GEAR:30

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 (become a Blister Member to reserve your copy + get a ton of other benefits); and … ‘The Year of Ellsworth.’TOPICS & TIMESGuerrilla Gravity Gnarvana (5:43)Manitou Mezzer & RockShox ZEB (8:00)Rocky Mountain Instinct BC (17:33)Our 20/21 Winter Buyers Guide (28:10)2020: The Year of Ellsworth (34:33)Buyer’s Guide Cover (38:18) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Normally on GEAR:30 we dive deep into the details of specific ski, apparel, or bike equipment. But this week, we’re taking a close look at a massive emerging category — CBD products in general — and one specific company in particular, Aprch. And to walk us through some of the relevant science, regulations, production processes, and the trajectory of this industry, we’re talking with Aprch co-founder, Adam Hunter.TOPICS & TIMES:Origins of Aprch (4:58)Defining Terms (10:07)Marketing this product? (24:06)Price (29:38)Production Process (36:09)Bubbles! (37:44)Future of Aprch & this industry? (41:37)LINKS TO LEARN MORE:• CBD Researcher, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam • Article on Dr. Mechoulam's research findings regarding CBD and potential benefits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our “Reviewing the Reviewer” series, we ask various BLISTER reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews. And since we like to rank & review things around here, we also give a score to each of our reviewers’ answers, then come up with a cumulative review grade for each of them. In the hot seat today is Kristin Sinnott, and I recently subjected Kristin to our regular gauntlet of Reviewing-the-Reviewer questions, which led to answers that involved Family Feud, killer bees, ski dance videos, her background in alpine and nordic skiing; and some of her gear preferences. TOPICS & TIMES:Kristin’s background (4:39)What sports did you play growing up? (7:04)Trajectory after college (17:11)How did you first get connected with Blister? (21:48)Why are you so picky about certain foods? (25:54)What gear are you most & least picky about? (28:05)Who is your favorite reviewer at Blister? (30:30)Who is your favorite pro skier? (32:24)What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done? (35:03)What are you better at than Sam Shaheen? (41:45)Top 3 favorite books, movies, and musicians (43:38)Give us a random review (46:33)What’s the best question I haven’t asked you? (49:16)What we’re celebrating (57:28) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kristin Sinnott and Justin Bobb join Jonathan Ellsworth to talk about some of the kid’s gear they’ve found to be the most game changing. And even if you don’t have kids, you should still definitely listen to this episode if only to learn about a piece of gear that we’ve currently named, “The JBobber.” And there’s another piece of equipment that currently has a unanimous approval rating among our Blister parents, and might be the single greatest piece of kid’s gear of all time? Check it out.TOPICS & TIMES:Patagonia Daily Sun Hoody (5:00)The JBobber (6:47)Baby Carriers (10:24)Mac Ride (12:18)What We’re Celebrating (16:24) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kingswood Skis is a custom indie ski manufacturer based on the South Island of New Zealand, and we caught up with Kingswood founder, Alex Herbert, as the southern hemisphere ski season is getting underway to talk about ski materials, sidewalls, cosmetics & construction, base material thickness, and Kingswood’s rather unconventional Race Department.TOPICS & TIMES:New Zealand & Covid-19 (2:09)The southern hemisphere ski season (8:41)The quick Kingswood backstory (15:31)Ski materials (17:09)Sidewalls & cap construction (25:13)Cosmetics & Ski Repairs (28:20)Base material thickness (32:57)Ski shapes (39:59)Being 100% made to order (49:26)Kingswood’s Race Department (53.08)What We’re Celebrating (56:53) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. TOPICS & TIMES:On our current state of affairs (1:03)Eating Food vs Photosynthesis? (6:33)Ski-Touring Knickers? (10:07)How long should a ski boot liner last? (13:7)What is Jonathan reading? (19:44)The best type of ski for funky, summer snow? (24:36)Mtn Bike Shoes (30:40)Climbing Skins 101 - upcoming article (34:06)What we’re celebrating (34:38) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re talking with the founder of ON3P Skis, Scott Andrus, about the new ON3P lineup for the upcoming season. There is a lot of new and interesting stuff going on at ON3P, and we break quite a bit of news in this conversation. Check it out.TOPICS & TIMES:How are things in Portland, OR? (2:19)The movie Dead Alive (4:17)ON3P’s new cores (6:36)Directional: Wren 102 Ti & Wren Pro (9:52)All-Mountain: Woodsman & Mera series (14:47)Freestyle: Jeffrey & Jesse series (18:56)Park: Magnus series (23:15)Touring Skis (26:03)50/50 Skis (Custom) (31:16)What else? (34:26) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week on our Bikes & Big Ideas podcast, we got the backstory from 28-year-old Adam Miller about his founding of Borealis Fat Bikes, Why Cycles, and Revel Bikes, and you can hear the whole fascinating backstory on our Bikes & Big Ideas podcast, episode #25.And today we are airing the 2nd half of our conversation, where Adam dive deep into the details about Revel’s new wheels — that he claims are the strongest wheels on the market — and this thing they’re using called “fusion fiber.” We talk about what it is; why Adam believes