Podcasts | BLISTER Outdoor Media & Gear Reviews

Armada Skier, Todd Ligare, on Big-Mountain Skiing, Ski Racing, & His New Films: On the Hunt Part 1 & 2 (Ep.349)

March 10, 2025March 10, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Jonathan talks with Todd Ligare about his career in big-mountain skiing; his background in ski racing; movies & marriage; his two new 5-minute ski films; Sammy Carlson; Mikaela Shiffrin; the current world cup alpine ski race season; & more.

On GEAR:30, Blister reviewers Jonathan, Luke, Sascha, Kristin, and the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb discuss some of the new ski and snowboard gear they spent time on at last week’s Blister Summit, including several prototypes.

New Gear from Blister Summit 2025 (Ep. 337)

March 7, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Blister reviewers Jonathan, Luke, Sascha, Kristin, and the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb discuss some of the new ski and snowboard gear they spent time on at last week’s Blister Summit, including several prototypes.

Jackson Goldstone racing at Red Bull Hardline Tasmania

Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, February 2025 (Ep. 264)

March 6, 2025 by Simon Stewart

Mike and Simon recap the incredible RedBull Hardline event in Tasmania, as well as some good and not so good bike industry news. Plus Mike tries to get out of his bet with Simon to eat his microphone, a fun conversation about some new cycling startups, and a whole lot more.

Highlights from Blister Summit 2025 w/ Jonathan Ellsworth & Kristin Sinnott (Ep.348)

March 4, 2025March 4, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We just wrapped up another outstanding Blister Summit, so Blister Summit Director, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth caught up to share a few of their favorite moments, discuss the new things that took place this year (including the DJ set / dance party that broke out in Blister HQ); and talk about the future of the event.

George Brannigan on the State of World Cup DH, Hardline, the Motorhead Edit & More (Ep.263)

February 27, 2025 by David Golay

George Brannigan is next up in our series of conversations with World Cup DH racers, and we chat about his retirement from the series; the state of DH racing; Red Bull Hardline; his epic Motorhead edit; and a whole lot more.

Molly Armanino on Her FWT Win; New Film; Comp Life; Coping with Loss; & More (Ep.347)

March 4, 2025February 25, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Molly recently won the FWT comp in Kicking Horse; her new film, Slopes of Change, comes out today; and she is currently in the country of Georgia on hold waiting for the next FWT comp. So Jonathan spoke with Molly about all these things, plus her relationships with pro skiers McKenna Peterson and Josh Daiek; working with a sports psychologist; and more.

On GEAR:30, Jonathan and Luke discuss the new pow skis they tested during Crested Butte’s big storm cycle, including the Head Kore 118Ti and Kore 112Ti; the latest iteration of the ON3P Billy Goat; Tyrolia’s Attack Hybrid binding; Salomon’s revised QST Blank and QST 106, and more.

Reviewer Reports: Pow Skis, New Bindings, & Our 40” Storm (Ep.336)

February 21, 2025 by Luke Koppa

Crested Butte Mountain Resort recently got 40+ inches of new snow in just a few days, so Jonathan and Luke sat down to discuss several of the new pow skis they’ve been testing from Head, ON3P, Salomon, Rossignol, and more.

Eli Brown & Jonathan Ellsworth: Can We Change a White-Wine Hater’s Mind? (Ep.60)

February 20, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Today, Jonathan and Eli will be trying several white wine options to see if Eli can get Jonathan more interested in what white wines have to offer.

Reece Wilson on forming AON Racing, Partnering with Gamux, Belt Drives, Gearboxes, & More (Ep.262)

February 20, 2025 by Simon Stewart

We check in with Reece Wilson about his newly formed AON racing team; partnering with Gamux and the benefits of belt drives and gearboxes; the likely rivalry between his team and Atherton Racing to see who will bring home the Gates Belted 100k Purse; and a whole lot more.

Alex Hackel on Kings & Queens of Corbet’s, Movies, & More (Ep.346)

February 17, 2025February 17, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We’re talking about all things ‘Kings & Queens’ with Alex Hackel, who has podiumed both times he’s competed in the event. Alex is also a 2-times X-games medalist, he’s the co-founder of 1000skis, and he’s a terrific filmmaker, and we discuss all of this and more.

‘Downhill’ stars A-list actors and comedians (Will Ferrel, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Zach Woods); features realistic skiing; takes place entirely at a ski resort; and was released on Valentine’s Day. So it must be every skier’s favorite Rom-Com, right? Not exactly. On Blister Cinematic, you’ll hear Amie and Jonathan’s strong reactions to one of the most puzzling ski movies they’ve ever seen.

