Best Skis for Beginners: A Guide
If you are new to skiing — or just haven’t gone in a while — here is our guide to what you ought to look for in a ski, whether you are looking to rent or buy.
Luke Koppa
New Volkl Mantra M6; Burly Chargers; & Movement Skis (Ep.130)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth offer their initial thoughts on the new Volkl Mantra M6 & Secret 96; reviewer, Drew Kelly, makes his GEAR:30 debut to compare the Volkl Katana 108 vs the HEAD Monster 108 vs the Blizzard Cochise 106; Luke discusses some of the Movement skis he’s been getting time on; & more.
Gear of the Year, 2020 (Ep.129)
Luke Koppa & Jonathan Ellsworth talk about some of the skis they’ve recently been testing; name some of the most surprising products of 2020 and some of the standout products of 2020; offer a few gear predictions for 2021; and end with what they’re celebrating this week.
Buttered Noodles; Opening Day; & Ski Quivers (Ep.124)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the opening day of the ski season; approaches to building ski quivers; our specific selections; Luke’s latest rant; What we’re Celebrating; & more.
Bending the Paradigm: Polartec’s Approach to “Waterproofness” & Comfort (Ep.122)
What does “waterproof” really mean, and when should you worry (and not worry) about a 10k or 20k rating on the jacket or pants you are thinking of buying? Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth spoke with Michael Cattanach, the product design director at Polartec, about the “ingredients” used to make your favorite apparel; Polartec’s history; and what Polartec is up to today.
20/21 Blister Buyer’s Guide + Your Questions (Ep.121)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the highlights and big takeaways from our new Winter Buyer’s Guide; our Best Of award winners; whether or not the 20/21 crop of ski gear represents a step forward; and we then answer a lot of the questions you submitted.
Bikes, Forks, & Our 20/21 Winter Buyer’s Guide (Ep.108)
Jonathan Ellsworth talks to David Golay, Dylan Wood, & Luke Koppa about the Guerrilla Gravity Gnarvana; Manitou Mezzer & RockShox ZEB; Rocky Mountain Instinct BC; our 20/21 Winter Buyer’s Guide; and … ‘The Year of Ellsworth.’
Your Questions + What We’re Celebrating (Ep.103)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth answer your questions and discuss our preferred gear for skiing funky spring / summer snow; what we’re reading; ski knickers?; mountain bike shoes; ski boot liners & durability; and more.
Your Questions + Our Review of PBR’s ‘Hard Coffee’ (Ep.99)
What outdoor gear is in need of the biggest improvement? How old is too old to try your first backflip?; If you had to opt for skis that are too long or too short, which would you pick? What should I do with my life? How does one start reviewing for Blister? Could you please provide an unbiased review and comparison of the Blister Membership, Deep Dive Subscription, and Blister Premier Membership? Luke Koppa and Jonathan answer these and many more.
AT Binding Shootout, New Touring Skis, & Tiger King (Ep.96)
Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, and Luke’s mustache discuss the pros and cons of a number of current AT bindings, including the new Marker Duke PT, the SHIFT binding, Daymaker Alpine Touring adapters, frame bindings, and tech toe bindings. They then discuss four new touring skis: the J Skis Slacker, Sego Condor, 4FRNT Raven, and Volkl Blaze 106. Then it’s time to talk Tiger King.
2021-2022 Line Vision 98
Back when we first took a look at Line’s ultralight Vision 98, we said it didn’t look like anything else on the market. And after skiing it throughout the past year, we’d also say it doesn’t ski like anything else out there, either. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
New Skis, Tight Pants, & Farm Animal Analogies (Ep.90)
Luke Koppa, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the new skis, boots, and apparel they’ve been testing, including products from K2, Blizzard, Nordica, Rossignol, WNDR Alpine, Atomic, Dynastar, & more. We also discuss what skis we prefer for off-piste, icy conditions; the merits of slim-fit ski pants; which ski boots are best described as “donkeys”; and more.
2020-2021 Moment Deathwish
We’ve been putting quite a few days on the latest iteration of the Moment Deathwish, and you can now check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
2021-2022 Atomic Backland 107
We've had two reviewers skiing Atomic's Backland 107 on everything from July suncups to deep mid-winter pow. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons of this freeride touring ski.
Ski Gear Predictions for the Next Decade (Ep.82)
What will ski gear look like 10 years from now? What gear has the most room for improvement? What gear will *actually* change the most, and what will change the least? And what are our wildest gear predictions for where gear could be in 10 years? We discuss all of this and more.
2021-2022 4FRNT Inthayne
Update: reviewer Cy Whitling has been spending time on 4FRNT's playful pow ski, the Inthayne, and he now adds his take on the ski.
Ski & Snowboard Industry Predictions for the New Decade (Ep.115)
What will the ski & snowboard industry look like 10 years from now? Will backcountry skiing and splitboarding keep growing? Will indoor ski areas become more common? Will there be fewer or more ski companies in existence 10 years from now? We offer our predictions on all of these questions and more.
Best Ski Gear of the Past Decade (Ep.81)
Of the entire past decade, what was the most influential ski, ski boot, and ski binding? What was the best ski? What were the biggest trends? And what was our selection for the Best Product of the Decade? We cover all of this and more.
2021-2022 Icelantic Nomad 105
We've been skiing Icelantic's best-selling ski, the Nomad 105, and we now understand why it holds that title. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Ski Quiver Questions, Part 1 (Ep.77)
We’ve been thinking and talking a lot recently about ski quivers, and posted our reviewers’ personal selections for their 5-ski, 4-ski, 3-ski, 2-ski, and 1-ski quivers. And now on our latest episodes of GEAR:30 we discuss some of your related questions; what our biggest takeaways are; the dreaded 1-boot quiver; and more.