GEAR:30

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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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.
HEAD USA's Cameron Smith goes on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast to discuss how World Cup ski racers have their skis tuned, and how that translates to tuning your own skis

The Science & Witchcraft of World Cup Ski Tuning (Ep.70)

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How do the world’s elite ski racers and their technicians squeeze every drop of performance out of their skis? We sat down with Cameron Smith who runs the race department for Head USA to learn about all the major aspects of ski tuning including base vs edge angles, base prep, and waxing. We also discuss why World Cup racers have 50 skis per discipline; the elusive “speed wagon”; and the delicate balance of science and superstition in ski racing.
Luke Koppa, Sam Shaheen, & Jonathan Ellsworth discuss on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast the 19/20 Blister Winter Buyer's Guide, the 19/20 Blister Best Of winners and runner-ups, and more.

19/20 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide, Part 1 (Ep.68)

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We just released our new 19/20 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide, and given that it’s over 200 pages long, there’s a lot to talk about. So we’re going to have a 2-part conversation about the Guide, and here in part 1, we’re going to discuss some of our Blister “Best Of” selections; and some of the products that just missed the cut; some general trends and takeaways from putting this big book together, and we find out the real reason why Luke prefers mittens to gloves.
Mike McCabe of Folsom skis goes on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast to discuss Folsom's new pop-up shop in Aspen, their 19/20 ski line, and the new Folsom Blister Pro 104 ski.

Folsom Skis & the New Blister Pro 104 (Ep.66)

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We’ve been working on a special project with Folsom Skis, and it’s finally time to discuss the details with Folsom’s Mike McCabe. We also talk about Folsom’s (insane?) new plan to build and deliver custom skis in 2-3 days; go over a few highlights from the 19/20 Folsom lineup; and we ask Mike how much of a nightmare it was to work with us on this project.
Jonathan Ellsworth talks with WNDR Alpine founder, Matt Sterbenz about the brand's background, goals, and its new ski, the Intention 110, on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast

WNDR Alpine’s New Skis (Ep.63)

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We talk to WNDR Alpine’s founder, Matt Sterbenz, and brand manager, Xan Marshland, about the creation of and the future plans for WNDR Alpine; its relation to the biotech company, Checkerspot; and we dive deep into the details of their new ski, the Intention 110.
Sam Shaheen talks to Icebreaker's Josh Vaughan about wool, its performance attributes, its environmental impact, and more on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast.

What You’re Wearing Part 2: Wool (Ep.62)

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Why are more and more companies making products out of wool? What makes it unique from other fibers? And how is merino wool different from regular wool? We talk to Icebreaker’s Josh Vaughan about these questions; wool’s environmental impact; the variety of wool types and how they differ; and he provides some amazingly in-depth insight about wool’s unique properties.
On Blister's GEAR:30 podcast, Jonathan Ellsworth talks with Crosson Skis founder, Chase Englehart about the brand and how it does things differently.

Crosson Skis founder, Chase Englehart (Ep.61)

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Crosson Skis is a small, new company that’s making some very big claims. So we talk to their founder, Chase Englehart, about the origins of Crosson; what makes their skis different — and better; building skis outside of Seattle; working with athletes like Bobby Brown and Banks Gilberti; and their 19/20 lineup.
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