Jonathan Ellsworth, Kristin Sinnott, & Luke Koppa discuss on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast some of the K2, Blizzard, Nordica, Rossignol, Dynastar, & WNDR Alpine skis they've been reviewing, and more.

New Skis, Tight Pants, & Farm Animal Analogies (Ep.90)

Luke Koppa, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the new skis, boots, and apparel they’ve been testing, including products from K2, Blizzard, Nordica, Rossignol, WNDR Alpine, Atomic, Dynastar, & more. We also discuss what skis we prefer for off-piste, icy conditions; the merits of slim-fit ski pants; which ski boots are best described as “donkeys”; and more.

Ski Wax & Waxing Skis: What You Need to Know (Ep.89)

We talk with Graham Lonetto, the Alpine Director for the USA at Swix — the company that invented color-coded waxes, and one of the largest manufacturers of ski wax in the world — about different types of waxes and application methods; the most common mistake made when ski waxing; the FIS’s ban on fluorocarbons in waxes; and more.
Atomic's Matt Manser goes on Blister's GEAR:30 Podcast to discuss the new Atomic Hawx Prime XTD boot, Atomic's new Mimic Liners, Forward Lean, Ramp Angle, & More

A Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots, Part 4: Liners, Ramp Angle, & Forward Lean (Ep.88)

Ski boot liners are probably the most overlooked and least appreciated piece of ski gear out there, but they are a critical piece of equipment. So Matt Manser, the product manager of Atomic Ski Boots, is back to demystify the extremely complex, very expensive, and poorly understood category of ski boot liners. Along the way, we also discuss Atomic’s new “Mimic” liner technology and the new-for-next-season Hawx Prime XTD.
Patagonia's Glen Morden and Corey Simpson go on Blister's GEAR:30 Podcast to discuss the brand's efforts to increase sustainability and performance in their products.

Patagonia’s Glen Morden & Corey Simpson on Product Performance & Sustainability (Ep.86)

Patagonia’s Glen Morden (Product Innovation, Materials, & Development) and Corey Simpson (Communications) came to Crested Butte to ski with us and to discuss how Patagonia is thinking about sustainability and product performance; how they continue to evolve on this front; talk about a few of their new pieces; their prototyping process; and more.
Scarpa CEO, Kim Miller, goes on Blister's GEAR:30 Podcast to discuss the new 2021 Scarpa F1 LT, the Scarpa Maestrale XT, and more

SCARPA CEO, Kim Miller, on the new F1 LT & More (Ep.84)

In part 2 of our conversation with SCARPA CEO, Kim Miller, Kim offers his predictions for the ski industry and how SCARPA is positioning itself for the future; discusses which materials they use in their boots and why; shares the lessons learned from the Maestrale 2017 recall; and unveils a brand-new boot, the F1 LT.
Kim Miller talks on the Gear:30 podcast about his role as CEO at SCARPA and the SCARPA Alien RS

SCARPA CEO, Kim Miller, Part 1 (Ep.79)

This week, Sam Shaheen visited SCARPA’s North American headquarters to talk with SCARPA’s CEO, Kim Miller. Here in Part 1 of the conversation, they discuss Kim’s impressive career in the outdoor industry; SCARPA’s philosophy of ski boot design; their position within the market; the specifics of the new Maestrale XT; Kim’s thoughts on boot/binding compatibility; and more.
Kristin Sinnott, Kara Williard, & Sascha Anastas discuss on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast how they think about ski and ski-boot quivers.

