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Angel Collinson just experienced “the best two weeks of my life,” so we discuss that; the process of self discovery; Sam Elias’ & Hillary Allen’s recent Open Mic pieces, and why writing is often wrestling; and then in our ‘Ask Angel’ segment, we go over a number of the questions that you had for Angel.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- The Best 2 Weeks of Angel’s Life (2:19)
- How to discover, “Who am I?” (14:22)
- Work & Consumerism (24:05)
- Sam Elias’ & Hillary Allen’s Open Mic Pieces (33:13)
- Ask Angel (45:31)
- What is the best part of your day? (46:12)
- Biggest mistake you’ve made in your life? (48:32)
- How to calm your mind re: making money? (55:53)
- Favorite book of your voyage so far? (1:05:46)
- Book suggestions in general? (1:09:33)
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Ever been mad about a brand killing off or changing your favorite product? Ever been confused by the sea of very similar-seeming products that a brand makes? Today, Jonathan is talking with our bike editor, David Golay, and our running editor, Matt Mitchell, about brand identity, creating customer loyalty, trend chasing, and more in the ski, bike, and running industries, and what advice we have for companies to reduce customer confusion and increase the staying power of brands, product lines, & individual products.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Building Lasting Brands & Product Lines (4:37)
- The Two-Year Product Cycle (17:54)
- Outdoor Industries vs the Fashion Industry (30:22)
- Operating like tech companies vs luxury goods companies (32:28)
- Importance of a cohesive design aesthetic? (43:11)
- Establishing loyalty to a product line (46:33)
- What Matt would like to see from Running Companies (54:10)
- Trend Chasing (58:29)
- Anti-Trend & Brand Identity (1:06:30)
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While Cody is off trying to get on top of some peak somewhere, we brought in a guest host who can actually draw more than 100 listeners: Dr. Len Necefer, founder of Natives Outdoors and the Sonoran Avalanche Center. Len and Jonathan talk about the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial, The Most Sonoran News, Luis Benitez & the creation of a new federal office of outdoor recreation, mountain town advice, and, you’ll hear the craziest “What We’re Reading” segment in the history of Reviewing the News.
You can also check out our panel session on The Future of Snowsports with Len — and all the Blister Summit panel sessions and brand lineup videos — on our BLISTER YouTube channel.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Len’s work & background (2:44)
- Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Trial (9:05)
- Luis Benitez / Federal Outdoor Rec Office (13:51)
- CO2 & Direct Air Capture Tech (20:51)
- CO2 Removal isn’t Enough (20:51)
- The Most Sonoran News (26:40)
- Mountain Town Advice (31:14)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (38:12)
- Len's Summer Work & Feature Films (49:07)
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In this hilarious conversation, Jonathan asks Hoji, Rory, McKenna, and Forrest about their favorite lines, closest calls, and craziest stories from their years of professional skiing & snowboarding. (You can also watch this panel session — and all the Blister Summit panel sessions and brand lineup videos — on the BLISTER YouTube channel)
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Introductions (3:06)
- Favorite Line of All Time? (4:15)
- Favorite Day or Trip? (12:53)
- Crashes & Close Calls (21:41)
- Most Starstruck Moment? (42:38)
- Pivotal Career Moments (47:08)
- Who / What Inspires You? (53:50)
- Managing Fear (57:32)
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This past Saturday, Jonathan had a phenomenal day in the mountains with Chugach Powder Guides, and our helicopter pilot, Tori Palmer. So he sat down with Tori to get her pilot’s perspective on the day, and to discuss her path to becoming a heli pilot and the training that’s involved; what you should - and should not - do as a passenger in a heli; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Piloting in the Chugach Range (4:53)
- Chalking (6:53)
- Piloting Helicopters vs Planes (9:08)
- Light & Flight (11:56)
- Tori’s Path to Becoming a Pilot (17:30)
- Wrapping Up Ski Season & What’s Next (28:32)
- Mentoring Women Who Want to be Pilots (30:52)
- Best / Worst Passenger Behavior? (34:02)
- Best / Worst Guide Behavior? (39:00)
- Individual Flying Style (43:15)
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Angel Collinson and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss her life since retiring from professional skiing, our Blister Open Mic series, and her recent piece, “How to Not Burn Out.” Then Angel answers your questions about finding peace; marriage & kids; and whether she thinks she’ll ever ski again.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Updates from Angel (5:15)
- Tips on Slowing Down (23:37)
- Open Mic: “How to Not Burn Out” (32:02)
- Defining what success looks like to you (34:20)
- Ask Angel (42:47)
- Finding your identity outside of skiing (43:49)
- Interest in ever skiing again? (46:59)
- Marriage and / or kids? (51:56)
- Balancing being alone vs being with others (55:09)
- How do you find peace when things get difficult? (59:17)
- Pete on the Hot Seat: marriage & kids? (1:05:03)
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Cody and Jonathan discuss the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial; Yakama Nation & hydro-electric energy development; the federal proposal to ban fixed anchors in wilderness areas; ski patroller vs. skier; wieners in the wild; the most Canadian news; mountain town advice; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Our Atlanta Listeners (10:50)
- Gwyneth Paltrow Ski Trial (13:10)
- Yakama Nation & Hydro-Electric Energy (17:02)
- Renaming Mt Evans to Mt Blue Sky (27:01)
- To Bolt or Not to Bolt? (30:55)
- Ski Patroller vs Skier (40:02)
- Weiners in the Wild (49:32)
- Most Canadian News (53:19)
- Mountain Town Advice (58:31)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (1:11:50)
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Mountain Gazette editor / owner, Mike Rogge, is back to discuss this historic winter in Tahoe; urban through hikes; mutton busting; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Winter in Tahoe (6:35)
- Blister Summit (11:31)
- MG State of the Union (17:31)
- Urban Thru Hikes (23:19)
- East Coast Stories (33:59)
- Mutton Busting (37:38)
- Jeremy Jones (50:15)
- How to Get Issue 199 (53:10)
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Chuck Mumford and Chris Garcin started Pit Viper to inject more fun into skiing and riding. But behind all the party vibes, they’ve also been sneaking in a good bit of functionality and performance into their products, too. So Jonathan Ellsworth talked to Chuck and Chris about the early days of trading sunglasses for hotdogs; growing the company; forest gnomes; working with Gronk; Chuck’s philosophy of ski reviewing, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Chaos & String Theory (4:11)
- Origin Story of Pit Viper (6:45)
- Hotdogs (21:33)
- The First 100 Pairs (22:58)
- Where Did the Name Come From? (24:14)
- From the Garage to Global Domination (26:44)
- Marketing (34:28)
- Working with Rob Gronkowski (42:26)
- Party Vibes vs Performance (44:44)
- Goggles? (51:19)
- Lens Tech, Low Light, & Forest Gnomes (56:01)
- Making Technical Apparel (1:05:54)
- Chuck Mumford’s Ski Emporium (1:12:48)
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JT Holmes does it all. From big-mountain skiing to ski-base jumping to stunt work, he has consistently pushed boundaries and explored new opportunities. And now, JT is joining Peak Skis. So Jonathan Ellsworth talked to JT about what led to this new partnership; his incredibly diverse career; the current state of ski media; speed riding; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Backstory on joining Peak Skis (5:13)
- Bode Miller (8:25)
- Chris Davenport (9:35)
- Michelle Parker (11:35)
- Current Pursuits? (12:30)
- Fundamental Stunt Work (15:25)
- A diversified career (17:13)
- Breaking into stunt work (20:48)
- Advice for young athletes (24:34)
- Mainstreaming of skiing & ski films (26:37)
- Gear (43:17)
- Speed Riding (56:12)
- Your role with Peak (1:01:46)
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Cody and Jonathan discuss the state of Warren Miller films; Mikaela Shiffrin & Lebron James; Eddie Bauer dropping its entire team of professional athletes; the Most Canadian News; Mtn Town Advice; & more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Public Service Announcement! (1:00)
- Snowpocalypse (4:00)
- Recycling Warren Miller? (12:40)
- Mikaela Shiffirin / LeBron James (21:07)
- The best named bill in history? (30:31)
- Eddie Bauer drops entire athlete team (34:46)
- Most Canadian News (49:49)
- Mountain Town Advice (53:44)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (1:12:51)
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Our friend (and wildly accomplished artist & designer), Geoff McFetridge, came to CB to pay us a visit, and after two great days of skiing, Geoff and Jonathan sat down in Blister HQ to talk telemark vs alpine skiing; ski graphics (and Geoff’s favorite graphic on a ski in Blister HQ); broadening outdoor media; Blister swag; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Coming to CB (3:29)
- Telemark vs. Alpine Skiing (17:56)
- Balancing Work & Skiing (26:27)
- Talking about skiing with non skiers (34:50)
- Favorite Ski Graphic in Blister HQ? (43:17)
- Pharell & Powerful Graphic Design (48:11)
- Blister Swag (53:19)
- Broadening Outdoor Media (1:04:38)
RELATED LINKS:
- Become a Blister + Spot Member
- Our Other Podcasts with Geoff:
- Blister Podcast ep 116
- Blister Podcast ep 129
- Blister Podcast ep 125: How to Tele
- GEAR:30 ep 95: Telemark Ski Gear
- Geoff is on CRAFTED on 3.1.23
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Our 3rd Blister Summit just wrapped up, so today, Jonathan shares a few words about it; announces the dates for our 2024 Blister Summit, and offers a few thoughts about what the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb described as “the time of my life — literally one of the best weeks ever.”
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Community Feedback (1:36)
- Dates: Blister Summit 2024 (4:01)
- Special Thanks (6:11)
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Jonathan sits down with Drew Petersen in Blister HQ to talk about skiing with Western Colorado University’s freeride team, and to dive deeper into certain topics around mountain towns and mental health that Drew explores in his film (that you can watch on YouTube), Ups & Downs. Give it a listen, and please share this one with your friends, because we’ve all got something to learn on these topics.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Drew’s Honorary CB Citizenship (4:07)
- Skiing w/ Western CO U’s Freeride Team (6:13)
- Knee update (10:32)
- Drew’s film, Ups & Downs (17:04)
- Drew’s struggles with mental health (18:43)
- Shame (28:56)
- Destigmatizing Mental Health Issues (36:30)
- Normalizing Therapy (45:02)
- Snowboarding (50:33)
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Cody and Jonathan discuss Kyle Smaine, tragedy, & avalanche safety; separating vs always staying together in the backcountry; Mountain Town Advice, the most Canadian news; coffee gear; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Babies, Getting Sick, & the NFL (4:34)
- Coffee Gear (8:10)
- Kyle Smaine (10:26)
- Tragedy & Improving Avalanche Safety
- Backcountry Ethics: Separating/Staying Together (20:07)
- Does cycling have a drinking problem? (35:52)
- The Most Canadian News (50:57)
- Mountain Town / Relationship Advice (55:55)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (1:27:01)
RELATED LINKS:
- Become a Blister + Spot Member
- Blister Summit Registration
- Episode Sponsor: Spokane Alpine Haus
- GEAR:30 #194: Spokane Alpine Haus
- GEAR:30 #160: Spokane Alpine Haus
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Today we’re talking about the ski industry, ski manufacturing, and sustainability in general, and Atomic’s own historical and quite recent initiatives, including their new annual Impact Statement they released today. Last week Jonathan was at Atomic’s headquarters in Altenmarkt, Austria, to discuss — and see — what one of the largest manufacturers in the ski industry has been up to on the sustainability front. And after many hours of conversations and going carefully through this Impact Statement, I highly suggest checking it out.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- New “Impact Statement” from Atomic (7:19)
- Ronny’s background (8:30)
- History of Atomic’s sustainability initiatives (12:22)
- Sustainability Reports & Greenwashing (18:57)
- What do “SBTI” & “LCA” mean? (24:32)
- Manufacturing products with reduced impact (32:48)
- Reducing emissions in manufacturing plants (36:48)
- Ski Industry’s Outsized Influence (41:18)
- Atomic’s most significant reductions (45:05)
- Sustainability & Consumer Preference (57:32)
- Ski-Industry Collaboration (1:04:33)
- Lessons on the Communication of Sustainability (1:09:22)
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We talk to Jess Baker and Rachael Burks about sailing, skiing, and what happens when you combine a renewable energy sailboat with an arctic ski expedition in Greenland for the first time ever, which they documented in the film, Going Greenland.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How did you two first meet? (2:57)
- Jess & Rachael’s history (5:21)
- Jess’s Background (9:22)
- Rachael’s Background (14:44)
- Babies & First boat Experiences (17:37)
- Sailing, Skiing, & the Bering Sea (21:25)
- First Trip to Greenland (33:59)
- Return Trip to Greenland (39:40)
- Pre-Trip Troubles (44:33)
- Ski Season vs Sailing Season (51:40)
- The Rhythm of Nature (55:16)
- How & Where to See the Film (1:01:52)
RELATED LINKS:
- goinggreenland.com/
- Instagram: @going_greenland
- Become a Blister + Spot Member
- Blister Summit Registration
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When trying to gain clarity on issues of climate change (where we are, where we’ve been, and where we should go from here) it is a good idea to talk to Bill McKibben. Bill’s book, The End of Nature (1989) was one of the first books written for the general public about these issues; and through the creation of 350.org and 3rd Act, Bill has continued to bring attention to these issues and mobilize communities to bring about change.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Bill’s Background (4:03)
- Writers that have influenced you? (16:00)
- Inflation Reduction Act (19:10)
- Meeting emission goals? (24:50)
- Personal Actions / Community Actions (28:40)
- Banks & Carbon Emissions (37:00)
- Climate Conference in Egypt (39:22)
- The Next 12-24 Months (43:09)
- Heat pumps (47:04)
- Nuclear Fusion (48:26)
- Electric vehicles (50:52)
- Compromises & Alternative Energy (54:59)
- What to Do Now? (59:21)
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Cody and Jonathan discuss Cody’s not-so-excellent recent adventures; nuclear fusion; whether ski areas should be nationalized; iPhones, Apple watches, & 911 calls; our first ever Relationship Advice questions; The White Lotus; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Cody’s Not-So-Excellent Adventures (4:31)
- Nuclear Fusion (14:32)
- Nationalize Ski Areas? (22:08)
- Blister Pod #219: Community-Run Ski Areas
- Apple Watch, iPhones, & 911 Calls (40:25)
- Most Canadian News (44:02)
- Mtn Town Relationship Advice (46:50)
- What We’re Watching: White Lotus (1:16:47)
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As 2022 comes to an end and we look forward to 2023, Jonathan Ellsworth caught up with a number of our Blister reviewers to have them reflect on some of their favorite moments of 2022, and share with us their resolutions for 2023.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Update on Blister Summit (0:00)
- David Golay (4:15)
- Kara Williard (7:56)
- Eric Freson (13:21)
- Kristin Sinnott (19:58)
- Luke Koppa (30:05)
- Matt Mitchell (36:18)
- Justin Bobb (40:59)
- Dylan Wood (48:15)
- Paul Forward (55:42)
- Sascha Anastas (1:07:15)
- Jonathan Ellsworth (1:15:27)
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Last month, Mountain Hardwear athletes, Garrett Madison, Ted Hesser, and their team summited an unnamed, unclimbed peak in Nepal above the village of Khembalung. So we talked with them about how this mission came about; the details and style of the climb; naming the peak; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Meeting (3:08)
- Garrett’s Background (4:55)
- Ted’s Background (6:47)
- The Mission (8:18)
- How did you learn about this peak? (11:24)
- Preparing (16:17)
- Securing Permits (22:31)
- Assembling a team (23:12)
- The Ascent (24:38)
- The Style of the Climb (32:14)
- The Route (39:12)
- Gear (42:09)
- The Summit (47:40)
- The Descent (51:25)
- Naming the Peak (53:24)
- This Winter? (54:12)
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Cody and Jonathan discuss the FWT x FIS merger; the claim that tech + skiing with the right technique will prevent avalanches; the most Canadian news; Mountain Town Advice; our least favorite QBs; our big disagreement about the ending of The Bear (with spoilers); and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Misery Loves Company (3:37)
- FWT x FIS (7:16)
- Tech - & Technique - Will Prevent Avalanches? (21:30)
- Outside Layoffs (31:55)
- The best thing Vail has ever done? (43:50)
- Kirk Cousins saves Golf Course from … Housing (47:32)
- Most Canadian News (55:58)
- Mountain Town Advice (1:00:07)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (1:10:42)
- The Bear (SPOILER ALERT) (1:19:18)
RELATED LINKS:
- Blister Rec Shop: Spokane Alpine Haus
- GEAR:30 - Spokane Alpine Haus
- Exclusive Offer: OpenSnow x Blister
- Open Mic: Cody & Jonathan's text exchange on The Bear
- Become a Blister + Spot Member
- Blister Summit Registration
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We’re proud to announce our new Blister + Spot Membership, because we know it’s going to help a lot of people. So today, I’m talking with Spot founder, Matt Randall, about how it works; why it’s important for anyone who doesn’t have insurance; why it’s important for anyone who (like Matt & Jonathan) has insurance but high deductibles; and more. Check it out, and please share this conversation with anyone this might help.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Matt’s morning skiing (4:49)
- Blister + Spot Membership (9:17)
- Starting Spot (14:13)
- Don’t get wrecked physically *and* financially (18:51)
- Don’t refrain from getting medical help (23:12)
- Who is Spot for? (27:51)
- How it Works (30:07)
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You wake up, check your phone, and the weather app says it’s going to snow 12” this weekend. You’re stoked! But should you be? How accurate is that forecast? And what makes one forecast more or less accurate than another?
Today we’re talking to OpenSnow founder and meteorologist, Joel Gratz, about the science of weather forecasting; the many weather models being used today; his love of skiing and snow; what led him to start a weather forecasting company; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Traveling (5:01)
- Current snowpack in the West (6:42)
- History of modern weather forecasting (8:48)
- Weather Models Galore (23:05)
- Advancements in Forecasting (27:39)
- Forecasting Research (33:11)
- Joel’s background as a skier (36:56)
- Studying Meteorology, Public Policy & Business (39:54)
- Why start a weather forecasting company? (43:11)
- OpenSnow today vs the early days (48:39)
- How much do you ski these days? (1:03:20)
- Why subscribe to OpenSnow? (1:05:46)
- Joel at the Blister Summit (1:15:16)
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Since becoming Jamaica’s first Olympic alpine ski racer, nothing has slowed down for Benji Alexander. So we caught up with Benji to talk about post-Olympics life; opening doors for other athletes; ensuring the future of snowsports; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Life after the Olympics (5:45)
- What have you been working on? (7:10)
- Opening the door for more athletes & countries (11:59)
- Why representation matters (19:11)
- Ensuring the future of snowsports (25:35)
- Hoods to Woods Foundation (28:11)
- What athletes should be on our radar? (30:54)
- What’s up next for you? (37:09)
- Contact Benji (benji.ski) (39:55)
RELATED LINKS:
- Ep Sponsor & Exclusive Offer: OpenSnow.com/BLISTER
- Become a Blister Member
- Blister Summit Registration
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Jonathan sat down in Blister HQ with Connor Ryan and Drew Petersen to talk about the Salomon Quality Ski Time Film Tour, their friendship, their missions, Hilaree Nelson, the act of celebrating others, skiing, running, and a whole lot more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Salomon QST Film Tour in CB (1:50)
- New Trend: Scuffed-Up Yeti Coolers (5:20)
- The Films in the Tour (10:32)
- Filming: Skiing, Producing, Directing (13:42)
- Tracing Influence (19:14)
- Skiing as the Economic Driver of Communities (36:20)
- When did Connor & Ryan first meet? (39:24)
- Running (45:46)
- Who is Harder to Crew For? (48:44)
- Future Race Plans? (57:16)
- Running During Ski Season? (1:02:05)
RELATED LINKS:
- Ep Sponsor & Exclusive Offer: OpenSnow.com/BLISTER
- Ep.209: Connor Ryan
- Blister Summit Panel on the ‘Mental Game’ of Pro Skiing
- Become a Blister Member
- Blister Summit Registration
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Cody and Jonathan discuss the latest 50 Project episode (The Sphinx); the US Alpine Team’s new name & sponsor; Cotopaxi closing its San Francisco store after repeated break ins; NFL Talk; Mountain Town Advice; what we’re reading & watching; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Latest Fifty Project ep: The Sphinx (4:51)
- The “Stifel” US Alpine Team (17:36)
- Private ski areas donating to politicians? (24:23)
- Cotopaxi closes S.Fran store after repeat break ins (34:16)
- NFL Talk (41:47)
- CO hunting non-profit & unsanctioned trailbuilders (46:21)
- The Most Canadian News (53:01)
- Canada or Italy? (55:25)
- Mtn Town Advice: Jobs (58:46)
- Mtn Town Advice: Defining wilderness (1:06:14)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (1:15:41)
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Markus Eder is one of the best (and most versatile) big-mountain skiers ever. Hoji just stated this again on GEAR:30 (ep.220), and Cody Townsend ranks Markus’ Ultimate Run as the best ski edit of all time (Blister Podcast ep.193). Today, we talk to Markus about training; skateboarding as prep for ski season; the golden age of skiing; competing; filming the Ultimate Run; lessons from Hoji and Sam Anthamatten; the Volkl ‘Built Together’ program; & more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Living in Italy (3:24)
- Injuries (5:04)
- Skateboarding for Skiing (13:13)
- Markus’ training routine (15:30)
- The golden age of skiing (28:11)
- Crystal Ball Question (32:56)
- Pressure: FWT Comps vs Park Comps vs Filming (37:03)
- Ultimate Run: scariest moment? (51:29)
- Ultimate Run: your favorite shot? (57:57)
- That ‘bonkers three’ off the glacier (58:39)
- Lessons from Hoji & Sam Anthamatten? (1:00:28)
- Volkl’s Built Together program (1:08:01)
- Volkl Revolt 121 (1:11:49)
- Plans for the upcoming season? (1:18:03)
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Jason Levinthal is a pioneer in the world of modern skiing, and now, J Skis is opening their new “Intergalactic Headquarters” right on Main Street in Burlington, Vermont. So I headed to Burlington to check out the new space; ask J what inspired this move; hear J’s predictions and trends for the upcoming season; and discuss one big thing that the entire ski industry needs to work on.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- J’s New Intergalactic HQ (3:47)
- Prediction: will more ski companies create spaces like this? (12:02)
- Other Predictions or Trends for this winter? (14:30)
- Why are we seeing fewer new ski companies? (20:13)
- Prediction: more consolidation in the ski industry? (24:01)
- Industry Opportunities (30:49)
- Attracting New Skiers (34:23)
- J Skis at the Blister Summit (37:03)
RELATED LINKS:
- Blister Summit 2023
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
- Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
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One of the greatest big-mountain snowboarders of all time came to Western Colorado University for another installment of our Blister Speaker Series. But Jeremy isn’t simply one of the best to ever ride a board; by founding Protect Our Winters, Jeremy has had a massive impact on the broader snowsports world, and is working to address one of the biggest issues of our time: climate change. So we talked to Jeremy about filming, snowboarding, founding POW, the ‘outdoor state’; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- When were you last in the Gunnison Valley? (3:56)
- Relevance today of Jeremy’s film, Purple Mountains (6:41)
- Size of the ‘Outdoor State’? (8:30)
- Starting Protect Our Winters (10:34)
- How has the mission of POW stayed the same or evolved? (16:55)
- The road not taken (20:39)
- Social media attacks (22:35)
- How much are you snowboarding these days? (24:50)
- Clarify POW’s position on Individual Behavior vs Policy & Voting (28:07)
- Will individual behavior ultimately move the needle? (32:59)
- Hilaree Nelson (36:58)
- Have you talked to a legislator who made you reconsider a position? (40:47)
- Pessimism and the Future (42:40)
- Scariest moment snowboarding? (46:07)
- How does POW decide which objectives to tackle? (49:05)
- Are you seeing funding coming in to support climate action? (50:16)
- How do you feel about ‘carbon neutrality’? (52:48)
- How to convince officials to care about climate action if they are funded by parties against it? (55:26)
- How were you thinking about climate while filming Art of Flight? (58:12)
- Climate Leadership: federal government vs small communities (1:00:18)
- Upcoming elections (1:01:55)
- What's your favorite place to snowboard? (1:03:04)
- Jeremy’s new book The Art of Shralpinism: Lessons from the Mountains (1:04:06)
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If you spend time in the mountains, then it’s crucial to always be learning — there are new skills to acquire, and old skills to brush up on. So we’re talking about mountain safety, backcountry education, and pedagogy — what are the most effective ways to convey and instill information? — with IFMGA guide, Mark Smiley, the creator of Mountain Sense, an online collection of video courses designed to make you a more informed and more skilled backcountry traveler. Consider this a must-listen to help you think about your own level of preparation.
