Podcasts

Your Questions + Our Review of PBR’s ‘Hard Coffee’ (Ep.99)

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What outdoor gear is in need of the biggest improvement? How old is too old to try your first backflip?; If you had to opt for skis that are too long or too short, which would you pick? What should I do with my life? How does one start reviewing for Blister? Could you please provide an unbiased review and comparison of the Blister Membership, Deep Dive Subscription, and Blister Premier Membership? Luke Koppa and Jonathan answer these and many more.
Hillary Gerardi, winner of the 2018 Skyrunner Extra World Series Circuit, goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss mountain scrambling, trail running, living in Vermont & France, Research Center for Alpine Ecosystems, & More

Hillary Gerardi, Mountain Scrambler (Ep.49)

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Hillary Gerardi won the 2018 Skyrunner Extra World Series Circuit, and yet, she still doesn’t necessarily think of herself as a runner. So Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss this with Hillary, and what it is that she enjoys most about being in the mountains. Hillary was born in Vermont, but lives in Chamonix and works at the Research Center for Alpine Ecosystems, so of course, we discuss all of that, too.
Chugach Powder Guides lead guide, Henry Munter, goes on the Blister Podcast to discuss the current state of heli skiing, how COVID-19 has impacted heli skiing, environmental impacts of heli skiing, & more

On the State of Heli Skiing: Henry Munter, Chugach Powder Guides (Ep. 128)

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Henry Munter is a lead heli guide and the general manager of Chugach Powder Guides in Girdwood, AK, and we talk with him about making the call to shut down operations right as the heli season was in full swing; the evolution of heli skiing; decision making, memory, and some of the tools and practices Henry uses in forecasting, guiding clients, and handling all types of different aspects of the business; and we discuss environmentalism and heli skiing, and how Henry and others at CPG are thinking about those two things.
Eric Freson participates in "Reviewing the Reviewer" on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast

Reviewing the Reviewer: Eric Freson (Ep.98)

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On our latest “Reviewing the Reviewer” episode of GEAR:30, we talk to mountain bike and ski reviewer, Eric Freson, about his gear preferences; how many times he’s broken his neck; co-founding the freeride team at Western Colorado University; and Fresonisms like “torksmash” and “smokin rocks.”
Chris King Precision Component's Kirby Bedsaul goes on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas podcast to discuss how and why Chris King became a certified B Corp

Why & How Chris King Became a B Corp (Ep.23)

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What, exactly, does it mean for a company to be a Certified B Corporation business, and why should anyone care? To learn more, we reached out to Chris King Precision Components — which just completed the process of becoming one of the very few B Corp manufacturing companies in the bike industry — and asked about what the process of becoming a B Corp entails, why they decided to do it, and we also discuss Chris King’s approach to manufacturing out of their homebase of Portland, Oregon.
Rickey Gates joins Jonathan Ellsworth on Blister's Off the Couch Podcast to talk about "Cross Country, a 3700-Mile Run to Explore Unseen America"

Rickey Gates on Running across America (Ep.48)

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In 2017, Rickey Gates set out on an odyssey to run across America — 3,700 miles from South Carolina to San Francisco. We talked to Rickey about this cross-country adventure and what he learned along the way, and how it fits in with his other projects, like his “Every Single Street” initiative; “Hut Run Hut” and “Bus Run Bus”; and “50 Classic Trails.”
Alex Rich joins Sam Shaheen on Gear:30 podcast to talk about Mystery Ranch Packs

Mystery Ranch Backpacks: From Special Ops to Backcountry Skiing (Ep.97)

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Mystery Ranch has a long history of working with and making packs for the US military, fire departments, and law enforcement. They also make everything from backpacks for everyday use, to packs for backcountry skiing, and the company has quite a unique culture. So we sat down with product designer, Alex Rich, to discuss what it’s like to design packs for US special forces; how their military designs trickle down to outdoor packs (and vice versa); how their design ethos reflects their sustainability culture; and more.

Jenny & Scott Jurek on Cooking, Running, & Kids (Ep.47)

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Late last week, Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked with Jenny and Scott Jurek. This probably wasn’t the conversation that you ought to have when you get to talk with a running icon like Scott Jurek and someone who is as accomplished and interesting as Jenny, but, whatever. We had fun, and you will, too. Among other things, we talk about Scott’s very first race; Jenny’s transition from climbing to running; Scott’s love of cooking; Jenny’s ambition to set the Slowest Known Time on the Pacific Crest Trail; and the process of co-writing their wonderful book, North.
X Games Real Ski Gold Medalist, Jake Mageau goes on the Blister Podcast to discuss his skiing career, filming for Real Ski, fishing, his thoughts on style, & more

X Games Real Ski 2020 Gold Medalist, Jake Mageau (Ep. 127)

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The creativity and talent on display in X Games Real Ski is always so bonkers that it can be easy to overlook all that goes into making these 90-second edits. So we talked with Real Ski 2020 winner, Jake Mageau, about what really goes into filming a successful 90-second edit; scouting and settling on locations; the insane “Mind Flip” he puts down in this edit, and more.
Bill Walton discusses bikes, Bike for Humanity, basketball, and music on the Bikes & Big Ideas podcast