Ski Quiver Questions, Part 2 (Ep.78)

Last week on GEAR:30, Sam Shaheen, Luke Koppa, and I addressed some of the questions you have been asking us about ski quivers, and we also discussed the topic of the one-boot quiver. And now, we are running part 2 of this conversation with our reviewers Kristin Sinnott, Sascha Anastas, and Kara Williard.
Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, and Sam Shaheen discuss Blister's 2019-2020 ski-quiver selections on the GEAR:30 podcast

Ski Quiver Questions, Part 1 (Ep.77)

We’ve been thinking and talking a lot recently about ski quivers, and posted our reviewers’ personal selections for their 5-ski, 4-ski, 3-ski, 2-ski, and 1-ski quivers. And now on our latest episodes of GEAR:30 we discuss some of your related questions; what our biggest takeaways are; the dreaded 1-boot quiver; and more.
Nikwax VP of marketing, Heidi Allen, goes on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast to discuss DWR (durable water repellent coatings), the dangers of PFCs, and more

Nikwax & the Future of DWRs (Ep.76)

DWRs — or “Durable Water Repellent” coatings — play an enormous role in the performance of your outdoor gear, and are used on nearly every waterproof garment on the market. But most DWRs are made with chemicals called PFCs, which can be harmful to you and the environment. Nikwax, however, has never made any of their specialized cleaning, conditioning, or waterproofing products with PFCs. So we talked with Heidi Allen from Nikwax about how DWRs work; the dangers of PFCs; how the industry is attempting to shift away from PFCs; garment care; and more.
Luke Jacobson goes on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast to discuss Moment Skis 19/20 lineup, the new Moment Blister Pro, and more

Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson (Ep.75)

We talk to Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, about Moment’s entire “Commander” series; why we still need to do a better job educating skiers; how the Deathwish got its name; the history of the Bibby and the Blister Pro; some upcoming changes to the Blister Pro; and more.
On Blister's GEAR:30 podcast, Sam Shaheen talks with The North Face's Scott Mellin about the brand's new fabric technology, Futurelight

What is The North Face Futurelight? (Ep.74)

The North Face is attempting to do something that many have tried, but few have succeeded: compete head-to-head with Gore-Tex in the waterproof / breathable fabric category. So we talked with Scott Mellin, the Global General Manager of Mountain Sports at The North Face, about their new fabric technology, Futurelight, the ideas behind it; what sets it apart in the waterproof / breathable fabric market; sustainability practices related to Futurelight; some stories from athlete testing, and much more.
Reviewing the reviewer: Jonathan Ellsworth interviews Blister reviewer, David Golay, and talks about his mountain biking experience, mountain bike preferences, and more on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast

Reviewing the Reviewer: David Golay (Ep.73)

On our latest “Reviewing the Reviewer” episode of GEAR:30, Jonathan Ellsworth talks to our mountain bike reviewer, David Golay, about how he went from playing sports in upstate New York, to researching metal alloys in Australia, to reviewing for BLISTER, and he shares a great story starring Jed Yeiser (of previous Blister podcast episodes fame).
Sam Shaheen, Luke Koppa, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the new Marker Duke PT binding, New Gore-Tex Pro, The North Face Futurelight fabric, and more on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast

New Marker Duke PT; Backcountry.com; New Apparel & Skis (Ep.72)

Today, Marker unveiled their brand-new Duke PT binding, so we discuss the new binding and where it fits with respect to the Shift MNC and CAST Freetour System; some big new changes at GORE; the new GORE-TEX Pro vs. The North Face Futurelight; the appalling behavior of backcountry.com; several new skis from Moment, Blizzard, and Prior; and more.
Gore's Mark McKinnie goes on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast to discuss Gore's brand-new Gore-Tex Pro fabrics.

Gore’s 3 New Gore-Tex Pro Fabrics (Ep.71)

Gore-Tex has been the leader in waterproof fabrics for decades, and today, they’re announcing a complete overhaul of their flagship fabric, Gore-Tex Pro. So this week we went to Banff, Alberta, and sat down with the category manager of Gore’s “Pro” line, Mark McKinnie, for an in-depth discussion about the new fabrics. We talk about what makes the new Gore Pro unique; the 3 different versions of Gore Pro; Gore’s intensive validation and field-testing processes; how the new ‘Pro’ fits into Gore’s sustainability goals; and much more.