TOPICS & TIMES:
From Indiana to IFMGA guide (7:19)
When did you start skiing? (11:01)
What is Mountain Sense? (17:59)
Is Mountain Sense a supplement or alternative to other courses? (20:24)
Who is Mountain Sense for? (23:23)
How has Mountain sense been received? (36:26)
Favorite safety equipment & gear? (47:08)
Final Thoughts (59:13)
RELATED LINKS:
Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
All Winter: Blister Members: 40% Off Mountain Sense Courses
Til 10.31.22: 30% Off A Comprehensive Guide to Avalanche Safety
Til 10.31.22: 30% Off Beyond Level One
Til 10.31.22: 30% Off The Ultimate Guide to Backcountry Skiing & Ski Mountaineering
Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
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Cody and Jonathan discuss the life & legacy of Hilaree Nelson; Yvon Chouinard giving away Patagonia; Kipchoge & GOATs; burro racing; mountain sex; what we’re reading & watching; Cormac McCarthy; the return of The 50 Project; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Hilaree Nelson: Life & Legacy (2:45)
- Yvon Chouinard’s Gift (15:46)
- Kipchoge & GOAT Culture (28:55)
- Alaskan Gold: Yeti Coolers? (35:47)
- The Most Canadian News (38:07)
- Burro Racing (39:18)
- What actually is a “Mtn Town”? (42:31)
- Mountain Sex (48:59)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (55:41)
- The Fifty Project is Back! (1:08:26)
RELATED LINKS:
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For the final installment of our Mountain Towns & Local Food Systems series, Kara Williard talks to Rachel Landis, Executive Director of the Good Food Collective in Durango, CO. Rachel discusses why she left a career of guiding and ski patrol to be the ultimate facilitator of local food systems; they nail down what a food hub is; what a “just and regional food system” looks like; how she works to bring people in her community together; some of the unique programs of the Good Food Collective, such as a Produce Prescription Program with the local hospital; then, Jonathan and Kara recap the series, their major takeaways, and why they were left inspired.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Ski Patrol & Guiding & Rachel’s Journey Into Local Food Systems (2:05)
- The Good Food Collective (5:23)
- Working with Institutions (7:58)
- “Just and Regional Food System” (12:06)
- Food Education (17:06)
- Fruit Gleaning Program & Fruit for Good (22:41)
- Regional Food System Challenges & Connectivity (29:33)
- Produce Rx Program (35:29)
- Food Justice & the La Plata Good Equity Program (41:14)
- Getting Involved (51:32)
- Series Recap with Jonathan (59:20)
RELATED LINKS:
- Instagram: @goodfoodcollectiveco
- Website: https://www.goodfoodcollective.org/
- Mountain Towns & Local Food Systems, Pt. 1: Setting the Stage
- Mountain Towns & Local Food Systems Pt 2: Regenerative Farming, Cow Cuddling, and More
- Mountain Towns & Local Food Systems Pt 3: Chris Rubens on Skiing and Farming in Revelstoke
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
- Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
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Mountain Gazette owner & editor, Mike Rogge, is back to discuss the outdoor industry & mainstream media; detail the aftermath of the previous issue of the Mountain Gazette; and highlight several of the pieces in the next issue, including a career retrospective on Seth Morrison.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Wildfires (2:28)
- Jimmy Chin & TGR (7:31)
- Mainstreaming of the Outdoor Industry (10:21)
- Influencers & Accountability (16:43)
- Media Literacy (20:44)
- Tiktok (28:51)
- Next issue of Mountain Gazette (31:50)
- Baratunde Thurston on the Great Dismal Swamp (34:35)
- Seth Morrison: Career Retrospective (37:05)
- Maria Wilson & Loss (41:32)
- Skinny Dipping: A History (47:12)
- A City Perspective on Snow & Climate Change (50:20)
- How to subscribe to Mountain Gazette (52:26)
RELATED LINKS
- Subscribe to Mountain Gazette
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
- Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
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Why did one of the best freeride skiers of the past 20 years become a farmer? Kara Williard and I talk with Salomon skier, Chris Rubens, about starting First Light Farm in Revelstoke, BC, with his partner Jesse; how skiing and farming are more related than you might think; and why Chris finds farming to be one of the most meaningful things he has ever done.
TOPICS & TIMES
- How Chris became a Farmer (3:57)
- Growing Food in Revelstoke, BC (14:22)
- Pigloos? (19:20)
- First Light Farm (20:55)
- The Honor System Farm Stand (22:25)
- Farming Efficiencies (24:56)
- Ski Talk (27:23)
- Skiing & Farming? (37:18)
- Building Stability in Mountain Towns (44:26)
- New Babies & Farming (48:54)
RELATED LINKS
- Instagram: @FirstLightFarm
- Mountain Towns & Local Food Systems, Pt. 1: Setting the Stage
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
- Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
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Cody and Jonathan discuss what’s going on at the National Ski Patrol; the proposed Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola; “pigloos”; mountain-town advice; what we’re reading & watching; and more.
TOPIC & TIMES:
- Cody & JE’s Sleep Updates (1:31)
- Cody Went Skiing (3:49)
- Don’t-Miss GEAR:30 episodes (5:38)
- Blevin’s Corner: National Ski Patrol is a Mess (10:13)
- Gunstock Mtn Resort Update (22:40)
- Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola (24:43)
- CA’s Ban of Single-Use Propane Cylinders (47:59)
- Canadian News: Pigloos & Wild Pigs (50:06)
- Oil Industry Wants to Refreeze AK Permafrost (53:57)
- Mountain Town Advice (1:00:36)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (1:09:22)
RELATED LINKS:
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We catch up with Chris about his recent ski trip to Portillo, Chile, and discuss his decision to join Bode Miller at Peak Skis.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Blister News & Updates (0:00)
- Skiing in Portillo, Chile (5:40)
- Superstars Camp: the history (11:38)
- Ski Instruction: Chris’ philosophy (18:57)
- Joining Peak Skis (24:52)
- Bode Miller: when did you guys first meet? (31:49)
- Ski availability & production (37:28)
- Fall & Winter Plans? (38:30)
- Blister Summit / Skiing with Dav (41:21)
RELATED LINKS:
- GEAR:30 ep 191: Bode Miller on Peak Skis
- Get your 22/23 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide
- Blister Summit Info & Signup
- Open Mic Series
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
- Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
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We talk with Lynsey Gammon of Gracie’s Farm in Park City, Utah, about topsoil health and climate change; turning barren soil into a thriving farm; farm-to-restaurant connectivity; bee dinners; cow cuddling; women and farming; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- What is Gracie’s Farm? (4:35)
- How Lynsey got into farming (6:18)
- Transforming ranch land to farmable land (9:11)
- Climate Change & Topsoil Health (16:22)
- Mtn Town Visitors & Local Food (21:23)
- Seasonality (25:50)
- Chef & Farmer Relationship (31:51)
- Women & Farming (38:57)
- Action Items / Lessons from Gracie’s Farm (41:40)
- Cow Cuddling (45:02)
RELATED LINKS
- Mountain Towns & Local Food Systems, Pt. 1: Setting the Stage
- Instagram: @graciesfarmbluesky
- Gracie’s Farm: The Lodge at Blue Sky
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
- Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
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The United States Congress just passed a historic climate bill, so we spoke with the executive director of POW, Mario Molina, to discuss the backstory and details of the bill, and what needs to happen now.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Background & Climate Details of the New Bill (2:45)
- Consquences if this hadn’t passed? (10:34)
- The oil & gas leases in this bill (16:10)
- Mario's Background (25:29)
- Climate advocacy: what has changed & what hasn’t? (33:15)
- Evolving to cleaner energy technologies (38:50)
- The bill: what should we be expecting now? (47:33)
- Stokethevote.com (55:00)
RELATED LINKS:
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This week Jonathan is talking with our very own Kara Williard, who, when she’s not testing skis or doing a million other things for us at BLISTER, is raising chickens and growing food in the Gunnison Valley. We discuss what it means to build and support local food systems in mountain towns; the best practices for growing food in these cold climates; chicken tractors and therapy chickens; and the many ways that you can get involved with local food in your community.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Kara’s Background (2:06)
- Tim’s Question (9:04)
- What’s a Local Food System? (10:39)
- Who are the players? (11:47)
- Food Insecurity & Mountain Towns (18:31)
- Growing participation in CSA’s (21:52)
- Farmers’ Markets (27:03)
- What else individuals can do (28:40)
- Greenhouses (31:43)
- Eating Regionally & Food Literacy (35:47)
- Other methods & technologies(37:23)
- Local Food & Environmental Health (40:55)
- Kara’s farm: Sunny Sage Farm (45:55)
RELATED LINKS:
- Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (July 2022)
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
- Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
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Cody and Jonathan cover Gunstock Mountain Resort’s fight to operate; access issues & potential solutions; WC DH MTBers forming a union; mountain-town advice; what we’re reading & watching (answer: TOP GUN) and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Hunters, Skiers, & Offroaders: Cody on the onX meetup (4:58)
Gunstock ski area’s fight to operate (13:38)
Update: New info on Gunstock after we recorded
Access Issues & Solutions: Red Rock Canyon (28:26)
WC DH MTB racers forming a union (38:53)
Most / Least Canadian News Story (46:50)
Mountain Town Advice (50:17)
What We’re Reading & Watching (1:04:44)
RELATED LINKS:
Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
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How do we grow participation in snowsports, support rural mountain communities, and produce more Olympic skiers and snowboarders? We sat down with Will Brandenburg of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation to discuss all of the above.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Will’s title & the work of SVSEF (2:16)
- From a small ski hill to the Olympics (6:32)
- Hockey rinks & ski areas (30:27)
- Increasing snowsports participation *and* high-level racers (35:22)
- Building communities through small ski areas (54:58)
- How do we make this happen? (58:20)
RELATED LINKS:
OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
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Another brief attempt to wrap our heads around the images — and the significance — of the James Webb Space Telescope, with a few recommendations for further reading & listening.
RELATED LINKS:
- The Daily: A View of the Beginning of Time
- Ars Tecnica on James Webb
- GEAR:30 conversation with Drew Kelly
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Jonathan and Blister Summit Director, Kristin Sinnott, discuss the new format for our next Blister Summit (February 2023, Mt. Crested Butte, CO). We also discuss how to get the best pricing; what we learned from past Blister Summits; and who ought to come to our next one.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Blister Summit ‘23 Details & Dates (2:50)
- What Is It / Who’s It For? (6:52)
- Gear Demos & Testing (12:06)
- More on the programming (18:03)
- Backcountry Touring (19:18)
- Why 1 Summit This Year? (25:00)
- Pricing & Blister Membership Details (27:26)
- Snowboarding? (33:27)
- Previous Summit Takeaways (35:38)
RELATED LINKS:
- Blister Summit Info & Registration
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
- Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
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Cody and Jonathan discuss the Mountain Gazette story about outdoor influencers & accountability; Matthew Fairbrother’s bikepacking — and enduro racing — across Europe; the ‘most Canadian’ news story; what we’re reading & watching; recent Supreme Court rulings; mountain-town advice; & more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Reviewing the News vs. White Noise (2:19)
- Accountability & Outdoor Influencers (4:17)
- Stop the Progression (37:07)
- Bikepacking & Enduro Racing across Europe (54:00)
- The most Canadian News Story (59:40)
- Mountain Town Advice (1:01:26)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (1:08:19)
- Ezra Klein: Supreme Court Rulings (1:14:44)
- Ezra Klein: The Ethics of Abortion
- Plain English: End of Roe vs Wade
- Potomac Watch: Roe is Overturned
- The Daily: Roe v Wade is Overturned
RELATED LINKS:
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Kimmy Fasani is a pioneer of women’s snowboarding, mother of two, partner of Chris Benchetler, author, and (among other things) someone who has been dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis. So we checked in with Kimmy to talk about how she’s doing, what she’s been learning, and what we can learn from her.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Being diagnosed with breast cancer (1:10)
- Paying attention to signals (5:17)
- Growing up, getting into snowboarding (12:03)
- Meeting Chris Benchetler (14:48)
- Current state of snowboarding (15:47)
- Self care (19:05)
- How has this diagnosis affected your priorities? (23:00)
- Dealing with anger & curveballs (28:39)
- How do you feel today?? (32:47)
- Body Transformations (38:18)
- What else should we know?? (47:36)
- What can we do to help? (49:48)
- The Benchetler Fasani Foundation (50:46)
RELATED LINKS:
OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
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Cody and Jonathan discuss the ethics of trail magic; wildfire management; how Cody broke his toe; a new segment for Reviewing the News; and a whole lot more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Coffee Update (2:33)
- 50 Project Update (7:00)
- Ethics of Trail Magic (14:08)
- Full Circle Everest Expedition (21:33)
- Outside layoffs (25:37)
- MountainFLOW’s Fluoro Wax Takeback Program (37:50)
- Wildfire management (47:41)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (56:46)
- New Segment: Mountain Town Advice (1:20:15)
RELATED LINKS
OUR OTHER PODCASTS
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Jonathan Ellsworth sat down with BLISTER Bike Editor and ‘Bikes & Big Ideas’ host, David Golay, and our Running Editor and ‘Off The Couch’ host, Matt Mitchell, to talk with them about Blister Labs; their backgrounds; and some of their recent favorite episodes on Bikes & Big Ideas and Off The Couch.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Blister Labs Update (2:21)
- Matt & David's Backgrounds (5:57)
- How we connected with Matt (14:36)
- Some favorite episodes: Jess Blewitt (19:56)
- Off The Couch: Pablo Vigil (23:21)
- Bikes & Big Ideas: Contra Bikes (26:54)
- Off The Couch: Robbie Balenger (29:18)
- Bikes & Big Ideas: Kitsbow CEO (34:22)
RELATED LINKS
- Blister Labs
- David Golay: Reviewing the Reviewer
- Off The Couch with Olivia Amber
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
- Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
OUR OTHER PODCASTS
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Professional skiers are often asked about the mental preparation it takes to ski big lines and perform at a high level. But in this conversation (recorded at our Blister Summit), John Collinson, Wendy Fisher, Sander Hadley, and Drew Petersen offer a much broader perspective on ‘the mental game’ as it relates to dealing with injury and adversity; self identity; mental health; and much more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Introductions (3:41)
- Pro Skiing & Self Identity (11:46)
- Dealing with Adversity & Injuries (25:45)
- Purpose vs. Identity (36:20)
- Audience Q&A (54:02)
- Social Media & Mental Health (58:09)
- Risk Assessment (1:09:12)
- Support Systems (1:13:43)
RELATED LINKS
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Jonathan Ellsworth is in Iceland this week, skiing at Deplar Farm and being guided by AMGA-certified guide, Ian Havlick. And in between their time in the mountains, they sat down to talk about Ian’s path to becoming a professional guide; the misperceptions about the profession; recommendations for how to get into guiding; they try to clear up the confusion around tipping; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Skiing at Deplar Farm (2:27)
- Ian’s path to becoming a professional guide (4:55)
- AMGA Certification (13:34)
- Guiding fly fishing (15:44)
- Recommended steps to becoming a guide (17:53)
- Responsibility & risk (28:11)
- Tipping (37:52)
- Guiding & family life (44:10)
RELATED LINKS
OUR OTHER PODCASTS
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Jonathan talks with Cody about what he’s been up to and gets an update on the Fifty Project, then they run through some of the latest news, including faked plane crashes; Vail Resorts’ minimum wage increase; fuel for backcountry skiing; golf; and what they're reading & watching.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Fifty Project Update (3:07)
- Olympic Snowboarder Fakes Plane Crash (20:18)
- Doerrs give 1.1B for Climate & Sustainability school (28:40)
- Vail Resorts vs Town of Vail (37:40)
- Vail raises minimum wage (44:41)
- Independent resorts thriving (47:31)
- Golf (49:20)
- Fuel for backcountry skiing (57:18)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (1:04:36)
RELATED LINKS
OUR OTHER PODCASTS
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We talk to Hunkpapa Lakota skier, Connor Ryan, about his film, Spirit of the Peaks; his vision for skiing and the ski community; radical and rebellious acts; the ‘kiss before the dance’; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Connor’s season (2:48)
- The film, Spirit of the Peaks (7:11)
- Finding his way into skiing (8:22)
- Connor’s vision for skiing / the ski community (21:19)
- How do we move forward? (24:50)
- Being connected (29:25)
RELATED LINKS
OUR OTHER PODCASTS
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Crashes. Backlfips. Rambo. The wobbles. Blister reviewers Luke Koppa, Kristin Sinnott, Jonathan Ellsworth, Dylan Wood, & Sascha Anastas take you behind the scenes of our day of snow blading, and answer all the big questions, like: why no ski poles?; telemark vs. snowblading; & more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Was Tele Skiing or Snow Blading harder? (1:48)
- The Wobbles (8:25)
- Ski Poles (18:21)
- Dylan in the Park (24:08)
- Rambo (27:21)
- Hardest & easiest parts of blading? (39:22)
- Will you be blading more or less?(45:04)
- Next: Snowboard ‘Crash Course’ Video? (50:20)
RELATED LINKS
- Blister ‘Crash Course’ Snow Blade Video
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
- Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
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I sat down with Sander Hadley at Snowbird to talk about his entrance into the world of professional skiing; shifting expectations; his gear setup; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- The Dynastar M-Free 108 (4:31)
- Growing up & releasing his first GoPro edit (8:35)
- Pebble Creek with Rachael Burks (13:03)
- Life after that first GoPro edit (18:57)
- More on the mental game (23:25)
- From the resort to backcountry (27:12)
- Longevity in skiing (29:30)
- Fitness (31:49)
- Skiing as meditative (39:55)
- Working with Picture Organic (44:20)
- Sander’s inbounds & backcountry setup (52:54)
- Lightweight setup vs CAST (57:16)
- What are you reading & watching? (1:02:30)
RELATED LINKS
- Video: Pro Skiers on The Mental Game
- Sander’s Film, Nix
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
- Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
- Video: Blister Labs
OUR OTHER PODCASTS
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This weekend, Jonathan sat down in Blister HQ with Mountain Gazette editor, Mike Rogge, to talk about the current state of outdoor media; the revival and future of Mountain Gazette; which non-outdoor publications inspire him; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Mt. Crested Butte & the Grand Traverse (4:49)
- The revival of Mountain Gazette (7:10)
- The subscription model in media (12:06)
- Getting into reading / who were you reading? (19:48)
- What non-outdoor publications inspire you? (36:22)
- What’s your best-case scenario for Mountain Gazette? (45:35)
- Next issue / how to subscribe? (50:45)
- Sneak Peek: next issue’s stories (51:55)
RELATED LINKS
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
- Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
- Video: Blister Labs
OUR OTHER PODCASTS
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Benji Alexander is back on the podcast to talk about becoming Jamaica’s first Olympian alpine ski racer; his experience in Beijing and his race runs; competition and representation at the Olympic games; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Update since our last podcast (3:09)
- What was your mission? (7:32)
- What happened after you qualified?(10:48)
- Being at the games (15:16)
- The skiing & training runs (19:15)
- Snow conditions (22:53)
- Benji’s race runs (24:16)
- The pressure to succeed (29:47)
- Media response after skiing (32:32)
- Competition & representation (42:26)
- How to increase diversity & participation (46:56)
- Changing the qualifications requirements? (53:24)
- What's next? (56:55)
RELATED LINKS
- Subscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
- Blister Podcast ep. 178: Benji Alexander
OUR OTHER PODCASTS
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We talk to Colorado Sun journalist, Jason Blevins, about this ski season & his predictions for next year’s, then we’re joined by Chris Davenport to talk about the 30th anniversary of the US Extreme Championships in Mt. Crested Butte; the Winter Olympics in Beijing; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Blevins in Mt. CB (2:33)
- Starting the Colorado Sun (4:08)
- Jason’s background (11:13)
- Assessing this season (20:37)
- Affordable housing in mtn towns (26:17)
- Return of a reservations system? (31:40)
- Dav jumps in / history of the Extreme comps (39:26)
- Ski passes as NFTS (46:35)
- State of backcountry skiing (57:21)
- Winter Olympics recap (1:04:17)
- What We're Reading & Watching (1:23:28)
RELATED LINKS
OUR OTHER PODCASTS
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When things go wrong in the backcountry, your local Search And Rescue organization becomes crucial. But how much do you know about how Search And Rescue actually works? We talk with our good friend, Cy Whitling, about how and why he got involved in Search And Rescue, why we all need to understand how SAR units operate, and why the SAR organization in your community could probably use your help — and in ways you might not expect.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Why Cy is in Crested Butte (3:17)
- How did you get involved in SAR? (6:04)
- How SAR works in the USA (12:22)
- SAR at the local level (14:52)
- Avalanches & crime scenes (20:02)
- How long have you been involved (21:40)
- Contributing to your community (24:48)
- Becoming a more capable person in the backcountry (29:29)
- Dialing back risk (32:26)
- SAR Response Times (39:36)
- Busiest times of the year for SAR? (44:38)
- The PRO course here in CB Cy’s taking (50:54)
- Joining SAR (55:30)
RELATED LINKS
- Blister Summit Registration
- Getting Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
- Subscribe to our Newsletter & Gear Giveaways
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
OUR OTHER PODCASTS
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Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss skiing inbounds on touring gear; alpinism, obsession, & our top-5 climbing movies; a recent interview with Vail’s executive chairman, Rob Katz; Jerry of the Day and inclusivity; Eileen Gu and geopolitics; the future of Outdoor Retailer; and what we’re reading & watching.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Skiing inbounds on touring gear (3:27)
- Alpinism, Obsession, & Our Top 5 Climbing Movies (11:11)
- Interview with Vail Resorts’ Rob Katz (39:57)
- Jerry of the Day & Inclusivity (53:01)
- Eileen Gu & Geopolitics (1:04:39)
- The future of Outdoor Retailer & tradeshows (1:18:48)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (1:30:06)
- NFL Playoffs (1:36:26)
- Olympics (1:43:49)
RELATED LINKS
- Blister Summit Registration
- Getting Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
- Subscribe to our Newsletter & Gear Giveaways
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
OUR OTHER PODCASTS
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Last week, we released our Blister ‘Crash Course’ Telemark video, and today, Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, and Dylan’s Wood talk about their experience tele’ing for the first time. We’re also joined by the star of the video, Kristin Sinnott, to learn why she was a million times better than the rest of us. Then we discuss ideas for future Blister Crash Course videos, so check the conversation, then let us know what you think we ought to do for our next Crash Course videos.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Props to Arnie (3:52)
- Let’s talk about Kristin (8:01)
- Favorite part of the day? (23:46)
- If we do another tele day… (26:53)
- Which Blister reviewer do you most wish was in this video? (30:47)
- Future Crash Course videos? (33:57)
- Which Crash Course would you most wish to skip? (42:03)
- Which Crash Course would you least want to skip? (46:26)
- What should we do at 2500 ratings? (50:40)
RELATED LINKS:
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Nick Russell started snowboarding in the half pipe, then fell in love with riding pow, and then developed a passion for splitboarding and splitboard mountaineering — where he’s now made several appearances in Cody Townsend’s The Fifty Project. So in this conversation, we talk about sharing a tent with Cody; Nick’s background and a number of his ‘light bulb’ moments; how he came to be a splitboarder sponsored by Red Bull; and how his recent signing with WNDR Alpine came about.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- The Fifty Project & sharing a tent w/ Cody (4:08)
- Red Bull athlete & splitboarder (11:50)
- When did you start riding? (15:01)
- Health Scare & Turning Point (20:47)
- Riding for Jones (37:30)
- Current state of snowboarding (41:34)
- Signing with WNDR Alpine (44:44)
- What kind of performance qualities do you like in a snowboard? (50:37)
- Books & Movies (55:23)
- Nick’s public speaking tips (1:02:40)
RELATED LINKS:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We’re talking with one of our favorite skiers, Tatum Monod, about her film, Passage; the trajectory of her career; her ski, the Rossignol Black Ops 118; music; graphics; fishing; design; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Tatum’s (relatively) late interest in skiing (4:38)
- Skiing trajectory (11:46)
- College or Revelstoke? (16:53)
- Her film, Passage (24:32)
- Injuries (27:29)
- Decision-making while filming & skiing (34:43)
- Breaking down the final line of Passage (36:20)
- Music (42:08)
- Rossignol Black Ops (49:30)
- New Black Ops graphics (59:25)
- Fishing (1:02:09)
- ‘More than just a skier’ (1:04:18)
RELATED LINKS:
- Tatum’s film, Passage
- Episode Sponsor: mountainFLOW Eco Wax
- GEAR:30: mountainFLOW’s Peter Arlein
- Blister Summit Registration
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jonathan Ellsworth and Blister Summit director, Kristin Sinnott, discuss the ins and outs of our upcoming Blister Summit; why we’re including free professionally guided backcountry tours; which brands will be there; when to arrive & where to stay; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What is the Blister Summit? (1:15)
- Logistics & guided backcountry tours (5:15)
- When to arrive / more logistics (8:51)
- Mt Crested Butte (11:45)
- Where to stay (12:41)
- Brands that will be there (14:57)
- Protocols for Covid (18:12)
- What we’re most excited about (21:22)
- Come meet pro athletes & Blister reviewers (26:56)
RELATED LINKS:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cody and Jonathan discuss the current situation of under-staffed & overcrowded ski areas; national parks and Native American tribes; the looming shortage of lithium batteries for electric vehicles; whether or not to ski the backcountry with your dog; what we’re watching; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Sleeping / Not Sleeping (3:42)
- Understaffed & overcrowded ski areas (15:54)
- Lithium battery shortage & the future of EVs? (32:58)
- National Parks & Native American Tribes (38:28)
- Should you backcountry ski with your dog? (47:39)
- New SIA report reinforces snowsports pervasive inclusion problem (50:23)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (57:36)
RELATED LINKS
- Episode Sponsor: mountainFLOW Eco Wax
- Getting Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
- Blister Summit Registration
- Subscribe to our Newsletter & Gear Giveaways
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Many areas are currently getting hammered by snow storms, and the consequences of backcountry travel are high. So we asked Zach Guy (lead forecaster for the CBAC) to come back on to discuss some best practices and important reminders for anyone venturing out.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Recap of Last Season (6:49)
- Avalanche Demographics(10:19)
- Snowpack this season (16:40)
- Tacos & Avalanches (22:05)
- Current storm (23:51)
- Where should people tour? (29:05)
- Other best practices? (39:10)
- What’s in Zach’s Pack? (41:13)
RELATED LINKS
- Avocado
- Jonathan’s Sleep Experiment
- Getting Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
- Blister Summit Registration
- Subscribe to our Newsletter & Gear Giveaways
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
RELATED EPISODES: BACKCOUNTRY TRAVEL
- Ep. 161: Backcountry Travel, Snow Science, & the Art of Avy Forecasting
- Ep. 152: On Guide Books & Decision Making in the Backcountry
- Ep. 128: Henry Munter on Avy Forecasting & Decision Making
- Ep. 119: Rob Coppolillo on Backcountry Travel, Education, & Gear
- Ep. 85: AMGA president, Angela Hawse
- Ep. 62: Paul Forward on Backcountry Travel & Wilderness Medicine
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Eric Jackson is a visionary, iconoclast, designer, founder, and one of the most successful and influential kayakers in history. In this conversation, Eric provides a masterclass on the history and evolution of paddlesports — and even if you’ve never paddled a day in your life, Eric’s insights into the sport that he played such a seminal role in shaping offer numerous lessons for how to grow — and preserve the best aspects of — other sports, communities, and industries like skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, trail running, etc.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- When did you first paddle a boat? (3:43)
- What was the sport like when you started? (5:30)
- Key moments in modern kayaking? (13:35)
- The visionary gene (20:20)
- Product Design (31:30)
- Community: Growth vs. Intimacy (38:09)
- Best ways to increase participation? (44:12)
- Where would you like to see boating be in 10 years? (50:36)
- Eric’s hearing loss & hearing aids (59:12)
- Apex Watercraft (1:13:43)
RELATED LINKS
- mountainflow.com
- Getting Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
- Blister Summit Registration
- Subscribe to our Newsletter & Gear Giveaways
- Become a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lou Dawson is a ski mountaineer, founder of WildSnow.com, and the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado’s 14ers. We discuss all of the above; the history and current state of backcountry skiing; and his new guidebook, Light Tours of Colorado: Mellow Backcountry Ski Routes to Minimize Avalanche Exposure, published by Beacon Guidebooks.
