Our 18/19 Winter Buyer’s Guide & “Best Of” Awards (Ep.26)
Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, and Sam Shaheen discuss some of the “Best Of” award winners in the 18/19 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide.
Podcasts
What’s it like to climb The Nose? (Ep.18)
What’s it like to climb The Nose? Is it really as “easy” as people say? And what level of experience is required to have a reasonable chance of topping out? Our host of All Things Climbing and his wife Katie report on their recent trip up the world’s most iconic rock climb.
Interbike: Confessions & Observations (Ep.25)
We discuss the weirdness and wonders of Interbike 2018, make a confession about last year’s Interbike, and more.
Rhino Skin Solutions founder, Justin Brown (Ep.17)
Justin Brown is the founder of Rhino Skin Solutions. He’s also a board member of the Smith Rock Group, and a 5.14 climber. We talk about starting Rhino Skin, why climbers need to be leaders in land management, and why belaying just might be the sport of the future.
Elyse Saugstad, Big Mtn Skier (Ep.74)
We talk with Elyse about filming the new MSP movie, All In; growing up in Alaska; her work with Safe As Clinics; figure skating and fantasy football (?); and the value of repeatedly finding new ways to challenge yourself.
Matt Pincus of TrainingBeta (Ep.16)
Matt Pincus is the head coach/trainer at TrainingBeta, and he has a strong resume both as a coach and a climber. We talk to Matt about balancing his climbing goals with full-time work; the most important lessons he’s learned as a coach and trainer; and some of the key things most of us get wrong when it comes to progressing.
Parlor Skis 18/19 Lineup & ‘Build Your Own Skis’ Class (Ep.24)
We talk to Boston-based Parlor Skis co-founder, Mark Wallace, about the origins story of Parlor; their “Build Your Own Skis” class; the new models in their 18/19 lineup — including Parlor snowboards and splitboards; and several trends on the East Coast ski scene. (We also talk about lasagna, burritos, and Camaros.)
Alex Honnold & Maury Birdwell on the Honnold Foundation and filming Free Solo (Ep.15)
Alex Honnold is arguably the best and certainly the boldest climber in a generation, with a mind-bending free solo ascent of El Cap, and an unbelievable speed record on The Nose in under two hours. In this episode, we sat down with Alex and Maury Birdwell to talk about what may be an even more impressive accomplishment: the Honnold Foundation. (And, of course, we sneak in some talk about climbing, too.)
Bikes vs. Skis, Part 2 (Ep.23)
We’re back with round 2 of Bikes vs. Skis, where we ask the question, “Which particular bike company is most like which particular ski company?”
Bolt Restrictions, Hardware Committees, and Threatened Access (Ep.14)
Climbing is growing — really fast. At some crags around the country, that means that our impact has also been growing, which has forced the critical question of how best to manage the increased traffic on public lands. So today we’re talking about best practices, controversial approaches, and how climbing culture could be affected if oversight from outside of the climbing community becomes the new norm.
New DPS Skis & Products with Stephan Drake (Ep.22)
We talk to DPS Skis founder, Stephan Drake, about the new DPS Wailer 110; the DPS Spoon, Lotus 138, and 124; and some big news about DPS Phantom, their new ski and snowboard base treatment.
Bikes vs. Skis, Part 1 (Ep.21)
Which ski company is most like which bike company? Who is the Moment Skis of the bike world? And which ski brand shares the most family resemblance with Yeti or Transition? Jonathan Ellsworth has been having this discussion for years with Blister’s bike editor, Noah Bodman, and we’re now taking it public. So give it a listen, then let us know where you agree, where you disagree, and where you’ve got the better analogies.
Alpenglow Mtn Festival + Stuff We Learned during Spring Ski Testing (Ep.20)
We talk with Blister editors, Luke Koppa and Sam Shaheen, about the recent Alpenglow Mountain Festival and running with our hero, Courtney Dauwalter. Then we discuss some of the key takeaways from our spring ski testing, including Domino’s thin-crust pizza, dumb gear, and some great gear.
Julian Carr on Big Mtn Running & Massive Cliff Jumping (Ep.73)
We talk to Julian Carr about his series of big-mountain “adventure” races, the Cirque Series; on the preparation and state of mind required to send massive cliffs; and how his company, Discrete, has evolved over the past 10 years.
Nik Berry (Ep.13)
Nik Berry is pushing the boundaries of his sport in a direction that many climbers aren’t even looking: his skill and composure on hard and scary trad routes fuel an obsession with freeing big aid lines and seeking out adventurous climbing. In this episode, we talk about his recent stellar season in Yosemite and how he balances a career with all that hard climbing.
John “Verm” Sherman (Ep.12)
John Sherman, one of the godfathers of modern bouldering, discusses the major ways in which the climbing scene has changed since his day; how and why he became a dedicated conservationist; making peace with the changing ethics and arrival of crowds; and much more.
Product Innovation at Patagonia, with Glen Morden (Ep.72)
Glen Morden has an extremely cool job — he’s the head of Product Innovation at Patagonia. So we talked to Glen about his background and how he got this position, then Glen pulls back the curtain on the product design process at Patagonia, what he and his colleagues are currently most concerned with, and what sorts of projects are on the horizon.
Dialing in “The Hammer” + other New Folsom Skis (Ep.19)
Jonathan Ellsworth sits down with Mike McCabe at the Folsom Skis HQ in Denver to (finally) dial in “The Hammer” they’ve been discussing, and to learn about three other brand new Folsom skis.
American Alpine Club CEO, Phil Powers (Ep.11)
We talk to Phil Powers, CEO of the American Alpine Club, about his own relationship to climbing (including summiting K2); the mission of the AAC and why it’s so important; the decision to give Alex Honnold the AAC’s Underhill Award; and much more.
New Skis from Prior, Atomic, K2, and More (Ep.18)
Jonathan Ellsworth and Sam Shaheen discuss a number of skis they’ve been reviewing, including two from Prior Skis, the new Atomic Bent Chetler 100, the K2 Wayback 106, the Scott Super Guide 105, and the Salomon MTN Explore 95.