Faction engineer, Daniel Tanzer; product manager, Josh Cohen; and North American marketing manager, Henrik Lampert go on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast to discuss Faction's history, the recent changes they've made, and the 2020-2021 Faction Lineup

Faction Skis: Company History & 20/21 Lineup (Ep.115)

For some time now, Faction has been one of the hottest brands in skiing. But how much do you actually know about the company? This week we are talking about the history of the brand, some key moments in the company, and some big recent changes; what it’s like to go skiing with and design skis for Candide Thovex; and Faction’s lineup for the upcoming season.
Coree Woltering goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss setting the FKT for the Ice Age Trail, how he got started running, ticks & mosquitos, and more

Coree Woltering on his Ice Age Trail FKT, Catcalls, & Tick Removal (Ep.67)

Coree Woltering is definitely one of the most interesting ultrarunners out there, so Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked to Coree about the one time when a catcall actually worked; why the running world needs to stop overlooking midwestern athletes; Quick Trip burgers and how to remove ticks; and the injury and the miracle that happened while he was setting a new FKT on the Ice Age Trail.
Kelly Roberts goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss how to start running, how to keep running, the Bad Ass Lady Gang, & More

Kelly Roberts on How to Start Running, Keep Running, & Her Badass Lady Gang (Ep.65)

Ever feel like you aren’t — or couldn’t ever possibly be — a “real” runner? Most of us have, which is why most of us need to meet Kelly Roberts. Kelly is good at making us feel fine about the fact that we sometimes hate running. And she’s equally good at helping us continue to run — or walk, or bike, or just keep moving. So we talk to Kelly about her moving (and hilarious) entrance into running; her Badass Lady Gang; angel ghosts; and more.
Heli-Guide, Doctor, Hunter, & Blister Reviewer, Paul Forward, goes on the Blister Podcast to discuss hunting in Alaska, conservation, climate change, the Alaskan Pebble Mine, being a vegetarian hunter, & more

Paul Forward on Hunting, Climate Advocacy, & Conservation (Ep.141)

Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, is a lifelong hunter. Jonathan Ellsworth has been a vegetarian for over 20 years. So how much common ground do they share? We discuss that plus Paul’s latest solo hunt; why he only hunts with a bow; what the broader hunting community might learn from skiers & mtn bikers in terms of climate advocacy; and what skiers & mtn bikers could stand to learn from the hunting community about conservation.

2020 Running Shoe Trends & Current Events (Ep.63)

This week we take a look at the trends in running shoes for 2020. Jonathan Ellsworth is joined by Maddie Hart and Gordon Gianniny to talk about knit uppers on trail shoes (??), massive heels, marketing copy, and we even design our own ‘Blister Pro’ shoe. Then we wrap up by talking about a few current events and get Maddie and Gordon’s upcoming plans.
Camille Herron goes on Blister's Off The Couch Podcast to discuss her running career, Taco Bell, Rocky Balboa, World Records, & more

Camille Herron on Rocky Balboa, Training, & More World Records (Ep. 62)

What do Taco Bell, the Harlem Globetrotters, a twisted femur, & Rocky Balboa have in common? They’ve all played a role in the journey of Camille Herron to become a world champion runner and multiple world record holder — and Camille still has some very big plans. So Brendan and Jonathan talk with Camille about all of the above, including her unusual path to trail running, and what her sights are set on next.

Anneke Beerten on Racing, ‘Badass’ Books, & Big Ideas (Ep. 34)

Anneke Beerten was born in the Netherlands, started racing BMX when she was 4, then became a 2 x world champion in BMX, a 3-time Four-cross world champion, the Queen of Crankworx, and she’s won, podiumed, and top 5’d many enduro, DH, DS races. She also just won the So Cal Enduro and Snow Summit DH. So Blister reviewer Dylan Wood and Jonathan Ellsworth caught up with Anneke to talk about racing; what she’s up to these days; ‘badass’ books; business ideas; and you’ll get to hear ‘the story of Dylan and Anneke.’
Noah Brautigam goes on Blister's Off the Couch Podcast to discuss winning the 2020 the Speedgoat 50K, running during COVID-19, and more

2020 Speedgoat 50K Winner, Noah Brautigam (Ep. 61)

Noah Brautigam just won the Speedgoat 50K, and a few days after winning, he sat down with us in Blister HQ to provide a very fresh and fun recap of the race, and describe what tweaks were made to allow the event to happen. We also discuss his background and a surprising discovery that has him feeling great, performing at a high level, and recovering really well.

Addie Bracy on Her Trajectory, Sports Psychology, & OUTrun (Ep. 58)

Addie Bracy is an accomplished runner who thinks hard about the psychology of sports performance. So we talk to Addie about her background and how it led her to the study of sports performance psychology; the book she is now writing on the topic; and OUTrun, the organization she founded with her partner, Corey Conner, to empower and connect LGBTQ+ individuals within the running community and to create an environment that is encouraging, supportive, and inclusive to all.
Tyler Jones goes on the Blister podcast to discuss BlackAFinSTEM, Black Birders Week, her master's work on bees, & more

BlackAFinSTEM, Birders, & Bees (Ep.133)

BlackAFinSTEM was started to encourage and support Black individuals who are working in — or who are just passionate about — the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and also to encourage, support, and increase the visibility of Black naturalists and Black people who recreate and work outdoors. So we talk to Tyler Jones, the co-organizer of Black Birders Week, about all of the above, plus the difference between a bird and a trash bag; Taco Bell & STEM; her graduate work on bees (!!!); and more.
Peter Nelson and Sally Roy discuss their film, The Pollinators, on the Blister Podcast. They discuss the current status of bees, why it very much matters, monoculture, why bees are dying, soil, and much more

Bees, Green Lawns, “Perfect” Apples, & the Reinvention of Farming (Ep.132)

Most of us know that bee populations are struggling to survive, but why? And why do bees play such a critical role in the production of food? We talk to Peter Nelson and Sally Roy about their new film, The Pollinators, which tells the story of bees and beekeeping and soil and farming practices and pesticides and the EPA and why we need to change the way we produce food — and what each of us can do to help the cause.
Rickey Gates joins Jonathan Ellsworth on Blister's Off the Couch Podcast to talk about "Cross Country, a 3700-Mile Run to Explore Unseen America"

Rickey Gates on Running across America (Ep.48)

In 2017, Rickey Gates set out on an odyssey to run across America — 3,700 miles from South Carolina to San Francisco. We talked to Rickey about this cross-country adventure and what he learned along the way, and how it fits in with his other projects, like his “Every Single Street” initiative; “Hut Run Hut” and “Bus Run Bus”; and “50 Classic Trails.”
Alex Rich joins Sam Shaheen on Gear:30 podcast to talk about Mystery Ranch Packs

Mystery Ranch Backpacks: From Special Ops to Backcountry Skiing (Ep.97)

Mystery Ranch has a long history of working with and making packs for the US military, fire departments, and law enforcement. They also make everything from backpacks for everyday use, to packs for backcountry skiing, and the company has quite a unique culture. So we sat down with product designer, Alex Rich, to discuss what it’s like to design packs for US special forces; how their military designs trickle down to outdoor packs (and vice versa); how their design ethos reflects their sustainability culture; and more.
Jonathan Ellsworth & Luke Koppa discuss on Blister's GEAR:30 podcast the new Marker Duke PT binding, how the Duke PT compares to other touring bindings; J Skis Slacker; Sego Condor 108; Volkl Blaze 106; 4FRNT Raven; & Tiger King

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.