(We had Beacon Guidebooks founder, Andy Sovick, on episode #152 of the Blister Podcast, “On Guidebooks & Decision Making in the Backcountry”. Check it out.)
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Founding Wild Snow (6:05)
- Lou’s first guidebook (13:36)
- Rationale for creating guidebooks? (16:07)
- Biggest developments in backcountry skiing? (22:17)
- Current state of backcountry skiing (30:48)
- New guidebook, Light Tours of Colorado, 2nd edition (38:10)
- Future projects? (54:30)
RELATED LINKS
- Getting Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
- Register for the 2022 Blister Summit
- This Week’s Gear Giveaway
- Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
- Blister YouTube Channel
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cody and Jonathan debate the greatest ski edit of all time; the definition of “ski mountaineering”; whether humans will visit earth as a tourist destination; Alex Honnold & the Fifty Project; and a whole lot more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- The NFL & the Ski Industry (9:49)
- Snow? (12:39)
- Ski Edits: top-5 all time (15:54)
- Backcountry rescue & false-report charges (32:46)
- Will humans visit earth as a tourist destination? (38:33)
- Effective conservation: publicize a place or not? (42:33)
- Definition: “ski mountaineering” (48:44)
- What we’re Reading & Watching (59:27)
- Alex Honnold & The Fifty Project (1:11:34)
RELATED LINKS
- Avocado
- Jonathan’s Sleep Experiment
- Getting Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
- Register for the 2022 Blister Summit
- This Week’s Gear Giveaway
- Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
- Blister YouTube Channel
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When it comes to true ‘all-mountain’ skiing, Marcus Caston probably has the nicest turn in the game. He’s also got one of our favorite video series, Return of the Turn, which if you call yourself a skier, you need to watch. A new episode just dropped today, so in honor of the occasion, Marcus and I talked about the latest episode; the series itself; coaching; why people think he is from the East Coast; and we go over some Best / Worst ideas for Return of the Turn episodes. (Paging Glen Plake…)
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Your most memorable Thanksgiving? (6:37)
- Return of the Turn, Episode 10 (8:12)
- How did the idea originate? (9:10)
- Marcus & the East Coast (14:21)
- Latest episode: Mid-Gad (15:23)
- Skiing steeps on race skis (18:02)
- Moguls: WHY? (22:37)
- Best / Worst episode ideas (30:13)
- Coaching (35:39)
- Party Beach (41:03)
- Where to learn more about Party Beach (44:38)
RELATED LINKS
- Return of the Turn, ep. 10: Mid-Gad
- Avocado
- Jonathan’s Sleep Experiment
- Getting Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
- Register for the 2022 Blister Summit
- This Week’s Gear Giveaway
- Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
- Blister YouTube Channel
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rick Ridgeway has lived right at the center of the modern outdoor recreation movement. He was a part of the first American ascent of K2; he has gone on numerous adventures with his friends, Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard and The North Face founder, Doug Tompkins, and filmmaker, Jimmy Chin; and he has been right there working to protect wild places with them, Kristine Tompkins, and others. We talk to Rick about all of the above and his exceptional new book, Life Lived Wild: Adventures at the Edge of the Map.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How would you describe your new book? (3:07)
- When did you first get into writing (12:10)
- Prison & Candice (17:22)
- The road not taken (19:24)
- Entrepreneurship (22:12)
- Your relationship with Patagonia (32:20)
- Three Questions (45:02)
- Your legacy (48:13)
- What’s the best question I haven’t asked you? (50:01)
RELATED LINKS
- Rick’s book: Life Lived Wild
- Getting Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
- Register for the 2022 Blister Summit
- This Week’s Gear Giveaway
- Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
- Blister YouTube Channel
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Adrien Grabinski lives to ski, and Mark Abma calls him, “the most responsible 21-year-old I have ever met.” Adrien is the ski patrol director (plus a lot of other things) at Shames Mountain in BC, and he’s a surprise star of Matchstick Productions’ film, The Stomping Grounds.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Tell us about Shames Mountain Ski Area (3:25)
- From ski patroller to caretaker (5:47)
- How did filming with MSP come about? (9:28)
- Heli skiing & filming (12:03)
- Adrien’s background & ski racing (16:07)
- Transitioning from racing to ski touring (25:37)
- Developing a diverse work skillset (28:18)
- The Shames Life (32:03)
- Other places you want to visit & ski? (36:04)
RELATED LINKS
- Episode Sponsor: Avocado
- Jonathan’s Sleep Experiment
- How to Get Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
- Register for the 2022 Blister Summit
- This Week’s Gear Giveaway
- Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
- Blister YouTube Channel
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Our guest today is one of our all-time favorite skiers, and one of our all-time favorite people: Angel Collinson. Angel recently announced her retirement from skiing, so we discussed why she felt that now was the time to make this announcement; the factors that led to her decision; how she thinks about and processes change; what she’s up to now; what might be next; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What led you to announce now? (3:17)
- How are you feeling about it? (9:24)
- Knowing when to move on (12:26)
- Retiring while on top (21:39)
- Social media (25:52)
- Risk vs readiness for a new chapter (31:52)
- Boat Life (44:52)
- What’s next? (49:11)
RELATED LINKS
- Angel's retirement announcement video
- How to Get Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
- Register for the 2022 Blister Summit
- This Week’s Gear Giveaway
- Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
- Blister YouTube Channel
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cody and Jonathan discuss ‘fast pass’ programs at ski areas; Angel Collinson’s retirement announcement; the recent climate change / energy bill; bighorn sheep terrain closures in the Tetons; what we’re reading & watching; and more. (And note: Jonathan is talking to Angel Collinson later today about her recent announcement, so stay tuned for that conversation.)
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Introducing: Little Indy (2:26)
- Bears vs 49ers (dedicated to Nej74) (7:35)
- Skiing is back! (11:59)
- ‘Fast Pass’ programs (15:03)
- Climate change / energy bill (30:38)
- Teton Bighorn Sheep Terrain Closures (39:56)
- Angel Collinson’s retirement announcement (48:26)
- American Alpine Journal adds ski descents (57:29)
- What we’re Reading & Watching (59:06)
- The Other Slavery, Andres Resendez (59:16)
- Squid Game (1:00:16)
- Succession (1:03:35)
- Harold Pinter, The Dumb Waiter (1:06:27)
RELATED LINKS
- How to Get Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
- Register for the 2022 Blister Summit
- This Week’s Gear Giveaway
- Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
- Blister YouTube Channel
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We talk to the American skier who now calls Sweden home, Jackie Paaso, about her very raw, very real new film, The Arctic 12. We discuss her background; being on the Freeride World Tour with her husband, Reine Barkered; and the ins and outs of their 26-day expedition through the tallest peaks of northern Sweden.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Jackie’s background (2:01)
- Ending up in Europe (4:14)
- Freeskiing career (11:46)
- Incoming! Baby’s on the way! (13:52)
- The Arctic 12 (18:41)
- Initial vision for the project (20:20)
- Final objectives (23:15)
- Communication & group dynamics (27:55)
- Key takeaways? (39:25)
- When / where to watch the film? (52:53)
RELATED LINKS
- Arctic 12 Trailer
- Arctic 12 Screenings
- How to Get Here: Gunnison & Crested Butte
- Blister YouTube Channel
- Register for the 2022 Blister Summit
- This Week’s Gear Giveaway
- Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
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Today we are airing one of the panel sessions we held this past February at the Blister Summit, and this is a great conversation. We brought together four very accomplished artists and designers to discuss the intersection of art and the ski and snowboard worlds, as well as the broader outdoor industry. Our panelists are Yorgo Tloupas, co-founder of Black Crows Skis; Geoff McFetridge (who has worked with brands like Patagonia, Nike, & Apple; has appeared twice previously on the Blister Podcast, and is Jonathan Ellsworth’s telemark coach); John Fellows, who lives in Crested Butte, designed our Blister Summit logo, and whose artwork is displayed all around the outdoor industry); and Travis Parr, co-founder of Icelantic Skis, and the person behind Icelantic’s very distinctive artwork.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Intros: Yorgo Tloupas (4:03)
- Geoff Mcfetridge (5:29)
- John Fellows (7:01)
- Travis Parr (8:00)
- The current state of art in the ski world (11:13)
- Skis as a canvas? (19:54)
- Ski art vs snowboard art (21:31)
- Icelantic Skis artwork (24:40)
- Is artwork getting better in the ski world? (36:46)
- If you were the Art Czar… (53:33)
- Parting Thoughts, Further Questions (1:03:04)
RELATED LINKS
- Blister YouTube Channel
- Register for the 2022 Blister Summit
- This Week’s Gear Giveaway
- Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
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Last Friday, we published a GEAR:30 episode with McKenna Peterson, where we discuss her ski gear preferences; what piece of gear she’s still searching for; & more. Today, we dive into McKenna’s past and present to talk about her segment in the new Matchstick film, “The Stomping Grounds”; discuss some of the formative events of her life, and learn more about what makes this professional skier (and professional commercial fishing captain) tick.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- McKenna in CB (2:48)
- What’s the greatest ski film ever? (5:16)
- Which ski film influenced you the most? (5:58)
- The current Matchstick fim tour (6:51)
- McKenna & her mom (10:23)
- Growing up, racing, & skiing Sun Valley (12:27)
- Entering the extreme comp in Crested Butte (15:48)
- School (19:36)
- Fishing (24:29)
- Hemmingway’s Typewriter (29:29)
- McKenna & her dad (34:37)
- Boats (38:40)
RELATED LINKS
- This Week’s Gear Giveaway
- Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
- Register for the 2022 Blister Summit
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cody and Jonathan discuss some of the outdoor-industry-related news of the past month, including the NFL(?); the massive increase in Epic Pass sales; the name change to “Palisades Tahoe”; whether you should shower; our best ideas for your next adventure; some of our all-time favorite TV characters; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Fifty Project: new episode (4:29)
- The NFL & the outdoor industry? (11:24)
- Name change: “Palisades Tahoe” (22:10)
- Tesla & the Nambe Pueblo (32:34)
- Should you shower? (39:01)
- Gabby Petito & media reaction (44:08)
- Massive increase in Epic Pass sales (52:11)
- Amazon’s Astro robot (59:52)
- California / single-family zoning (1:06:07)
- Town of Breckenridge & short-term rentals (1:10:28)
- Hiking 1100+ miles to summit all CO 14ers (1:13:40)
- Cody & JE’s ideas for your next adventure (1:14:42)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (1:20:46)
- The Big Burn (1:20:57)
- Jonathan’s favorite TV characters (1:23:09)
- Cody’s favorite TV characters (1:25:10)
RELATED LINKS
- This Week’s Gear Giveaway
- Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
- Register for the 2022 Blister Summit
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How does a ski bum go from starring in the beloved movie G.N.A.R. to running for mayor? And why? We talked to Spencer Cordovano to get some answers, and you’ll get to hear how and why Spencer went from ripping BN runs in the movie G.N.A.R., to working to mobilize a certain constituency to make the mountain town he lives in and the community he loves … even better.
TOPICS & TIMES
- What prompted you to run for mayor? (3:03)
- Growing up in Ketchum, ending up in the movie G.N.A.R. (7:10)
- Being a goof on the mtn, being informed & involved off the mtn (15:01)
- Workforce issues (28:21)
- Different metrics for “community” (40:18)
- Nov. 2nd election + more re: Spencer’s campaign (51:07)
RELATED LINKS
- Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
- Register for the 2022 Blister Summit
- Spencer4Mayor.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Austin Smith is the co-founder of Season Eqpt and the man in charge of the snowboard side of Season, while his co-founder, Eric Pollard, oversees the ski side. Today you’ll get Austin’s perspective on Season and their 21/22 snowboard lineup (plus a whole bunch of other topics), and then this Friday on our GEAR:30 podcast, you’ll hear Eric offer his perspective on the development of Season and their 21/22 ski lineup.
TOPICS & TIMES
- First conversations about Season (7:44)
- When did you & Eric Pollard meet? (10:07)
- Your snowboarding influences growing up? (12:38)
- Gear & design qualities you look for (16:21)
- Boards, boots, & bindings: rank ‘em (27:22)
- Fire Truck customization (30:22)
- Season’s 1st Season (34:22)
- Season’s snowboard lineup (36:59)
- Reasoning behind the black top sheets? (42:47)
- Best question I haven't asked you? (46:16)
- Telemark skiing (47:34)
RELATED LINKS
- Gear Giveaway / Newsletter Signup
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
- Register for the 2022 Blister Summit
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Cody and Jonathan discuss wildfire management; athlete sponsorships and why the current model needs to be fixed; emerging technologies designed to capture CO2; having to pay to ski uphill; the prospects of Airbnb returning to its roots; and they also fight about coffee, share what they’re reading and watching, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Life with Fire podcast (1:19)
- Coffee Talk / Shots Fired (14:52)
- CO2 Air Capture Technologies (20:36)
- Paying to Ski Uphill? (24:12)
- Airbnb: get back to your roots! (28:07)
- Patagonia’s Jackson Hole Boycott (37:50)
- Bolt Wars on Pike’s Peak (42:03)
- Athlete Sponsorship Programs (50:34)
- What We’re Reading & Watching (1:11:04)
- Bringing up Bebe, Pamela Druckerman (1:11:31)
- See You Tomorrow, Jeremy Evans (1:13:14)
- Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker (1:17:06)
- East of Eden, John Steinbeck (1:21:40)
- Friday Night Lights (1:22:41)
- Longmire (1:26:02)
- Succession (1:28:28)
RELATED LINKS
- Blister Podcast: Mountain Towns & Megafires
- GEAR:30: Our Very Deep Dive on Coffee
- Become a Blister Member / Get our new Buyer’s Guide
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As of this morning, massive fires are drawing closer and closer to South Lake Tahoe. So while we have been talking about the crisis of affordable housing, we are also dealing with a crisis of megafires. And our guest today, Scott Ehlert, is here to make clear how these two crises are related, and what solutions are available to mitigate both.
We discuss the sordid history of development, regulations, and building codes; how community planning can be used as a roadblock to meaningful action; how car culture can make affordable housing impossible; why we need to change forest management practices to mitigate megafires; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Scott’s work & the mission of Fabric Workshop (4:15)
- Scott’s background in development & manufacturing (8:23)
- How community planning can become an excuse for inaction (14:10)
- Developing to actually solve affordable housing (27:27)
- What’s the #1 thing to be done? (29:12)
- The sordid history of development, regulations, & building codes (39:38)
- Car culture: build parking spaces *or* build affordable housing (55:27)
- Megafires & changing forest management practices (1:09:18)
- Reasons to be Hopeful — if we act now (1:17:59)
RELATED LINKS
- Mountain Town Economics, Pt 2: Housing, Community, & Core Values
- Mountain Town Economics, Pt 1: Affordable Housing, Short-Term Rentals, & More
- Scott’s company: Fabric Workshop
- Why Housing Policy is Climate Policy
- Build Garages or Build Affordable Housing
- The Fight to Solve America’s Affordability Crisis
- What is Cross Laminated Timber?
- Become a Blister Member
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This week we are talking again about a number of the logistics facing most mountain town communities — and discussing a number of potential solutions. So if you are someone who lives in a mountain town or you are someone who loves to visit them, you ought to listen to this conversation. Our guest is Troy Russ, who is the community development director of Crested Butte. Troy has a long history in community planning and development, so is able to provide an incredibly well-informed perspective on these big topics.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Troy’s background in community planning (2:08)
- Thoughts on our previous Blister Podcast on housing (4:31)
- Linear Thinking vs. Comprehensive Thinking (8:52)
- Importance of identifying Core Values (12:41)
- Affordable housing & short-term rentals (17:07)
- Development solutions: pros & cons (20:00)
- Deed restrictions (21:58)
- ADUs: Accessory Dwelling Units (24:23)
- Creating & maintaining a sustainable economy (31:02)
- Evaluating various tax initiatives: pros & cons (36:04)
- Case study: the Brush Creek Project of Crested Butte (39:04)
- Nostalgia (47:16)
- Protecting & preserving uniqueness through change (50:50)
- Importance of community participation (54:33)
RELATED LINKS
- Mountain Town Economics, Pt 1: Affordable Housing, Short-Term Rentals, & More
- Mountain Town Economics, Pt 3: Developing Housing, Addressing Climate Change, & Mitigating Megafires
- Become a Blister Member
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Benji Alexander is a passionate ski racer and backcountry skier with a stranger-than-fiction backstory. So we talk about how Burning Man got him into skiing; what inspired his Olympic aspirations; the numerous logistics he has had to navigate to make this happen; the financial hurdles that all Olympic hopefuls have to face; and what motivates him to keep pushing forward.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Benji’s childhood (3:31)
- From DJ to Skier (7:31)
- The bid to become Jamaica’s 1st Olympic ski racer (22:26)
- Financing an Olympic bid (43:25)
- Benji’s motivation (45:32)
- Current training program & next steps (55:32)
- Backcountry skiing & becoming a lifelong skier (1:04:19)
RELATED LINKS
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Last week, Cody Townsend and I talked about the profusion of short term rentals that have become increasingly common in mountain towns. This week, our guest is Dr. Jenny Stuber, a sociologist and author of the book, Aspen and the American Dream.
Jenny talks about some of the policies that the town of Aspen has employed, and which of them might be applicable to other towns trying to navigate the needs of full-time residents, part-time residents, local workers, and the visitors that many of these towns rely on.
So whether you live in a mountain town or love to visit them, our hope is that this conversation will help you better understand and think through the various factors and forces at play, and how we all can work to mitigate them.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Jenny’s history with Aspen (3:25)
- Growth in mountain towns (7:21)
- “Standing up to capital” (16:22)
- Locals & visitors (22:59)
- Affordable housing (30:36)
- The “not in my backyard” problem (37:16)
- The Covid factor (46:16)
- Short-term rentals (52:49)
- Economic Development offices (1:01:32)
- Manufacturing in mountain towns? (1:06:44)
RELATED LINKS
- Purchase ‘Aspen & the American Dream’
- Mountain Town Economics, Pt 2
- Mountain Town Economics, Pt 3
- Become a Blister Member
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Cody and Jonathan discuss athletes & mental health; the affordable housing issues facing mountain towns; Pit Viper vs. far-right extremists (??); the ongoing consolidation of outdoor media; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Cody & Elyse are gonna be parents! (2:30)
- Athletes & Mental Health (9:32)
- Pit Viper vs. the Far Right (24:51)
- Consolidation in Outdoor Media (35:45)
- Housing shortages in Mountain Towns (50:02)
- Mark Reaman editorial, CB News
- Mt. Crested Butte Weighs Concerns
- Ski Mountaineering in the Olympics (1:11:14)
- Media Recommendations (1:16:54)
- Pilgrim's Wilderness, Tom Kizzia (1:17:26)
- Natural Born Heroes, Christopher McDougall (1:18:00)
- Aspen and the American Dream, Jenny Stuber (1:19:32)
- Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns Goodwin (1:19:47)
- The Spy and the Traitor, Ben Macintyre (1:21:53)
- Yellowstone (1:22:16)
- Succession (1:23:51)
- Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker (1:26:35)
- Ted Lasso (1:27:24)
RELATED LINKS
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Jonathan Ellsworth has been in Ketchum, Idaho, this past week hanging out and riding bikes with Blister member, Jake Bilbro, who is the founder of Revelshine. In this conversation, we talk about Jake’s unique background; skiing and wine culture; riding bikes; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How Jake and Jonathan met (1:20)
- Winemaking & founding Revelshine (10:10)
- Enjoying all forms of the outdoors (22:00)
- Partnering with professional athletes (30:48)
RELATED LINKS:
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Today we’re talking with Dr. Rami Hashish about high-level human performance, injury prevention, and how to age well. Dr. Hashish is the founder of the National Biomechanics Institute, has a Doctorate of Physical Therapy and a PhD in Biomechanics; serves on the review board for various national and international medical and engineering journals, and sits on a global committee for spine and brain injury.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Founding the National Biomechanics Institute (1:38)
- CTE in outdoor sports (10:45)
- Helmets & Accelerometers (15:38)
- Age & high-level performance (27:14)
- Active Recovery (34:24)
- The “Mismatched Theory” (38:01)
- Standing desks & our work routines (44:58)
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This week we discuss grizzlies, whales, microbes, humankind, & the future of the world with the wildlife biologist & author, Doug Chadwick. All of these are topics in Doug’s excellent new book, Four Fifths a Grizzly: A New Perspective on Nature that Just Might Save Us All.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Why did you write this book? (1:12)
- Recalibrating our behaviors (20:25)
- What really is progress? (37:06)
- Igniting curiosity (40:06)
- On being permeated by nature (49:31)
- Jellyfish & aging (53:57)
- The photos in the book (55:21)
- Recoding the audiobook (58:33)
- What’s next? (1:04:46)
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If you’re reading this, then you definitely need to listen to this episode. Because many of us in the outdoor community either don’t have insurance, or have deductibles that we can barely afford to pay when the inevitable accident happens. But Spot is disrupting the insurance industry with an incredible alternative that is actually affordable.
