GEAR:30 Podcast

When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! So on our GEAR:30 podcast, we’ve just published our inaugural episode of GEAR THERAPY, where Jason Verlinde — a self described “average / normal / non-industry / non-pro Blister member” — poses some gear questions and conundrums to Jonathan Ellsworth & Luke Koppa, and “gets to confess my ignorance and state my real-world situation, with the experts weighing in, straightening me out, and steering me toward some products I might love.”

GEAR THERAPY! — Session #2 (Ep.259)

When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! Welcome to our 2nd episode of Gear Therapy, with Spokane-based ski patroller, Kam Smith.

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On GEAR:30, we talk with Oliver Steffen, founder and president of G3, about their new line of “R3” ski and snowboards, which G3 says are completely recyclable. We discuss how they accomplished this; the recycling process; how it can be more widely applied to the outdoor industry; why Oliver’s passion for innovation and problem-solving led him down this path, and more.

G3’s Recyclable R3 Skis & Boards with G3 Founder, Oliver Steffen (Ep.258)

We talk with Oliver Steffen, founder and president of G3, about their new line of “R3” ski and snowboards, which G3 says are 100% recyclable. We discuss how they accomplished this; the recycling process; how it can be more widely applied to the outdoor industry; why Oliver’s passion for innovation and problem-solving led him down this path, and more.

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When it comes to gear, how do you balance the specific needs of world-class athletes with those of average skiers and riders? In this conversation from Blister Summit 2023, McKenna Petersen (K2 athlete), Drew Peterson (Salomon athlete), Tyler Curle (Moment athlete & ski builder), and Jed Yeiser (K2 engineer) discuss exactly that, plus a whole lot more.

Athletes & Product Design (Ep.252)

When it comes to gear, how do you balance the specific needs of world-class athletes with those of average skiers and riders? In this conversation from Blister Summit 2023, McKenna Petersen (K2 athlete), Drew Peterson (Salomon athlete), Tyler Curle (Moment athlete & ski builder), and Jed Yeiser (K2 engineer) discuss exactly that, plus a whole lot more.

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Odds are that just about every piece of clothing you own has been applied with some sort of surface treatment, and those (typically petroleum-based) treatments contribute to a significant portion of the apparel industry’s already massive carbon footprint. With their recent collaboration, Beyond Surface Technologies and WNDR Alpine are changing that. On GEAR:30, we get the whole story.

Rethinking Apparel: WNDR Alpine & Beyond Surface Technologies (Ep.251)

Odds are that just about every piece of clothing you own has been applied with some sort of surface treatment, and those (typically petroleum-based) treatments contribute to a significant portion of the apparel industry’s already massive carbon footprint. With their recent collaboration, Beyond Surface Technologies and WNDR Alpine are changing that.

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For decades, Kästle has been making high-end skis for everything from racing to Nordic and skimo. But what sparked their recent launch into the ski boot category? It’s far from a simple process, so on GEAR:30, we talked to Alessandro Speranzoni, Kästle’s global ski boot product engineer, and Alex Pritzlaff, their U.S. product manager, to get all the details on the backstory and latest collection of Kästle ski boots.

Kästle Ski Boots: Origins, Design, & 23/24 Lineup (Ep.250)

For decades, Kästle has been making high-end skis for everything from racing to Nordic and skimo. But what sparked their recent launch into the ski boot category? It’s far from a simple process, so we talked to Alessandro Speranzoni, Kästle’s global ski boot product engineer, and Alex Pritzlaff, their U.S. product manager, to get all the details on the backstory and latest collection of Kästle ski boots.

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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)

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.

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On Blister's GEAR:30 podcast, Jonathan Ellsworth & Paul Forward discuss some of the skis (from Folsom, DPS, Heritage Labs, & K2) they've been skiing at Chugach Powder Guides in Girdwood, Alaska

Powder Skis in AK with Paul & Jonathan (Ep.241)

Jonathan is currently in AK with Paul Forward, Chugach Powder Guides, and a great crew. So he & Paul talk about the skis they’ve been getting time on (from Heritage Lab, Folsom, DPS, K2); some new skis we’d like to see; crème brûlée crust; and the new Lange Shadow boot.

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GEAR:30 Podcast, BLISTER

New Gear from Blister Summit 2023 (Ep.235)

Luke Koppa, Justin Bobb, Kara Williard, Dylan Wood, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the standout gear they were able to test at last week’s Blister Summit, from skis to snowboards, ski boots, bindings, and even snow blades.

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