingwood; the evolution of Pulse and what they have in mind for the future; their process for developing and refining some 3D printing technology that is being applied to more than just ski boots; what it means to spend the day fitting race boots; why liners are everything, subjective, and also circular (?); Kai’s thoughts on BOA dials in ski boots, and more.

Shop Talk: 3D Printing & Bootfitting w/ Pulse Boot Lab (Ep.234)

February 3, 2023 by Kara Williard

We are back with Kai Palkeinen, founder of Pulse Boot Lab, to hear what Kai and the team at Pulse have been up to, including 3D printing, fitting race boots, and his thoughts on some other recent boot technology, including the rise of BOA dials.

Blister Labs: AI, Machine Learning, & Ski Reviewing (Ep.233)

May 15, 2023January 27, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Dr. Sean Humbert is back to provide an update on our ski testing at Blister Labs; discuss the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning for product reviewing and ski recommendation engines; and more.

Jonathan Ellsworth & Dylan Wood review the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA for Blister

Year of the BOA? Atomic’s Matt Manser on New Ski Boots, Liners, & BOA Systems (Ep.232)

June 5, 2023January 20, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Matt Manser is back to go deep on the new 23/24 Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD (and XTD BOA GW); the new Hawx Ultra XTD Mimic Professional liner; the all-new Atomic Backland XTD; and why we’re seeing the proliferation of the BOA system on ski boots.

On GEAR:30, Jonathan is joined by Alex and Matt from Powder7 in Golden, Colorado, to talk about shop life, gear, the price of single-day lift passes, and more. Then Blister bike editor, David Golay, jumps on to tell his Crashes & Close Calls story.

Shop Talk: Powder7 + ‘Crashes & Close Calls’ (Ep.231)

January 13, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Jonathan talks shop life, gear, the price of single-day lift passes, and more with Alex and Matt from Powder7 in Golden, Colorado. Then Blister bike editor, David Golay, jumps on to tell his “Crashes & Close Calls” story.

Jeremy Jones on the Evolution of Snowboard Design (Ep.230)

January 6, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Today we’ve got for you a masterclass on the history and evolution of snowboard design with Jeremy Jones, as well as Jeremy’s own philosophy behind product creation and refinement at Jones Snowboards.

On GEAR:30, we’re talking ski gear, customer trends, & sustainability initiatives (from the POV of a shop owner) with Mike Donohue of Outdoor Gear Exchange, our Blister Recommended Shop in Burlington, Vermont. And we have a great listener-submitted story for “Crashes & Close Calls.”

Shop Talk: Outdoor Gear Exchange, Burlington, VT + Crashes & Close Calls (Ep.229)

December 30, 2022 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We talk ski gear, customer trends, & sustainability initiatives (from the POV of a shop owner) with Mike Donohue of OGE, and we have a great listener-submitted story for “Crashes & Close Calls.”

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