We’ve had multiple conversations this week with the co-founder and CEO of Spot, Matt Randall, to discuss exactly how Spot works; why the insurance industry is such a mess; and why we think you and pretty much everyone you know ought to be covered by Spot.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How Jonathan & Matt connected (2:30)
- How Spot works (12:48)
- Who is Spot’s competition? (23:48)
- Coverage outside of sports accidents? (30:03)
- How did Spot get started? (39:02)
- Making Spot common in the outdoor industry (45:51)
- Who is eligible for Spot coverage? (55:14)
- Jonathan’s experience signing up for Spot (59:41)
RELATED LINKS:
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Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about Cody’s recent adventure in AK; surges in National Park visits; ski patrol unionization; UFOs … and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Cody’s Alaska Update (2:47)
- When can you claim to have summited? (7:59)
- Will Gadd on the Ethos of Guiding (20:39)
- Indoor Ski Areas (25:52)
- Surge in National Parks visits (36:13)
- Unionization of Ski Patrol (49:20)
- Results of backcountry riders facing criminal charges (54:17)
- UFOs are real?? (56:06)
- Cody’s Recommendations (1:04:20)
- Black Hawk Down, Mark Bowden (1:04:34)
- Hail Mary Project, Andy Weir (1:08:09)
- The Fifth Risk, Michael Lewis (1:08:54)
- The Wayfinders, Wade Davis (1:09:50)
- The Third Pole, Mark Synnott (1:11:04)
- The Invention of Nature, Andrea Wulf (1:12:57)
- The Last Dance, Martin Shoemaker (1:15:12)
- Jonathan’s Recommendations (1:16:01)
- Bill Simmons & Adam Duritz of Counting Crows (1:16:13)
- Ultra, Michele Graglia (1:19:04)
- Fourth Fifths a Grizzly, Doug Chadwick (1:23:48)
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We talk to the CEO of Alpine-X about his vision of developing indoor snowsports destinations in North American metropolitan markets. Could this have a similar effect that indoor climbing gyms have had on the popularity of climbing? Could such indoor facilities help create a more inclusive and more diverse snowsports demographic? Could this lead to a world where some people only ski indoors?
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What is Alpine-X? (3:44)
- Development plans (4:55)
- Opening dates & locations (11:07)
- Challenges (13:29)
- Replicating skiing indoors (17:57)
- Increasing accessibility (27:00)
- Cost & pass types (32:47)
- Parallels to indoor climbing gyms? (36:42)
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We talk with Matthias Giraud and Chase Ogden about their excellent new film, Super Frenchie, which documents Matthias’ exploits as a skier, base jumper, and ski base jumper, while also detailing the philosophy of life that drives his decision to do things like ski base off the Matterhorn.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- The backstory of Super Frenchie (1:22)
- Matthias’ philosophy of life (8:46)
- Fear (22:16)
- Analyzing two ski base attempts (25:49)
- The art of grabbing the parachute (29:22)
- Terrifying inrun off the Matterhorn (31:40)
- Future projects? (34:35)
- Where to watch Super Frenchie (37:07)
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We’re firing back up the Blister Book Club with mountaineer, climber, and big-wave surfer, Andrew Alexander King. Andrew and Jonathan discuss the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, and why this book written in the 2nd century is still so relevant today when it comes to topics like the pursuit of fame, dealing with criticism, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Andrew’s upcoming Denali mission (1:24)
- Why the Meditations? (3:54)
- Relevance of the Meditations today? (16:29)
- The pursuit of fame (22:01)
- Dealing with criticism (26:14)
- Being intentional with time (33:06)
RELATED LINKS
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It’s time once again to review the outdoor-industry news, and this time around Cody Townsend and I discuss some recent criticism of REI; spraying vs. not spraying the locations of your outdoor adventures; Mt. Bohemia’s plan to incentivize vaccinations; gear libraries & outdoor accessibility; sex and ski touring; & more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Sleeping at 14,700 ft — at sea level? (0:00)
- REI & SUVs (5:21)
- To Spray or Not to Spray (18:59)
- The “pointlessness” of outdoor activities? (26:23)
- Mt. Bohemia & Incentivizing Vaccination (35:10)
- Gear Libraries & Outdoor Accessibility (43:48)
- The Pieps / Black Diamond Avy Beacon Recall (51:50)
- Sex & Ski Touring (1:00:53)
- Media Recommendations (1:03:34)
- Black Hawk Down (1:03:39)
- Meditations, Marcus Aurelius (1:04:38)
- Rick & Morty? (1:09:25)
- Drive To Survive (1:11:01)
- Alone (1:19:13)
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We’ve talked quite a bit on Blister about the ski season in North America, but today we’re talking with Sebastian Steinbach, the owner of Blacksheep Sports in Munich, Germany, about the European ski season; we revisit some of the predictions that Sebastian had made prior to this ski season, and we get his early predictions for what he thinks this next ski season will look like in Europe.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Lockdowns in Europe at the start of the season (3:14)
- Backcountry skiing during Covid (10:18)
- Avoiding outbreaks moving forward (25:51)
- The financial state of ski resorts & ski shops (35:55)
- Predictions for next season (42:41)
RELATED LINKS:
- GEAR:30 ep. 116: Shop Talk w/ Sebastian Steinbach
- GEAR:30 ep. 6: Blacksheep Sports History & European Freeride Culture
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Cody and Jonathan discuss the introduction of criminal charges for triggering avalanches; the case against straightlining; ski area news; our media recommendations; & more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Criminal charges for Triggering Avalanches (3:01)
- The Result of the Avalanche Trial (12:23)
- Straight Lining vs. Turning (14:42)
- Most US Ski Areas made it through COVID! (19:42)
- Ski Areas might have to publish injury stats? (24:48)
- Helicopter Crash in AK (35:17)
- Media Recommendations (45:52)
- ZeroZeroZero (45:58)
- Beartown (Bjarnstad) (47:54)
- Drive To Survive (51:45)
- Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer (53:53)
- How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, by Bill Gates (56:57)
- Reading books vs. listening to them (58:51)
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We talk to the skier and adventure photographer, Adam Clark, about how he got started in photography; how he went about making a name for himself and honing his craft; his favorite camera gear; one of his most memorable ski trips; and a whole lot more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Dentists + whale watching = photo career (5:06)
- Adam’s 1st season shooting skiing (13:49)
- Shooting with film vs digital cameras (23:09)
- Camera setups & current favorite (25:05)
- Most memorable ski trip? (34:51)
- Shooting skiing vs other outdoor activities (40:44)
- Shooting & moving in the mountains safely (43:13)
- Skiing with Blister reviewer Paul Forward in Alaska (51:46)
- Shooting video vs taking photos (58:26)
- Dream locations to ski & to shoot? (1:04:16)
- Media & inspiration (1:07:43)
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Last Sunday, Cam Smith and Tom Goth set a new record at the Grand Traverse, which is a point-to-point ski race from Crested Butte to Aspen. Starting at midnight, racers travel 40 miles across the Elk Mountain range, climbing over 6,800 vertical feet. Cam is also a repeat winner of the Triple Crown of The Grand Traverse, so we talked to Cam about his record-setting night; skiing vs. skimo; his World Cup ski goals; and how he specifically trains for skiing and mountain running and mountain biking.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What is the Grand Traverse? (3:58)
- Winning the Triple Crown (7:58)
- Skiing under a full moon (11:41)
- Suffering during the GT? (14:41)
- Ski, Bike, Run: where have you most improved? (19:58)
- Cam’s background (25:22)
- Cam’s training program (28:45)
- Gear: how particular are you? (34:34)
- Current state of Skimo (37:46)
- Your future plans & goals? (47:05)
- Living Journeys fundraiser (54:41)
RELATED LINKS:
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Cody and Jonathan discuss the new rule changes re: filming in National Parks; lift-line etiquette; the future of freeride comps; the record number of avalanche fatalities in the U.S. this season; a new development in backcountry skiing; the shocking story of Dean Cummings; and we share some music, tv, and book recommendations.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- The Blister Summit (2:20)
- Clarification on Nim’s K2 Summit (5:28)
- Commercial filming in National Parks (6:44)
- Lift-line etiquette debate (16:21)
- The future of freeride comps? (23:39)
- Record avalanche fatalities in the US (31:04)
- Backcountry skiing & its future (43:49)
- Dean Cummings (49:03)
- CT & JE’s music, tv, & book recommendations (57:07)
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Today we’re talking about the science of snow, the art of avalanche forecasting, and what every backcountry traveler can be sending in to their local avy center to help them produce more accurate forecasts.
Our guest is Zach Guy, who is the lead forecaster for the Crested Butte Avalanche Center. Zach has a master’s degree in snow science from Montana State University, he’s served as the director of the Flathead Avalanche Center in Northwest Montana; and he returned to Crested Butte in the fall of 2020 to take over as the CBAC’s lead forecaster.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Zach’s background in forecasting & snow science (5:40)
- Some different snowpacks in the USA (13:29)
- Different snowpacks in Colorado (16:50)
- How has avalanche forecasting evolved? (20:08)
- How has snow science evolved? (22:35)
- Inconsistencies between forecast centers (26:43)
- Snowpack modeling (34:41)
- Fracture mechanics (46:44)
- Zach’s forecasting process (49:52)
- What we all can / should submit to avy centers (57:39)
- Life & schedule of a forecaster (1:03:29)
RELATED LINKS: BACKCOUNTRY TRAVEL
- Ep. 152: On Guide Books & Decision Making in the Backcountry
- Ep. 128: Henry Munter on Avy Forecasting & Decision Making
- Ep. 119: Rob Coppolillo on Backcountry Travel, Education, & Gear
- Ep. 85: AMGA president, Angela Hawse
- Ep. 62: Paul Forward on Backcountry Travel & Wilderness Medicine
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Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the first Winter Summit of K2 by the Sherpa and Nepali team, including Nirmal Purja; TNF x Gucci collab; mountain-town dynamics; Sam Anthamatten vs Cody on the SHIFT binding; our inaugural Blister Summit; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Surviving Girdwood, going skate skiing (2:59)
- The 1st Winter Summit of K2 (6:49)
- TNF | Gucci Collab (12:57)
- Mountain Town Dynamics & Politics (23:34)
- Sam Anthamatten on the SHIFT binding (34:27)
- Ski areas in France vs the US / Blevin’s Corner (42:08)
- The new Blister Summit (57:02)
- Our Book & Film Recommendations (1:04:35)
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Andrew Alexander King is an explorer, alpinist, climber, and surfer who was born in Detroit, Michigan. Andrew has climbed over 50 different mountains around the world from Kilimanjaro to the highest mountain in the Atlantic, Indian, and the Pacific Ocean, and is currently training and aiming to become the first African American to climb the highest mountain and volcano on each continent.
Andrew’s story is very interesting, and he is currently at work on The Between Worlds Project, which is every bit as interesting and important.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- The Between Worlds Project (2:16)
- Growing up in Detroit (7:56)
- Moving to Hawaii, getting into surfing (22:48)
- Representation in the outdoor space (25:11)
- Attending college & navigating the corporate world (34:59)
- Working with brands (46:21)
- Current status of The Between Worlds Project (59:03)
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Sam Anthamatten does things in the mountains that very few skiers do, and in this conversation, you’ll get a better sense of the background and the trajectory that helped Sam get to where he is today. We also get an update from Sam on the status of La Liste 2 (watch La Liste if you haven’t seen it); we talk about the process of flashing massive, big-mountain lines; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Update on skiing in Europe (1:36)
- Sam’s background in the mountains (6:11)
- Update: La Liste 2 (17:28)
- Riding with Jeremie Heitz vs riding with Xavier de le Rue (26:20)
- Skiing 55° slopes (30:46)
- Competing on the Freeride World Tour (37:47)
- Gear (and skiing with Candide) (44:06)
- Ski Bindings & Binding Choices (50:38)
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For our first Blister Podcast of 2021, we asked a few of our reviewers to share one highlight of the past year; one thing they’re most looking forward to in 2021; and one new year’s resolution. We got quite a range of answers, and apparently Kristin Sinnott and Jonathan Ellsworth will be starting up a new reality TV show?? Please enjoy, and Happy New Year!
TOPICS & TIMES
- Kristin Sinnott (1:02)
- Eric Freson (9:56)
- Luke Koppa (15:18)
- Sascha Anastas (19:53)
- Gordon Gianniny (30:13)
- Kara Williard (42:44)
- Dylan Wood (50:01)
- Paul Forward & Jonathan Ellsworth (57:45)
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Cody Towsend and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about chess & The Queen’s Gambit; savants & skier savants; ski media; political appointees; avalanche accidents; Cody’s new film, The Mountain Why; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Cody versus the people of Girdwood, AK (2:15)
- The Queen’s Gambit & Savants (4:36)
- Spoiler Alerts for the Queen’s Gambit (6:29 - 19:21)
- Magnus Carlsen, & Skier Savants (8:23)
- Deb Haaland, Interior Secretary (19:25)
- Ski Media & Powder Magazine (37:31)
- Gear Shops, Gear Makers, & Crystal Balls (50:31)
- Who is getting into avalanche accidents? (56:08)
- Cody & Michelle Parker’s film, The Mountain Why (1:09:20)
RELATED LINKS
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Elena Hight is an X Games Gold Medalist, two-time Olympian, and a person who everyone in our world describes first and foremost as … a badass.
We talked with Elena about her new film project, Blank Canvas; competitive drive; how similar or different it is preparing to ride a big backcountry line versus a half-pipe contest run; her time in the mountains with the likes of Hana Beaman, Travis Rice, and Danny Davis; the importance for all of us to get better at dealing with the changes and transitions that are an inevitable part of life; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Offseason training & habits (4:49)
- Competitive Background (9:35)
- Mental preparation: contests vs. the backcountry (15:18)
- Shifting from halfpipe riding (22:21)
- Practices to help with moments of transition (33:40)
- Filming with Travis Rice (39:55)
- Current favorite books & music (43:26)
- 2021 plans (44:50)
- Where to watch Blank Canvas (50:15)
RELATED LINKS
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Bode Miller is not only one of the greatest ski racers of all time, he’s also working on a number of interesting projects. So we have a very wide-ranging conversation with Bode about his involvement in rethinking education with the Institute for Civic Leadership; the use of technology and data to make skiing easier (SKEO); the crucial lesson his grandmother taught him at a young age; his greatest competitive advantage as a ski racer; his interest in reenvisioning advertising (DTX); what he aims to do in terms of ski design with Crosson Skis; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Rethinking Education: ICL: Institute for Civic Leadership (2:40)
- Tech, Data, & Skiing: SKEO (11:52)
- Benefits & dangers of new technologies (17:46)
- Lesson from Bode’s grandma (24:36)
- Various factors of ski racing (30:12)
- Bode’s greatest competitive advantage (33:43)
- Rethinking Advertising: DTX & Flowcode (43:33)
- Bode on ski design: Crosson Skis (56:45)
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We talk with Moosejaw CEO, Eoin Comerford, about how to increase diversity and inclusivity in the outdoor industry; the Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator — which we hope that a number of you will apply for; what Moosejaw’s aims are today, and how those aims are informed by Moosejaw’s parent company, Walmart; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Moosejaw’s history (3:18)
- Being backed by Walmart (9:24)
- The Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator (18:46)
- Inclusivity in the outdoor space (22:51)
- Large online retailers & indie brick & mortar shops (30:57)
- The current state of the outdoor industry (38:33)
- More details re: the Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator (49:58)
RELATED LINKS
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Sales of backcountry guide books are up, and more and more people are venturing out. So we talked with Beacon Guidebooks founder, Andy Sovick (who Cody Townsend and I recently talked about on episode #150), about how he got into publishing guidebooks; why he dislikes the term “guidebooks”; whether backcountry guidebooks should even exist; the responsibilities that come with publishing them; why Andy is an advocate of the “ATES” system (Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale); and more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Andy’s ‘back-to-the-land’ upbringing (4:39)
- Mentorship (9:30)
- The responsibility of publishing guidebooks (33:28)
- ATES: The Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (47:45)
- Updating the atlases (55:35)
- Beacon Guidebooks Rakkup app (59:34)
- Steamboat lawsuit (1:04:52)
- Where to find Beacon Guidebooks (1:22:12)
RELATED LINKS:
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Athletic Brewing Company is a fast-growing brand in an emerging category that is about to blow up: non-alcoholic craft beer. So we talked to Athletic Brewing’s founder about why he started the company; the stigma of not drinking; why “near beer” has been so bad; why there’s such a need for products like this in the outdoors community; Athletic’s brewing process; how he feels about the emerging competition in the space; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- When / why did start thinking about starting Athletic? (2:17)
- Stigmas around not drinking (5:06)
- Stigmas around “N/A” beer (8:31)
- Why didn’t N/A beer take off sooner? (12:45)
- Parallels: N/A beer & the plant-based meat industry (28:17)
- Two For the Trails program (31:02)
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Today we are launching a new segment on the Blister Podcast. Each month, Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth will discuss some of the biggest stories and most interesting news headlines from the world of outdoor sports, and on occasion, the broader world, too. Then we’ll conclude each episode by talking about some of the best things we’ve watched, read, or listened to. Check it out, and let us know your thoughts & recommendations in the Comments Section of the show notes on the blister website.
TOPICS, TIMES, & RELATED ARTICLES:
(1) Emily Harrington’s Epic Climb (2:58)
(2) The Race to Open Ski Areas (22:21)
(3) The Election & Outdoor Athletes (32:00)
San Francisco Chronicles article
(4) Cooking in Geysers (43:48)
(5) Blevin’s Corner: Are Backcountry Lines Trade Secrets? (49:26)
Jason Blevin’s Colorado Sun article
Andy Sovick’s Beacon Guide Books
(6) The Rise & Spectacular Fall of Quibi (1:00:19)
(7) Best Things We’ve Watched, Read, or Listened To (1:08:22)
- Jojo Rabbit
- The Social Dilemma
- Above The Clouds, by Kilian Jornet
- The Infinite Machine, by Camila Russo
- No Filter, by Sarah Fried
- Win At All Costs, by Matt Hart
- Last Chance U (seasons 1,2, & 5)
- Ted Lasso
- The Queen’s Gambit
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Did you know that 1 out of 5 people in the United States have a disability? 20 percent. And that is just one of the reasons why those of us who love and care about outdoor recreation really ought to know about all that is happening in the world of adaptive sports.
So to get an overview of the past, present, and future of adaptive sports and recreation, we sat down with Chris Read and Betty Philbin of the Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What are Adaptive Sports? (2:00)
- Origins of outdoor-focused adaptive sports (2:51)
- Terminology & Etiquette (16:55)
- The Gear (22:46)
- Programing in Crested Butte (27:19)
- Lodging (32:31)
- How to get involved (38:04)
RELATED LINKS:
- Our Off The Couch podcast: Kyle Robidoux on Running, Skiing, & Being Legally Blind
- Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte
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The Wurl — The Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup — has gained quite a lot of attention in the trail running and climbing worlds, but it had never been done in the winter, and Mali Noyes and Lani Bruntz set out to change that.
So we recently talked with Mali and Lani about their respective backgrounds, the origins of this idea to ski The Wurl, and then we dive into the planning and logistics and scouting and spreadsheets (do not underestimate the importance of spreadsheets!) that happened behind the scenes and well before they set out on their mission.
After the conversation, head over to Salomon TV to watch the short film of Mali and Lani’s attempt to ski The Wurl.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Mali’s background (2:46)
- Lani’s background (7:30)
- Describe The WURL? (16:14)
- Planning & Logistics (23:58)
- Spreadsheets! (26:32)
- Conditions & Weather (38:02)
- Highlights? (40:31)
- Closing Thoughts (44:59)
RELATED LINKS:
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This is another installment in our series on food, food systems, and food movements, and we have included links below to all of the really interesting and diverse range of conversations we’ve had this year on these topics.
Our guest today was first introduced to me by Blister reviewer, Paul Forward. Mahting Putelis is the founder of Hunt to Eat, which is an organization that exists to:
“Find modern, progressive, and inclusive ways to support and grow the community of folks that go outdoors, harvest wild meat, or plants, or fungi, and take these things home to be cooked with care for themselves or their friends and family. The folks that see the importance of wildlife and nature. This community is not defined by race, politics, education, wealth, or gender; it's simply a human community. Hunting, fishing, foraging, and existing in nature are things that human beings have done to survive since the dawn of our evolution. Everyone who exists in nature is part of the Hunt to Eat community. And it can only grow from here.”
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What is Hunt to Eat? (4:35)
- Skiing, Hunting, & Ultrarunning (6:18)
- All of us hunt to eat (12:23)
- Hunting Culture (17:56)
- Hunt to Eat camps (28:37)
- When / where will these camps be held? (32:41)
- Educational videos (40:22)
- Closing thoughts (43:12)
RELATED LINKS:
- Ep. 141: Paul Forward on Hunting, Climate Advocacy, & Conservation
- Ep. 135: Olympian Dotsie Bausch on Cycling, Switch4Good, & the Dairy Industry
- Ep. 132: Bees, Green Lawns, “Perfect” Apples, & the Reinvention of Farming
- Ep. 131: Food Sovereignty, Indigenous Rights, & the Film, Gather
- Ep. 82: Solutions to the Global Recycling & Trash Crisis
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Last week Cody Townsend came to Western Colorado University for our Blister Speaker Series and spoke about why his education has been so beneficial to his career; social media and the new responsibilities of athletes today; starting & growing a business (Arcade Belts); The Fifty Project and all of the behind-the-scenes work; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Why Cody studied linguistics (5:19)
- Responsibilities of athletes today (11:28)
- Social media — expectations (15:46)
- Cody’s mentors (23:02)
- Starting & running a business: Arcade Belts (25:11)
- The Fifty Project (30:07)
- The work that goes on behind the scenes (35:01)
- Getting funding for projects
- Lines that should be included in the Fifty? (44:04)
- Climate motivation (46:43)
- How can skiing become more inclusive? (51:02)
RELATED LINKS:
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We’ve got a really fun one for you today — Alexi Godbout and Stan Rey are on the show talking about their new film, Follow the Forecast, which features a bunch of good friends who happen to be really good at skiing. We also talk about potential alternate titles for the film; what’s harder: ski mountaineering or skiing pillows?; who won the movie?; and yes, Stan’s spit cup.
RELATED LINKS:
- icelab.co - Come live & work in the Gunnison Valley!
- Watch the Trailer: Follow the Forecast
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Introductions (4:18)
- The story behind Blank Collective (6:31)
- Why did you let that guy Cody be in the film?? (9:32)
- Favorite segment in the film? (22:20)
- The music (23:57)
- Alternate Film Title Suggestions (25:52)
- Stan’s favorite joke (30:24)
- “Doggy” (35:46)
- The best cheap ski products of all time? (38:10)
- Favorite non-ski movies? (41:24)
- Who won the movie? (46:23)
- Best Crash Award (48:18)
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Our guest today is Camille Jaccoux, the co-founder of Black Crows Skis. This is Camille’s 2nd time on the Blister Podcast, and you should check out Blister Podcast ep. 64, where I talked to Camille and Black Crows head ski designer, Julien Regnier, about the history of Black Crows.
This time, we talk about growing up in Chamonix and Camille’s background in skiing; what Black Crows is doing to grow the brand while trying to stay true to the reasons why they started the company in the first place; we discuss the lost art of ski ballet, who would win today in a mogul comp between Camille and Glen Plake, and get predictions for this upcoming season.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Predictions for the upcoming season (7:30)
- Growing up / Camille’s ski background (11:15)
- Ski ballet! (16:03)
- Mogul skiing (Camille vs Glen Plake) (23:49)
- Key moment in your ski history? (25:53)
- Turning point in Camille’s life (38:11)
- Founding Black Crows / ski culture in 2005 (42:46)
- Hardest thing about growing Black Crows? (54:10)
- Most fun / rewarding thing? (1:05:03)
- Which Black Crows model do you ski the most? (1:08:58)
- Ski media today (1:12:47)
RELATED LINKS:
- icelab.co - Come live & work in the Gunnison Valley!
- Blister Podcast ep. 64: Camille & Julien on the history of Black Crows
- GEAR:30 ep. 7: Camille & Julien - ski design, mount points, & the 18/19 lineup
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Will Gadd has established a number of the hardest mixed ice climbing lines in the world; set the world distance record for paragliding (twice); kayaked down dozens of first ascents across North America; and won the Canadian National Sport-Climbing Championships four times. And yet, the most extraordinary thing about Will might just be his passion level for doing just about anything outdoors, coupled with his commitment to making sure that the next generation - and the generations after them - have the same opportunities.
