GEAR:30 | BLISTER Outdoor Media & Gear Reviews

What new thoughts and ideas emerge when you bring together in conversation makers of hybrid ski bindings and AT bindings and snowboard bindings and splitboard bindings? At Blister Summit 2025, Jonathan Ellsworth led a conversation along these lines with Will Ritter of Spark R&D; Royal White, from Burton; Andy Merriman, from ATK Bindings; and Cobey Nash, from the very new company, AlpenFlow Design.

What’s New in Ski & Snowboard Bindings (Burton, Spark R&D, ATK Bindings, AlpenFlow Design) (Ep.345)

May 2, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

What new ideas emerge when you bring together makers of hybrid ski bindings and AT bindings and snowboard bindings and splitboard bindings? At the Blister Summit, we brought together Will Ritter of Spark R&D; Royal White, from Burton; Andy Merriman, from ATK Bindings; and Cobey Nash, from the new company, AlpenFlow Design. Enjoy.

If you think all goggles are the same, well, think again. At our Blister Summit 2025, Jonathan Ellsworth spoke with Steven Kennedy (Giro), Ted Ligety (Shred Optics), Stefan Stahl (Glade Optics), and Gabriel Lobbi (Provuu) about some different approaches — and solutions — to the problem of seeing well on snow. Check it out on GEAR:30

See Better, Ski Better: the State of Goggle Lens Tech (Ep.344)

April 25, 2025 by Luke Koppa

At our Blister Summit 2025, Jonathan spoke with Steven Kennedy (Giro), Ted Ligety (Shred Optics), Stefan Stahl (Glade Optics), and Gabriel Lobbi (Provuu) about some different approaches — and solutions — to the problem of seeing well on snow.

Episode 343 of Blister's GEAR:30 podcast

Reviewer Reports: Closing-Day Setups, Trip Reports, Cody’s Surprise Visit, & More (Ep.343)

April 18, 2025 by Luke Koppa

Luke, Kara, Jonathan, and Jbobb discuss a whole bunch of ski and snowboard gear they’ve been testing — and the very different locations and conditions where that testing has taken place.

How do the pros — Hoji, Ted, Anne, and Jess — go about assessing and testing ski and snowboard gear, and what advice do they have for the rest of us? Learn that on this episode of GEAR:30; plus, you’ll hear Ted share one of his favorite (but questionable??) ways of testing skis.

Gear Testing Tips & Tricks w/ Hoji, Ted Ligety, Anne Wangler, & Jess Tennyson (Ep.342)

April 11, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

How do the pros — Hoji, Ted, Anne, and Jess — go about assessing and testing ski and snowboard gear, and what advice do they have for the rest of us? Plus, you’ll hear Ted share one of his favorite (but questionable??) ways of testing skis.

25/26 Fischer Boot Lineup, the Importance of Inner Boots, & More w/ Christoph Lentz (Ep.341)

April 4, 2025 by Kara Williard

We catch up with Christoph Lentz, Fischer’s Global Product Manager for Alpine Boots, to discuss the highlights of their 25/26 boot lineup; the evolution of their RC4 family; why inner boots are such an important piece to the puzzle; their use of D3O; and a whole lot more.

As part of the 5850 Fest at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Jonathan talked with Ted Ligety about the tricky conditions and the very challenging course here in Sun Valley for the Super G and GS races, and the incredibly demanding business of going fast. Check out the conversation on this week’s episode of GEAR:30.

Ted Ligety on Ski Tuning, World Cup Racing, & the Art of Going Fast (Ep.340)

March 28, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

As part of the 5850 Fest at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Jonathan talked with Ted Ligety about the tricky conditions and the very challenging course here in Sun Valley for the Super G and GS races, and the incredibly demanding business of going fast.

On GEAR:30, Luke Koppa, Paul Forward, Kristin Sinnott, Sascha Anastas, and Dylan Wood discuss a bunch of the latest gear they’ve been testing, including multiple powder-touring setups; new skis from Heritage Lab; women’s all-mountain skis; apparel for skiing and lounging; some very interesting new big-mountain models from Dynastar, Rossignol, & Head; and more.

Reviewer Reports: Big-Mountain Ski Showdowns, Powder-Touring Setups, & Much More (Ep.339)

March 21, 2025 by Luke Koppa

Luke Koppa, Paul Forward, Kristin Sinnott, Sascha Anastas, and Dylan Wood discuss a bunch of the latest gear they’ve been testing, including multiple powder-touring setups; new skis from Heritage Lab; women’s all-mountain skis; apparel for skiing and lounging; some very interesting new big-mountain models from Dynastar, Rossignol, & Head; and more.

25/26 Gear, Boot Trends, Making the Most of Any Season, & More w/ Powder Hound (Ep.338)

March 14, 2025March 14, 2025 by Kara Williard

We catch up with Eric Helmbrecht of Powder Hound, our Blister Recommended Shop in Girdwood, Alaska to discuss the ups and downs of this season up in Alaska; our tips and tricks on how to make the most of any season; 25/26 gear; Dual BOA; boot trends; aftermarket liners; and more.

On GEAR:30, Blister reviewers Jonathan, Luke, Sascha, Kristin, and the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb discuss some of the new ski and snowboard gear they spent time on at last week’s Blister Summit, including several prototypes.

New Gear from Blister Summit 2025 (Ep. 337)

March 7, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Blister reviewers Jonathan, Luke, Sascha, Kristin, and the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb discuss some of the new ski and snowboard gear they spent time on at last week’s Blister Summit, including several prototypes.

