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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Last week, professional climber, Sascha Digulian, announced that she has been bullied for years by a fellow pro climber. A firestorm of responses ensued, and sponsorships were terminated. So we discuss why this is more than just some isolated issue in the climbing world; whether the brand sponsors did the right thing; and what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate responses — by each of us — to situations like this.
In part 2 of our conversation with Will Anglin and Ben Spannuth of Tension Climbing, we talk about some of the finer points of shaping holds from wood, and what setting routes has to offer as a tool for learning difficult movement.
We talk to Renan Ozturk, principal cinematographer of MOUNTAIN, about this film, what makes it truly unique, what he hopes the takeaway of the film will be, and his own evolving relationship to the mountains.
This week we’re talking with Will Anglin and Ben Spannuth of Tension Climbing. Both have impressive climbing ticklists and volumes of insight into how climbing works. We discuss their “mad scientist” approach to designing holds, and what years of coaching and studying have taught them about how to improve your climbing.
We talk to Eric Helmbrecht, owner of Powder Hound in Girdwood, Alaska, about spring skiing in AK, what gear works well in AK’s snowpack and terrain, what new gear he’s most intrigued by, and the growing mountain bike scene around Girdwood and Anchorage.
We talk to Sego Skis’ founders – brothers Tim and Peter Wells – about the backstory of Sego; manufacturing in Victor, Idaho; their 18/19 skis, women’s line, and working with Lynsey Dyer; and Sego snowblades.
G3 is introducing a new touring binding — the Zed — that they’re calling the lightest fully-featured AT binding on the market. So we talk to G3’s engineers about their design philosophy and development process, current trends in AT bindings, and the compromises inherent in any AT binding.
We went to Silverton, Colorado, to talk to the founders of Venture Snowboards about how & why Venture does things different from most snowboard companies; building boards from scratch in Silverton; “greenwashing” in the snowsports industry; current trends in board design, and more.
We talk to Jim Herrington about his new award-winning book, “The Climbers,” a compelling collection of portraits of many of the most influential climbers of the 20th century — including Fred Beckey, Yvon Chouinard, John Gill, and many more. We discuss the book, the subjects in the photos, and the book’s important role in the climbing community.
We just finished testing a broad range of skis, so Blister’s Sam Shaheen, Luke Koppa, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss a number of the highlights, including the new Atomic Bent Chetler 100, the HEAD Supershape i.Titan, a new carver from DPS, the Black Crows Orb, and what might be Jonathan’s new personal favorite from Blizzard.
We talk with Greg Floyd, founder of Bentgate in Golden, Colorado, about a bunch of new backcountry gear and some of the significant changes to backcountry ski culture that Greg has witnessed throughout his time at Bentgate.
We talk with Dave O’Leske, the director of “Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey,” about documenting the life of one of the most influential and eccentric climbers of all time, and some of the stories that didn’t make the film.
Jonathan Ellsworth and Sam Shaheen discuss the Renoun Endurance 98 and Scott Scrapper 115, then Sascha Anastas and Kara Williard talk about women’s ski boots, why it can be so hard for good skiers with small feet to find something that works for them, and which new boot Sascha is in love with.
ON3P is releasing their entire new lineup early next month. So we talk to ON3P’s Scott Andrus about this decision, then go over every ski in the new line, including what’s new, what’s unchanged, and what’s so new and experimental that Scott didn’t want to talk about it. (But we got him to anyway.)
When climbing outside, how safe are the bolts we encounter? Should we trust them? Who maintains and / or replaces them? Greg Barnes, the Director of the American Safe Climbing Association, answers all our questions about bolts and more.