Podcasts | BLISTER Outdoor Media & Gear Reviews

Bag Balm President, Libby Parent, on the Origins & Surprising Evolution of a 125-Year-Old American Company (Ep.36)

November 15, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Based in Vermont, where they still make their products, Bag Balm is an American company with a 125-year history and one very remarkable story. Bag Balm’s president, Libby Parent, joins us to tell us about it all, from cow udders to celebrity endorsements.

Introducing: Blister Cinematic Podcast

November 14, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Blister Cinematic is our new movie podcast that brings on your favorite skiers, snowboarders, climbers, runners, filmmakers, and outdoor personalities to revisit and dissect the most iconic ski, snowboard, and outdoor films of all time; discuss their personal favorites; reassess the underappreciated movies of the past; and highlight new and upcoming projects that ought to be on your radar. Our first episode drops November 16th, where Cody Townsend & Jonathan Ellsworth will be revising the 2011 film, G.N.A.R.

Angel Collinson, who shares some of her thoughts on purpose, mindfulness, and leaning into 100% of life, not just the peak experiences.

Deep Dives with Angel, November 2023 (Ep.286)

November 15, 2023November 13, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Angel Collinson and Jonathan discuss a subject that we don’t talk much about in the outdoor community, and yet, it’s an experience that every single one of us will deal with at some point in our lives: grief

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.

Parlor Custom Skis: Building Skis in Boston, Custom vs. Semi-Custom Skis, & the Age-Old Question of Ski Width for East-Coast Skiing (Ep.271)

November 10, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Jonathan was at the Parlor Custom Skis factory in East Boston to check out the factory and talk 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.

Neko Mulally on Selling the Frameworks DH Bike, Signing Asa Vermette, and More (Ep.195)

November 9, 2023 by David Golay

Neko Mulally’s Frameworks DH bike is now available for pre-order, and we sat down with Neko to chat about its development, the production version of the bike, his experimentation with different frame materials, and much more.

Blister Speaker Series: Trevor Kennison & Level 1 director, Josh Berman (Ep.285)

November 6, 2023November 6, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Trevor Kennison & Level 1 founder, Josh Berman, came to Western Colorado University for our Blister Speaker Series for a follow-up conversation about their new film, Full Circle. We discussed what life’s been like for both of them since the film premiered; we take questions from the audience; and Trevor answers the big question: is he glad his injury happened?

Jeremy Jones & Xavier Nidecker on Re-Up Tech: What it Is & Why it Matters (Ep.270)

November 3, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We talk to Jeremy Jones and Xavier Nidecker 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 and POW, and which board Jonathan ought to start on.

Lachlan Morton on the Tour Divide Record, Bears, Payday Bars, & More (Ep.194)

November 6, 2023November 2, 2023 by David Golay

The Tour Divide route covers 2,670 miles from Banff, Alberta to the US-Mexico border near Antelope Wells, New Mexico — Lachlan Morton just completed it in a record-setting 12 days, 12 hours, and 21 minutes. So we sat down with him to hear all about it.

On our latest episode of Reviewing the News on the Blister Podcast, Cody and Jonathan pay tribute to Robb Gaffney, then discuss the growth in snowsports and who is more passionate: alpine skiers, cross country skiers, or snowboarders?; the sale of Silverton Mountain; the Most Canadian News; Cody’s latest FIFTY film, ‘Split’; & more.

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, October 2023 (Ep.284)

October 30, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Cody and Jonathan discuss the latest FIFTY film, Comstock, and the conflict that lies at the heart of the FIFTY Project; FIS vs POW; a new division of Blister: Blister Cinematic; bigfoot & aliens; the Most Canadian News; and more.

Giray Dadali on the new Daymaker Touring TEKDAPTERS (Ep.269)

October 27, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

A very intriguing — and extremely affordable — new piece of ski-touring gear has just been released, the TEKDAPTERS, so we dive into all the details with designer and pro skier, Giray Dadali.

Contra Bikes on Making the MC a Reality (Ep.193)

January 18, 2024October 26, 2023 by David Golay

Designing and prototyping a bike is hard work, but bringing one to production adds a whole new set of challenges, and we sat down with Evan Turpen of Contra Bikes to hear all about getting his US-made steel high-pivot Enduro bike, the MC, out into the world.

Ski Areas, Sustainability, & Getting Ready for Opening Day with Taos Ski Valley COO, John Kelly (Ep.283)

October 23, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

What goes into getting a ski area ready for opening day? We discuss snow making, maintaining & operating chairlifts, and ski area culture and sustainability with Taos Ski Valley’s chief operations officer, John Kelly.

