Podcasts | BLISTER Outdoor Media & Gear Reviews

Reviewer Reports: Specialized Epic Evo to the RAAW Madonna, Lots of Tires, & More (Ep.228)

June 27, 2024 by David Golay

We check in on a whole bunch of the bikes, tires, and other gear we’re currently testing, from the razor-sharp Specialized Epic Evo to the ultra-composed RAAW Madonna, and a wide range in between.

La Marzocco Product Designer, Stefano Della Pietra (Ep.44)

June 26, 2024June 26, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

La Marzocco is the most iconic espresso-machine maker in the world, and last month, Jonathan spoke with their lead product designer, Stefano Della Pietra, about the history and core principles of the company; the task of taking La Marzocco into the future while staying true to the brand’s storied past; and more.

What outdoor sports film has the most star-studded cast of all time? And how come nobody seems to talk about it? The answer is the 2017 mockumentary, ‘Tour de Pharmacy,’ and with the Tour de France starting this Saturday, we thought it was the perfect time to watch and discuss this hilarious, kinda disturbing, completely ludicrous, and very NSFW film on our latest Blister Cinematic podcast.

‘Tour de Pharmacy’ with Jonathan Ellsworth & Simon Stewart (Ep.16)

September 9, 2024June 25, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

What outdoor sports film has the most star-studded cast of all time? Probably the 2017 mockumentary, ‘Tour de Pharmacy.’ It’s hilarious, kinda disturbing, completely ludicrous, and very NSFW.

On Blister Podcast ep. 313, We talk with Adrian Ballinger about the multiple sides of Everest, the many different ways to approach it, the culture of high-altitude mountaineering, and more.

Adrian Ballinger on Everest, Ethics, & Unexplored Places (Ep.313)

June 24, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We talk with Adrian Ballinger about the multiple sides of Everest, the many different ways to approach it, the culture of high-altitude mountaineering, and more.

The Life of a Ski Engineer + 24/25 LINE & K2 Skis (Ep.302)

June 21, 2024 by Luke Koppa

Sean Fearon, ski development engineer for LINE & K2, helped design over a dozen of the brand’s new 24/25 skis, and he gave us the full backstory on LINE’s overhauled Pandora and Vision series; the new K2 Reckoner and Omen lines; working with Karl Fostvedt on his unique pro model; what life as a ski engineer actually entails, and more.

The Wild Tale of Constru-Bikes & Their Massive Bike Theft and Trafficking Ring (Ep.227)

June 20, 2024 by David Golay

Thousands of high-end bikes have been stolen across the Western US and wound up in Jalisco, Mexico. The story behind the trafficking ring and how Bryan Hance of Bike Index uncovered it is a *wild* one — hear all about it on this episode.

Coffee Gear, Pt. 4: “Hero Espresso” & Jonathan’s Current Setup (Ep.43)

September 9, 2024June 19, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Today’s the day. Simon Stewart and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the coffee gear Jonathan ended up going with on his quest to create daily doses of ‘hero espresso’.

‘Wade in the Water’ with David Mesfin & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.15)

June 18, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Our guest is David Mesfin, the writer, director, and producer of ‘Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture’ that chronicles the 1000-year-old tradition of Black surfing and highlights some of the black surfers and surfing organizations that are forging the next chapters of this tradition.

On our latest Blister Podcast, we talk with professional climber Sasha DiGiulian about her unconventional journey, major setbacks, and remarkable achievements in and beyond the climbing world. We also go behind the scenes of the new documentary about her (which airs tomorrow on HBO and Max Here to Climb

Here to Climb: Sasha DiGiulian on Fitting In, Standing Out, & Her New Documentary (Ep.312)

June 17, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We talk to professional climber Sasha DiGiulian about her unconventional journey, major setbacks, and remarkable achievements in and beyond the climbing world. We also go behind the scenes of the new documentary about her life, Here to Climb.

Since Jonathan missed our GEAR:30 ‘travel gear’ conversation a few weeks ago, he wanted to weigh in. So on this week’s episode, he and Kristin Sinnott open by discussing their recent trips; they discuss the question of ‘why we travel?’; and then, they dive into some of their favorite travel gear.

Travel Gear + Bringing Back the Snake Bite Black (Ep.301)

June 16, 2024June 14, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Jonathan and Kristin discuss their recent trips; the question of ‘why we travel?’; bringing back the endangered Snake Bite Black; and they dive into some of their favorite travel gear.

Dan Bacon of Wheelbased on the (Potential) Future of MTB Tech (Ep.226)

September 9, 2024June 13, 2024 by David Golay

A lot of wild patent applications have been filed in the bike world of late, so we brought Dan Bacon from Wheelbased back on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about a bunch of them, from Bilstein’s wild fork damper to Shimano’s electronic brakes, a carbon fiber cooler from Yeti (the BIKE company), and many more.

