2019 Outdoor Retailer / SIA Show Highlights (Ep.36)
We just wrapped up our time at the Outdoor Retailer / SIA trade show, so five of us sat down to discuss the most interesting trends we saw, the products we were most tempted to steal, and more.
New Innovations in Bootfitting with Pulse Boot Lab (Ep.35)
Are you one of the many people who has wished that your ski boots were a bit stiffer or more comfortable? Well then listen up, because, the bootfitters at Pulse Boot Lab in Revelstoke have come up with a number of innovative ways to achieve both.
New K2 Mindbender Skis (Ep.34)
We talk to K2 ski designer, Jed Yeiser, about the 13 new skis that make up K2’s brand new “Mindbender” series.
New Skis & Outerwear (Ep.33)
We discuss the latest skis and outerwear we’re reviewing, including the Black Crows Corvus, Rossi Black Ops, Parlor Cardinal 90, Argent Skis Badger, Flylow Baker Bibs, and Patagonia Micro Puff Storm.
Romp Skis (Ep.32)
We sat down with Romp Skis founders Caleb and Morgan Weinberg to talk about their backgrounds, their approach to building “custom” skis, how they ended up building skis for the 10th Special Forces Group, and more.
“Best Of” Runner-Ups + New Skis (Ep.31)
We discuss 3 skis that very narrowly missed getting a “Best Of” selection from us, then we turn to some new skis we’ve been getting on from Folsom, Rossignol, Head, Moment, Dynastar, and more.
All That Glitters is Not Gold (Ep.30)
Not all gear is great — or even good. So today we’re discussing a number of intriguing products that turned out to disappoint.
Hoji on the Hoji Free & 4FRNT Renegade (Ep.29)
We talk with Hoji about his brand-new boot, the Dynafit Hoji Free; the differences between it and the current Hoji Pro Tour; how he’s been refining his signature ski, the 4FRNT Renegade; and his work with Arc’teryx.
Spark R&D — Part 2 (Ep.28)
We talk to Spark R&D founder, Will Ritter, about some of Spark’s current products, collaborating with CAST Touring and 22 Designs, and implementing solar power in their factory in Bozeman, Montana.
Zen & the Art of Creating the World’s Biggest Splitboard Binding Company: Will Ritter, Spark R&D (Ep.27)
We talk to Will Ritter about starting – and running – the largest splitboard binding company in the world, Spark R&D, and Will provides a number of valuable insights for anyone thinking of starting anything.
Our 18/19 Winter Buyer’s Guide & “Best Of” Awards (Ep.26)
Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, and Sam Shaheen discuss some of the “Best Of” award winners in the 18/19 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide.
Interbike: Confessions & Observations (Ep.25)
We discuss the weirdness and wonders of Interbike 2018, make a confession about last year’s Interbike, and more.
Parlor Skis 18/19 Lineup & ‘Build Your Own Skis’ Class (Ep.24)
We talk to Boston-based Parlor Skis co-founder, Mark Wallace, about the origins story of Parlor; their “Build Your Own Skis” class; the new models in their 18/19 lineup — including Parlor snowboards and splitboards; and several trends on the East Coast ski scene. (We also talk about lasagna, burritos, and Camaros.)
Bikes vs. Skis, 1st Edition (2018): Part 2 (Ep.23)
We’re back with round 2 of Bikes vs. Skis, where we ask the question, “Which particular bike company is most like which particular ski company?”
New DPS Skis & Products with Stephan Drake (Ep.22)
We talk to DPS Skis founder, Stephan Drake, about the new DPS Wailer 110; the DPS Spoon, Lotus 138, and 124; and some big news about DPS Phantom, their new ski and snowboard base treatment.
Bikes vs. Skis, 1st Edition (2018): Part 1 (Ep.21)
Which ski company is most like which bike company? Who is the Moment Skis of the bike world? And which ski brand shares the most family resemblance with Yeti or Transition? Jonathan Ellsworth has been having this discussion for years with Blister’s bike editor, Noah Bodman, and we’re now taking it public. So give it a listen, then let us know where you agree, where you disagree, and where you’ve got the better analogies.
