Recent Podcasts
Trek on the New High-Pivot Slash (Ep.186)
The Trek Slash has been in their lineup for a long time, but the new sixth-generation bike is a big departure from the earlier iterations — first and foremost because of its new high-pivot suspension layout — and we sat down with the lead engineer on the project, Matt Yerke, to hear all about it.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, August 2023 (Ep.276)
Cody and Jonathan discuss marketing jargon in the outdoor industry; the sale of Jackson Hole Mtn Resort; another mountaineering controversy; mountain town advice; and more.
Blister Labs: Technical Apparel Testing Update (Ep.261)
Apparel testing, show pigs, & the underrated importance of ballpoint pens. Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss these things with our Blister Labs colleague, Melanie Peddle.
D3O On The Past, Present, and Future of MTB Armor (Ep.185)
The mountain bike armor market has evolved a lot in recent years, and D30’s non-Newtonian materials have had a big hand in shaping those changes. So we sat down with them to chat about the ways MTB armor has changed; where they see it going in the future; the tradeoffs inherent to designing protective gear; testing standards + their pros and cons; kids’ armor; and a whole lot more.
Zack Giffin on Skiing, Tiny Houses, & Big Solutions (Ep.275)
Skier Zack Giffin (host of the TV series, Tiny House Nation & co-host of the podcast, Tiny House Tales) makes a compelling case for how smaller living spaces can be a significant part of the solution to affordable housing; homelessness; climate issues, energy consumption, and creating more real, actual, healthy communities.
A Guide to Skiing in New Zealand with Outside Sports (Ep.260)
Have you ever dreamt about skiing in New Zealand? We talk with local Kiwi experts from our Blister Recommended Shop, Outside Sports, to give us the rundown on what skiing in this Southern Hemisphere destination entails and how to make the most of it.
Chromag’s Full Suspension Bike Development (Ep.184)
Chromag is unquestionably *the* first brand that a lot of people think of when it comes to hardcore hardtails, which makes their recent foray into full-suspension bikes especially interesting. And as we uncover in this conversation with Chromag engineer Joe Swann, the path to launching the Darco and Lowdown has been a long and winding — and fascinating — one.
Chef Yia Vang on Hmong Cuisine & Culture; ‘Run & Gun’ Restauranteering; & Spreading Appreciation (Ep.34)
Yia Vang is a multi-nominated James Beard Award chef, the founder & head chef of Union Hmong Kitchen; he competed on the Netflix show, “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend”; hosts the show, ”Feral” on the Outdoors Channel; hosts another show, “Stoked” on the Food Network; and hosts the excellent podcast, “Hmonglish” which focuses on the Hmong people, their culture, and representation.
Jason Hardrath & The Rocky Mountain Grand Slam (Ep.180)
The Rocky Mountain Grand Slam involves summiting 122 peaks and 318,000 feet of elevation gain, and Jason Hardrath recently set a new FKT by completing it in under 40 days. So we caught up with Jason to break down his most recent accomplishment, and to discuss the blurring of the lines between running, scrambling, and soloing.
Investing in the Planet: Kate Williams, CEO, 1% for the Planet (Ep.274)
What is 1% for the Planet, who started it, and what do they do? Furthermore, when a crisis breaks out (like the current fires in Hawaii), many of us wonder how best to contribute, which organizations to donate to, and how to go about determining that? Kate Wiliams offers some very helpful answers.
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.
Reviewer Reports: Chromag Darco, Pivot Shuttle AM, Commencal Supreme, & More (Ep.183)
The gang is back together to give a rundown on a bunch of the bikes we’ve been testing, from short-travel steel full-suspension ones to a bunch of mid-travel eMTBs and full-on DH race bikes.