GEAR:30 Podcast

This is where we geek out hard & go deep into the details about the most important outdoor gear.

Recent Episodes:

On GEAR:30, we’re discussing current helmet technology, head injuries, and best practices for skiers & snowboarders with Blister reviewer (and physician assistant), Sascha Anastas; Sr. Director of R&D at Giro, Steven Kennedy; the CMO of MIPS, Frederik Kjellberg; and pro skier, Drew Petersen.
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Jeremy Jones was in town last week, so in addition to getting out on snow together, we sat down in Blister HQ in Elevation Hotel to record a GEAR:30 podcast and talk about gear reviews; the biggest gear mistakes riders make; full-camber vs. no-camber boards; soft vs. hard boots (including Shane McConkey’s tinkering on that front); and more.
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A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt 6: Ski Boot Flex w/ Pulse Boot Lab
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On GEAR:30, Kristin Sinnott, Jonathan Ellsworth, Kara Williard, Justin Bobb, & Luke Koppa sit down for a recap of our 2024 Blister Summit. They go over a few of the MANY highlights of the event, and then dive into a bunch of the standout products they were each able to try at the Summit.
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Ep. 284: Consignment, Gear Repair, & Sustainability w/ Lone Pine Gear Exchange
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Blister Labs Update: Ski (and Boot) Flex Test (Ep.283)
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Reviewer Reports: Storm Cycles, All-Mountain Skis, 3D-Printed Goggles, & More (Ep.282)
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Are you an “expert” skier or rider? Advanced skier? Intermediate? What’s the difference between “advanced” and “expert”? Today on GEAR:30, we’re following up on our GEAR:30 conversation with Luke Koppa (episode 277) to revisit these questions — having received a lot of great responses from all of you. Joining Jonathan is Jordan Jones, co-founder and president of Powder7, to provide a retailer’s perspective on these things. See what you think, and let us know whether you think we ought to change or tweak our 6 ability level categories for Community Reviews.
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On this week’s GEAR:30 podcast, Jonathan Ellsworth, Kara Williard, Justin Bobb, and Luke Koppa attempt to predict what’s “in” and what’s “out” when it comes to gear in 2024, what trends will be revived, what categories will see the most change, and they spin off into several other tangents.
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On GEAR:30, Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, Kara Williard, and Justin Bobbto reflect on some of the standout products and notable trends that defined the past year in ski and snowboard gear. So, what trend does Luke think is “the gear equivalent of superhero movies?” How many BOA dials has JBobb broken in a decade as a self-described BOA convert? What’s Kara’s pick for the “Not New But Still Amazing Award?” Take a listen and find out.
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We just launched our new Blister Labs project, Blister Community Reviews, so on today’s GEAR:30 podcast, Luke and Jonathan discuss where it is today; how it will evolve; and some big questions like, how much info is too much or too little?; how to best define the difference between an intermediate, advanced, and expert skier; rating scale debates; and more. Check out the conversation, then let us know your thoughts?
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On our latest GEAR:30 podcast, Jonathan, Kara, and Luke, discuss getting back on snow, the best holiday of the year, ski boots, frontside skis, mountain biking in Nepal, engagement taco parties, and new apparel.
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What are some of the biggest mistakes skiers make when buying gear? And what do regular, recreational skiers & snowboarders (who aren’t racing against the clock) need to know about ski tuning and waxing? On GEAR:30, Jonathan discusses these questions and more with Logan and Riley Boone of Boone Mountain Sports. They also talk about how they all met (it was in Austria), and Jonathan announces our upcoming ‘Blister 90-Flex Challenge’.
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On GEAR:30, we talk with Ted Ligety (2x Olympic Gold Medalist & 5x World Cup champion) about his approach to gear; the specific gear he’s using today; how to best deal with flat light and low-vis conditions; his take on the current state of skiing and ski racing; and more.
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This past Monday, Jonathan was at the Parlor Custom Skis factory in East Boston to check out the factory and record a GEAR:30 podcast with Parlor owner & manager, Mark Wallace, about building custom skis in Boston; assessing skiers (and skiers assessing themselves); custom vs. semi-custom skis; and more.
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Jeremy Jones is back on GEAR:30, and this time, he brought along with him Xavier Nidecker (global brand director of Jones Snowboards) to talk about Jones’ new Re-Up Tech — what it is, how it works, and what it could mean for the greater ski & snowboard industry. We also discuss FIS, POW, & climate change, and which board Jonathan ought to start on.
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