So we talk to Will about ice climbing, skiing, paragliding, rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking — and how they relate to one another. And we also talk about his new film, The Last Ascent, which documents Will’s return to Mount Kilimanjaro in February 2020 to climb the Messner route and the Tanzanian ice (at 19,000’ altitude) while they still can.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How would you describe this film? (4:55)
- What makes African ice unique? (8:51)
- Will on the influence of Messner (10:51)
- Comparing all the sports (17:06)
- More on The Last Ascent (25:28)
- Favorite sport at the moment? (32:41)
- Closing thoughts (39:21)
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We talk to snowboarder & Protect Our Winters founder, Jeremy Jones, about his new film, Purple Mountains; the importance of reviving a lost art; and more.
Watch a video of this conversation on our YouTube channel
Watch the trailer for Purple Mountains
TOPICS & TIMES:
- The title of the film (1:59)
- Social media (7:05)
- Common ground / consensus (9:28)
- The art of conversation (11:28)
- Best ways to discuss these issues? (12:37)
- Politics as a sport / entertainment (14:08)
- Upcoming election (21:50)
- A favorite moment from the film? (27:20)
- Closing thoughts (32:18)
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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.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Paul’s background (5:13)
- Hunting with a bow (7:53)
- Paul’s recent solo hunt (11:37)
- Animals, Pain, & Death in the Wild (13:55)
- Going vegetarian in college (20:22)
- Conservation & Climate Advocacy (29:31)
- Pebble Mine, Alaska (36:50)
- Closing thoughts (43:07)
Our Other Podcasts on Food, Diet, & Nutrition
Blister Podcast, ep. 131: Food Sovereignty & Indigenous Rights
Blister Podcast, ep. 132: Bees, Green Lawns, “Perfect” Apples, & the Reinvention of Farming
Blister Podcast, ep. 133: BlackAFinSTEM, Birders, & Bees
Blister Podcast, ep. 135: Olympian Dotsie Bausch - Switch4Good & the Dairy Industry
Off The Couch, ep. 28: Runner & Chef: Kelly Newlon of “Real Athlete Diets”
Off The Couch, ep. 32: Diets & Nutrition w/ Kylee Van Horn
Off The Couch, ep. 47: Jenny & Scott Jurek
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On January 6, 2018, Chris Bombardier became the first person with hemophilia to complete all Seven Summits, and tomorrow, a film comes out called Bombardier Blood that tells Chris’ story and homes in on his attempt to summit Mt. Everest.
Chris is also now the executive director of the organization, Save One Life, whose mission is to improve the quality of life and future for people with bleeding disorders in developing countries.
So in this conversation you’ll be introduced to a wonderful guy named Chris; you’ll learn more about hemophilia and better understand the experience of those who have the condition; you’ll learn more about the work of Save One Life; and then tomorrow, you’ll get to go watch Bombardier Blood and be introduced to “Crazy Uncle Dave” and a number of other wonderful people.
WATCH THE TRAILER FOR BLOOD BOMBARDIER
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Baseball, sharks, & growing up w/ hemophilia (3:00)
- What exactly is Hemophilia? (7:28)
- Playing baseball, dealing w/ injuries? (16:00)
- The importance of “Factor” (22:40)
- The film, Bombardier Blood (29:22)
- The Seven Summits (32:42)
- Attempting Everest (36:28)
- Hemophilia & Everest (46:15)
- Save One Life (49:51)
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“Camping” is a massive industry, and a lot goes on under that one name. So today we discuss who’s doing it; what, exactly, people are doing; the different segments of camping; the most important trends; some of the current problems and challenges in the space; and some of the potential solutions.
To walk us through it all we sat down with Sam Degenhard, founder of campfireranch.co.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Sam’s background (2:48)
- Defining Terms & Segments: Primitive Camping (8:56)
- Public Campgrounds (11:20)
- Private Campgrounds (13:12)
- Glamping (14:30)
- Overlanding / Van Life (18:49)
- Camping Connectors / Services (23:06)
- Audience Size & Financial Figures (27:12)
- Trends (32:28)
- Sam’s company: Campfire Ranch (48:18)
- How to book a stay (1:02:28)
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Jeremy Bloom is a 3-time world champion mogul skier, a 2-time Olympian, an 11-time World Cup gold medalist, and an All-American football player that was drafted into the NFL. He's also the executive producer of an important new film, The Weight of Gold, which explores the mental health challenges that Olympic athletes often face. So we talked to Jeremy about his own background; the pursuit of athletic excellence; winning and happiness; brain health; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Jeremy’s life these days (2:45)
- Skiing AND Football (6:17)
- The Film: The Weight of Gold (19:00)
- Winning & Happiness (29:13)
- Life after Athletics (42:45)
- Physical Health & ‘Brain Health’ (45:05)
RELATED LINKS:
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Art Clay is the co-founder of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, and he and his NBS co-founder, Ben Finley, are the first African Americans to be inducted into the US Ski-Snowboard Hall of Fame. This past weekend, Jonathan Ellswoth sat down with Art at his home in Chicago to talk about growing up in Chicago in the 1940s; his first time skiing; the idea to start the National Brotherhood of Skiers; cutie pies; the Black Summit; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Growing up in Chicago in the 1940s (3:52)
- College at Clark (12:51)
- Serving in the army, learning about skiing (15:34)
- Ski Club meeting in Chicago (20:28)
- 1st time you went skiing (23:05)
- The long coats of “The Gang” (32:24)
- When did you start thinking about creating a national organization (37:16)
- Black Ski Summit (39:39)
- NBS’ Olympic Scholarship Fund (46:24)
LINKS:
- Website: National Brotherhood of Skiers
- Film: Brotherhood of Skiing
- Application: NBS Olympic Scholarship Fund
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Whether or not you’re a runner, you ought to know about the Skid Row Running Club and the Skid Row Marathon. We talk to the club founder, Judge Craig Mitchell, about why he started the club; his background; the duty of police officers to protect and serve; the need for minimum sentencing reform; and much more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- The judge’s running background (7:09)
- The Midnight Mission & the running club (10:05)
- What / where is Skid Row? (12:22)
- Who are the club members? (15:58)
- The club’s international marathons (17:26)
- Stories of specific members (22:39)
- Police & the duty to Protect & to Serve (31:59)
- Mandatory minimum sentencing reform (37:32)
- The importance of jury duty service (41:53)
- Best ways to support the running club? (43:54)
- Do you have a dream race for the club (46:33)
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Dotsie Bausch is a 7-time USA Cycling National Champion, an Olympic medalist, a featured athlete in the film, The Game Changers, and the executive director of Switch4Good. We talked to Dotsie about her very unusual path to an Olympic podium; her work at Swith4Good; and what we ought to understand about dairy products and the dairy industry.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Dotsie’s athletic background (1:44)
- When did you start cycling? (7:55)
- Mental toughness vs. natural ability (12:50)
- Getting into Track Cycling & Team Pursuit (16:07)
- 2012 Olympics (19:19
- Mountain biking (22:29)
- What is Switch4Good? (24:18)
- Why focus on dairy? (38:04)
- Where to follow Switch4Good (1:00:50)
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You are probably familiar with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but what do you know about the arguably more important National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)? NEPA is a critical piece of legislation, and each of us needs to understand what it does and why it matters so much. And currently, some major changes to NEPA are being proposed that could have extremely serious environmental and human rights consequences.
So to help us understand the high stakes of the changes being proposed, we spoke to Hilary Eisen, the policy director for the Winter Wildlands Alliance.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What is the Winter Wildlands Alliance? (3:15)
- NEPA: It’s History & What It Does (4:09)
- NEPA & the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) (8:36)
- The Trump administration & NEPA (14:33)
- NEPA, Human Health, & People of Color (37:25)
- What We Can Do (42:02)
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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.
TOPICS & TIMES
- What is BlackAFinSTEM? (3:01)
- BlackAFinSTEM’s objectives (10:05)
- Black Birders Week (17:15)
- Tyler’s background, Taco Bell, & STEM (29:32)
- Bees (34:33)
- What’s next for Tyler? (4:31)
- Best ways to support BLackAFinSTEM (55:12)
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Last week on the show we talked to Sanjay Rawal about his new film, Gather, which examines the growing food sovereignty movement among Native American tribes across the United States.
And this week, we are talking about why and how we need to re-invent the way that food is being grown and farmed, and the critical role that bees play in all of this.
Our guests are Peter Nelson and Sally Roy who have made the film, The Pollinators, which tells the fascinating story of bees and beekeeping and soil and farming practices and pesticides and the EPA and almonds and why the perfect apple is not the perfect apple, and why we need to change the way we produce food — literally from the ground up — and what each of us can do to help the cause.
The Pollinators comes out tomorrow, June 16, on most digital platforms, including iTunes / AppleTV, amazon, GooglePlay, VimeoOnDemand.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Peter & Sally’s background (2:57)
- What is The Pollinators about? (5:48)
- Why are bees so important? (7:27)
- The process of pollination (10:39)
- Why are bees being moved around the country? (13:37)
- Why are bees dying? (19:54)
- Seasonality (23:47)
- Pesticides (30:08)
- What can each of us do? (37:20)
- What systemic changes need to happen? (44:21)
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Today we are talking with our friend, Sanjay Rawal, about his new film, Gather. Sanjay is a fantastic story teller and a maker of films that might seem to have a pretty specific focus, but actually have wide-ranging applicability and relevance.
And this is most definitely true of his latest film, Gather, which Sanjay directed, and Renan Ozturk served as the cinematographer.
Gather tells the story of the growing food sovereignty movement among Native American tribes across the U.S. — which is a historical and a current cultural development that I suspect too many of us know too little about. I promise that this film will make you re-evaluate your own relationship to food and land and a lot of other things.
Gather can be found here and viewed online this Thursday, June 11th through June 20th, and you can get news about the film and future releases on social media @gatherfilm.
Other podcast conversations we’ve had with Sanjay and Renan Ozturk:
- Sanjay Rawal, Off The Couch, ep. 2
- Sanjay Rawal, Off The Couch, ep. 33
- Renan Ozturk, Blister Podcast, ep. 70
TOPICS & TIMES
- What is Gather about? (2:47)
- Sanjay’s other films (5:33)
- How did you get involved with this story? (7:22)
- The broader relevance of Gather (15:50)
- Urban farming & other food systems (23:27)
- How Gather is shifting perspectives (27:46)
- Protest & “appropriate” forms of protest (32:01)
- What’s your ideal outcome from this film? (42:53)
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As a number of locations are beginning to relax travel restrictions and are able to welcome visitors back, we wanted to discuss some important reminders and best practices for recreating responsibly in this time of COVID.
If you do not have time to listen to the full conversation, then we strongly encourage you to check out the show notes to this episode to ensure that you are up-to-date on state and local ordinances.
So let’s all commit to doing things the right way, setting a good example, and not making our current situation harder on our local communities or the communities we might visit.
IMPORTANT LINKS:
* https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-in-the-us.html
* https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/visitors.html
* https://www.nps.gov/index.htm
* https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map
* https://gunnisoncrestedbutte.com/
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Recreating Responsibly (5:53)
- Trail Etiquette (9:02)
- Camping Etiquette (12:37)
- Parking Lot Etiquette (14:53)
- Constant Mindfulness + An Analogy (15:47)
- Final Thoughts & Recommendations (18:36)
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In the latest installment of our Blister Book Club, we talk with the artist, Geoff McFetridge, about Jack Turner’s book, The Abstract Wild. We discuss why Geoff selected this book; why it isn’t designed to be a comfortable read; why we need to get clear on the distinction between “the wild” and “wilderness”; and why we think that every reader of BLISTER ought to read this book.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Why did you select this book? (2:50)
- McFetridge on Art (11:44)
- Geoff’s stand out parts of the book (23:17)
- Turner’s influences and style (31:20)
- Ideas and intentions of the book (36:48)
- “The Wild” vs “Wilderness” (47:20)
- Implications of this book for all of us (53:28)
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Henry Munter is a lead heli guide and the general manager of Chugach Powder Guides in Girdwood, AK. We talk with him about making the call to shut down operations right as the heli season was in full swing; the evolution of heli skiing over the past 20-30 years; decision making, memory, and some of the tools and practices and books that Henry uses in forecasting, guiding clients, and handling all types of different aspects of the business; and we discuss environmentalism and heli skiing, and how Henry and others at CPG are thinking about those two things.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- COVID & this past season (4:00)
- How long have you been at CPG? (9:50)
- How & when did you meet Paul Forward? (14:57)
- Growing up (17:28)
- The evolution of heli skiing (24:18)
- Safety assessment tools & advances (32:12)
- Decision making (39:03)
- Bad Decisions vs Wrong Decisions (45:31)
- Fear / Stress Meter (53:01)
- Memory, Hans Georg Gadamer, & Winnie the Pooh (54:50)
- Environmentalism, Sustainability, & Heli Skiing (1:05:17)
- Projectdrawdown.com (1:15:33)
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The X Games Real Ski competition is an invitation-only event, where some of the top skiers in the world go out and put together a 90-second street edit. The creativity and talent on display in real ski is always bonkers, and we’ve talked with past X Games winners and fan favorites, like Magnus Graner (Blister Podcast #36) and LJ Strenio (Blister Podcast #94).
And today, we’re talking with Jake Mageau, who in 2019 was voted the Real Ski fan favorite, and then this year, Jake took home the Real Ski 2020 gold medal.
Jake walks us through what really goes into filming a 90-second submission to Real Ski; scouting and settling on locations; the insane “Mind Flip” he puts down in this edit, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Jake’s approach to Real Ski 2019 vs 2020 (10:07)
- Finding locations (14:21)
- The Roof (17:58)
- The Dam (20:27)
- What’s your headspace like before filming a shot (28:17)
- Do you have a favorite moment from the edit? (33:46)
- The Mind Flip (36:05)
- Thoughts on “Style” (44:25)
- Fishing (46:52)
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The ski industry has undergone rapid changes in the past several years, and we are currently in another unprecedented moment with the COVID-19 pandemic. So to help us better understand the past, present, and future of the ski industry, we talked to industry veteran and author of SKI INC, and SKI INC. 2020, Chris Diamond, about the rise of the EPIC and IKON passes; this recent era of rampant ski resort acquisitions; the state (and fate) of independent ski areas; whether COVID-19 will likely have lasting impacts on the ski industry; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Background: from bartender to CEO (3:26)
- What led you to write SKI INC? (14:24)
- Why did you write SKI INC. 2020? (26:30)
- Chess Match: Vail / EPIC Pass vs. Alterra / IKON (35:38)
- How will COVID-19 affect the ski industry? (44:02)
- The future of independent ski resorts? (49:54)
- Predictions: future acquisitions & industry trends (55:22)
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Baby giraffes? Organic bamboo scissors? Superman? Since we now have to learn how to tele ski and shoot a tele video (we’ll explain in the episode), we’re crowdsourcing a crash course in what we need to know to avoid embarrassing and / or killing ourselves. So here in Part 1, we solicited the best tips and advice from artist and telemarker, Geoff McFetridge; Flylow Gear co-founder and president, Dan Abrams; and Blister reviewers Paul Forward and Kristin Sinnott.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Geoff McFetridge (4:10)
- Dan Abrams (36:45)
- Paul Forward (55:50)
- Kristin Sinnott (1:05:30)
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We all probably need more Caite Zeliff in our lives. (And if you didn’t already know this, you definitely need to listen to this conversation.) Caite is a former ski racer turned big mountain skier. She won the first ever Kings & Queens of Corbet’s competition in 2018, then won again in 2019, then was on the podium this past year. She’s filmed with Warren Miller and TGR, she is equally fun to ski with and to shoot the breeze with, and, while she’s already accomplished a lot, it still seems like Caite is just getting started.
So we caught up with Caite on her birthday (our first birthday-edition podcast!) to discuss skiing; filming vs photo shoots; her best Marcus Caston story; her music and podcast recommendations; and we somehow got into food and astrology, too.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Quarantine & Healing Up (1:55)
- Kings & Queens of Corbet’s (9:53)
- On the pressure to perform (16:32)
- Trip to Engelberg, Switzerland (18:56)
- Your Best Marcus Caston story? (25:55)
- Photo Shoots vs Filming (29:28)
- Growing up: Cranmore, New Hampshire (35:14)
- Other sports? (39:53)
- Films, Podcasts, Music & Books (47:30)
- What’s the best question I haven’t asked you? (55:45)
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As part of our Up & Coming Series, we had intended to talk to Isaac Freeland, because he is a very good skier and he was definitely on his way up. But then Isaac threw us a curve ball by not only winning the 2020 Freeride World Tour Rookie of the Year award… he went and won the whole thing.
So even if “Up & Comer” now feels like a bit of an understatement, we asked Isaac to take us through his first season on the Freeride World Tour and walk us through each stop. We also discuss what it was like competing against some of the biggest names in skiing; how he approached each particular comp; the rather surreal — and abrupt — end to this comp season, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Earthquakes & COVID-19 (2:11)
- Background, injuries, & finding his style (4:10)
- 2020 FWT 1st stop: Hakuba, Japan (12:15)
- 2nd stop: Kicking Horse, BC (17:55)
- 3rd stop: Andorra (22:45)
- 4th stop: Fieberbrunn, Austria (29:28)
- 5th stop: Verbier, Switzerland (35:19)
- Isaac’s comp skis (41:49)
- Change or keep the current comp format? (47:20)
- Free running / Parkour (51:37)
- What’s the best question I haven’t asked you? (53:19)
RELATED LINKS
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This past weekend, something happened that has never happened in the history of resort skiing: in the span of 12 hours, most ski areas abruptly suspended operations. So on our latest #blisterpodcast, we talked to veteran ski industry reporter, Jason Blevins of the Colorado Sun, about the COVID-19 pandemic and the historic mass closure of ski areas. We discuss what, exactly, is going on; what is likely to come next; the impact on ski towns; and what each of us should and should not be doing right now.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Have you ever seen anything like this before? (1:36)
- Explain what’s going on? (3:51)
- The Executive Order from the Governor of Colorado (6:30)
- What does this mean for mountain towns? (15:18)
- What should we be doing? (26:00)
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Bobby Brown is one of the best slopestyle and big-air comp skiers of all time, but he’s currently focused on finding out what he’s capable of in the backcountry. So I talked to Bobby about his trajectory; the art of landings, air awareness, and making mid-air adjustments; who he most enjoys watching these days; what’s next for him; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Bobby’s film, Dynamic Medium (1:44)
- Landings & air awareness (8:57)
- Mid-air adjustments (14:34)
- “Perfect Pop” (17:31)
- Bobby’s one-run follow-cam edits (20:30)
- Bobby’s relationship with his brother Peter (25:15)
- Adapting to change in the industry (29:37)
- T Rice, Candide, Henrik, Tanner, & Alex Hall (32:33)
- Non ski-related interest (40:43)
- Working with different sponsors (45:30)
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Last week at our monthly Blister Speaker Series at Western Colorado University, in Gunnison, Tommy Caldwell spoke in front of a packed auditorium about speed climbing & setting the speed record on the Nose with Alex Honnold; strength vs. experience; how he focuses on climbing projects while also having more disparate responsibilities than ever; and how and why he’s become increasingly involved with environmental causes; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Breaking the Nose Speed Record (4:25)
- Thoughts on speed climbing (6:20)
- The film, “Free Solo” (7:27)
- Tommy’s book, “The Push” (10:50)
- Bandwidth & Focus (14:11)
- Strength vs. Experience (21:05)
- Getting involved in environmental activism (22:30)
- Protect Our Winters & a Call to Action (25:55)
- Audience questions (31:20)
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We talk to IFMGA / AMGA mountain guide, Rob Coppolillo (author of The Mountain Guide Manual and the new book, The Ski Guide Manual) about how he got into guiding; the current state of backcountry and avalanche education; his take on the pros and cons of avalanche airbag packs; the fundamental question of the most effective way to travel in the backcountry; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- The story behind Rob’s family name (2:03)
- Growing up: skiing, hiking, climbing (3:40)
- When did you start guiding? (5:33)
- Rob’s first book: Holy Spokes (7:22)
- 2nd Book: The Mountain Guide Manual (8:49)
- New Book: The Ski Guide Manual (10:10)
- “Decision Making” vs. “Snow Science” (16:27)
- Most common “flawed decisions”? (23:00)
- Avi packs & risk perception (28:36)
- Most effective way to travel in the backcountry (36:30)
- Where are you guiding most these days? (43:35)
- 57 Hours as a backcountry safety tool (48:35)
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Wendy Fisher is one of the all-time greats. She is a two-time World Extreme Skiing Champion; was on the U.S. Ski Team; filmed with Warren Miller and MSP; and played a huge role in showing the world what women could do in big-mountain arenas. We spoke to Wendy about all of this and more (including a few fantastic Shane McConkey and Seth Morrison stories).
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Growing up racing (1:40)
- From Squaw to Burke Ski Academy (3:15)
- Thoughts on different learning styles (7:17)
- Highlights & lessons from the US Ski Team (15:06)
- Meeting Kristen Ulmer (19:30)
- Big Mtn Comp at Crested Butte with Shane McConkey (22:00)
- Ski Filming (30:20)
- Making Seth Morrison’s short list (33:50)
- Thinking with your heart, not your head (35:00)
- The fear of failure (37:55)
- Western vs. Proust - Q&A (45:50)
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In the world of ski and ski boot design, Thor Verdonk is well known and very well respected. So we talked to Thor about his background, his 25+ year career with the Rossignol Group and how he became the Global Brand Director for Lange. Then we discuss the history of ski design and ski boot design, including the pendulum swings we see in the ski industry; the biggest advancements in skis and ski boots; developing the Rossi S7; and we get Thor’s predictions about what the ski industry will look like 10 years from now.
And to hear Thor talk about the brand-new Lange XT3 and the future of Lange, check out our GEAR:30 conversation.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Growing up in Vermont (3:45)
- Coaching ski racing (7:20)
- Getting connected with Rossignol (9:10)
- Pendulum swings in product design (16:40)
- Biggest advancements in skis? (24:25)
- Biggest advancements in ski boots? (27:25)
- Developing the Rossignol S7 (35:27)
- Most overlooked ski boot developments (42:06)
- Thor’s industry predictions for the decade (50:05)
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Geoff McFetridge is an iconic designer and visual artist who’s worked with the Beastie Boys, Pharrell Williams, Spike Jonez and Rick Rubin, and companies ranging from Patagonia, Nike, the New York Times, Oreo, and many more. Geoff is also a passionate skateboarder and skier, and a big fan of … BLISTER (?!?!?).
So Jonathan Ellsworth and Geoff tell the story of how they first got connected; how Geoff went from being a sponsored skater to starting a skateboard company to doing design work for some of the biggest companies, bands, musicians, and directors in the world. They discuss Skate vs. Ski vs. Snowboard culture; being a “conflicted” telemarker; and a whole lot more.
VIDEO: SEE GEOFF & HIS WORK
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How Jonathan & Geoff connected (2:34)
- Which came first: art or skating? (7:56)
- Art directing the Beastie Boys’ Grand Royal (18:26)
- Working on the Spike Jonze film, “Her” (28:31)
- When did you get into skiing? (47:48)
- How much time do you spend telemarking? (50:49)
- Ski vs. Snowboard vs. Skate culture (58:45)
- “High” vs. “Low” Culture (1:07:47)
- What art forms are you currently most interested in? (1:14:33)
- Favorite albums, films, and books? (1:18:38)
- Designing for outdoor brands (1:27:36)
- Your dream project? (1:33:30)
- What’s the best question I haven’t asked you? (1:44:16)
- Predictions? (1:50:01)
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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? Paul Forward, Sam Shaheen, Luke Koppa and I offer our thoughts on all of these questions and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Backcountry Skiing (1:50)
- Backcountry Splitboarding (11:30)
- Backcountry Telemarking (14:30)
- Inbounds Skiing (17:43)
- Inbounds Snowboarding (21:25)
- Inbounds Telemarking (23:37)
- Monoskiing vs. Ski Blading (26:17)
- Park Skiing (29:50)
- Indoor Ski Areas? (34:25)
- General Industry Trends (41:59)
- Wildest Predictions (1:06:00)
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We’ve been thinking and talking about New Year’s Resolutions, so in this episode, we ask a number of BLISTER reviewers what they’re pursuing in this new year and new decade.