these wheels are the strongest; their recyclability; the unique production process; other applications of fusion fiber, and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Materials & Adam’s background (2:20)Types of carbon fiber (5:57)Testing prototypes (13:20)What is Fusion Fiber? (15:37)Recyclability of Fusion Fiber (18:54)The claim: strongest wheels on the market (21:53)Development & production process (28:08)Other potential applications of Fusion Fiber (31:56))Environmental considerations (36:34) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In celebration of episode #100, of course we had to have Hoji back on, our patron saint of GEAR:30.We discuss all the tinkering he’s been doing during quarantine; what ski gear has the most room for improvement; snowmobiles; climbing skins; the Pomoca & 4FRNT collab; monoskiing; and then one of the best big-mountain skiers of all time talks about one of the greatest basketball players of all time.TOPICS & TIMES:What have you been up to? (7:52)What gear have you been tinkering with lately? (9:46)What ski gear has the most room for improvement? (13:10)What other outdoor gear has room to improve? (18:04)Snowmobiles (23:50)Climbing skins (30:15)Pomoca & 4FRNT collab (38:34)Still skiing with your boots unbuckled? (49:57)Hoji on monoskiing, teleskiing, noboarding & snowblading (54:14)Hoji on Michael (1:01:05) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 I answer these and many more.TOPICS & TIMES:Jonathan’s review of PBR’s Hard Coffee (2:35)Skis, Ski Length, & Ski Brands (12:38)What gear needs the most improvement? (24:25)What’s your favorite quarantine apparel? (31:45)How old is too old to try your 1st backflip? (34:24)Preferred conditions to monoski? (36:25)Best anorak of 20/21 (38:24)What makes you happiest? (43:00)Deep Dive vs. Blister Membership vs. Premier? (53:05)What should I do with my life? (1:06:15)How do I review for Blister? (1:09:00)Luke’s review of Beastie Boys Story (1:13:45) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our “Reviewing the Reviewer” series, we ask various BLISTER reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews. And since we like to rank & review things around here, we also give a score to each of our reviewers’ answers, then come up with a cumulative review grade for each of them. In the hot seat today is mountain bike and ski reviewer, Eric Freson, and Luke Koppa and I recently subjected Eric to our regular gauntlet of reviewing the reviewer questions, but we also threw in a few questions specifically for Eric, including, How many times have you broken your neck? The story behind his co-founding the freeride team at Western Colorado University? And, of course, we ask him about a couple of Freson-isms, like “torksmash” and “smoking rocks.” You can also watch the video of our conversation on our Blister YouTube Channel. TOPICS & TIMES:Eric’s background (3:26)What sports did you play growing up? (7:50)Broken Neck? (16:30)How did you first get connected with Blister? (25:35)Eric’s bike & ski preferences (33:15)Who is your favorite reviewer at Blister? (42:50)Who is your favorite pro biker & skier? (45:00)What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done? (49:22)What are you better at than Sam Shaheen? (53:55)What gear are you most & least picky about? (54:40)Top 3 favorite books, movies, and musicians (1:00:09)Give us a random review (1:05:03)What’s the best question I haven’t asked you? (1:10:22) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Starting on the production floor (2:00)Durability & designing for the military (5:55)Resisting lightweight pack design (8:52)Durability & Weight: what’s the future look like? (10:20)“Supportive” vs. “Light” (11:50)Why designing for hunters is so difficult (13:45)Working with Special Ops (14:40)Urban Assault Daypacks (24:12)Saddle Peak Pack for resort skiing (29:25)Durability & Sustainability (40:22) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 adaptors, 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.TOPICS & TIMESUpdate: Luke’s mustache & cooking skillz (3:20)Marker Duke PT (8:12)Duke PT vs. SHIFT binding (11:08)Daymakers (and Frame Bindings) (22:53)Marker Kingpin & other tech bindings (31:28)New J Skis Slacker (42:28)A Rant (46:00)Updated Sego Condor 108 (49:12)Updated 4FRNT Raven (50:56)New Volkl Blaze 106 (53:51)Tiger King: Our Review (56:35) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since we now have to learn how to tele ski and shoot a tele video, we’re crowdsourcing a crash course in telemark technique (see Blister Podcast episode 125) and in telemark gear. So here in Tele Gear Part 1, we’re talking again with the artist, Geoff McFetridge; Flylow Gear co-founder and president, Dan Abrams; and Blister reviewers Paul Forward and Kristin Sinnott.TOPICS & TIMES:Geoff McFetridge (2:42)Dan Abrams (21:25)Paul Forward (30:50)Kristin Sinnott (42:26) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reviewers Paul Forward, Luke Koppa, and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about the signs we’re going stir crazy; Shane McConkey’s Volant Spatula vs. other modern pow skis; the DPS Koala 119; the new LINE Vision 118; our current nominations for best underwear; Luke’s new mustache; and more.And you should also listen to this Bikes & Big Ideas episode, where Jonathan Ellsworth talks to several outdoor-industry companies that have pivoted to fight COVID-19.TOPICS & TIMES:Our Bikes & Big Ideas podcast (0:21)Our next Listener Appreciation Video (1:57)Signs we’re going stir crazy (5:50)McConkey’s Spatula (14:59)Houdini Anorak (29:20)Spatula vs other pow skis (33:25)Clarifying Terms: “Spines” & “Cliffs” (35:10)Reverse camber skis (40:30)Line Vision 118 (43:39)DPS Koala 119 (49:40)Best underwear nominees (56:40) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bison Wool? Bison Down? That’s a thing? Well it’s being used by one company, United By Blue, who started salvaging otherwise wasted bison fibers, and is now incorporating them into a growing range of products.So we talked with Brendan Raugh, senior apparel designer at United By Blue, which sells bison fiber outerwear. We talk about how United By Blue was founded as a waterway cleanup company; how they went on to develop an entire line of apparel around salvaged bison coat fibers; the logistics of creating a new supply chain; how bison fibers compare to sheep’s wool and goose down; what the futures holds for the company and their unique material; and more. TOPICS & TIMES:Brendan’s background & current role (1:35)United By Blue’s mission to clean waterways (2:35)Why use bison fibers? (7:15)Their unique supply chain (11:07)What is scouring & dehairing? (13:45)The different types of bison fibers (16:20)Bison vs. Goose Down (20:31)What is bison fiber apparel best suited for? (22:20)United By Blue’s sustainability practices (33:40) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Full Tilt ski boots are beloved by some (including the likes of Bode Miller, Tom Wallisch, Seth Morrison, and Sammy Carlson), but they get pigeonholed by others who think of them as only being for park rats.So we are joined by Austin Peters, the Ski Boot Engineering Manager for Full Tilt and K2 Ski Boots, to talk about the history of Full Tilt; what makes Full Tilts unique; why you might opt for a Full Tilt vs an ‘overlap’ ski boot; and what’s new for 20/21 (including Sammy Carlson’s new pro model).TOPICS & TIMES:Current Position & Background (3:30)History of Full Tilt (11:00)2-Piece / Overlap Boots vs. 3-Piece Boots (13:45)Swappable Tongues / Adjustable Flex Pattern (15:30)Changes to FT’s flex pattern naming conventions (17:33)Standardizing flex ratings (19:00)What’s changed & what hasn’t? (21:55)New Pro Tongue Liner (25:00)Pro Tongue Liner vs. Wrap Liner (27:25)What sort of skier ought to consider Full Tilts? (30:43)Range of top skiers in Full Tilts (35:03)Boot-fitter-friendliness (40:10)Sammy Carlson’s new Full Tilt pro model (45:52) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Picture Organic Clothing is going way beyond common sustainability practices with things like castor bean oil waterproof membranes and sugar cane waste-derived polyester, and they are attempting to eliminate polybags from their entire supply chain.So Sam Shaheen sat down with Picture’s co-founder, Julien Durant, and their sustainability manager, Florian Palluel to talk about these ambitious projects. And then we go in-depth on the new air-permeable membrane, Xpore, that they are putting in direct competition with Gore Pro and TNF Futurelight.TOPICS & TIMES:Julian & Flo’s background (1:00)Sustainability practices (5:55)Poly Bags (11:14)What are the big sustainability problems you can solve? (22:20)Wearing atmosphere-captured carbon?? (24:10)Castor Bean Oil (28:00)Cost vs. Performance (31:50)Converting sugar cane into polyester? (34:12)Picture Organic’s “Xpore” (36:40) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Koppa, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the new skis, boots and apparel they’ve been testing. 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.TOPICS & TIMES:K2 Reckoner 102, 112, 122 (3:00)K2 Reckoners vs. K2 Mindbenders (6:00)Nordica Santa Ana 93 & 98 (8:00)Blizzard Cochise 106 (13:42)Dynastar M-Free 108 (20:40)Rossignol Black Ops Rallybird Ti & non-Ti (25:18)Ski pant fit: slim vs. baggy (29:26)WNDR Intention 110 (35:53)Arc'teryx Incendia One-Piece (38:25)Hawx Ultra 130S; Hawx Ultra XTD 130; Full Tilt (40:32)Hawx Prime XTD 130 (43:10) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk with Graham Lonetto, the Alpine Director for the USA at Swix — the company that invented color-coded waxes, and one of the largest manufacturers of ski wax in the world — about different types of waxes and application methods; the most common mistake made when waxing skis; the FIS’s ban on fluorocarbons in waxes; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Graham’s background in ski racing (1:45)Kick Wax vs. Glide Wax (4:00)Base Prep & Top Coat (6:30)Paraffin vs. Liquid vs. Powdered (8:21)Application methods (12:40)What is “water management”? (16:12)How often do pros “burn” their skis? (21:15)The death of hot scraping? (27:20)The push to eliminate fluorocarbons (41:26)DPS Phantom vs. traditional wax? (50:22) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ski boot liners are probably the most overlooked and least appreciated piece of ski gear out there, but they are a critical piece of equipment. So Matt Manser, the product manager of Atomic Ski Boots, is back on GEAR:30 for Part 4 of our “Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots” series, and this time, we’re demystifying the extremely complex, very expensive, and poorly understood category of ski boot liners.We kick off the conversation by brushing up a bit on plastics (specifically, the not-so-straightforward label, “Grilamid”); then we discuss forward lean and ramp angles; and then we jump down the rabbit hole on ski boot liners, and talk about the different