Basketball Legend Bill Walton on His Love of Bikes, Life, & Humanity (Ep. 21)

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Bill Walton is not only one of the greatest basketball players of all time, his passion for bikes is all-time, too. So we talked to Bill about his life-long love of bikes, and about his upcoming event, Bike For Humanity, which is a virtual event that Bill created as a way for all of us to show our solidarity in these times. We also discuss the top-5, all-time, NBA ‘bike’ guys; Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, and more.
Jonathan Ellsworth & Luke Koppa discuss on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast the new Marker Duke PT binding, how the Duke PT compares to other touring bindings; J Skis Slacker; Sego Condor 108; Volkl Blaze 106; 4FRNT Raven; & Tiger King

AT Binding Shootout, New Touring Skis, & Tiger King (Ep.96)

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Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, and Luke’s mustache discuss the pros and cons of a number of current AT bindings, including the new Marker Duke PT, the SHIFT binding, Daymaker Alpine Touring adapters, frame bindings, and tech toe bindings. They then discuss four new touring skis: the J Skis Slacker, Sego Condor, 4FRNT Raven, and Volkl Blaze 106. Then it’s time to talk Tiger King.
Dominic Di Tommaso talks freerunning on Blister's Off the Couch podcast.

Freerunner, Dom Di Tommaso (@domtomato) (Ep. 46)

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Dom di Tommaso (@domtomato) is a freerunner, a certified mind blower, and the guy behind one of our favorite Instagram pages and YouTube channels in the world. So on our latest Off The Couch podcast, we talked to Dom about his uncommon upbringing; his training, his focus, his injury history, and how he avoids dying doing the stuff he does; and more.
Author of SKI INC 2020, Chris Diamond, goes on the Blister Podcast to discuss the status of the ski industry, the effect of the EPIC & IKON Passes, how COVID-19 is impacting the ski industry, & more

SKI INC. 2020: The Current State & Future of the Ski Industry (Ep. 126)

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The ski industry has undergone rapid changes in the past several years, and we are currently in another unprecedented moment with the COVID-19 pandemic. So to help us better understand the past, present, and future of the ski industry, we talked to industry veteran and author of SKI INC, and SKI INC. 2020, Chris Diamond, about the rise of the EPIC and IKON passes; this recent era of rampant ski resort acquisitions; the state (and fate) of independent ski areas; whether COVID-19 will likely have lasting impacts on the ski industry; and more.
Geoff McFetridge, Dan Abrams, Kristin Sinnott, & Paul Forward discuss on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast their recommendations for beginner telemark gear and what separates different tele bindings.

Crash Course: Telemark Ski Gear, Part 1 (Ep.95)

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Since we have to learn how to tele ski and shoot a tele video, we’re crowdsourcing a crash course in telemark technique (see Blister Podcast episode 125) and in telemark gear. So here in Tele Gear Part 1, we’re talking again with the artist, Geoff McFetridge; Flylow Gear co-founder and president, Dan Abrams; and Blister reviewers Paul Forward and Kristin Sinnott.
Geoff McFetridge, Dan Abrams, Kristin Sinnott, & Paul Forward discuss on the Blister podcast their recommendations for how to start telemark skiing

Crash Course: How to Telemark Ski, Part 1 (Ep.125)

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Baby giraffes? Organic bamboo scissors? Superman? Since we now have to learn how to tele ski (we’ll explain), we’re crowdsourcing a crash course in what we need to know to avoid embarrassing and / or killing ourselves. So here in Part 1, we solicited the best tips and advice from artist and telemarker, Geoff McFetridge; Flylow Gear president, Dan Abrams; and Blister reviewers, Paul Forward and Kristin Sinnott.
Kitsbow, Industry Nine, Shaggy's Copper Country Skis discuss manufacturing PPE during the coronavirus pandemic on Blister's Bikes & Big Ideas Podcast.

How the Outdoor Industry is Pivoting to Fight COVID-19 (Ep.20)

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As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, a number of companies in the outdoor industry are pivoting away from their normal operations and product offerings to provide healthcare workers with critical gear. So we talk to physician assistant and Blister reviewer, Sascha Anastas, about the scope of the problem, and we then talk to Kitsbow, Industry Nine, and Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis about how they are each helping the cause.
Eric Schranz joins Jonathan Ellsworth and Brendan Leonard on the Off the Couch Podcast

Eric Schranz, Ultrarunnerpodcast.com, on Running, His Career, & Heist Films (Ep.44)

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Eric Schranz has been a staple of the trail running and ultrarunning world for over a decade — both as a passionate runner, and as the host of Ultrarunnerpodcast.com. And since Eric spends so much of his time writing about and interviewing other runners, Brendan Leonard (semi-rad.com) and I thought it would be fun to put Eric in the guest seat. So Brendan and I talked with Eric about how he got into running; his work in the music industry and politics; getting started at ultrarunnerpodcast.com; the art of conversation; how running media differs from other sports media coverage; and a whole lot more — including, a rather spirited discussion about the best bank robbery and heist movies of all time.
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