Jonathan Ellsworth was recently at JING Tea HQ in London for another CRAFTED conversation with JING founder, Ed Eisler. After a proper tea tasting, they discuss all things tea (and skis); agriculture as art; and the qualities of a great tea.

JING Tea founder, Ed Eisler, on Tea, Trust, & the Art of Loving Anything (Ep.42)

September 6, 2024June 12, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Jonathan Ellsworth and Ed Eisler discuss all things tea (and skis); agriculture as art; and the qualities of a great tea.

‘Bicycle Thieves’ is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made, so we thought it would be a fitting way to introduce our first bike film on Blister Cinematic. Jonathan is joined by BLISTER senior bike editor, Simon Stewart, to talk about the film, why it still matters, and why they believe that everyone who loves bikes ought to see it.

‘Bicycle Thieves’ with Jonathan Ellsworth & Simon Stewart (Ep.14)

June 11, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

‘Bicycle Thieves’ is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made. Today, we discuss why it still matters, and why we believe that everyone who loves bikes ought to see it.

On our latest Blister Podcast, we talk with U.S. Ski Hall of Famer, Mike Hattrup, about his days as a competitive mogul skier; being featured in iconic ski films like ‘The Blizzard of AAHHH’s’; his decades working in gear testing and development; and his latest role with Eleven Experience.

Mike Hattrup: A Life in Skiing (Ep.311)

June 10, 2024June 10, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

We talk with U.S. Ski Hall of Famer, Mike Hattrup, about his days as a competitive mogul skier; being featured in iconic ski films like ‘The Blizzard of AAHHH’s’; his decades working in gear testing and development; and his latest role with Eleven Experience.

Runways, Race Courses, & Riding Gear: Curious Creatures’ Unique Origin Story (Ep.300)

June 7, 2024June 7, 2024 by Kara Williard

Launching your own outdoor apparel company is no small feat, especially if it’s a one-woman operation. But with Curious Creatures, that’s exactly what Tasha Woodworth has done, and we sat down with her to hear all about her unique path to where she is today, as well as the ups, downs, and key takeaways from the journey.

Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, May 2024 (Ep.225)

June 6, 2024 by Simon Stewart

MTB racing season is in full swing and Simon Stewart and Mike Ferrentino have a lot to cover on this iteration of Reviewing the News, from World Cup XC to Hardline, the Giro d’Italia and upcoming Tour de France, and a whole lot more.

Hall of Famer Bill Walton on Life, Bikes, Music, & More (Ep.310)

June 3, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Last week, we lost one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, and a person with an all-time love of bikes. Today, Jonathan talks about what Bill meant to him personally, and we’re republishing here the conversation he had with Bill back on our Bikes & Big Ideas podcast.

EXT’s New Storia and Arma V4 Shocks (Ep.224)

May 30, 2024 by David Golay

EXT is updating their (already impressive) Storia and Arma rear shocks, so we sat down with their founder, Franco Fratton, to hear all about the new dampers; the potential for truly “active” suspension systems in the bike world; tease some upcoming EXT products, and more.

On our latest Blister Podcast, we talk with Eric Blehm, author of The Darkest White. (as well as books such as ‘Fearless’ and ‘The Only Thing Worth Dying For’.) His latest, The Darkest White, is a book we think every snowboarder and skier should read. We go behind the scenes with Eric to talk about the legend, Craig Kelly; Eric’s extensive research on this project; and why The Darkest White is really (at least) 6 books in 1

Author Eric Blehm on Craig Kelly & ‘The Darkest White’ (Ep.309)

May 27, 2024 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Our guest is Eric Blehm, author of The Darkest White, which is a book that every snowboarder and skier should read.

Taylor Ahearn has been photographing skiing, snowboarding, biking, and day-to-day life in the Gunnison / Crested Butte Valley for many years now, and in this episode of GEAR:30, Luke Koppa chats with him about how he turned that into a career; their favorite camera-related gear; tips to help *you* capture better photos next time you’re outside; the most rewarding, frustrating, and unusual parts of getting these shots; and more.

Outdoor Photography: Tips, Tricks, & Gear with Taylor Ahearn (Ep.299)

May 24, 2024 by Luke Koppa

Taylor Ahearn has been photographing skiing, snowboarding, biking, and day-to-day life in the Gunnison / Crested Butte Valley for many years now, and in this conversation, Luke Koppa chats with him about how he turned that into a career; their favorite camera-related gear; tips to help *you* capture better photos next time you’re outside, and more.

+ More