types of liners and their pros and cons; the “30 seconds” test and why Atomic views it as so critical; whether it’s smart to shove an aftermarket liner into a high-performance shell; and then Matt talks about a brand new liner from Atomic that incorporates their “Mimic” technology. In the process, we also talk about next year’s Hawx Ultra 130 S alpine boot, and the also-new-for-next-year Hawx Prime XTD.TOPICS & TIMES:Grilamid; Polyamide (PA); Polypropylene (PP) (6:18)Forward Lean (14:06)Ramp Angles (24:33)World Cup ski racers are weird (28:06)Forward Lean: what should skiers look for? (31:58)The 20/21 Hawx Ultra “S” (38:00)Ski Boot Liners (42:38)The “First Fit” Battle (46:13)Comfort vs Performance (48:13)Foam-injected Liners (57:45)EVA (“Layered Foam”) Liners (1:06:04)3D Liners (1:08:02)Atomic’s “Mimic” liner technology (1:09:14)How often can Mimic liners be reshaped? (1:17:14)Aftermarket Liners? (1:19:47)The new Hawx Prime XTD boot (1:27:03)OTHER EPISODES IN THIS SERIES:Part 1: Plastics (Ep. 54)Part 2: Flex Patterns (Ep. 55)Part 3: Racers & Race Boots (Ep. 60) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Shaheen was recently in Courmayeur, Italy to test the new SCOTT Superguide Freetour in the spectacular mountains surrounding Mont Blanc. After several days of big lines and long tours, he came away thoroughly impressed. So, in the first half of this conversation, he talks with SCOTT’s CMO, Reto Aeschbacher, about the backstory of SCOTT, the challenges of managing large product lines, and the motivation behind their new line of backcountry skis. Then he does a deep dive with SCOTT’s Ski Product Manager,  Franz Marsan, about the new Superguide Freetour. You can also watch this conversation on our Blister YouTube channel.TOPICS & TIMES:SCOTT Sports becoming an “international” brand (5:02)Why make so many different types of products? (6:42)Will we see a SCOTT binding? (12:08)The 2020 Winter Collection (15:41)The New Superguide Freetour (20:00)What is a 3D sidecut radius? (30:51)Superguide 95 vs. Freetour (38:00)New touring boot (40:25) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patagonia’s Glen Morden (Product Innovation, Materials, & Development) and Corey Simpson (Communications) came to Crested Butte to ski with us and to discuss how Patagonia is thinking about sustainability and product performance; how they continue to evolve on this front; talk about a few of their new pieces; their prototyping process; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Future performance innovations (8:00)Sustainability Practices: 5 Years Ago vs. Today (12:20)End-of-life solutions for garments (16:20)Is sustainability a performance characteristic? (22:06)Patagonia’s new Stormstride Kit & Upstride Kit (27:33)“Perceived” Comfort & Breathability (33:11)Simplifying kits (43:44)The death of distinguishing between “hard” and “soft” shells? (46:00)Dressing for the worst-case scenario? (47:50)Patagonia’s prototyping process (52:29)Where will we see the biggest improvements? (57:42) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sat down at the Outdoor Retailer / SIA show to discuss some of the most notable trends, interesting products, weirdest products, and the thing at the show that caused Jonathan to legally change his name.TOPICS & TIMES:New trends in apparel (3:43)New trends in skis (10:58)Gear we’re most curious to try (14:20)Gear we’re most tempted to steal (31:00)Weirdest thing we saw (39:41) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part 2 of our conversation with SCARPA CEO, Kim Miller, Kim offers his predictions for the ski industry and how SCARPA is positioning itself for the future; discusses which materials they use in their boots and why; shares the lessons learned from the Maestrale 2017 recall; and then unveils a brand-new boot, the F1 LT.To see the new SCARPA F1 LT for yourself, head over to the BLISTER Youtube Channel to watch a video of the conversation.TOPICS & TIMES:How did the popularity of the Maestrale RS shape your line? (1:11)SCARPA’s approach to sustainability (5:55)Ski industry predictions (9:52)Which different plastics are in the F1 & Maestrale XT? ( 16:35)The Maestrale 2017 recall (30:00)Unveiling the new F1 LT boot (34:30) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk to Lange’s Global Brand Director, Thor Verdonk, about Lange’s use of 'dual core' technology; why “ski boots should be alive”; the brand-new, 3rd generation, Lange XT3; heat-moldable shells; 3d printed boots; the future of Lange; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:What is “dual core” technology? (4:30)Elasticity & ski boot weight (9:27)Which boots are the hardest to develop? (13:53)Heat moldable shells (15:53)Elasticity / “Suspension” (17:30)Lange XT (1st Gen.) (18:45)Lange XT Freetour (2nd Gen.) (19:50)Lange XT3 (New 3rd Gen.) (22:43)What’s next for Lange? (34:13)3D printed boots? (38:50) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week we talked about the best ski gear of the past decade, so now it’s time to make our predictions about what gear will look like 10 years from now? What product categories have the most room for improvement? What ski gear will actually change the most? What gear 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 in a roundtable discussion.TOPICS & TIMES:Thoughts on our last episode (2:25)Our gear predictions (17:25)Gear w/ the most room for improvement (34:30)What gear will actually change most? (44:16)Gear that will change the least (50:26)“Women-specific” products? (52:26)Wildest predictions (55:10) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.TOPICS & TIMES:Most Influential Ski, 2000-2009 (3:00)Most Influential Ski, 2010-2019 (5:30)Best Ski (13:40)Most Influential Ski Boot (32:30)Most Influential AT Binding (40:58)Best Ski Binding (46:02)Biggest Trends (51:30)Best Product (56:24) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re catching up with Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, about some of the skis, AT boots, and an AT binding that Paul has been spending time on in Girdwood, Alaska. Paul and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the Volkl Mantra 102; the DPS Koala 119; the new Atomic Backland Carbon AT boot; the Fritschi Xenic lightweight touring binding; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Volkl Mantra 102 (4:40)Mantra 102 vs. Mantra M5, etc. (8:30)DPS Koala 119, 189 cm (13:20)Koala 119 vs. (OG) Moment Bibby vs. Dynastar Menace Proto (16:19)New Atomic Backland Carbon AT Boot (21:03)Scarpa Maestrale XT Boot (27:00)New Fritschi Xenic AT Binding (30:22)Paul’s Advanced Wilderness Life Support course (35:10) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this week, Sam Shaheen visited SCARPA’s North American headquarters to talk with SCARPA’s CEO, Kim Miller, and they had a great conversation that we’ll be releasing in two parts. Here in Part 1, Kim and Sam discuss his impressive career in the outdoor industry; SCARPA’s philosophy of ski boot design; their position within the market; the specifics of the new Maestrale XT; Kim’s thoughts on boot/binding compatibility; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Kim’s storied career & backcountry adventures (4:00)Scarpa’s approach to ski boots (23:35)Kim’s one-boot quiver (32:25)Maestrale XT (42:45)“Frankenboots” (58:30)Boot / binding compatibility (1:02:35) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, Sam Shaheen, Luke Koppa, and I addressed some of the questions you have been asking us about ski quivers, and we also discussed the topic of the one-boot quiver. And now, we are running part 2 of this conversation, this time, with our reviewers Kristin Sinnott, Sascha Anastas, and Kara Williard.TOPICS & TIMES:Ski Quivers (3:35)One Boot Quiver? (22:25) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We recently published the 19/20 edition of our reviewers’ personal selections for their 5-ski, 4-ski, 3-ski, 2-ski, and 1-ski quivers. And now, we’re addressing some of your questions related to how we design our quivers; what our biggest takeaways are; the dreaded 1-boot quiver; and more.   And if you’d like to get our recommendations for assembling your own ski quiver, then just become a Blister Member, send us an email, and we’ll remove the guesswork for you.TOPICS & TIMES:Principles for selecting ski quivers (3:50)Why the single-brand ski quiver question? (17:08)Our selections & their relevance / applicability (21:45)Lower vs Higher snowfall areas? (32:22)How do we choose which ski to ride on a given day? (36:00)Mount points (41:22)Separating resort vs. touring 1-ski quivers (46:39)Where’s the LINE Sick Day 104? (49:52)One *Boot* Quiver? (51:13) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DWRs — or “Durable Water Repellent” coatings — play a huge role in the performance of your outdoor gear, and are used on nearly every waterproof garment on the market. But most DWRs are made with chemicals called PFCs, which can be harmful to you and the environment.Nikwax, however, makes products intended to extend the lifespan of outdoor gear, and none of their specialized cleaning, conditioning, or waterproofing products have ever used PFCs. So we talked with Heidi Allen from Nikwax about how DWRs work; the dangers of PFCs; how the industry is attempting to shift away from PFCs; garment care; and more. TOPICS & TIMES:Heidi’s background growing up off-the-grid (1:00)Durable Water Repellent (DWR) overview (2:54)DWRs vs. Membranes? (6:50)Hydrophobic vs. Oleophobic? (11:38)Why do clean garments perform better? (17:15)Alternatives to PFCs (19:06)Environmental & transparency initiatives at Nikwax (27:01)The future of DWRs (31:09)Páramo (33:30) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk to Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, about Moment’s entire “Commander” series; why we still need to do a better job educating skiers; how the Deathwish got its name; the history of the Bibby and the Blister Pro; some upcoming changes to the Blister Pro; and more.Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to catch the video of this episode (coming soon).TOPICS & TIMES:Moment Commander 108 (1:28)Moment Commander 98 (5:10)Moment Commander 118 (7:05)Moment Commander 124 (and the Moment Comi) (11:45)Why we need to do a better job educating skiers (15:25)Moment Deathwish (20:35)Moment Deathwish vs. Wildcat 108 (25:49)The history of the Bibby & Blister Pro (28:31)Putting the weight back into the Blister Pro (40:10)Moment Deathwish Tour (49:45)How the Deathwish got its name (53:35) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The North Face is attempting to do something that many have tried, but few have succeeded: compete head-to-head with Gore-Tex in the waterproof / breathable fabric category. So we talked with Scott Mellin, the Global General Manager of Mountain Sports at The North Face, about their new fabric technology, Futurelight; the ideas behind it; what sets it apart in the crowded waterproof / breathable fabric market; sustainability