Alpenglow Mtn Festival + Stuff We Learned during Spring Ski Testing (Ep.20)
We talk with Blister editors, Luke Koppa and Sam Shaheen, about the recent Alpenglow Mountain Festival and running with our hero, Courtney Dauwalter. Then we discuss some of the key takeaways from our spring ski testing, including Domino’s thin-crust pizza, dumb gear, and some great gear.
Dialing in “The Hammer” + other New Folsom Skis (Ep.19)
Jonathan Ellsworth sits down with Mike McCabe at the Folsom Skis HQ in Denver to (finally) dial in “The Hammer” they’ve been discussing, and to learn about three other brand new Folsom skis.
New Skis from Prior, Atomic, K2, and More (Ep.18)
Jonathan Ellsworth and Sam Shaheen discuss a number of skis they’ve been reviewing, including two from Prior Skis, the new Atomic Bent Chetler 100, the K2 Wayback 106, the Scott Super Guide 105, and the Salomon MTN Explore 95.
Spring Skiing & Biking in AK (Ep.17)
We talk to Eric Helmbrecht, owner of Powder Hound in Girdwood, Alaska, about spring skiing in AK, what gear works well in AK’s snowpack and terrain, what new gear he’s most intrigued by, and the growing mountain bike scene around Girdwood and Anchorage.
Touring Bindings & the New G3 Zed (Ep.16)
G3 is introducing a new touring binding — the Zed — that they’re calling the lightest fully-featured AT binding on the market. So we talk to G3’s engineers about their design philosophy and development process, current trends in AT bindings, and the compromises inherent in any AT binding.
18/19 All-Mountain & Frontside Skis (Ep.15)
We just finished testing a broad range of skis, so Blister’s Sam Shaheen, Luke Koppa, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss a number of the highlights, including the new Atomic Bent Chetler 100, the HEAD Supershape i.Titan, a new carver from DPS, the Black Crows Orb, and what might be Jonathan’s new personal favorite from Blizzard.
New Backcountry Ski Gear & Culture (Ep.14)
We talk with Greg Floyd, founder of Bentgate in Golden, Colorado, about a bunch of new backcountry gear and some of the significant changes to backcountry ski culture that Greg has witnessed throughout his time at Bentgate.
Weird Skis & Women’s Ski Boots (Ep.13)
Jonathan Ellsworth and Sam Shaheen discuss the Renoun Endurance 98 and Scott Scrapper 115, then Sascha Anastas and Kara Williard talk about women’s ski boots, why it can be so hard for good skiers with small feet to find something that works for them, and which new boot Sascha is in love with.
ON3P Skis 18/19 Lineup (Ep.12)
ON3P is releasing their entire new lineup early next month. So we talk to ON3P’s Scott Andrus about this decision, then go over every ski in the new line, including what’s new, what’s unchanged, and what’s so new and experimental that Scott didn’t want to talk about it. (But we got him to anyway.)
Testing in Telluride: 18/19 Ski Gear (Ep.11)
Today we’re discussing the 18/19 ski gear we’ve been testing at Telluride, including the Line Sakana, ON3P Wrenegade 114, Faction Dictator 4.0, Rossi Soul 7, the Atomic/Salomon SHIFT binding, and more.
18/19 Moment Skis Lineup (Ep.10)
We talk to the CEO and head designer of Moment Skis, Luke Jacobson, about Moment’s lineup for next season — what’s new, what’s unchanged, and what’s tweaked — and we cover touring skis, kids skis, women’s skis and even … the Chief Commander.
Testing Pow Skis in Alaska & Japan + Shop Talk (Ep.9)
We talk to Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, about the Faction Prime 4.0, Black Diamond Helio 116, and DPS Spoon, then talk to Jeremy Cole, owner of Alpine Sports, about new gear, some of his favorite “bang for the buck” boots and skis, and real-world issues of boots, bindings, and bench test results.
Outdoor Retailer / SIA Highlights (Ep.8)
From the Outdoor Retailer / SIA show in Denver, five Blister editors & reviewers discuss a bunch of the most notable new men’s and women’s gear we saw at the show.
Black Crows Skis 18/19 Lineup (Ep.7)
We talk with Black Crows co-founder, Camille Jaccoux, and head ski designer, Julien Regnier, about women-specific skis, then go over what’s new in the Black Crows 18/19 lineup.