Podcasts | BLISTER Outdoor Media & Gear Reviews

Tyrolia’s new Protector bindings with “Full Heel Release” is something that every skier ought to know about. Tyrolia calls it “the safest binding we have ever made,” and exactly how it works and how it’s supposed to reduce knee injuries is the topic of our latest GEAR:30 conversation with Jonathan Ellsworth and Andrew Couperthwait, VP of Winter Sports for HEAD / Tyrolia.

New Binding Tech: Tyrolia Protector Bindings with Full Heel Release (Ep.249)

June 9, 2023June 9, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Tyrolia’s Protector bindings with “Full Heel Release” is something that every skier ought to know about. Tyrolia calls it “the safest binding we have ever made,” and exactly how it works and how it’s supposed to reduce knee injuries is the topic of this conversation.

A Very Deep Dive on Suspension with EXT’s Franco Fratton, Pt. 3 (Ep.173)

June 8, 2023 by David Golay

EXT founder Franco Fratton is back on Bikes & Big Ideas to continue our deep dive on suspension, this time covering spring designs and the tradeoffs between coil and air ones; active suspension & the future of MTB suspension design, and a whole lot more.

Leah Yingling on Lululemon’s FURTHER Initiative, Their New Women-Specific Road-to-Trail Shoe, & Her Western States 100 Expectations (Ep.175)

June 6, 2023June 6, 2023 by Matt Mitchell

Leah Yingling returns to the show to discuss her new partnership with Lululemon and the brand’s FURTHER initiative, a first-of-its-kind ultramarathon for women intended to help close the sex and gender data gap in sports medicine that historically underrepresents female athletes.

On our latest Blister Podcast, Brendan Leonard (@semi_rad) talks with Jonathan about fatherhood; creative work and the nuts-and-bolts of creating; whether or not to ‘stay in your lane’; and his new book, MAKE IT, which is an easily digestible guide to making just about anything, actually.

Brendan Leonard (@semi_rad) on Fatherhood; Creative Work; & the Nuts-&-Bolts of Making Just about Anything (Ep.263)

June 6, 2023June 5, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Brendan Leonard (@semi_rad) is back to talk about fatherhood; creative work and the nuts-and-bolts of creating; and his new book, MAKE IT, which is an easily digestible guide to making just about anything, actually.

On GEAR:30, we talk with Ferreol co-founder, Jonathan Audet, about how they created their own “Innovation Lab” to test new skis and materials; the development of their own alternative to titanal alloy; fully replacing fiberglass with natural flax fibers; their 23/24 ski lineup, and more.

Ferreol Skis: Reenvisioning Ski Construction (Ep.248)

June 2, 2023 by Luke Koppa

We talk with Ferreol co-founder, Jonathan Audet, about how they created their own “Innovation Lab” to test new skis and materials; the development of their own alternative to titanal alloy; fully replacing fiberglass with natural flax fibers; their 23/24 ski lineup, and more.

Forge+Bond on Envisioning, Designing, Testing, & Refining a Carbon Fiber Wheel Design (Ep.172)

June 1, 2023June 1, 2023 by David Golay

Forge+Bond just launched as a new high-end wheel brand, and we sat down with folks from their product and engineering teams, plus F+B athlete Jill Kintner, to talk about the whole process of designing, testing, and refining a new wheelset — from conception to prototyping to athlete feedback and more.

Not all beer is created equal, and that certainly goes for NA beer, too. So what’s the secret? Bravus Brewing Company has been making some of the very best NA beer out there, so Jonathan headed to Bravus’ headquarters in Anaheim, CA, to meet up with Bravus founder, Philip Brandes. On our latest CRAFTED podcast, they discuss what led Philip to start a non-alcoholic craft brewery back in 2015; what Philip regards as some of the better - and worse - ways of making craft NA beer; and more.

Bravus Brewing Company: Elevating NA Beer (Ep.27)

May 31, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Not all beer is created equal, and that certainly goes for NA beer, too. So what’s the secret? We talk with Bravus Brewing Company founder, Philip Brandes, to learn more.

Mike McKnight on His Record-Setting Cocodona 250 Comeback & Discovering His Potential (Ep.174)

May 30, 2023 by Matt Mitchell

Salomon athlete Mike McKnight’s comeback at this year’s Cocodona 250 was improbable, to put it mildly. After trailing the leaders by more than 30 miles, he rallied to not only win the race, but to do so in record-setting fashion. So, we sat down with Mike to recap his victory, talk about his approach to 200+ mile events, and more.

On our latest episode of Reviewing the News on the Blister Podcast, Cody and Jonathan discuss the case for climate optimism; this past season’s record number of skier visits; Super El Nino; the Most Canadian News; mountain town advice (including a new pick-up line for use in mtn towns?); and of course, they’re talking about Succession.

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (May 2023) (Ep.262)

May 29, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Cody and Jonathan discuss the case for climate optimism; this season’s record number of skier visits; Super El Nino; the Most Canadian News; mountain town advice (including a new pick-up line for mtn towns?); and of course, Succession.

Bikes vs. Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 3 (Ep.247)

May 26, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Which ski company is most similar to which bike company? What’s the latest incendiary thing that will come out of Dylan Wood’s mouth? This final installment of our 4th edition is another fun one.

