Buttered Noodles; Opening Day; & Ski Quivers (Ep.124)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the opening day of the ski season; approaches to building ski quivers; our specific selections; Luke’s latest rant; What we’re Celebrating; & more.
Podcasts
Matt Hart on Nike, The Oregon Project, & PEDs in Sports (Ep.74)
We talk to Matt Hart about his book, Win at All Costs: Inside Nike Running and its Culture of Deception, which is is an important book that everyone interested in competitive athletics should read. We discuss how Matt got interested in and involved with this story; whether we should just make all performance-enhancing drugs legal in all sports; who is most to blame for PED use in sports; what Nike’s response to the book has been; and Alberto Salazar’s upcoming trial.
Athletic Brewing Company founder, Bill Shufelt (Ep.151)
Athletic Brewing Company is a fast-growing brand in an emerging category that is about to blow up: non-alcoholic craft beer. So we talked to Athletic Brewing’s founder about why he started the company; the stigma of not drinking; why “near beer” has been so bad; why there’s such a need for products like this in the outdoors community; Athletic’s brewing process; how he feels about the emerging competition in the space; and more.
Shop Talk: Tyson Stellrecht, Boise Gear Collective (Ep.123)
We sat down with Tyson Stellrecht, the founder of Boise Gear Collective, to talk about the selling of both used gear and brand new gear; how it’s going with backcountry.com one year later; why Tyson isn’t moving into e-commerce; gear snobs; predictions for the upcoming season; and more.
Anneke Beerten on Her Accident; Recovery; Pastranaland, & More (Ep.44)
Anneke Beerten (the 2 x world champion BMX rider, 3-time Four Cross world champion, and Queen of Crankworx) was in an accident and suffered a serious concussion, so we check in with her to hear more about what happened; get a firsthand report of her recovery; and present a public service announcement that we all need to hear. Then we shift gears to talk about participating in the amazing Pastranaland Pit Bike Championships, so this is both a serious and super fun conversation.
Hoka Founder & Deckers Group VP of Innovation, Jean-Luc Diard (Ep.73)
If you are interested in product design and the process of innovation, then you need to listen to this conversation. Jean-Luc Diard started as an intern at Salomon, developed the first shaped ski, became the CEO at Salomon, played a major role in the development of Salomon’s running shoes, moved on to found Hoka One One, and is currently the VP of Innovation for the Deckers Group, where he currently heads up the Deckers X Lab.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Nov 2020) (Ep.150)
Today we are launching a new segment on the Blister Podcast. Each month, Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the biggest stories and most interesting news headlines from the world of outdoor sports, and on occasion, the broader world, too. We also share some of the best things we’ve watched, read, or listened to.
Reviewer Reports: Shoulder Season MTB Gear + Forks Roundup (Ep.43)
For many of us, it’s shoulder season, where the riding conditions are wet, muddy, and / or cold. And some of us live in places where we regularly encounter those conditions. So on our latest Bikes & Big Ideas podcast, we discuss why some of the apparel that’s intended for wet/muddy riding sucks; which products have worked the best for us; and then we shift to a conversation about forks from Fox, RockShox, and Manitou.
Bending the Paradigm: Polartec’s Approach to “Waterproofness” & Comfort (Ep.122)
What does “waterproof” really mean, and when should you worry (and not worry) about a 10k or 20k rating on the jacket or pants you are thinking of buying? Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth spoke with Michael Cattanach, the product design director at Polartec, about the “ingredients” used to make your favorite apparel; Polartec’s history; and what Polartec is up to today.
Billy Yang on Running, Filmmaking, Media, Moving (??), & More (Ep.72)
Billy Yang is (among other things) a runner, filmmaker (Billy Yang Films), podcast host (Billy Yang Podcast), and someone who has been chronicling the sport of running in a fashion that is often beautiful, and always inspiring. So Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked to Billy about everything from cigarette brands to the need for more compassionate critical thinking in our world.
Adaptive Sports & Recreation: Past, Present, & Future (Ep.149)
Did you know that 1 out of 5 people in the United States have a disability? That is just one reason why you ought to know about the world of adaptive sports. So to get an overview of the past, present, and future of adaptive sports and recreation, we sat down with Chris Read and Betty Philbin of the Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte.
20/21 Blister Buyer’s Guide + Your Questions (Ep.121)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the highlights and big takeaways from our new Winter Buyer’s Guide; our Best Of award winners; whether or not the 20/21 crop of ski gear represents a step forward; and we then answer a lot of the questions you submitted.
Mali Noyes & Lani Bruntz ski The Wurl (Ep.148)
The Wurl — The Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup — has gained a lot of attention in the trail running and climbing worlds, but it had never been done in the winter, and Mali Noyes and Lani Bruntz set out to ski it. So we talked with Mali and Lani about the origins of this idea to ski The Wurl, and the planning, logistics, and scouting that happened behind the scenes.
In Defense of Indoor Trainers (Ep.42)
Trainers? Trainers?? Roadies have been using them forever, but many mountain bikers dismiss them (like we did). But Simon Stewart (aka, Mr. Tank Driver / co-owner of BV Bike Company) lays out a compelling case for why all cyclists — including mountain bikers — should reconsider their stance on the modern, indoor trainer.
Shop Talk: John Weir, Bentgate (Ep.120)
We talk to John Weir from Bentgate in Golden, Colorado, about fitting AT boots; the rise of splitboarding; John’s predictions for this upcoming season; some of the precautions and protocols that Bentgate is taking and putting in place this winter; a lasting (positive) effect that COVID may have on the bootfitting process; and more.
Brendan Leonard on his new FKT, the Deadline Dungeon, & More (Ep.71)
Today we’re putting our Off The Couch co-host, Brendan Leonard (semi-rad.com) in the interviewee seat to hear about his recent FKT; his review of his FKT route and whether you should do it; movies; his current running program; gas station donuts; how well he deals with deadlines; some of his current and upcoming projects, and more.
Hunt to Eat founder, Mahting Putelis (Ep.147)
This is another installment in our series on food, and food systems, and our guest today was first introduced to me by Blister reviewer, Paul Forward. Mahting Putelis is the founder of Hunt to Eat, which is an organization that “exists to find modern, progressive, and inclusive ways to support and grow the community of folks that go outdoors, harvest wild meat, or plants, or fungi, and take these things home to be cooked with care for themselves or their friends and family.”
Cody Townsend on Coffee Makers, Bindings, & Beacons (Ep.119)
On our latest GEAR:30 podcast, we sat down in Blister HQ with Cody Townsend to talk about coffee makers, bindings, beacons, terrain management, mortality, movies, and more.
Big Mtn Skier (& Trail Runner), Cody Townsend (Ep.70)
Six months ago, professional skier, Cody Townsend, hated running. Now he loves it. So what happened?? And will his current training program really get him ready to ski tour up and down some of the gnarliest peaks in North America for his ongoing Fifty Project? If you have ever found yourself in the “I hate running” camp, you should listen to this episode.
Blister Speaker Series 3.1: Cody Townsend (Ep.146)
Cody Townsend came to Western Colorado University and spoke about why his education has been so beneficial to his career; social media and the new responsibilities of athletes today; starting & growing a business (Arcade Belts); The Fifty Project and all of the behind-the-scenes work; and more.