practices related to Futurelight; some stories from athlete testing, and much more. TOPICS & TIMES:Scott’s background in product innovation (5:55)Why was Futurelight designed? (9:20)Futurelight vs. Polartec Neoshell (19:45)“Tuning” Futurelight for different designs (21:22)Durability? (29:55)Athlete testing at The North Face (36:40)Competing with GORE (55:32)Sustainability & Futurelight (59:30)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our “Reviewing the Reviewer” series, we ask various BLISTER reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews. And since we like to rank & review things around here, we also give a score to each of our reviewers’ answers, then come up with a cumulative review grade for each of them. In the hot seat today is mountain bike reviewer, David Golay, who shares how he went from playing sports in upstate New York, to researching metal alloys in Australia, to reviewing for BLISTER, and he shares a phenomenal story starring Jed Yeiser (of previous Blister podcast episodes fame).Watch the video of our conversation on our YouTube Channel.TOPICS & TIMES:David’s background (1:26)How did you first get connected with Blister? (7:45)Bike preferences (9:35)Who is your favorite reviewer at Blister? (18:35)Who is your favorite biker and skier? (20:11)What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done? (22:20)What are you better at than Sam Shaheen? (23:35)What gear are you most & least picky about? (24:49)Top 3 favorite books, movies, and musicians (27:08)Give us a random review? (32:10)What’s the best question I haven’t asked you? (33:14) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Marker unveiled their brand-new Duke PT binding, so Luke Koppa, Sam Shaheen, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the new binding and where it fits with respect to the Shift MNC and CAST Touring binding.We also discuss some big new changes at GORE; the new GORE-TEX Pro vs. The North Face Futurelight; the appalling behavior of backcountry.com; several new skis from Moment, Blizzard, and Prior; and Jonathan Ellsworth’s New Favorite Thing.TOPICS & TIMES:Jonathan’s New Favorite Thing (3:55)New Marker Duke PT (5:26)Duke PT vs. Shift vs. CAST Freetour System (10:17)New GORE Pro / Big Changes at GORE (12:18)GORE-TEX Pro vs. The North Face Futurelight (18:25)Picture Organic Harvest Jacket (23:55)Backcountry.com’s despicable behavior (25:30)(Jason Blevins’ article on backcountry.com) Moment Deathwish (30:20)Moment Wildcat 108 (31:15)Blizzard Rustler 10 (32:11)Prior Northwest 100 (33:01) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gore-Tex has been the leader in waterproof fabrics for decades, and today, they’re announcing a complete overhaul of their flagship fabric, Gore-Tex Pro. So this week we went to Banff, Alberta, and sat down with the category manager of Gore’s “Pro” line, Mark McKinnie, for an in-depth discussion about the new fabrics. We talk about what makes the new Gore Pro unique; the 3 different versions of Gore Pro; Gore’s intensive validation and field-testing processes; how the new ‘Pro’ fits into Gore’s sustainability goals; and much more.TOPICS & TIMES:The 3 new versions of Gore-Tex Pro (4:35)Fabric performance (5:30)New (and old) membrane structures (11:15)Stretch! (15:40)   Lab validation & real-world tests (19:19) Solution-dyed vs jet-dyed fibers, & why they matter (34:08)Sustainability & the new Gore-Tex Pro (36:23) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do the world’s elite ski racers and their technicians squeeze every drop of performance out of their skis? We sat down with Cameron Smith who runs the race department for Head USA to learn about all the major aspects of ski tuning including base vs edge angles, base prep, and waxing. We also discuss why World Cup racers have 50 skis per discipline; the elusive “speed wagon”; and the delicate balance of science and superstition in ski racing.TOPICS & TIMES:How Cam got started at HEAD (1:00)The art of edge tuning (3:03)Why athletes have 50 skis per discipline (8:09)Superstitions & cinnamon rolls (9:08)The elusive “speedwagon” (10:25)Base angles vs. Edge angles (13:20)What is a second edge?? (20:00)How quickly do skis dull? (22:45)Athlete’s relationships to their tuners (24:50)Polishing stones & the toilet paper test (28:30)De-tuning to avoid hooking (31:57)Base materials & grind patterns (35:07)How to select your wax (45:16)Just how sensitive are pro athletes? (58:12) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we answer a bunch of the questions you submitted, then assess some of the product reviews from several of the other ski review publications — and one gear recommendation website.And fair warning here, we get pretty fired up. Because there are still a lot of fake reviews and extremely misleading product reviews and product recommendation services out there, and this needs to stop.There is a little bit of strong language in this episode, so please don’t listen if that offends you. But we here at BLISTER are far more offended by the fake and / or misleading reviews and product recommendations in the outdoor sports world that are posing as legitimate consumer product information. Anyway, judge for yourself.TOPICS & TIMES:Listener questions (4:21)Do we need reviewers of every size? (37:51)curated.com (46:30)Product reviews from other buyer’s guides (53:05) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We just released our new 19/20 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide, and