On GEAR:30, Jonathan and Luke discuss the new pow skis they tested during Crested Butte’s big storm cycle, including the Head Kore 118Ti and Kore 112Ti; the latest iteration of the ON3P Billy Goat; Tyrolia’s Attack Hybrid binding; Salomon’s revised QST Blank and QST 106, and more.

Reviewer Reports: Pow Skis, New Bindings, & Our 40” Storm (Ep.336)

February 21, 2025 by Luke Koppa

Crested Butte Mountain Resort recently got 40+ inches of new snow in just a few days, so Jonathan and Luke sat down to discuss several of the new pow skis they’ve been testing from Head, ON3P, Salomon, Rossignol, and more.

Love, Drugs, & Graphene: Mito Materials’ Founders on Next-Gen Ski Construction (Ep.335)

February 14, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Today we are talking about love, materials science, and ski construction. We’re looking at graphene, why you might soon be hearing more about it in skis in the near future, and the unique properties of Mito Materials’ functionalized graphene.

Matt Manser on Atomic’s New Redster Ski Boots, New Remedy 130, & More (Ep.334)

February 7, 2025February 7, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

What’s the difference between a true race boot; a race-inspired ski boot; and a high-performance freeride or freestyle boot? Matt and Jonathan discuss all of these things and more, and you’ll hear the most important rant / public service announcement in GEAR:30 history.

Reviewer Reports: New Head Kores, Ski Boots, & One Age-Old Question (Ep.333)

January 31, 2025 by Luke Koppa

Luke, Kara, & Jonathan discuss Head’s overhauled collection of Kore skis; Jonathan makes a confession after he took some carving skis off piste; Kara and Luke discuss a bunch of boots they’ve been testing; Jonathan poses an age-old question about boot flexes; Kara breaks down the setups she’s bringing to Japan; and much more.

New Salomon Dual BOA Ski Boot & New Salomon QST Skis (Ep.332)

January 24, 2025January 24, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We talk about the biggest development in the world of snowsports gear: dual BOA ski boots. You’ll learn about dual BOA boots in general, but also the specific design decisions Salomon made to implement this system into their new S/Pro Supra dual BOA ski boot. Then we talk with Quentin Boutry about the new generation of QST skis.

After a great day of skiing together, Jonathan recorded a GEAR:30 conversation with Jake Stevens (Rossignol’s Winter Sports Equipment Director for North America) about world-cup race skis vs. recreational skis: what do they have in common; how do they incorporate technological advances; and what are the available options between skis designed to win gold medals and those designed to have fun on the weekends with your family and friends? It’s a conversation that is guaranteed to get you thinking about various approaches to the mountain — and your own approach to sliding around on snow.

From World-Cup Race Skis to Recreational Skis & Everything In Between w/ Rossignol’s Jake Stevens (Ep.331)

January 17, 2025January 17, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Jonathan talks with Jake Stevens (Rossignol’s Winter Sports Equipment Director for North America) about world-cup race skis vs. recreational skis: what do they have in common; how do they incorporate technological advances; and what are all the options out there?

Athletes & Bootfitting w/ Freeride Skier Nat Segal x Pulse Boot Labs (Ep.330)

January 10, 2025 by Kara Williard

Freeride athlete Nat Segal has had a long and impressive journey as a professional skier, and a key part of it has been getting in a properly fitting ski boot. Our Blister Recommended Shop, Pulse Boot Labs and Ski Co., has helped her along the way, so we talk with Nat and Pulse to hear about bootfitting from an athlete’s perspective, and a whole lot more.

The New Armada AR ONE Ski Boot: What Is It & Who’s It For? (Ep.329)

January 3, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Today, for the first time, Armada is releasing a ski boot: the AR ONE. But why do a boot? And why now? What sort of boot is the AR ONE, how is it different from what’s out there, and who's it for? We discuss all of this and more with Armada’s Matt Rihm and Bransford Briggs.

On our latest GEAR:30 podcast, Luke and Jonathan discuss some of the frontside skis they’ve been on recently; why choosing the right frontside ski requires as much consideration as any other type of ski; and they give an update on how they’ve been using the CARV system (so far) to enhance their ski reviews.

Reviewer Reports: Luke Koppa & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.328)

December 27, 2024December 27, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Luke and Jonathan discuss some of the frontside skis they’ve been on; why choosing the right frontside ski requires as much consideration as any other type of ski; and they give an update on how they’ve been using the CARV system (so far) to enhance their ski reviews.

A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 8: Your Questions Answered by Master Bootfitter, Jeremy Johnston (Ep.327)

December 20, 2024 by Kara Williard

In this episode, Jeremey Johnston, Master Bootfitter and founder of Boot Mechanics, responds to several really interesting and important questions from the audience. We bet that you’ve had some of these questions yourself, so here are in-depth answers to several of bootfitting’s complexities.

This week on GEAR:30, DPS introduced a new product that represents quite a departure for the company: the DPS Carbon Pisteworks 79. And today, you’re going to hear one of the deepest dives we’ve ever done on GEAR:30 about the design and development of a new ski; how Blister Labs was involved; and the lengthy process of developing a ‘metal ski without the metal.’

The Design & Development of the New DPS Carbon Pisteworks 79 (Ep.326)

December 13, 2024December 13, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Today, you’re going to hear one of the deepest dives we’ve ever done on GEAR:30 about the design and development of a new ski; how Blister Labs was involved; and the lengthy process of developing a ‘metal ski without the metal,’ the DPS Carbon Pisteworks 79.

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