For this week’s GEAR:30 podcast, Jonathan Ellsworth sat down with Kara Williard, Dylan Wood, Justin Bobb, and Luke Koppa to debrief about our 2023-2024 Winter Buyer’s Guide, discuss what changed this year (and what has *not* changed), go over some trends, and more. Along the way, we dole out our unofficial “RIP,” “Good Riddance,” and new “Best Glow-Up” awards; talk about what we’re most excited to get on this season; and Jonathan debates whether Luke isn’t even invited to his funeral, or if he’ll be managing the whole thing…

Our 23/24 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide Recap (Ep.268)

October 26, 2023October 20, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We brought together several of our reviewers to discuss our latest Winter Buyer’s Guide; give out our unofficial “RIP,” “Good Riddance,” and new “Best Glow-Up” awards; cover what we’re most excited to get on this season, and much more.

Privateer Bikes on the 141 and 161 V2 (Ep.192)

October 19, 2023 by David Golay

Privateer has been teasing the upcoming second-generation versions of their 141 and 161 for a while now and we recently sat down with Dan Hicks, the engineer behind the project, to get all the details on the new bikes.

Trevor Kennison is one of the most remarkable athletes in the world, and like Travis Rice, Candide Thovex, Courtney Dauwalter, and Alex Honnold, he forces us to see things differently and rethink what’s possible. And on our latest Blister Podcast, we talk to Trevor and Josh Berman, director of Level 1 Productions, about their new film, Full Circle, that premieres this week in New York, and that documents Trevor’s incredible story and exploits, and the challenges — and opportunities — of life after spinal cord injury.

Trevor Kennison & Josh Berman on Full Circle (Ep.282)

October 16, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Like Travis Rice, Candide Thovex, Courtney Dauwalter, and Alex Honnold, Trevor Kennison forces us to rethink what’s possible. Josh Berman has created a film, Full Circle, that documents Trevor’s incredible story and exploits, and the challenges — and opportunities — of life after spinal cord injury.

On GEAR:30, Kara Williard and Jake “Fasa” Nelson clear up some of the most common bootfitting myths and misconceptions out there, provide some clarity on what you should realistically expect from a ski boot and bootfitter, discuss how to go about shopping for a boot this season, and more.

A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 5: Debunking Bootfitting Myths & Misconceptions (Ep.267)

October 13, 2023 by Kara Williard

Kara Williard and Jake “Fasa” Nelson clear up some of the most common bootfitting myths and misconceptions out there, provide some clarity on what you should realistically expect from a ski boot and bootfitter, discuss how to go about shopping for a boot this season, and more.

Casey Brown, Vaea Verbeeck, and Hannah Bergemann on Women at Rampage (Ep.191)

October 12, 2023 by David Golay

We sat down with Casey Brown, Vaea Verbeeck, and Hannah Bergemann to talk about the lack of a women’s category at Red Bull Rampage; what they’ve been doing to change that; why opening up Rampage to women is important; and the trajectory of women’s freeride more broadly.

Blister Speaker Series: Mark Abma (Ep.281)

October 9, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Last Thursday, Mark Abma came to Western Colorado University for our Blister Speaker Series. He broke down his segment from the MSP film, ALL IN; discussed his part in the new MSP film, Land of Giants; and talked about his preparation for ski season; confidence; staying calm; and more.

In our latest episode of GEAR:30, Luke Koppa & Jonathan Ellsworth talk with Blister Member Giovanni Saccarola (an Italian living in Switzerland), about his ski quiver, ski boots, and ski boot liner options. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts, or on our site.

GEAR THERAPY: An Italian Skier in Switzerland (Ep.266)

May 3, 2024October 6, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Luke and Jonathan talk with Blister Member, Giovanni Saccarola (an Italian living in Switzerland), about his ski quiver, ski boots, and ski boot liner options.

This week on Bikes & Big Ideas we’re chatting about a bunch of the bikes we’re currently testing across the travel spectrum, including Santa Cruz’s new Heckler SL, a battle of high-pivot Enduro bikes, the Propain Tyee, and more.

Reviewer Reports: Contra MC vs. Trek Slash, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, REEB Steezl, & More (Ep.190)

October 5, 2023 by David Golay

This week on Bikes & Big Ideas we’re chatting about a bunch of the bikes we’re currently testing across the travel spectrum, including Santa Cruz’s new Heckler SL, a battle of high-pivot Enduro bikes, the Propain Tyee, and more.

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