given that it’s over 200 pages long, there’s a lot to talk about.So we’re going to have a 2-part conversation about the Guide, and here in part 1, we’re going to discuss some of our Blister “Best Of” selections; and some of the products that just missed the cut; some general trends and takeaways from putting this big book together, and we find out the real reason why Luke prefers mittens to gloves.Then, next week in Part 2, we’re inviting you to submit questions about the guide or related to the guide, and we’ll be answering those and covering a few other topics of our own.Click to Send Us Your Questions about the new Buyer’s GuideTOPICS & TIMES:Our BLISTER “Best Of” Awards (5:17)The Best of “Best Of” (23:05)Luke’s Jazz Hands (33:44) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is the 2nd installment of our “Reviewing the Reviewer” series, where we ask various Blister reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews.Today, it’s the founder of Blister’s turn. So you’re going to be hearing about Jonathan Ellsworth’s life, including being charged by a bear; nearly burning his house down; teaching philosophy; his favorite gear in the world; and of course, the things he’s better at than Sam Shaheen.And we are also putting up a video of this conversation here and on our YouTube channel, so if you want to watch Sam Shaheen in full payback mode, or watch Luke Koppa putting up his dukes, go check it out.TOPICS & TIMES:Random Review: Babybel Cheese (3:38)Jonathan’s Background (6:15)Why did you start BLISTER? (18:15)Who’s your favorite reviewer? (25.48)What’s the most interesting thing that’s ever happened to you? (28:03)Who’s your favorite skier? (32:17)What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done? (37:52)What are you better at than Sam Shaheen? (42:03)What gear are you most & least picky about? (44:55)How many times have you almost died? (52:05)What are your ski preferences? (54:27)Dream podcast guest? (57:41)Top 3 favorite books, movies, and musicians (1:01:25)What’s the best question we haven’t asked you? (1:04:40) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve been working on a special project with Folsom Custom Skis, and it’s finally time to discuss the details about the new Blister Pro 104 with Folsom’s Mike McCabe.We also talk about Folsom’s (insane?) new plan to build and deliver custom skis in 2-3 days; go over some highlights from the 19/20 Folsom lineup; and we ask Mike how much of a nightmare it was to work with us on this project.TOPICS & TIMES:Folsom’s new pop-up store in Aspen (2:05)2-3 Days: custom skis built & delivered?? (5:20)19/20 Folsom lineup highlights (10:52)Backstory of the BLISTER Pro 104 (13:05)The prototypes: good & bad surprises (18:25)Final product design details (29:00)BLISTER Pro 104 vs other Folsom skis? (35:46)D.E.V. Tech ! ! ! (42:16)Was working with us a nightmare? (43:34) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For centuries, hemp has been cultivated around the world and used to make just about everything: rope, clothing, paper, currency, sails — even the earliest American flags. But in 1937, the United States effectively banned the cultivation of hemp, and since then, hemp has faced an uphill battle of public perception and viable production in the US.Just last year, however, Congress passed the Farm Bill, which re-legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp. So we spoke to Rob Jungmann, one of the pioneers of hemp apparel in the United States and the owner of Jungmaven apparel, to discuss Rob’s history in the hemp textile industry; the many uses for hemp (including eating it and building houses with it); how hemp differs from cotton in textiles; and shooting hemp T-shirts with a shotgun (seriously).Check out the rest of our “What You’re Wearing” series here.TOPICS & TIMES:Anti-hemp propaganda (5:40)The battle for hemp legalization (9:15)The future of the U.S. hemp industry (13:31)Is there an ongoing hemp stigma? (15:30)The many uses & history of hemp (16:40)“Hempcrete” for building houses?? (18:13)What are hemp’s textile qualities? (21:04))Why blend hemp & cotton? (24:08)Shooting t-shirts with guns (26:10)Environmental benefits of growing hemp (31:26)Eat hemp every day (*Dr. Dre voice*) (35:44)Future of hemp apparel (40:08) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Misconceptions about down are everywhere — fill power, proper care, and animal welfare are all often wildly misunderstood. So today, in part 3 of our “What You’re Wearing” miniseries, we talk to Matthew Betcher of Allied Feather & Down, a company that works with and supplies down for some of the biggest names in the outdoor industry. (There’s a good chance your down jacket is stuffed with Allied down.) Matthew and I discuss down’s fascinating entrance into the outdoor industry; the physical characteristics that make down such a high-performance fiber; the myths about “fill power” caused by marketing strategies; why and how you should DEFINITELY wash your down apparel; animal welfare & the Responsible Down Standard; and much more. Have a garment containing Allied down? Check out trackmydown.com to learn about where it came from.TOPICS & TIMES:Klaus Obermeyer ‘inventing’ the down jacket (2:40)What does a “fill-power” rating actually mean? (8:03)Duck Down vs. Goose Down (24:15)How Down is different than feathers (30:21)Tips for washing your down!! (36:55)Animal Welfare (49:40)The Responsible Down Standard (56:27)Down-proof fabrics (59:20)Trackmydown.com (1:06:04)The