And we’d love to hear what your plans are for 2020 and beyond, so let us know in the Comments section below what your thoughts are on New Year’s resolutions and what you have planned for 2020.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Kristin Sinnott (1:30)
- Paul Forward (17:51)
- Maddie Hart (21:51)
- Luke Koppa (31:19)
- Sascha Anastas (39:06)
- Noah Bodman (49:31)
- David Golay (56:40)
- Sam Shaheen (1:03:00)
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New Year’s Resolutions — are you into them, or do you avoid them like the plague? A recent conversation with Brendan Leonard (semi-rad.com) got us thinking that we should take a more creative approach to New Year’s Resolutions and goals, and see if they might become more than a guilt-inducing chore.
Specifically what prompted all of this is that Brendan had committed himself before the start of 2019 to run 52 marathons in 52 weeks — and he did it. So we are reposting here the conversation I had with Brendan on our Off The Couch podcast, and then very soon, we’ll be posting a series of short interviews with some Blister reviewers and other folks we like about their own take on new year’s resolutions, and some of their own creative goals.
Please enjoy, and let us know in the show notes to this episode what goals or resolutions you are setting for yourself for this brand new decade we’re quickly approaching.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What did you just do, and why? (3:00)
- Defining the rules for these ‘marathons’? (9:20)
- Eating donuts & running (21:01)
- Why did you tell so few people about your goal? (23:10)
- Injuries? (30:35)
- What was the hardest part of the project? (33:18)
- What was the best part? (35:45)
- Funniest moment? (41:10)
- Goals for 2020? (46:20)
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We’re not sure that anyone loves skiing more than Tyler Curle, and Tyler also happens to be one very hard-charging and versatile skier who has appeared in Matchstick films and TGR films.
So for our latest installment of our Up & Coming series, Tyler came out to Crested Butte and we sat down in Blister HQ to talk about growing up skiing at Mt. Rose; starting to help out at Moment Skis at the ripe old age of twelve; his favorite skis, skiers, and ski movies of all time, and a whole lot more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Karaoke (1:45)
- Growing up near Mt. Rose (4:55)
- Meeting McConkey & Parker White (8:25)
- Helping at Moment Skis at age 12 (14:55)
- Injuries? (18:16)
- Favorite ski movies & edits (19:20)
- What line have you skied that you’re most proud of? (21:32)
- Favorite skiers (25:34)
- Current favorite ski? (31:37)
- Have any of your ideas for skis been shot down? (33:53)
- Pain McSchlonkey (38:32)
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When it comes to skiing, product design, filmmaking, and art, few people have exhibited a more distinctive style than Eric Pollard. But for someone who has been working at the forefront of these mediums for about 20 years, we know a relatively small amount about the person behind the products, the films, and the skiing.
So in this conversation, we talk to Eric about skiing and art and creating and evolving, and we discuss his soon-to-be-released film and book that share the same title, Drawn From Here.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Drawn From Here — The Film (1:25)
- Style (9:07)
- Defying expectations (12:53)
- Why “Night Moves”? (16:61)
- Drawn From Here — The Book (32:22)
- How the book complements the film (39:34)
- Skiing, Ski Design, & Ski Names (47:40)
- Other inputs (1:06:25)
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Think you know Lindsey Vonn’s story? Think again. Most of us know Vonn as one of the greatest ski racers of all time — and probably the toughest. But in the new HBO film, Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season, Vonn pulls back the curtain on her career and the steep price of her pursuit of the record for most World Cup wins.
In this conversation, we talk to the film’s co-director and Teton Gravity Research co-founder, Steve Jones, about the making of this film; Vonn’s accessibility and emotional vulnerability; the hidden costs of pursuing greatness; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How did this project come about? (1:57)
- Vonn’s accessibility & emotional vulnerability (4:50)
- Bode Miller sums up downhill ski race crashes (12:30)
- Happiness vs. Greatness (17:18)
- Why did you start Teton Gravity Research? (22:35)
- Biggest differences of filming now vs. when you started? (22:55)
- Favorite directors & recent films? (30:27)
- Steve’s favorite TGR films (31:40)
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Jason Blevins of the Colorado Sun broke the story about backcountry.com’s practices around trademark issues, so we talk to Jason about how this story got on his radar; the specifics of what backcountry.com was doing; how common or uncommon these practices are; how backcountry.com has subsequently responded; and what needs to be done going forward.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How did Jason uncover this story? (2:30)
- Backcountry.com’s response (6:40)
- Is this “normal” trademark law practice? (15:40)
- Stories from two of the targeted companies (20:25)
- What should we expect going forward? (33:44)
- Why Jason left the Denver Post (40:48)
- Starting the Colorado Sun (44:09)
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In our latest BLISTER Speaker Series at Western Colorado University, Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, talks about managing the significant growth of this indie brand; manufacturing in Sparks, Nevada; crucial decisions he’s had to make; how he would assess those decisions in hindsight; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What separates Moment from other “indie” brands (2:55)
- Luke’s background & start with Moment (4:30)
- Taking a leap at SIA / Outdoor Retailer (11:25)
- Becoming CEO, lessons learned (15:55)
- Marketing do’s and don’ts (29:44)
- Moment’s biggest growth periods (32:35)
- How have tariffs affected manufacturing? (36:24)
- Would it be harder or easier to start Moment today? (38:09)
- Audience Q&A (Western vs. Proust) (40:14)
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Fact: we all need to strive to be more like Rachael Burks. Rachael is known for skiing burly lines and her signature backflip, but she is also known for her boundless enthusiasm — and in this conversation, that enthusiasm is on full display. Rachael and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss skiing and Shakespeare; her spot-on impression of Julian Carr; podiuming in a comp on rental skis; her best ski season ever; her abiding love of sweatpants, Star Wars, fantasy novels, Red Bull Rampage, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Oxford, Shakespeare, & Dirty Sandwiches (2:53)
- Breaking into the ski industry (9:30)
- Learning to backflip with Julian Carr (17:10)
- Competing on rental skis (19:56)
- Rachael’s best ski season ever (23:42)
- GREENland Expedition (26:52)
- Fantasy & Star Wars & Sparkles (32:10)
- Why Rachael loves Red Bull Rampage (44:10)
- More books & music (49:32)
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If the story told in the new film Blink of an Eye weren’t true, nobody would believe it. Friendship, brotherhood, heroes, triumph, tragedy, and redemption are the topics, and we discuss all of them on our latest Blister Podcast with the film’s writer & director, Paul Taublieb.
If you are interested in or intrigued by auto racing, you will love this one. And if you have zero interest in NASCAR, then you especially need to listen, for reasons we’ll explain.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- On being a storyteller (3:02)
- How Paul got into filmmaking (7:19)
- Producing X Games & freestyle motoX events (15:07)
- What is Blink of an Eye about? (18:22)
- Making films about heroes (26:54)
- Racing as “playing chess at high speeds” (30:04)
- The emotional rawness of this film (36:49)
- What separates the best racers from very good ones? (46:00)
- The (political) importance of being open minded (51:14)
- How does Blink of an Eye fit with your other work? (1:00:44)
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When world-renowned climber, Alex Honnold, was looking for a new executive director for his Honnold Foundation, he tapped Dory Trimble. And with the massive success of the film, Free Solo, Dory has guided what started as Alex's small, personal passion project into a rapidly growing nonprofit working on global projects.
The aim of the Honnold Foundation is to reduce environmental impact and address inequality by supporting solar energy initiatives worldwide. And in this conversation, Dory unpacks for us what that means, what it’s like working with Alex, how she’s managed the explosive growth of the Honnold Foundation, and she offers excellent advice for anyone interested in getting involved with an organization committed to doing social good.
We opened our time at Western by showing this brief film of a project that the Honnold Foundation is currently involved with in Puerto Rico:
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How did you first get involved with the Honnold Foundation? (4:30)
- How has HF changed? (11:50)
- Dory’s formative experience with the Peace Core (16:15)
- The impact of ‘Free Solo’ (18:50)
- How is working with Alex? (26:55)
- How do you choose projects to work on? (28:05)
- Why solar? (33:07)
- What will HF look like in ten years? (37:55)
- Advice for those who want to do good in the world? (39:49)
- Western vs. Proust (45:55)
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Dash Longe is a skier who’s been doing it — and going big — for a long time. And tomorrow is the online release of Dash’s latest film, Stone’s Throw. So I spoke to Dash about his new film and about ski films in general; his coming up during the heyday of the freeskiing revolution in Tahoe; ski design and Dash’s work on the DPS Koala 119; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- New film: “Stone’s Throw” (1:16)
- Background & getting into filming (6:55)
- Coming up in the heyday of the freeskiing revolution (10:00)
- Eric Pollard (16:15)
- Dash’s approach to big cliffs (23:52)
- Favorite segment of yours? (25:53)
- DPS Koala 119 (32:25)
- Ski Design (43:28)
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Adventure photographer, Corey Rich, has spent a lot of time hanging out with and documenting some of the most interesting and amazing athletes in the world. And he is exceptionally good at talking about those experiences, so you are in for a treat.
Furthermore, Corey has just released his excellent new book, Stories Behind the Images: Lessons from a Life in Adventure Photography, so this was the perfect occasion for a conversation with Corey about his remarkable career; why being good at hanging out is a great quality of a photographer; why making mistakes and being vulnerable makes for great storytelling; and Corey shares some stories about his time with some of the seminal figures in rock climbing, like Fred Beckey, Chris Sharma, Tommy Caldwell, and Ashima Shiraishi.
We also talk about what separates his new book from most other “photo” books (spoiler alert: Stories Behind the Images isn’t really a “photo book”); how changes in photography and film technology affect his work; what his dream assignment would be; and much, much more.
You can order his book from Mountaineers, Amazon, or Indiebound, and you can check out his upcoming book tour events at StoriesBehindtheImages.com.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Corey’s latest project (2:40)
- Origin of “Stories Behind the Images” (8:03)
- Why screwing up makes for great stories (11:00)
- Corey as a “historian” of rock climbing (16:45)
- How did you pick which essays to include? (21:00)
- What’s next for Chris Sharma? (28:37)
- Ashima Shiraishi & honesty on social media (35:22)
- Photography tips (40:53)
- What have been the biggest changes in photography? (51:43)
- What goes into a “perfect” shoot? (56:47)
- What’s your dream assignment? (1:02:04)
- What “hanging out” has to do with photography (1:05:35)
- Favorite chapters in the book? (1:08:12)
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We’ve got J Skis founder, Jason Levinthal, back on the show, and we’re going to be doing things a bit differently than we normally do. Last week we invited you to submit any questions that you might have for J, and turns out … you had a lot of them.
So this episode is made up almost entirely of your questions, and in his trademark style, Jason answers each of them with extreme candor.
We cover why Jason started J Skis and how you can get a job there; J’s favorite ski graphics; which skis are his personal favorites, and which skis he’s most proud of; we get into some ski design questions — including whether we will ever see a 193 cm J Ski; and J tells an Eric Pollard story and answers the pressing question, “What’s your favorite way to eat or cook an oyster.”
Finally, we are also going to be dropping soon a video of this conversation with J, so you’ll be able to check that out and see some of the graphics and the skis that Jason and I discuss.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Starting J Skis / How to get a job at J Skis? (3:08)
- What’s up with “Roll with a Pro”? (12:53)
- Favorite Ski Graphics & Bob Ross (15:20)
- Branching out: J goggles? Snowboards? Etc.? (21:11)
- 19/20 J Skis lineup (25:15)
- J’s personal favorite skis (35:56)
- Which of your skis are you most proud of? (37:35)
- What ski design do you still want to make? (43:55)
- Tell an Eric Pollard story (47:40)
- How do I get free J Skis? (53:33)
- When will we see a touring-oriented J Ski? (1:01:25)
- Will we ever see a 193 cm J Ski? (1:06:15)
- Does Steve Stepp even troll anymore? (1:09:06)
- Favorite way to eat or cook an oystá? (1:10:00)
- Advice you would give your 20-yr-old self? (1:16:55)
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Last week, we kicked off season #2 of our monthly Blister Speaker Series at Western Colorado University, where we invite influential figures to come talk about how they are shaping the outdoor industry.
Our first guest of the new season was Claudio Caluori, the announcer for the World Cup Downhill series, a former pro XC and DH racer, the founder of Velosolutions, and the initiator of #pumpforpeace.
We touch on all of these things in our conversation, and get Claudio’s perspective on a wide range of topics and questions — including a number of good ones, once again, from the audience.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Was this the best World Cup DH season ever? (3:44)
- Loic & Amaury’s battle (6:10)
- Claudio’s career racing XC and DH (8:32)
- Philosophy of “Going All-In” (10:08)
- How did you start announcing World Cup races? (12:24)
- Recovering from his big crash last year (13:15)
- Claudio’s company, Velosolutions (15:13)
- How #pumpforpeace is serving communities (22:04)
- Lessons from working internationally? (24:10)
- What unites the global bike community? (26:49)
- Sustainability & our environmental impacts (28:13)
- Western vs. Proust (34:21)
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Pep Fujas has always been at the forefront of freeskiing, and he is now looking to move things forward once again. So we talk to Pep about growing up on his family farm in Oregon; his remarkable film career; his favorite Seth Morrison story; his long relationship with K2 and his favorite K2 skis; his decision to go back to school; and his even bigger decision to join the team at WNDR Alpine.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Getting involved with WNDR (3:10)
- Growing up + his all-important bus rides (6:10)
- Connecting with K2 (9:25)
- Ski films (15:15)
- Favorite Nimbus memory? (16:55)
- Favorite Seth Morrison story (19:37)
- Connecting with Patagonia (21:07)
- Pep’s Favorite K2 skis (23:50)
- Your biggest influences? (30:47)
- What current segment of skiing impresses you the most? (33:26)
- Returning to school (35:34)
- ‘Business’ doesn’t have to be a 4-letter word (39:08)
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Today we’re running the 2nd episode of our Up and Coming series, where we talk with athletes, who, if they aren’t already on your radar, they certainly should be. And our guest today perfectly matches that description.
Because aside from her very unassuming disposition, everything about Ming Goetz is extraordinary — her name; her background; her favorite discipline — slopestyle; her competing recently in the Crankworx Whip Off Challenge; her participation this season in the 1st ever Women’s Slopestyle Tour; her plans for the future (which include competing in Red Bull Rampage) and, of course, her abilities on a bike. So get ready to meet Ming...
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Growing up (3:00)
- The story behind her name (4:12)
- Competing, Jumping, & Jump Girls (6:08)
- The first Women’s Slopestyle Tour (12:17)
- Favorite riders? (17:47)
- Eyeing Red Bull Rampage (18:35)
- What tricks are you working on? (20:26)
- Ming’s (unusual) dream career (24:40)
- Favorite things (27:40)
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What does biotech have to do with backcountry skiing? What does microalgae have to do with skis? And why did the founder of 4FRNT Skis, Matt Sterbenz, agree to get involved with a new startup ski brand, WNDR Alpine? We sat down in Blister HQ with Checkerspot co-founder and CEO, Charlie Dimmler, and WNDR Alpine founder, Matt Sterbenz, to talk about the creation of WNDR Alpine; its relation to and the mission of Checkerspot; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Why does Matt Sterbenz hate vowels? (2:00)
- How Matt got involved with Checkerspot (5:17)
- Checkerspot’s mission & innovations (10:00)
- Charlie’s background: from Wall Street to Biotech (17:41)
- What Checkerspot is doing with microalgae (23:20)
- Why make skis from new materials? (26:02)
- Effects on ski performance? (32:28)
- Sustainability as a design constraint (41:00)
- Other possible applications of microalgae (48:50)
- How has launching WNDR affected Checkerspot? (58:24)
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We published this conversation last week on our Bikes & Big Ideas podcast, but we wanted to repost it in the Blister Podcast feed to make sure none of you missed it.
Because for many of us, bikes are primarily fun. But for many others, bikes are major drivers of economic development, critical sources of transportation and health care, vehicles of educational opportunity, and instruments of equality.
World Bicycle Relief was started by the founder of SRAM to provide bikes to some of the communities around the world that could use them the most, and in today’s conversation, you’ll learn exactly how and why bikes are such a significant and life-changing tool.
Our guest today is Dave Neiswander, the CEO of World Bicycle Relief. Dave has been with WBR for over a decade, and as you will see, he is an impressive guy with an impressive background, and he does an excellent job talking about the origins of World Bicycle Relief; its trajectory and challenges; the bikes themselves and all the product design that goes into them; and what each of us can do to support the mission of World Bicycle Relief.
Take Action: Go to worldbicyclerelief.org to sign up for one of their upcoming events, make a donation, and share what they are up to with your friends and colleagues.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Origin Story of World Bicycle Relief (2:59)
- How Dave first got involved with WBR (7:51)
- Why bicycles matter so much (15:34)
- Mission Statement of WBR (18:35)
- How does WBR select new locations to assist? (22:31)
- Important Stats & Results (36:23)
- Winning the Wharton / Lipman Prize (43:03)
- The bikes themselves / quality / durability / design / repairable (48:13)
- The Buffalo Bike (53:17)
- The Charger Bike (55:01)
- Future plans for World Bicycle Relief (58:27)
- Biggest lessons you’ve learned that others might benefit from? (1:04:17)
- Best ways for individuals and companies to get involved? (1:06:41)
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Today we’re launching our new Up & Coming series, where we’ll be highlighting some athletes who, if they aren’t already on your radar, they definitely should be.
First up is Dylan Siggers, because few people out there are *this* good on skis and on a bike. We’ve included in the show notes on our website several videos of Dylan doing both, and you’ll see what we mean.
And in addition to being a very good skier and mountain biker, Dylan is also a down-to-earth guy who is also very involved in filmmaking, and, he even finds time to still play in a band. So we talk to Dylan about skiing and biking and how & where he came up, and we also talking about filming and music, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Growing up in Fernie, BC & Dylan’s dad (2:39)
- Filming with the Burrrlapz crew (21:30)
- Connecting with LINE Skis + Dylan’s favorite skis (27:58)
- Style: your skiing style vs biking style (31:21)
- Favorite bike (35:29)
- Trend: more high-level, multi-sport athletes (37:06)
- Music (39:52)
- Who gets your Up & Coming award? (48:42)
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You’re probably already convinced of the importance of physical exertion, going outside, and staying physically fit and active. But what about your mental fitness and health?
To get each of us thinking more clearly about the things we should — and shouldn’t — be doing to optimize the health of our bodies and our brains, we talk to the neuroscientist, Dr. Michael Merzenich, about how, through training, we can keep up and improve the health of our brains — just as we know that, through proper exercise, we can keep up and improve the health of our bodies.
We discuss with Dr. Merzenich the important neurological benefits of going fast, going outside, and undertaking new activities; the more effective and less effective ways to exercise our brains; how we might be able to avoid certain neurological disorders with proper training; the changes to our brains caused by the time so many of us — and our kids — are spending in front of phone, computer, and TV screens; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Dr. Merzenich’s background (4:22)
- Discoveries in “neuroplasticity” (10:42)
- Outdoor sports & your brain (17:44)
- Exercising your brain vs. gathering information (24:58)
- Preventing neurological disorders through training (37:07)
- Generosity & Joy - their neurological significance (45:47)
- How screens & social media are changing our brains (49:46)
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Last week, the well-known and well-loved park skier, LJ Strenio, posted a photo of a letter — from NASA — that was congratulating him on being accepted as an intern to the Armstrong Flight Research Facility. Wait, what??
How does a park skier from Vermont, this star of the LINE Traveling Circus, this guy who once served as Vin Diesel’s stunt double, and this guy who has a 29-minute crash reel that is, frankly, almost as hard to watch as it is inspiring to watch — how does this guy get accepted to work for NASA? We talked to LJ to get the whole story, and it’s a great one.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- LJ’s acceptance at NASA last week (4:30)
- Rollerblading to skiboarding to contest skiing (8:25)
- Getting connected with LINE Skis (16:10)
- Specializing vs. Not Specializing (18:55)
- LINE Traveling Circus (28:34)
- Being Vin Diesel’s Stuntman (38:26)
- Real Grit: LJ’s Real Ski & Real Attempt videos (43:14)
- More on NASA (1:10:42)
- Envisioning the next 5-10 years (1:18:22)
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Clare Gallagher just won the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Race, and she did so in spectacular fashion. And normally, that is all the introduction we’d need here, since winning Western States is a very big deal. But there happens to be a whole lot more to this particular story.
Because right before this race, Clare accepted an invitation from Tommy Caldwell to go on an expedition to the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge to raise awareness of and opposition to plans to give oil and gas companies the right to drill in the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge.
But backpacking and mountaineering around the wild landscape of Alaska is not how professional runners typically spend time right before their biggest race of the year.
So in addition to diving into the details of her epic Western States win, we discuss with Clare why she was willing to go to Alaska; why she runs; and how wins at Western States — or her 2016 win of the Leadville 100, or her FKT of the Zion Traverse last year — all work to create a larger platform to talk about the things that matter most to her.
TAKE ACTION:
Text 40649 now or CLICK HERE to submit a comment to your representative asking them to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by voting to pass The Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Recovering from a huge effort at Western States (2:57)
- Race Recap: day of the race & the first 80 miles (8:03)
- On the intense last 6 miles of the race (10:02)
- Mile 93 — 2017 vs. 2019 (13:13)
- Clare’s expedition to Alaska prior to the race (18:45)
- Winning, Losing, & Competitiveness (29:11)
- Clare’s background (34:37)
- Her future (49:43)
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While more and more electric cars are hitting the streets, Taiga Motors is about to bring the world’s first commercial electric snowmobiles to the backcountry and ski areas. So we talked with Taiga Motors CEO & co-founder, Sam Bruneau, about taking the electric snowmobile from a college project to an actual business, and the long process of designing electric sleds from the ground up. Then we get into the specifics of charging a Taiga, and how these electric sleds measure up against gas-powered snowmobiles in terms of power, torque, weight, range, and performance in harsh temperatures.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Background: What is Taiga Motors? (3:10)
- From fun college project to actual business (3:30)
- Evolution of the product: from TS1 to TS3 (15:02)
- Power & Instant Torque (20:40)
- Temperature Performance — Cold & Hot (23:35)
- Range (28:19)
- Charging / How long does charging take? (33:17)
- Weight & ‘real-world’ comparisons (37:22)
- Pricing & Options (43:06)
- Production Launch: When & What? (45:30)
- Taiga’s current Pre-Order: Details (47:18)
- Electric Cars: thoughts on the current landscape (53:13)
- What’s the best question I haven’t asked you? (55:35)
- Taiga’s next big thing (58:13)
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For a long time now, Mark Abma has stood right at the center of big-mountain skiing. So we talk to him about living with JP Auclair, Julien Regnier, and Anthony Boronowski; filming with Shane McConkey, Hugo Harrison, and Ingrid Backstrom; serving as a guide for a new generation of skiers; and the specific fitness, dietary, and health regimen that keeps Mark functioning at a high level on the mountain — and enables him to lead a happy and healthy life off the mountain, too.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How Mark got into skiing (2:11)
- Living with Anthony Boronowski, J.P. Auclair, & Julien Regnier (7:00)
- Filming with Shane McConkey, Ingrid Backstrom, & Hugo Harrisson (16:20)
- Cultivating happiness in life (23:15)
- Young skiers today vs. when Mark was coming up (38:50)
- Gear Talk: Mark’s go-to skis (44:45)
- Mark’s fitness regimen (49:50)
- Diet: eating for performance and recovery (53:44)
- Other health & wellness practices (58:49)
- Mark’s baseline indicator for ski-season readiness (1:03:57)
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Last week on social media, many of us were blown away by some pretty terrifying footage of a snowboarder negotiating the Ribbon on Devil’s Castle at Alta. So we talked to the rider, James Buehler, about his first descent with Alex Gavic of the Ribbon on a snowboard, and James walks us through the technical aspects of the route; his preparation for the line; the mental and physical demands it imposes; encountering multiple cruxes; the “Ronald McDonald Grin”; and what’s next on his list. (You can also see photos of the route in the show notes to this episode on our website.)
