The 2021 Blister Summit

2021 Blister Summit at Mount Crested Butte

We are pleased to invite you to a new event in the snowsports world: the Blister Summit at Mt. Crested Butte.

Post Navigation:  Intro //  Dates //  Cost //  COVID Safety //  Registration

THE BLISTER SUMMIT AT MT. CRESTED BUTTE IS:

(1) A new, annual event that will bring passionate skiers like you to Mt. Crested Butte each year to get on a mix of current and new-for-next-year inbounds and backcountry equipment from some of the most interesting brands in the ski world.

(2) But this isn’t just a ski demo, it is the first consumer-focused ski test in the world. Participants who would like to share their thoughts on the gear they demo at the Summit will have that feedback collected and shared with other Blister members, so you’ll be able to see what your fellow Summit participants thought, and also see how that compares to our Blister reviewers’ assessments.

(3) There will be opportunities for both inbounds skiing at Crested Butte Mountain Resort and backcountry skiing (with the support of Irwin Guides) in the Crested Butte backcountry. We suspect that many will want to ski inbounds only; some will want to do a mix of inbounds and backcountry skiing; and a few will want to ski the backcountry exclusively.

We are planning to offer safe, introductory opportunities for anyone who has never clicked into a backcountry ski setup, but would like to gain some familiarity with climbing skins, stepping into tech toes, etc. (No avalanche training will be required for this.)

(4) You will have the opportunity to meet and interact with a number of the company founders, CEOs, product designers, athletes, and artists that you have likely heard us refer to in our reviews or talk with on our various podcasts.

(5) The Blister Summit also aims to elevate the conversation in the snowsports world every year by curating interesting and informative panel discussions with prominent product designers, materials experts, athletes, and artists and get them talking with one another.

Many of you will remember the Special Summit on Ski Design panel we put together several years ago. Picture that, but with more panel conversations covering a broader range of topics. Panel sessions will be virtual this year, but attendees of the Blister Summit will be able to stream them live and submit questions prior to or during each panel session.

(6) Of course, you will also get to check out BLISTER HQ and meet a number of our Blister reviewers including me, Luke Koppa, Paul Forward, Kristin Sinnott, Eric Freson, Sascha Anastas, Sam Shaheen, Kara Williard, Drew Kelly — and maybe even the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb.

(7) Men and women are welcome. The event is probably best suited for low intermediate to highly advanced skiers, and we will learn more about your terrain preferences and experience level long before the event to help you have the best possible time at the Summit.

Unfortunately, for this first year, we will not have snowboard-specific brands. We aren’t happy about this, but for this initial Summit “0”, we need to limit the scope of the event. But we intend to expand the scope of the Summit next year.

That said, snowboarders and split boarders are absolutely welcome to attend the Summit and ride with us inbounds and in the backcountry. We’re just sorry that we likely won’t have boards & bindings for you to test this year.

WHEN & WHERE:  February 18-22 & 22-26, 2021, Mount Crested Butte, Colorado

We will be holding back-to-back Summits — “Summit A” and “Summit B” — and you can register here for whichever one works best with your schedule. We expect to have all the same brands at A and B. Panel sessions will alter a bit between A and B.

BLISTER SUMMIT A

Thu, Feb 18:

  • 4:30pm – 8:30pm: Summit Welcome Sessions at Elevation Hotel (split into five, 30-minute-long sessions)
  • 4:30pm – 8:10pm: Summit Demo Preview Sessions (split into three, 1-hour-long sessions)

Fri, Feb 19:

  • 9am – 4pm: On-Snow
  • ~4:45 – 6:30pm: virtual panel sessions

Sat, Feb 20:

  • 9am – 4pm: On-Snow
  • ~4:45 – 6:30pm: virtual panel sessions

Sun, Feb 21:

  • 9am – 4pm: On-Snow
  • ~4:45 – 6:30pm: virtual panel sessions

Mon, Feb 22: 11am: Check Out – Elevation Hotel

BLISTER SUMMIT B

Mon, Feb 22:

  • 4:30pm – 8:30pm: Summit Welcome Sessions at Elevation Hotel (split into five, 30-minute-long sessions)
  • 4:30pm – 8:10pm: Summit Demo Preview Sessions (split into three, 1-hour-long sessions)

Tue, Feb 23:

  • 9am – 4pm: On-Snow
  • ~4:45 – 6:30pm: virtual panel sessions

Wed, Feb 24:

  • 9am – 4pm: On-Snow
  • ~4:45 – 6:30pm: virtual panel sessions

Thu, Feb 25:

  • 9am – 4pm: On-Snow
  • ~4:45 – 6:30pm: virtual panel sessions

Fri, Feb 26: 11am: Check Out – Elevation Hotel

COST OF THE SUMMIT

To attend the Summit with full access to 3-days of ski equipment demos and the panel sessions, the cost will be $350.

We are unable to offer discounted lift tickets at Crested Butte Mountain Resort this year. If you have an Epic Pass, we encourage you to reserve your ski days ASAP. If you do not have an Epic Pass, you will need to purchase lift tickets through Crested Butte Mountain Resort for the number of days you wish to ski at CBMR.

If you plan to participate in the backcountry portion of the Summit, please know that demo gear can only be used with a Summit approved / arranged guide.

COVID-SAFETY GUIDELINES

We have been working closely with Elevation Hotel and Gunnison County Health and Human Services to ensure a safe and responsible event. All Summit events will take place outdoors, and all panel sessions will be virtual. All participants must wear masks at Summit events, follow Crested Butte Mountain Resort and Gunnison County guidelines, and all signage. If you would like more details on how we plan to manage a COVID-safe event, please reach out to us.

BRANDS

For this Summit 0, we are expecting to have 10 – 20 brands participate. Brands that you know and that make products that we are confident you’ll want to try, including 4FRNT, WNDR Alpine, Folsom Custom Skis, Wagner Custom Skis, Rossignol, Dynastar, Icelantic, and more. There will be a mix of skis from their current lineup, as well as some ‘new-for-next-year’ skis that will be getting unveiled at the Blister Summit. 

Blizzard, Tecnica, Flylow, Atomic, Black Crows, and Lange will be participating virtually, but a selection of their products will be available for attendees to view in-person.

In addition, all Summit attendees will receive masks from Outdoor Research; a Flylow t-shirt with our Blister Summit logo that was created by the artist and Crested Butte resident, John Fellows; and a gogglesoc, which Jonathan has described as “pound for pound, the greatest ski product in the history of the world.”

REGISTRATION

We will be operating on a first-to-commit basis. Please register here ASAP to guarantee a spot and to receive a discounted room rate at Elevation Hotel. Once you’re registered, we will provide details on how to access the discounted room rates.

BOTTOM LINE

An event like the Blister Summit has never existed, and we believe that it should. So we are ready and willing — and we need every single Summit participant to be ready and willing — to adjust to the various conditions and protocols so that we can hold this event in a responsible manner — just as we strive to operate in a responsible manner every single time we go ski.

If you are up for this new adventure, join us.

Jonathan Ellsworth
Founder / Editor-in-Chief, Blister

Kristin Sinnott
Blister Summit Director

Share this post:

4 comments on “The 2021 Blister Summit”

  1. Very excited to see this and just gutted not to be able to be part of the first one but current world situation means I could not justify flying to the US. Having said that am banking on you making such a success of it that there is a second edition next year, and then wild horses will not be able to stop me getting there for that. Am convinced you will make it a big success so roll on 2022!

  2. Yep, if there is a blister summit next year I will be there (if there is space)! Hopefully epic keeps the keystone crested butte 4-pack around as a more affordable lift ticket option for those without an epic pass.

Leave a Comment