Recent Podcasts

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (June 2023) (Ep.266)
Cody and Jonathan discuss beaming solar energy from space; cupcake crimes; cultural appreciation vs. appropriation; the FKT (fastest known time) culture; an important Public Lands Rule proposal; mountain town advice; and what they’ve been reading & watching.

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.

Reviewer Reports: Commencal T.E.M.P.O., Tons of Suspension, & More (Ep.175)
We’re hard at work testing a ton of new gear and recently sat down to chat about a bunch of the highlights, including the Commencal T.E.M.P.O., Orbea Wild, a ton of suspension from Öhlins, EXT, and Manitou, and a bunch more.

Green Beans, Pendulum Swings, & First Crack w/ Royal Coffee CEO, Max Nicholas-Fulmer (Ep.29)
Last week, Jonathan headed to The Crown in Oakland, California, which is the Coffee Lab and Tasting Room of Royal Coffee. He was there to sample experimental coffee drinks, meet with Royal Coffee CEO, Max Nicholas-Fulmer — who’s favorite ski is the Moment Blister Pro — and to discuss the world of specialty “green” (not-yet-roasted) coffee.

Paddy O’Leary on Winning the 112th Dipsea; Trail Running Film Recs; & the Broken Arrow Skyrace (Ep.177)
The North Face athlete Paddy O’Leary recently won the 112th running of the storied Dipsea, the oldest trail race in the US. So, we sat down to talk to him about its eccentric history; comically brutal course; the various films that have been inspired by it; and a whole lot more.

Deep Dives w/ Angel (Hot Mess Edition), June 2023 (Ep.265)
Angel Collinson has some big news to share: she’s back on land, and she’s considering a return to skiing. Then Angel and Jonathan dive deep into the topic of forgiveness; reflect on Mary McIntyre’s excellent Open Mic piece; and also discuss hot sauce, twerking, and John Collinson’s important question for his sister.

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.

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

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

A Very Deep Dive on Suspension with EXT’s Franco Fratton, Pt. 3 (Ep.173)
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.