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Alter Egos & Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (2:20)
- The history / backstory of Ciochetti’s Ribbon (7:55)
- What’s the most scared you’ve ever been on a line? (13:41)
- Doing heavy lines on a surfy, playful powder board?? (18:45)
- The Approach (22:30)
- The Traverse (26:07)
- The Crux — and the ‘Ronald McDonald Grin’ (27:53)
- Unexpected Crux #2 & #3 (40:18)
- The Descent (39:41)
- How does the Ribbon compare to other objectives? (51:40)
- James' other near-term objectives & dream objective (59:05)
- James' YouTube channel, Wild Lines (1:01:13)
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Travis Ganong might be the most well-rounded skier in the world (just listen to this conversation), and he is certainly one of the most passionate. He’s a Team U.S.A. downhiller and Super G racer that is also obsessed with backcountry touring and big-mtn skiing, so we talk about all of it: racing & training; catching the attention of Shane McConkey as a kid; backcountry skiing; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Training in Tahoe City (1:02)
- How has gym training for ski racing evolved? (2:23)
- The fitness of skiers vs. other athletes (7:10)
- Are you preparing for specific courses you’ll compete on? (13:11)
- Where have you improved the most: physically, technically, or mentally? (19:25)
- Growing up in a family of skiers (22:04)
- Temptation to stop racing / a key point in Travis’ racing career (30:27)
- Which skiers did you look up to the most? (34:23)
- Seasonal weight fluctuations / recovering from a blown out knee (37:19)
- Does the American DH squad have team goals? (41:25)
- Hyper-specialization & ski racing (43:40)
- Travis the park skier?? (47:22)
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We’re on location in Shoreham, Vermont, talking to ski-industry veteran, Jason Newell, about his transition from ski racing, to working with the Rossignol Group for 25 years, to his latest adventure in a whole new category: premium whiskey. (And there might be a story or two involving duct tape, Candide Thovex, and burning couches.)
TOPICS & TIMES
- Jason’s background & racing days (2:49)
- 25 years with The Rossignol Group (8:13)
- Taping Candide Thovex to a gondola, burning couches, and more (10:58)
- Biggest changes in skiing over your career? (18:58)
- Which is most important: sidecut, length, rocker profile, or ski width? (22:34)
- Look bindings (23:25)
- A new career in whiskey (26:44)
- The story behind WhistlePig (28:28)
- The “Rye” renaissance (31:55)
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In some circles, Dierdre Wolownick is best known as Alex Honnold’s mom. But she is also the oldest woman to climb El Cap, an author, teacher, linguist, musician, marathon runner, and someone who continues to push her comfort zone. We talk to Dierdre about her new book The Sharp End of Life: A Mother’s Story; what shaped her philosophy of parenting; how she’s become more courageous with age; and the importance of continuing to push past limits.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Growing up in a home with “old world” values (3:58)
- Dierdre’s philosophy of parenting (10:23)
- When family dynamics become very public (21:37)
- The importance of expanding our comfort zones (26:29)
- On the specialized languages of outdoor sports communities (32:40)
- On the “devastating absence of connection” (38:18)
- Book recommendations (42:55)
- Dierdre’s philosophy of life (47:15)
- What are you most passionate about currently? (51:13)
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Ashley Korenblat went from Arkansas to Dartmouth to Wall Street to being the president of Merlin Metalworks bikes, to the chair of IMBA (the International Mountain Bicycling Association). She currently owns Western Spirit Cycling and Outerbike, she is the founder and managing director of Public Land Solutions, she is on the recreation advisory board for the Outdoor Industry Association, and she is a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. We talked to Ashley at Western Colorado University about her trajectory, and about the critical issues surrounding public lands policies and debates that we all need to understand and participate in.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Ashley’s background in business and mountain biking (4:21)
- Identifying the various groups in public land conflicts (12:20)
- The divide between mountain bikers and land owners (15:55)
- How much conflict is there between bikers and conservationists? (18:20)
- Ashley’s experience lobbying in Washington, D.C. (24:30)
- What companies do well and don’t do well for conservation (28:40)
- What should we all be doing to support public lands? (33:32)
- Western vs. Proust Q&A (35:15)
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Angela Hawse is the president of the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA), and is certified to the highest international mountain guide standards. We talk to her about how she got into guiding; the various roles she has taken on; the experiences that drove Angela’s career; what advice she would offer to aspiring guides; how guiding culture is changing, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How Jonathan and Angela first met (2:52)
- Angela’s wide-ranging professional titles (6:48)
- What led you to guiding? (11:40)
- What advice would you give to aspiring guides? (21:18)
- Differences between the AMGA and the IFMGA? (25:35)
- Your favorite guiding experience? (30:52)
- Most harrowing guiding experience? (34:32)
- Being a female in this industry (35:49)
- Angela’s motivations for joining POW Climb (45:10)
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Our 3rd Blister Speaker Series at Western Colorado University was with Dan Abrams, president and co-founder of Flylow. Dan gets into the details of running an outerwear company, and in doing so, offers insight into maintaining perspective while under pressure, how he approaches risky decisions, making the most of bad situations, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Flylow’s origin story (1:55)
- Advice to aspiring business owners (9:36)
- “The bank of Flylow” (13:14)
- Your best decisions & biggest mistakes? (17:38)
- Dan’s approach to scaling the team and product categories (21:50)
- What advice would you give to your undergraduate self? (27:25)
- What books were most formative to you? (30:33)
- Western vs. Proust Q&A (32:40)
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It probably goes without saying that a guy named Bird will see the world a bit differently. So we talked to Bird about growing up on a commune in Washington; falling in love with skiing; finding a home away from home in Chamonix; his passion for speed riding, better (and worse) ways of experiencing the mountains, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Bird’s life, work, and passions (3:00)
- The story behind the Bird name (9:35)
- “Ski Bohemian” vs “Ski Bum” (12:39)
- On “listening to yourself” in the mountains (14:26)
- Bird’s relationship with fear (16:17)
- Speed Riding: “skiing pow in the sky” (26:08)
- How social media is shaping ski culture (35:34)
- Balancing Friendships & Solitude (45:16)
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Trash is a growing global crisis, and currently, the majority of “recycled” products are still ending up in landfills or being burned. So we discuss the crisis, the myths, and the solutions to these problems with Karen Hoskin and Elizabeth Smith, the founders of Zoetica, who are working to help us rethink these issues and take concrete actions to address them.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- The global crisis of “convenience trash” (2:44)
- The myths of recycling and biodegradable plastics (12:44)
- Resources for learning more (26:24)
- Why we can’t wait for tech advances to save us (33:03)
- Zoetica’s mission and approach (42:00)
- Why the concept of “zero-waste” is problematic (50:49)
- Reconciling our environmental impacts (1:03:00)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
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Last week we held our 2nd Blister Speaker Series event at Western Colorado University with Eric Larsen, a North and South Pole adventurer, expedition guide, author of On Thin Ice, and climate educator. Here is that conversation, where we talk to Eric about the importance of doing difficult things, perseverance, leadership, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Eric’s satellite phone update during his 2014 North Pole expedition (3:25)
- Why is it important to do difficult things? (5:40)
- The importance of remaining lighthearted (10:15)
- Leadership and decision making in life-threatening conditions (12:56)
- How have your expeditions informed your perspective on climate change? (18:00)
- Lessons from the minimalist lifestyle of expeditions (21:40)
- What advice would you give to your undergraduate self? (24:15)
- Which books were the most formative for you? (27:55)
- Western vs. Proust Q&A (31:38)
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For more than a decade, Kristen Ulmer was the best female big mountain extreme skier in the world (which is why she was recently inducted into the Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame, along with Bode Miller), and many regarded her as fearless. But she wasn’t fearless, and her ways of coping with fear back then took a heavy toll on her. Kristen has since become a thought leader and specialist of this extremely misunderstood emotion, and we discuss how each of us can develop a much healthier relationship with fear in any and every area of our lives.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- “Voices of Fear” and Kristen’s interviews with extreme athletes (7:24)
- The negative effects of resisting fear (20:45)
- How to examine your own relationship with fear (27:24)
- Steps to forming an “intimate relationship” with your fear (31:45)
- Kristen’s relationship with fear (37:13)
- The importance of knowing how much fear you’re in the mood for (41:21)
- Daron Rahlves’ fearlessness and possible consequences (46:14)
- How non-athletes benefit from Kristin’s approach to fear (54:52)
Kristen's book, "The Art of Fear: Why Conquering Fear Won't Work and What to Do Instead"
See the upcoming screening dates & locations for her film, Voices of Fear
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The winningest snowboarder in history, Kelly Clark, recently retired after an astonishing 20-year career of competition. So we talked to Kelly about that career; the new limited-edition “RISE” snowboard she designed with Burton; how snowboarding has evolved; her relationship with Chloe Kim; the mission of the Kelly Clark Foundation; her extremely important thoughts on “achievement” and “success”; and what’s next for her.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Kelly’s very busy “retirement” (3:27)
- Her limited-edition “RISE” snowboard from Burton (4:24)
- Biggest changes to snowboarding over her 20-year career (7:52)
- Injuries: 3 things Kelly did to mitigate them (9:10)
- Chloe Kim: How similar or different do you view your early careers? (14:55)
- Happiness vs achievement; defining “success” (17:30)
- The value of separating your private and public selves (24:32)
- Kelly’s book, Inspired, and the importance of giving back (30:36)
- The Kelly Clark Foundation and how they’re empowering communities (33:24)
- What she plans for this next phase of life (36:00)
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We talk to Cody Townsend about his massive new undertaking to ski 50 classic North American lines. We discuss his approach to The FIFTY Project; how it’s going so far; dealing with its incredibly tricky logistics; which lines are the most daunting; what gear he is using; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What is The Fifty Project, and how did it come to be? (3:00)
- Which of the 50 lines are the most daunting? (7:04)
- “A very involved day” — skiing Mt Currie yesterday with Chris Rubens (22:32)
- How do you set plans when you’re dealing with extremely unpredictable conditions? (28:30)
- Cody’s transition from big-mountain freeriding to ski mountaineering (31:35)
- What skis, boots, bindings, & safety gear are you using on these different lines? (37:52)
- Cody’s dream collab with Kilian Jornet (40:32)
- Cody’s “Three Levels of Safety / Rescue” (42:45)
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We just held the inaugural Blister Speaker Series event at Western Colorado University with Brendan Leonard — author, filmmaker, and creator of Semi-Rad.com. So here is that live conversation where we talk with Brendan about work, work ethic, creativity, and how to keep from compromising your vision in whatever field you are passionate about pursuing.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Background of the Blister Speaker Series (1:50)
- How does Brendan describe his eclectic body of work? (6:22)
- Brendan’s journey from journalism to the Outdoor Industry (8:13)
- Tips for pursuing your passion without compensation (11:06)
- How Semi-Rad.com was born of rejection (19:03)
- Books that Brendan recommends (29:25)
- What advice would Brendan give his undergraduate self? (32:52)
- New Blister project with Brendan (41:08)
- Brendan’s tips for balancing time outdoors with a desk job (43:40)
- When did Brendan become more conscious of his work’s impact? (49:32)
- Advice about remaining resilient in the face of career challenges (52:14)
- What motivates Brendan and Jonathan? (1:02:00)
- Brendan’s move into filming & video content (1:08:18)
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Earlier this year I sat down with Greg Hill and Chris Rubens to talk about their "Electric Adventures" (episode #66), and we also discuss in that episode a bit about Greg’s background. And in this new conversation, our focus is on the present and the future. Greg and I discuss the new Canadian chapter of Protect Our Winters; get Greg’s advice for how to productively deal with what he calls “eco-anxiety”; we talk about a new app called 57 Hours that is more effectively connecting guides with skiers, bikers, and climbers; and I ask Greg what piece of backcountry safety equipment he is currently most excited about.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Kids, trampolines, and backcountry skiing (2:10)
- Greg's work with Protect our Winters Canada (8:45)
- "Eco-Anxiety" and productive responses (13:08)
- An update on Greg's Electric Adventures (22:30)
- Greg's take on the growing category of electric vehicles (34:18)
- Greg's work as a guide (39:12)
- New guide app 57 Hours — why Greg and I are excited about it (41:14)
- What new backcountry safety equipment are you most excited about? (47:08)
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Very few people are so good at what they do that they can have a film made about their life and their career while they are still in the middle of both. But Eric Hjorleifson is one of those people, and we talked to Eric about the eponymous film, Hoji, that was produced by Scott Gaffney and Matchstick Productions. Eric and I talk about the tour he’s been on for the film, how the idea for the film originated, and we even got Hoji to ruminate a bit on what he thinks sets him apart as a skier.
And gear heads stay tuned, because tomorrow, we’ll be dropping a GEAR:30 episode where you can hear Eric talk about his new Hoji Free boot, as well as the latest iteration of his ski, the 4FRNT Renegade.
Click here for more info on the Hoji movie tour dates
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Eric’s favorite stops while touring the movie. (03:50)
- Where did the idea for the movie come from? (09:06)
- Jonathan’s favorite people featured in the film. (13:25)
- What has Eric learned from making the film? (20:05)
- What’s Eric’s favorite ski movie? (22:40)
- Which traits as a skier sets Eric apart? And where did they come from? (32:00)
- Hoji Part II?? (43:20)
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Elyse Saugstad is one of the best big mountain skiers in the game, and we spoke with her a few days ago about the soon-to-be-released film, All In, from Matchstick Productions — the evolution of All In, and the experience of teaming up with several other big mountain rock stars, Angel Collinson, Michelle Parker, and Tatum Monod. We then talk about growing up in Alaska, and Elyse gives an update on Safe As Clinics, which is the backcountry education program she co-founded. And then we get into a whole bunch of other stuff, too, so just know that this is a fun conversation and an inspiring one, since Elyse is very actively showing all of us the value of continuing to seek out new ways to challenge ourselves and grow.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Packing for Portillo / What are you up to? (2:50)
- Skiing & filming with Angel Collinson, Michelle Parker, and Tatum Monod (4:25)
- How the *All In* film evolved (11:20)
- Growing up in Girdwood, Alaska (20:10)
- Figure Skating & Ski Racing (22:15)
- Dance & Ballet (30:35)
- Who were you looking up to as a young skier? (32:42)
- Safe As Clinics & Backcountry Education (37:35)
- Surfing, sports in general, and the rewards of seeing improvement (44:10)
- If not skiing, what would you be doing? (50:46)
PRESENTING SPONSOR:
The 750 Mile Trail Network of Gunnison & Crested Butte, CO
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Julian Carr is a professional skier and world-record cliff jumper, the founder of Discrete Clothing, and the founder and race director of the Cirque Series, a group of six big-mountain running events held at some pretty iconic ski areas: Brighton, Alta, Alyeska, Sun Valley, Arapahoe Basin, and Snowbird.
My conversation with Julian really falls into four parts: First, Julian and I talk about the Cirque Series, which kicks off this coming weekend on June 30th at Brighton, Utah. And you might assume that the race director of the Cirque Series probably is a pretty serious runner, but Julian doesn’t really consider himself to be a runner at all, but rather, someone who simply loves to be in the mountains, and enjoys becoming more and more adept at moving in the mountains. And that discussion about not really identifying as a runner makes up the 2nd part of our conversation.
In part 3, Julian and I drill down pretty deep on the thing that many of you probably most associate Julian with: dropping impossibly huge cliffs on skis. Julian has sent many 100+ foot cliffs, and he is the world record holder for the biggest inverted cliff jump ever, at 210 feet. (Go to the show notes of this episode on Blister to watch videos of several of the jumps that Julian and I discuss, including his 210 foot world-record jump in Switzerland.)
In part 4, Julian and I circle back to big-mountain running and the Cirque Series, then talk a bit about Julian’s company, Discrete, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
So whether you are a committed runner looking to learn about the Cirque Series, or a non-runner who wants to hear the case for mountain running, or you who want to hear about overcoming fear and the psychological limits we impose on ourselves, or you want to hear an entrepreneur talk about how his company has evolved over the past decade ... this conversation has a whole lot to offer.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Describing the 4 parts of this conversation (0:19)
- What is the Cirque Series, and why did you start it? (4:25)
- Why Julian doesn't identify as a "runner" and doesn't think the Cirque series is just for "runners" (11:06)
- The 6 stops: Brighton, Alta, Alyeska, Sun Valley, A-Basin, Snowbird (14:11)
- Julian and I settle on the distinction between "runner" vs. non-runner (22:46)
- Growing up, falling in love with skiing (24:06)
- The art & spiritual exercise of sending huge cliffs (29:11)
- The logistics & analysis of sending huge cliffs (37:29)
- Knowing when to walk away from a jump (1:01:11)
- More on how Julian started running & how his dog, Lexi, is actually responsible for the Cirque Series (1:04:39)
- On the 10-year anniversary of Julian's company, Discrete (1:15:58)
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Glen Morden has an extremely cool job — he's the head of Product Innovation at Patagonia. So we talk to Glen about his background and how he ended up in this position, then Glen pulls back the curtain on the product design process at Patagonia, what he and his colleagues are currently most concerned with, and what sorts of projects are on the horizon. So if you are interested in product design, new gear, or how innovation happens, you’re going to enjoy this conversation.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- As the "VP of Product Innovation at Patagonia" ... what do you actually do? (1:01)
- Glen's background (4:10)
- What was your formal education like? (7:14)
- When & how did you start working at Patagonia? (18:29)
- What is the design process like at Patagonia, and what are the various departments & teams? (22:42)
- Impact reduction and product design (28:30)
- What are your favorite products that you've worked on? (36:18)
- What areas in apparel design do you see the most potential for improvement? (40:33)
- Working with Patagonia's athletes and ambassadors (44:56)
- We love soft shells, so why have they struggled to catch on? (47:11)
- Sam Shaheen's nerd question (52:04)
- How much time is spent on impact reduction, or developing new technologies? (55:55)
- Design Inspiration (1:00:50)
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In the past several days, there has been another reported instance of bullying going on in the outdoors sports world, and the loud, swift, and aggressive responses to this, have made clear that many of us still have a lot to think through.
Last week, professional climber Sasha Digiulian announced on social media that she has been the ongoing target of tasteless jokes by fellow climber, Joe Kinder. Sascha stated that she had reached out to Joe in private about this to try to resolve the matter, but had received no reply. So, finally, she went public.
You can find - and should read, if you haven’t already - in the show notes to this episode on Blister Sascha’s statement, Joe’s apology, and the responses by Black Diamond and La Sportiva, about why they decided to end their sponsorships of Joe.
But the reason why we are talking about this here, is because of those alarming number of disturbing responses online and on social media to these events.
So in this conversation, I’m joined by Blister’s climbing editor, Dave Alie, to discuss why it’s wrong to assume that this is simply some little, isolated issue in the climbing world; whether Black Diamond and La Sportiva were justified in their responses; and how our own words of criticism -- or support — of any of these parties— can quickly become unfair, tasteless, or unjust in their own right.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What happened, and why are we discussing it? (0:18)
- Did Black Diamond and La Sportiva do the right thing? (16:25)
- What appropriate & inappropriate responses look like — from all of us (18:57)
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We’re talking with Renan Ozturk, an expedition climber, landscape artist, filmmaker, co-founder of Camp4 Collective, and the principal cinematographer of the very powerful film, “MOUNTAIN.” MOUNTAIN is an epic meditation on our relationship to and fascination with mountains. Directed by Jennifer Peedom and narrated by Willem Dafoe, the script is based on Robert Macfarlane's, "Mountains of the Mind," and the film features many of the best mountain sports athletes in the world — Alex Honnold, Candide Thovex, Conrad Anker, Tommy Caldwell, Hilaree O’Neil, Danny MacAskill, Travis Rice, and Renan Ozturk himself. You can learn more about screening dates and locations at mountainthefilm.com.
Renan and I discuss his work on the film and what makes MOUNTAIN unique, his own evolving relationship with the mountains, and what's next for him.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How would you attempt to describe this film? (2:15)
- How did the idea for this film originate? (8:14)
- Logistics: How was all of this put together? (11:16)
- The intended audience for this film (13:52)
- Willem Dafoe's narration of the film (16:32)
- How working in the mountains affects or informs Renan's love of the mountains (19:08)
- Blending historical and contemporary experiences of the mountains in "Mountain" (22:04)
- Rethinking mountain "mastery" and exploration (25:15)
- What authors or films have been most influential in your own relationship to mountain pursuits? (28:44)
- What Renan hopes people will take away from MOUNTAIN (35:20)
- Renan's other current projects, including his Sanctity of Space (38:19)
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We have been receiving more and more questions about Sego Skis and requests to review them, so today, you’re going to get the backstory. Sego was founded by two brothers, Tim and Peter Wells, and Sego is headquartered in the small mountain town of Victor, Idaho. So we talked to Tim and Peter about starting a ski company (actually, how they started two ski companies) and why they decided to set up shop in Victor to build skis.
Then we go over some particular Sego skis, working with Lynsey Dyer, the snowblades they’re producing, and why they have a ski called the Condor that has nothing on it other than … an avocado.
You can check out now our First Look at the Condor, and, if you become a Blister member, you can also read our Flash Review of the Condor and get our initial on-snow impressions of the ski.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Introducing Sego's founders, Tim & Peter Wells (1:33)
- Starting their 1st ski company + lessons learned (4:08)
- Starting their 2nd ski company, Sego (13:19)
- Why the name Sego? (16:49)
- Exactly what are you building in Victor, Idaho? (17:35)
- Advantages and challenges of manufacturing in Victor (21:30)
- Demo days & the Sego school bus (29:19)
- Becoming a "premier North American manufacturer" (33:08)
- Sego's best selling skis: the Cleaver 102 & Lynsey Dyer's pro models, the UP Pro 110 & UP Pro 92 (34:35)
- Sego's women's lineup & working with Lynsey Dyer 36:15)
- The ski Peter's most proud of - Tim's personal ski (39:17)
- Sego's 18/19 lineup - including the Condor (aka, the Avocado) (42:40)
- Sego snowblades! (51:30)
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We stopped by the headquarters of Venture Snowboards in Silverton, Colorado, to talk to Venture’s founders, Lisa and Klem Branner. As you’ll hear, Venture does a lot of things different than most snowboard companies. For example, very few companies are manufacturing snowboards here in the U.S., and even fewer of those companies are starting from scratch — literally building boards starting with raw lumber.
So we talked to Lisa and Klem about why they do what they do, why they chose to build in the tiny town of Silverton, and why it all matters. We also discuss why Klem really dislikes using the term “sustainable” when it comes to building snowboards; why he thinks it’s a bad idea to build snowboards with traditional camber; which current trends in snowboard design he thinks are stupid; and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- When & where did you two meet? (03:00)
- Klem on making the first board he ever rode (5:04)
- From grad school to starting Venture Snowboards (7:22)
- The decision to set up shop in Silverton, Colorado (10:26)
- Why start a snowboard company? (15:10)
- Real talk about “greenwashing” in the snowboard industry (16:26)
- What sets Venture apart: building their boards from scratch (21:56)
- Advantages & challenges of manufacturing in Silverton (25:42)
- Why Klem thinks traditional camber sucks and is unnecessary (27:53)
- Craft beer + craft boards: Venture’s collab with Ska Brewing (38:08)
- What current trends in board design do you like or dislike? (41:27)
- The rise of splitboarding and backcountry riding (46:16)
- Venture’s 18/19 lineup — and why they don’t overhaul their line all the time (48:33)
- Why should anyone care that Venture boards are built in Silverton? (53:06)
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Cyrus Schenck is the founder of the company, Renoun, and a ski designer with an award-winning technology that's used by no other ski manufacturer in the world. Cyrus is thinking big. And definitely outside of the box. And definitely not just about skis.
So we talk to Cyrus about building skis with non-Newtonian polymers, and everything else he's working on — both inside and outside the world of skiing.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Cyrus’ background (2:50)
- Starting Renoun & working with “Non-Newtonian Polymers” (6:25)
- So what is the on-snow advantage of using “HDT” in a ski? (16:14)
- How does HDT work? (18:23)
- If HDT is so great, why don’t more companies use it? (34:11)
- Other applications for HDT - like NBA flooring?? (36:03)
- Why expanding into other industries could be great for skiing (39:36)
- Who is “Renoun” — you and who else? (41:49)
- Renoun’s current ski lineup (42:16)
- Renoun’s new ski - The Citadel - with carbon + HDT (45:16)
- Why Renoun’s 100-Day Guarantee is the smartest thing any indie could offer (49:14)
- What’s the best question I haven’t asked you? (53:54)
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This week we're talking to Greg Hill and Chris Rubens. Greg is probably best known for his feats in ski touring, including his accomplishment in 2010 of skiing 2 million vertical feet in a year. And Chris Rubens is probably best known for being dumb enough to try to keep up with Greg.
We sat down with Greg and Chris in Denver to talk about how the two became the unofficial power couple of Revelstoke, and to learn more about the logistics of their latest Electric Adventure which took them from Revy to Colorado in an electric car for a screening of their new film, The Curve of Time.
Greg and Chris talk about what inspired the film, how it embodies both their love of the outdoors and their continued efforts to consider the impact that each of us is having on the environment — and what we might do about that. So I really hope their new film and our conversation here stimulate some new thoughts that get each of us to take some new actions.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- When did you guys meet? (2:10)
- Greg’s background & trajectory (5:35)
- How long have you guys been adventuring together? (8:45)
- The Salomon film, Guilt Trip (11:12)
- Chris & Gregs' Electric Adventures - the logistics of journeying in various electric cars (15:25)
- Recognizing our footprints, taking steps to reduce it (22:38)
- Taking action & the charges of hypocrisy (26:08)
- The new film by Jordan Manley, The Curve of Time (30:45)
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Today we’re talking with New York Times sportswriter, Karen Crouse, about her new book, Norwich.