‘Downhill’ w/ Amie Engerbretson & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.36)

February 14, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

‘Downhill’ stars A-list comedians (Will Ferrel, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, etc); takes place entirely at a ski resort; and was released on Valentine’s Day. So it must be every skier’s favorite Rom-Com, right? Hear Amie and Jonathan’s strong reactions to one of the most puzzling ski movies ever.

Love, Drugs, & Graphene: Mito Materials’ Founders on Next-Gen Ski Construction (Ep.335)

February 14, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Today we are talking about love, materials science, and ski construction. We’re looking at graphene, why you might soon be hearing more about it in skis in the near future, and the unique properties of Mito Materials’ functionalized graphene.

Camille Balanche on Yeti’s Return to World Cup DH, the State of the Sport, Injuries, & More (Ep.261)

February 13, 2025 by David Golay

World Cup DH is undergoing a ton of changes at the moment, and we sat down with Camille Balanche to get her take on all of it. In addition to getting her thoughts on the state of World Cup Downhill, we talk about her move to Yeti; her injury struggles over the last couple of seasons and returning to form; pay in women’s racing; her 2025 plans and goals; and a whole lot more.

On CRAFTED, Chef Paul Jenson and Eli discuss Paul’s background, the unique world of culinary competition, and what it means to represent the U.S. in one of the most prestigious food contests on earth — the Culinary Olympics.

Gold Medal Gastronomy: Inside the High-Stakes World of the Culinary Olympics (Ep.59)

February 12, 2025February 12, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Chef Paul Jensen and Eli discuss Paul’s background, the unique world of culinary competition, and what it means to represent the U.S. in one of the most prestigious food contests on earth — the Culinary Olympics.

You geek out about your gear, but do you know how to fuel yourself when you’re out in the mountains or on the trail? What, when, and how much should you be eating and drinking? What does the latest science have to say about all of this? On our Blister Podcast, Jonathan talks to Skratch Labs founder, Dr. Allen Lim, about all of this, and more.

Sports Nutrition, Entrepreneurship, & Magic Bird Poop with Skratch Labs’ Founder, Dr. Allen Lim (Ep.345)

February 10, 2025February 10, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

You geek out about your gear, but do you know how to fuel yourself when you’re out in the mountains or on the trail? What, when, and how much should you be eating and drinking? We talk to Scratch Labs founder, Dr. Allen Lim, about all of this, and more.

Matt Manser on Atomic’s New Redster Ski Boots, New Remedy 130, & More (Ep.334)

February 7, 2025February 7, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

What’s the difference between a true race boot; a race-inspired ski boot; and a high-performance freeride or freestyle boot? Matt and Jonathan discuss all of these things and more, and you’ll hear the most important rant / public service announcement in GEAR:30 history.

Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, January 2025 (Ep.260)

February 6, 2025 by Simon Stewart

What impact are Trump’s tariffs going to have on the bike industry, and will they affect that new bike or component upgrade you have your eye on? Mike and Simon weigh in with their thoughts on the tariffs; as well as a Preview of Red Bull Hardline Tasmania; Mexico as a mountain bike destination; and a whole lot more.

On our Blister Cinematic podcast, Jonathan talks with Nikolai Schirmer about snow monk warriors, obsessive weirdos, and his outstanding new movie. And Cody Townsend (who is in the film) joins in to talk about the evolution of ski culture, filmmaking, and more.

‘Ski: The Greatest Ski Tour of All Time’ w/ Nikolai Schirmer, Cody Townsend, & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.35)

February 6, 2025February 6, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We talk with Nikolai Schirmer about snow monk warriors, obsessive weirdos, and his outstanding new movie. And Cody Townsend (who is in the film) joins in to talk about the evolution of ski culture, filmmaking, and more.

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, January 2025 (Ep.344)

February 4, 2025February 3, 2025 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Cody and Jonathan review some of the big news of January; rate Cody’s take; share what we’re reading & watching; offer some mountain town advice; and more.

Reviewer Reports: New Head Kores, Ski Boots, & One Age-Old Question (Ep.333)

January 31, 2025 by Luke Koppa

Luke, Kara, & Jonathan discuss Head’s overhauled collection of Kore skis; Jonathan makes a confession after he took some carving skis off piste; Kara and Luke discuss a bunch of boots they’ve been testing; Jonathan poses an age-old question about boot flexes; Kara breaks down the setups she’s bringing to Japan; and much more.

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