future of down (1:07:10) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4FRNT Skis founder, Matt Sterbenz, recently launched WNDR Alpine, a company that’s incorporating biotech into skis. So we sat down with Sterbenz and WNDR’s brand manager, Xan Marshland, to discuss the creation of and the future plans for WNDR Alpine; its relation to the biotech company, Checkerspot; and we dive deep into the details of their new ski, the Intention 110, which is available now for pre-order.To learn more about WNDR Alpine and its relation to the Berkely-based biotech company Checkerspot, check out our latest BLISTER Podcast with Sterbenz and Checkerspot’s co-founder & CEO, Charlie Dimmler.TOPICS & TIMES:Matt’s background & founding 4FRNT (3:08)Xan’s background (8:36)What is WNDR Alpine? (16:20)The first ski: the Intention 110 (22:00)Why start with a backcountry ski? (22:32)Comparable skis to the Intention 110? (29:22)Materials (41:08)Weight (49:34)Mount point (56:54)Price (1:00:06)Bindings (1:04:50)Where to see the skis & ship dates (1:07:07)Future plans for WNDR? (1:08:54) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are more and more companies making products out of wool? In part two of our “What You’re Wearing” miniseries, we’re taking a closer look at the fabric that was once most associated with itchy old sweaters and fancy suits, but that’s now being used in some of the most comfortable and highest-performing apparel on the market. But how exactly does wool naturally suppress odor? How does the species of sheep affect the finished product? And is wool actually more environmentally friendly than other fibers?To answer these questions and more, we’re talking with Josh Vaughan, head of Wholesale Sales at Icebreaker. We walk through every step of making wool garments (from sheep to shirt); discuss some exciting new uses for wool in apparel, and Josh provides some incredibly in-depth answers about the secrets behind wool’s unique natural properties.Topics & TimesHow climate affects wool quality (2:55)The process: from herding sheep to the final fabric (9:03)How & Why is wool blended with other fibers? (18:40)Environmental benefits & drawbacks of wool (24:02)Wool from other animals? (32:04)Can wool be recycled? (36:13)Why is wool odor resistant? (38:12)Thermoregulation vs. Insulation (40:15)Why is wool more commonly knit than woven? (43:53)Icebreaker’s transparency report (45:03)Two biggest misconceptions about wool (49:00) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crosson Skis is a small, new company building skis outside of Seattle — and they are making some very big claims.So we talk to their founder, Chase Englehart, about the origins of Crosson; what makes their skis different — and better — than what’s out there; manufacturing skis in Tukwila, WA; working with athletes like Bobby Brown and Banks Gilberti; and their 19/20 lineup.Topics & TimesThe Crosson Backstory (2:03)What makes your skis different / better? (12:44)Park Ski: Rogue (22:14)All-Mountain Skis: Imperium & Raider (28:11)Powder Ski: Marauder (30:21)Weight (31:23)Crosson bases & custom base structures (35:19)Price, Warranty, & Added Value (39:22)Materials & what they’re doing in-house (44:34)Their press (46:04)Why manufacture in Tukwila? (48:55)Their athletes: Banks Gilberti & Bobby Brown (51:17)Where to check out or buy Crosson Skis (54:59) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do elite ski racers like Marcel Hirsher, Mikaela Shiffrin, Bode Miller, and Daron Rahlves “feel” their gear, and their ski boots in particular? Matt Manser and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss how some of the all-time greats are superhumanly attuned to the slightest changes of a binding or ski boot.They also discuss Forward Lean (how to measure it, whether lots or less of it is better, etc.); ‘static’ power straps vs. ‘elastic’ Booster Straps; whether WC skiers or WC DH mtn bikers are pickier about their equipment; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Marcel Hirscher & Bode Miller’s insane attunement (4:11)How many boots does Marcel bring to a race? (18:46)WC ski racers vs. WC DH bike racers (22:40)Mikaela Shriffin’s boot preferences (33:20)Which racers wear the stiffest boots? (36:40)Forward Lean / measuring forward lean (44:27)‘Static’ power straps vs ‘elastic’ Booster Straps (59:24)Why it’s so hard to name ski boots (1:12:03) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, & Sam Shaheen argue about the new Volkl Mantra 102 and how it compares to the M5 Mantra; discuss with more civility the Line Vision 98; Dalbello Lupo Pro HD ski boot; Camp Nano 22 vs. Orbit Wire carabiners; and close with several extremely random reviews.This episode is presented by Tribe Alpha & GEAR:30 listeners get a special discount!Tribe Alpha is great ecommerce for the great outdoors, and can help you improve the performance of your ecommerce site. With more than 25 years of web experience, Tribe Alpha has a long and successful history working with retailers in the outdoor industry, and will help you grow your ecommerce business.GEAR:30 listeners: visit tribealpha.com/gear to receive a 10% discount off their standard pricing. TOPICS & TIMES:Volkl Mantra 102 (3:13)Volkl Mantra 102 vs. Volkl M5 (13:40)Line Vision 98 (22:29)Carabiners: CAMP Nano 22 vs. Orbit Wire (24:57)Dalbello Lupo Pro HD (28:30)Sam’s review of Luke Koppa (31:13)Review: buying furniture (33:41)Review: new Lion King movie (35:48) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.