Podcasts | BLISTER Outdoor Media & Gear Reviews

Wyn Masters on his Privateer Program, the 2023 DH Race Landscape, & More (Ep.174)

June 15, 2023June 14, 2023 by David Golay

Wyn Masters’ updated Privateer Program is an outstanding effort from a well-established racer to support up-and-comers, so we sat down to chat with him about that; how the rule updates for the 2023 season change things for racers trying to make it at the highest level, and more.

On our latest CRAFTED podcast, we’re discussing the rules of rum with Karen Hoskin, founder of Montanya Distillers, which produces some of the best rum in the country — right in Crested Butte, Colorado.

Rum Rules: Montanya Distillers’ Karen Hoskin (Ep.28)

June 14, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Today we’re discussing the rules of rum with Karen Hoskin, founder of Montanya Distillers, which produces some of the best rum in the country.

Olivia Amber on Endless Summers; Her Huemul Circuit FKT; & Fastpacking 101 (Ep.176)

June 13, 2023June 13, 2023 by Matt Mitchell

The North Face athlete Olivia Amber spent the first few months of 2023 road tripping through South America, running, climbing (and occasionally fly fishing) along the way. We caught up with her to hear all about it before launching into a discussion about summer fastpacking best practices, gear tips, and more.

The State of Startups in the Outdoor Industry (Ep.264)

June 12, 2023 by Jonathan Ellsworth

Ever dreamed of starting your own business in the outdoor industry? We discuss the state of startups in the outdoor industry with Moosejaw CEO, Eoin Comerford. And as the CEO of an outdoor retail company — as well as his work with the Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator, where Eoin works closely with new companies and founders — Eoin is extremely well positioned to talk about the startup landscape today, and he provides numerous thoughts, tips, and bits of advice about funding, what success looks like; and more.

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.

+ More