GEAR:30 Podcast
This is where we geek out hard & go deep into the details about the most important outdoor gear.
Recent Episodes:
We discuss one of the most important concepts in ski design: suspension. So what do we mean by “suspension”? Are terms like “plush” or “damp” synonyms, or are there important differences? And what are...
Luke Koppa & Jonathan Ellsworth report on the new skis they’ve been reviewing from Black Crows, Salomon, Dynastar, Wagner, RMU, Moment, & more.
Our patron saint of GEAR:30 is back on the show today, and we talked to Hoji about the new Dynafit Radical Pro; how it compares to the Hoji Free boot; the evolution of the “Hoji Hole” testing prototypes;...
Sascha Anastas and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss a couple of new liners they’re reviewing: the Zipfit World Cup liner and the Atomic Mimic Professional liner.
MADE is a new company that’s setting out to make custom technical apparel. Their 3 co-founders are all veterans of the technical apparel and outdoor industries, and Luke Koppa and I talked to Cheryl LeBarr,...
We talk to Escape Route director, James Retty, about the shop’s backcountry-only focus; the ski culture(s) of the Sea-to-Sky Corridor; elephant snot; the new Dynafit Radical Pro boot; the Fritschi Tecton;...
Luke Koppa, Sascha Anastas, Kara Williard, and Jonathan Ellsworth offer a recap of our inaugural Blister Summit in Mt. Crested Butte, then discuss a number of skis from 4FRNT, Rossignol, Wagner Custom...
Mark "Osman" Osell and Jeff Perry from Gear West in Long Lake, Minnesota, to talk about the Minnesota ski scene; the Gear West campus; dropping cliffs in the Iowa backcountry; the fantastic bike culture...
In the hot seat: Blister mountain bike and ski reviewer, Dylan Wood.
Our inaugural Blister Summit launches in less than two weeks! So Kristin Sinnott, our Blister Summit director, and Jonathan talk about the origins of the idea, why we think it’s important; why we think...
Eric Helmbrecht, owner of Powder Hound Ski & Bike Shop is back on the show to talk about this season in Girdwood; Fizz Nation; some of the gear that he and his staff are particularly high on this season;...
Product Manager of Atomic Ski Boots, Matt Manser, is back to talk about heel pockets and tongue volume and Luke Koppa’s feet and how plug boots are not a thing and Atomic’s new Hawx Ultra and their new...
We talked with Megan Shenton, the head of the ski dept. at Outdoor Gear Exchange, about how this ski season is going so far in New England; the history of Outdoor Gear Exchange; some of her personal favorite...
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth offer their initial thoughts on the new Volkl Mantra M6 & Secret 96; reviewer, Drew Kelly, makes his GEAR:30 debut to compare the Volkl Katana 108 vs the HEAD Monster...
Luke Koppa & Jonathan Ellsworth talk about some of the skis they’ve recently been testing; name some of the most surprising products of 2020 and some of the standout products of 2020; offer a few gear...
On our latest edition of ‘Shop Talk’, we’ve got the founder of Backcountry Essentials, Chris Gerston, talking about Bellingham; starting Backcountry Essentials; and some of the gear that he thinks works...
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss several listener questions about ski quivers; 1-boot quivers; some game-changing news in the ski boot world; a number of skis, apparel pieces, and ski masks we’ve...
We’re talking with the two friends who founded The Ski Monster in Boston, MA. We discuss how George and Eric met; how getting fired — twice! — turned out to be a very positive development; the diverse...
We talk to Blister reviewers Sascha Anastas & Paul Forward about their ski quivers; binding preferences; coffee in AK; your questions; and more.
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the opening day of the ski season; approaches to building ski quivers; our specific selections; Luke’s latest rant; What we’re Celebrating; & more.