Jesse Melamed on His 2022 EWS Title, “Near Death” Save, Moving to Canyon, & More (Ep.171)

May 25, 2023May 25, 2023 by David Golay

Reigning EWS Overall Champ Jesse Melamed joins us on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about his 2022 season, his approach to bike setup, his battles with Richie Rude, moving to Canyon from Rocky Mountain, and a whole lot more.

Before Alex LeBlanc started Calibration Coffee Lab in Greenville, South Carolina, he was a mechanical engineer by trade, a home brewer, a home distiller, and a home coffee roaster. So what led him to leave the world of engineering to start Calibration Coffee Lab, and roast beans for a living? And how did he go about doing it? Our latest CRAFTED podcast explores the process of turning your passion into a business.

Adventures in HomeBrewing, Distilling, & Coffee Roasting + the Launch of Calibration Coffee Lab (Ep.26)

May 24, 2023May 24, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Before Alex LeBlanc started Calibration Coffee Lab in Greenville, South Carolina, he was a mechanical engineer, a home brewer, home distiller, and a home coffee roaster. So what led him to leave the world of engineering to start a coffee company, and how did he go about doing it?

Andrea Sansone and Andrew Hamilton on Tackling Colorado’s Most Coveted FKTs (Ep.173)

May 23, 2023May 23, 2023 by Matt Mitchell

Andrea Sansone and Andrew Hamilton hold some of Colorado’s signature FKTs, including Nolan’s 14 and the Colorado Fourteeners, respectively. So, Matt Mitchell sat down with the couple to talk about the partnership they’ve formed by doing hard stuff in the mountains together; the endurance mindset; Wim Hof; and much more.

Icelantic Skis Founder, Ben Anderson, on the Lucky Breaks, Tough Beats, & Key Moments in Building Icelantic (Ep.261)

May 22, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We talk to Ben Anderson about the lucky breaks and tough beats he experienced along the way; where the name and their logo came from; working with Never Summer; prototyping & developing skis; how Icelantic got into the music business; and more.

At our Blister Summit 2023, we brought together Hoji (Dynafit), Lars Chickering-Ayers (CAST Touring), and Giray Dadali (Daymaker Touring) for an extremely interesting and important discussion on the past, present, and future of ski bindings. We get their thoughts on “acceptable use” for certain bindings; the “Age of Confusion” surrounding different binding designs; being “handcuffed by standards” and thinking about the binding / boot / ski interface as a whole; what we should (or should hope to) expect from bindings in the future, and much, much more. You can watch the video on our YouTube channel, or listen to the conversation on our GEAR:30 podcast.

Ski Binding Design with Hoji, Lars Chickering-Ayers, & Giray Dadali (Ep.246)

May 19, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Hoji (Dynafit), Lars Chickering-Ayers (CAST Touring), and Giray Dadali (Daymaker Touring) discuss the past, present, and future of ski bindings; “acceptable use”; the “Age of Confusion” surrounding different binding designs; being “handcuffed by standards”; and more.

Bikes vs. Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 2 (Ep.170)

May 18, 2023 by David Golay

Which ski brand is that sport’s equivalent of Santa Cruz Bikes? Are gravel bikes more analogous to skimo skis or frontside carvers? Which bike company compares most directly to ON3P skis? We’re tackling the most important questions in the outdoor industry in our latest Bikes vs. Skis episode.

On our latest CRAFTED podcast, ON3P Skis founder, Scott Andrus is back to get deep into the weeds about the various gear options out there to make great coffee. We discuss the very inexpensive options; $1000 coffee grinders; Scott’s mind-blowing “Coffee Checklist for Jonathan”; and more. It’s an amazing, slightly terrifying, definitely fun conversation about Drinking Gold and the gear used to make it.

Drinking Gold: Coffee Gear, Pt. 3, with ON3P Skis’ founder, Scott Andrus (Ep.25)

May 17, 2023May 17, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Scott Andrus is back on CRAFTED to go deep into the weeds about the various gear options out there to make gold you can drink. We discuss the very inexpensive options; $1000 coffee grinders; Scott’s mind-blowing “Coffee Checklist for Jonathan”; and more.

Sarah Ostaszewski on Winning Round 3 at the Cocodona 250 (Ep.172)

May 16, 2023May 16, 2023 by Matt Mitchell

Sarah Ostaszewski has run the Cocodona 250 all three years of its existence and each time she’s gotten faster and faster. Her latest attempt on the grueling 250-mile course took her just over three days, good enough for the win and a fourth-place overall finish. We sat down with Sarah to talk about the allure of multi-day events; why she keeps coming back to the Cocodona 250; and more.

Angel Collinson just experienced “the best two weeks of my life,” so we discuss that; the process of self discovery; Sam Elias’ & Hillary Allen’s recent Open Mic pieces, and why writing is often wrestling; and then in our ‘Ask Angel’ segment, we go over a number of the questions that you had for Angel.

Deep Dives with Angel (May 2023) (Ep.260)

May 15, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Angel Collinson just experienced “the best two weeks of my life,” so we discuss that; the process of self discovery; our series and why writing is often wrestling; and then Angel answers a number of questions that you had for her.

Bikes vs. Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 1 (Ep.245)

May 12, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Which bike brand and which ski company is currently holding the ‘Cool Kids Belt’? Which brand do other companies secretly wish they could trade places with? We debate these questions and more in our latest edition of Bikes vs. Skis.