Norwich is a tiny town in Vermont that has produced eleven Olympians, and Karen’s extremely well-written book looks into how it is that this little town has managed to produce so many successful athletes.
But Karen is also exploring far bigger, universal questions about the relationship of athletic achievement and personal well-being, and really, I think her book Norwich is best understood as a blueprint for how to raise and train athletes to be more than mere medal-winning machines. Norwich is a book about community, about parenting, and how to go about helping kids become fully-developed people who are well positioned to lead happy, healthy lives.
Karen and I also discuss the current state of the Olympic Games, since Karen has been to and has covered a bunch of them and will be at the Olympics again next month, and she and I talk about how her time spent with all-time achievers like Michael Phelps and Tiger Woods has informed her thoughts on the price of greatness.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How do you sum up what this book is about? (1:55)
- How do you view the state of the Olympics today? (4:17)
- Some of the principles of Norwich that are worth emulating / cultivating (8:51)
- Takeaways from the experience of Olympic moguls skier, Hannah Kearney (13:53)
- Ford Sayre & Norwich’s culture of volunteering (23:38)
- Replicating elsewhere the connection between Dartmouth College & Norwich (28:09)
- Praising Effort vs. Praising Results (31:07)
- Cultivating Happiness, Cultivating Greatness (on Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, & Hannah Kearney) (34:04)
- Placing the Person before the Performer - shifting our priorities (51:14)
Connect with Karen on Twitter at: @bykaren
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Black Crows is one of the hottest brands in the entire ski world, and today we’re talking with their co-founder, Camille Jaccoux, and head ski designer, Julien Regnier, about the origins and design principles of the brand, a few of the important skis in the history of the company, and what's next.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- When did Black Crows start, and talk a bit about what was going on at the time in skiing? (2:58)
- When & how Julien and Camille met (9:17)
- Chamonix’s particular impact on the company and the skis they were making (12:29)
- The 1st Black Crows ski: the Corvus (13:30)
- The 2nd Black Crows ski: the Navis (14:45)
- The origin of the Black Crows name & the Black Crows logo (16:00)
- If someone were to ask, “What do Black Crows skis ski like?”, what would your answer be? (22:03)
- Julien on the new-for-this-season Black Crows Daemon (23:25)
- Which are your personal favorite skis in the lineup? (29:35)
- Outside of the ski world, what areas of design are you interested in? (34:10)
- Julien on the Japanese architect, Tadao Ando (34:55)
- Camille on the designer, Yorgo Tloupas (36:30)
- On the move from making only skis to making other hardgoods, and now, Black Crows apparel (41:10)
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So how does a kid from a little town in New York end up becoming a global product manager at one of the largest ski and boot manufacturers in the world, and living in Austria? And why does he believe that studying philosophy in college and in grad school turned out to be the ideal preparation for his day-to-day responsibilities at Atomic?
We’re talking to Matt Manser about his background, his studies in philosophy, his experience as a bootfitter, and the design decisions that go into the creation of every ski boot he works on, including the current Atomic Hawx Ultra and Hawx Ultra XTD.
Matt and I cover a lot of topics, so if you want to dip in and out of our conversation, check the show notes on the website or on your phone to see a list of the topics and times.
Also, if you’d like to ask Matt a question or give him some feedback, you can hit him up on instagram at: @onenerdykid — and if he isn’t too busy playing video games or reading Aristotle, you will probably get a reply back pretty quickly.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Where do you currently live, and what is your title at Atomic? (1:35)
- Background: where did you grow up & when did you start skiing? (4:13)
- College: discovering philosophy (9:03)
- Why study philosophy & logic? (11:48)
- Philosophy, bootfitting, and bootfitting for Doug Coombs and other athletes (23:40)
- Matt’s job: taking a boot from concept to finished product (36:42)
- What do you consider to be the three main aspects of making a great ski boot? (39:51)
- Managing the different expectations of skiers in different parts of the world (44:26)
- Trivia Question: Guess which company sells the most World Cup race boots? (47:23)
- On the Atomic Hawx Ultra — developing a lightweight alpine boot (51:45)
- Why it’s so difficult to build lightweight ski boots with a progressive flex (55:10)
- Marcel Hirscher: what it's like working with one of the greatest ski racers of all time (1:06:26)
- On the different intentions behind the Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 120 vs. XTD 130 (1:11:33)
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What items should you be carrying with you, and what do you need to know before venturing out into the backcountry in the first place? We're discussing these critical topics of backcountry travel and wilderness medicine with blister reviewer, AWLS instructor, and physician Paul Forward — and giving a status update on Jonathan Ellsworth, after his own backcountry accident this past summer.
TOPICS & TIMES
- Update on Jonathan’s status (3:24)
- What should people have, studied before venturing out into the backcountry? (8:56)
- Two-Way Radios (12:03)
- How to improve your radio signal in the backcountry (17:02)
- Minimizing interference with your beacon (17:44)
- DeLorme / Garmin In-Reach (21:58)
- Satellite Phones (26:29)
- First Aid Kit, and what Paul himself carries (28:37)
- How to evacuate someone / Creating a makeshift sled (39:24)
- Various Types of Wilderness Education Courses (46:06)
- The course Paul is teaching this coming February — AWLS + Heli-Skiing (51:38)
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We talk to Danny Davis about the upcoming Peace Park 6; why Peace Park should become a new discipline; "technical" tricks vs. "stylish" tricks; the Olympics; and the need for a unified snowboarding tour; and Danny's growing passion for splitboarding.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Danny’s health & contest culture (3:31)
- Why Danny was splitboarding so much last season (6:28)
- The beauty of going from the backcountry to the halfpipe and back (14:23)
- The advantages of being an older, more experienced rider in halfpipe contests (24:50)
- “Technical” tricks vs. “Stylish” tricks (35:47)
- What is Peace Park, and what makes it so unique (and awesome)? (46:05)
- On Peace Park becoming its own new discipline (54:00)
- On the Olympics & the need for a unified snowboarding tour (1:00:40)
- On the east-coast qualifying event for Peace Park 6 (1:09:40)
- Danny’s upcoming contest schedule (1:14:20)
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Scott Gaffney is one of the most accomplished ski movie directors of all-time, and the guy behind so many of the iconic Matchstick Productions films.
So we talked to Scott about how he got into filming ski movies; how he got connected with Matchstick Productions; and which Matchstick films are his personal favorites.
We also talk a lot about working with the likes of Shane McConkey, Eric Hjorleifson, Cody Townsend, and Candide Thovex, and about the most mind-blowing sessions he ever witnessed.
Scott and I also talk about the newest Matchstick film, Drop Everything, and you can head over to skimovie.com to see the Drop Everything tour schedule and go see it with your friends on the big screen. You can also download Drop Everything and a bunch of the other MSP films we talk about in this episode at skimovie.com — which is good since, after listening to this conversation, I am certain you’re going to want to watch or rewatch a number of them.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- When & where did you get into skiing? (4:01)
- How did you get into making ski movies? (6:20)
- Two essential documents in Ski History: A Need to Fly & Pursuing a Passion (8:11)
- How Scott originally got involved with Matchstick Productions? (13:11)
- Scott’s favorite MSP films (15:48)
- The editing & filming process — and why bad conditions aren’t a bad thing (18:58)
- Gaffney on MSP’s 2004 film, YEARBOOK (24:52)
- What’s the most mind-melting session you ever witnessed? (29:13)
- Best skier you’ve seen that’s kind of flying under the radar? (32:25)
- Skier who consistently blows your mind? (36:47)
- Making ski films in an era of online edits (39:59)
- Gaffney on Shane McConkey (43:24)
- Scott’s day-to-day skiing at Squaw (52:51)
- What’s the Greatest Ski Movie Ever? (55:23)
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
You know him from his course previews of Redbull Rampage and WC DH, but you don't know Claudio Caluori like this. We discuss Rampage, this past DH season, soccer, life, China, Elon Musk ... and pretty much everything else.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Why is Claudio in Beijing? (3:49)
- How would you describe Rampage in a single sentence? (5:10)
- Claudio’s pick for our “Rampage No-Fear Zombie” Award (8:32)
- What would your choice be for the next Rampage venue? (20:58)
- Biggest surprise of this past DH season? (22:45)
- Aliens vs. 1 DH rider for the fate of the world - who would you pick? (26:59)
- Any news about the SCOTT team or new SCOTT products? (28:38)
- What is Velosolutions, what is its mission, and what are you guys up to? (30:03)
- WARNING: soccer players might get triggered here (31:28)
- The Meaning of Life (38:58)
- Elon Musk and Claudio’s suspicions about his intentions (41:25)
- Claudio’s Grand Vision (50:30)
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We talk to Pete Wagner about why the "indie" ski scene is so confusing; the Wagner factory and the unique connection with Telluride; what about their ski-building process that Pete is most proud of, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Why the “indie” ski scene is so confusing (2:43)
- Of the potential customers coming to check out Wagner Custom, what is it that they care about the most? (4:55)
- Pete’s new shop, and the unique connection between Telluride and Wagner Skis (6:54)
- Ski Construction 101: Wood Cores - Do they really matter? How do they differ? (11:38)
- Re: downhill performance, are you impressed by the new lighter-weight materials you’re seeing and working with? (18:15)
- Is Wagner Custom getting more orders for backcountry skis these days? (24:27)
- What are your particular challenges as a small, custom ski builder? (28:14)
- Is it easier or harder today to be a small ski builder? (31:17)
- What are you most proud of in terms of your specific ski-building process? (34:34)
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We are live on location in Las Vegas for the Interbike tradeshow, and we talk to Blister bike editor, Noah Bodman, about the current state of Interbike; the most intriguing bikes we rode; the most interesting products we’ve seen; and the most bizarre stuff to grace the trade show floor.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- The current state of Interbike (1:00)
- Interbike location: Vegas vs. Reno (2:40)
- Who are the biggest non-motor-having bike manufacturers here? (10:27)
- Most interesting bikes we rode: Zerode Taniwha & Marin Wolf Ridge (12:35)
- e-camouflage-hunting-fatbikes! (17:35)
- New coil forks (20:08)
- Should Interbike happen at a different time of year? (22:00)
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We talk to Peter Bauer (4-time world champ, freeriding pioneer, and co-founder of Amplid) about the history and culture of snowboarding, its inextricable ties to skiing, and the current health of the sport.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Growing up in Bavaria, skiing at the age of two, and getting on his first snowboard (4:25)
- Being asked by Jake Burton to ride for Burton (14:27)
- The early days of snowboard design (19:30)
- The early culture — and crusade — of snowboarding (24:57)
- Snowboarding, self-identification, and the need early on to be "against skiing" (31:37)
- How the industry and snowboard media hurt the growth of snowboarding (38:19)
- Which industry currently has the healthiest culture — snowboarding, skiing, surfing, or skateboarding? (46:33)
- What is the status of park riding today, and what is the status of backcountry riding today? (54:27)
- As a rider, which of your achievements or titles are you most proud of? (1:01:40)
- What led you to start Amplid, and what makes Amplid unique? (1:03:19)
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Today on the podcast, we’re talking about Adam Ondra’s ceiling-shattering ascent of the 150-foot route in Flatanger, Norway that Ondra named, “Project Hard,” his proposed new rating of 9c / 5.15d, and whether we'll see Ondra - or anyone else - now set their sights on the next grade, 5.SIXTEEN. We then discuss the World Championships Downhill races that are happening this weekend in Cairns, Australia, and talk about two of the greatest DH riders of all-time squaring off this weekend — Greg Minnaar vs. Aaron Gwinn — then we start placing bets on who we think will win the men’s and women’s races.
TOPICS AND TIMES:
- Adam Ondra's, "Project Hard" and the new grade of 9C / 5.15d (2:44)
- Whether we'll see Ondra — or anyone — attempt (and establish?) 5.16 (12:40)
- This weekend's World Championships DH races in Cairns, Australia — Aaron Gwin vs. Greg Minnaar (20:39)
- Our picks for Cairns (25:45)
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We talk to Flylow co-founder, Dan Abrams, about the early days of Flylow; how the outerwear industry has changed; and Dan breaks news about a new technology that Flylow is developing and rolling out soon.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Kids names, kids, and being a ski bum with kids (2:30)
- How & when did Flylow get started? (8:28)
- At what point did it finally feel like you were past the startup phase? (13:48)
- How different are things now in the outerwear industry than they were back in 2004/05? (14:51)
- How similar or different are your biggest challenges now vs those in the early days of Flylow? (19:19)
- What current trends do you like, and which do you dislike? (26:30)
- What current tech are you excited about? (29:11)
- Breaking News: Dan talks about the new tech Flylow has been developing (30:52)
- Dan’s personal favorite Flylow piece (34:14)
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This episode is part 2 of our conversation with Eric Hjorleifson, we discuss the state of the ski industry; the AT boot he's been working on for years and why he thinks it could represent the next chapter in ski boot design, and more...
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Hoji on the state of skiing today + a quick history of his trajectory in the industry (2:30)
- Eric’s take on weight / lightweight gear (9:03)
- The state of the ski industry, part 2 (15:38)
- Getting gnar & midlife crises (18:45)
- Matt Sterbenz, Jason Levinthal, and the future of 4FRNT Skis (22:13)
- What do you think your future looks like in the next 5-10 years? (27:47)
- On mountain biking, climbing, and the fun of being a novice (31:20)
- Hoji's boot project, and why it could represent the next chapter in ski boot design (34:58)
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Eric Hjorleifson is one of the best big-mountain skiers of all-time, and he's also known for being one of the master tinkerers in the ski industry, and someone who absolutely obsesses over ski, boot, and bindings design. So we talked to Hoji about skiing pillows, ski design, and the evolution of his Renegade, Hoji, and Raven.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How and When did you first get involved with 4FRNT Skis? (4:35)
- The 4FRNT EHP (9:00)
- The 4FRNT Renegade and its evolution (14:45)
- The 4FRNT Raven (25:46)
- The 4FRNT Hoji — is the Hoji just a wider version of the Raven? (31:08)
- Hoji vs Raven vs. Renegade (45:27)
- Eric’s take on mount points, and where he personally mounts the Hoji, Renegade, and Raven (49:57)
- Skiing pillows vs skiing spines (1:02:25)
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To mark the occasion of our 50th episode, we bring back our very first guest on the podcast, Jed Yeiser, to talk about what's going on at K2, Rossignol's move into mountain biking, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Backcountry Safety - Jed talks about two impactful experiences of his own (4:31)
- What's up with K2? (15:05)
- Jed goes in-depth over a few skis in K2's 17/18 lineup (24:30)
- All-Mountain skis — What does "All-Mountain" mean? (39:30)
- Where is K2 headed? (53:15)
- Line's new Sick Day series (58:31)
- Rossignol's move into mountain biking (1:11:00)
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We talk to Blister's outerwear editor, Sam Shaheen, about the most important new tech & trends in apparel; how & why he first got involved with Blister; starting his own outwear company at the age of 15, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Sam’s background (2:00)
- Starting your own outerwear company at the age of 15 (5:55)
- The significant challenges of building an outerwear company (11:00)
- How — and why — Sam first got involved with Blister (18:58)
- New Tech #1: “breathable” insulation (25:20)
- New Tech #2: “the coolest technology ever”- new manufacturing processes (31:43)
- New Tech #3: "the death of down" (35:26)
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On our last podcast, we told you about a serious ski accident that Blister founder, Jonathan Ellsworth, was fortunate to survive. But the crash itself was only a part of the story, and the weeks after the crash were full of a number of very consequential events, decisions, and lessons, and we discuss them here.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- My primary pre-accident mistake (7:10)
- The decision not to go to the hospital (12:00)
- A very David-Lynchian birthday dinner (23:38)
- The drive home, continued self-assessment, and health care (27:27)
- Emergency spinal surgery? Other options? (My injury + Nate’s popsicle analogy) (43:00)
- Important Rant: Know your “Out-of-Pocket Maximum” (54:35)
- The surgery & post-surgery (57:39)
- Conclusions & Takeaways (1:00:00)
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On July 9, Blister founder, Jonathan Ellsworth, was involved in a near-fatal fall while ski touring on Independence Pass. This is the account of what happened; what can be learned from the incident and our decision-making; and what's next for him.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Jonathan's friends describe the accident (0:00)
- Our group — who was there (5:00)
- The objective that day (10:00)
- The line (17:30)
- The crash (27:57)
- The response (39:20)
- The decision to walk out (55:36)
- The bear incident (1:17:17)
- What’s next (1:24:12)
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Jason Levinthal just acquired 4FRNT Skis, so we talk to Levinthal and 4FRNT founder, Matt Sterbenz, about the deal; what brought it about; what we can expect going forward; and the state of the ski industry in general.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- So what exactly just happened here? (2:52)
- Will this affect where 4FRNT skis are produced? What else will change? (11:41)
- What does it mean to be an "indie" ski brand in today's arena? (15:20)
- When did you guys first start talking about the possibility of teaming up? (21:17)
- What’s going to change and what’s going to stay the same in the next season or two? (25:18)
- Matt: what’s your favorite LINE ski or J Ski that you’ve seen or been on? (29:15)
- Do you think we’ll see more acquisitions like this in the coming years — specifically, of indies teaming up? (35:27)
- Closing Thoughts (43:45)
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Tommy Caldwell is one of the most accomplished big-wall climbers of all time. And while his freeing of the Dawn Wall on Yosemite’s El Capitan might be the feat that he’s best known for, his catalog of accomplishments in the climbing world is ridiculous. But Tommy is more than just an all-time great climber, he’s also just published a truly excellent book called, The Push, that John Krakauer calls “the most insightful book about climbing I’ve ever read, and quite possibly the most enjoyable.” We sat down with Tommy at his home in Estes Park, Colorado, to talk about a number of things in his book and a whole bunch of other stuff, including the discipline of writing; Alex Honnold’s recent free solo of Freerider and the contemplation of risk that the feat inexorably raises. Tommy and I also discuss the desire for balance with the reality that great achievements always seem to require an obsessive focus (and a complete lack of balance). And finally, we talk about the future of climbing which then leads us into some bigger questions about technology, raising kids, and basically modern society in general.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Writing (and Climbing and Suffering) (0:00)
- Kyrgyzstan & Self Examination (11:00)
- Self-Identity & Self-Worth (28:38)
- Tommy on risk, Free Soloing, & Honnold's solo of Freerider (32:45)
- Faith (49:30)
- Avoiding burnout (52:08)
- Of all of your climbing accomplishments, which makes you think, “I can’t believe I pulled this off?” (57:59)
- Obsessive Focus vs. the “Desire for Balance” (01:01:18)
- Pros and cons of climbing going mainstream (01:09:23)
- What’s Next? (01:21:50)
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Jim Harris is as passionate about and as involved in the outdoors industry as anyone, but a serious accident threatened to change that. But the real story here is Jim's "crazy" recovery, and the lessons he has learned (and that we would do well to learn from him) about dealing with obstacles, understanding self-identity, and defining self worth.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Jim's entrance — and rise — in the outdoors industry (0:00)
- Advice on starting any creative pursuit, and why you shouldn't pander to your audience (9:05)
- The details of Jim's accident (22:55)
- What now? Life after the accident (33:20)
- Would you go back to your life prior to the injury? (38:15)
- Jim's crazy recovery (43:35)
- What are you currently most passionate about? (53:10)
- Important Stuff: Self Development, Self-Identity, & Self Worth (58:30)
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In this episode, Blister's climbing editor joins us in the attempt to wrap our heads around Honnold’s successful free solo of El Cap, and to debate whether this is the greatest athletic achievement ever.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What exactly did Alex Honnold just do? (2:40)
- Difference between free solo climbing vs. free climbing vs. aid climbing vs. rope soloing (5:45)
- Talk about the specifics of the Freerider route / Honnold’s route (11:20)
- The *speed* of Alex’s ascent (22:25)
- Locating Honnold’s free solo among other climbing feats (32:17)
- Climbing and Mainstream Culture (41:30)
- Biggest Achievement in Sport Climbing? (45:22)
- Biggest Achievement in Bouldering? (52:55)
- Is Honnold’s free solo the greatest athletic achievement ever? What are the contenders? (59:12)
- Dean Potter’s take on Alex Honnold (1:11:30)
- Zen and the Art of (Honnold’s) Free Soloing (1:12:38)
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We talk to ridiculously-well-rounded-skier Michelle Parker about joining the Arc'teryx team, her work with S.A.F.E.A.S Clinics, her upcoming trips, gear, mountain lions, and a whole lot more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Michelle's recent and upcoming trips (2:05)
- Joining the Arc'teryx team, and why it's a good fit (4:34)
- Where are you on the gear-head spectrum between "Don't care" and "Eric Hjorleifson" (8:35)
- Michelle's current one-ski quiver (12:28)
- The age-old topic of women's-specific skis and boots, and why it matters so much (17:12)
- Michelle’s background: racing, soccer, slopestyle, halfpipe, big mountain skiing (24:12)
- Climbing (31:05)
- S.A.F.E.A.S. Clinics (34:03)
- Outside of skiing & climbing, what else are you up to? (37:50)
- Michelle’s “pretend band” (46:43)
- Upcoming Trips & who she's going with (49:00)
- Biking (and Swimming) (51:15)
- Ski touring with Greg Hill ... and Mountain Lions??? (56:30)
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We just got back from week-long review trip in Bend, Oregon, and while we were in Bend, we went to pay a visit to one of the best big-mountain skiers of all time, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa. We talk about a whole bunch of topics, but it is particularly fascinating to hear Sage talk about his preparation — how cautious he claims to be in the mountains — which isn’t exactly obvious given that Sage has thrown down some of the heaviest lines anyone has skied in Alaska. For Sage, skiing is simply fun. But big-mountain skiing — the stuff you see him doing in his film segments — is all about Problem Solving. So if you think he’s out there just hucking his meat with abandon, you’ll need to think again.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Sage’s “Ranch” — the dream spot (1:50)
- How / Why Bend? (3:03)
- Sage’s injury & rehab (5:10)
- Some keys to being injury-free for so long (8:15)
- Approaching Alaska — taking it “ridiculously mellow”? (11:15)
- Sage on Intuition (and the Double Front Flip) (17:00)
- Sage on Preparation — Skiing as Problem Solving (19:58)
- Ski racing, big-mountain skiing, and practicing the fundamentals (27:36)
- Kids, Parenthood, & Skiing (36:01)
- Sage on Mt Bachelor and their Northwest Express Lift (40:00)
- Sage's Future (which probably involves alpacas) (42:20)
- Sage on the future of skiing (49:18)
- Parting Thoughts (59:30)
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We brought a bunch of next year’s skis to Mt Bachelor for a week of testing, so on this podcast, we discuss what we've been skiing, what was the most surprising, and what else stood out. Then we talk about what our 1-ski quiver and 2-ski quiver selections would be for Mt Bachelor. So here are our very fresh thoughts on a number of very high-profile skis.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- DPS Wailer A 112 (2:30)
- ON3P Billy Goat (5:20)
- Black Crows Anima (7:00)
- Nordica Enforcer 110 & Enforcer Pro (8:30)
- Atomic Backland 109 (11:29)
- Question: One-Ski Quiver for Mt Bachelor? (12:50)
- Question: Two-Ski Quiver for Mt Bachelor? (18:30)
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We’re talking again to Blister's bike editor, Noah Bodman, about what’s interesting in the world of bikes this season, including where the most innovations are taking place, whether Noah thinks that 26” wheels will eventually make a comeback, and whether e-bikes are gaining public acceptance. Noah and I also discuss several particular bikes, including the YT Jeffsy, the Canyon Spectral, and a couple of “plus” bikes — the Scott Spark Plus and the Scott Genius LT Plus. Then Noah and I wrap up the conversation with some predictions about the World Cup downhill season that starts this week.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What’s interesting this season? (2:10)
- Are e-bikes gaining public acceptance? (4:50)
- Death-O-Meter: How dead are 26” wheels? (9:28)
- Where are we seeing the most innovations in bike stuff? (14:05)
- Specific Bikes: YT Jeffsy 29 (21:10) Canyon Spectral (23:10)
- Scott Spark Plus & Scott Genius LT Plus (24:45)
- The upcoming Word Cup DH Season -- who are you betting on? (29:09)
- 29ers on the WC DH circuit (32:33)
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We talk to DPS Skis founder, Stephan Drake, about the early days of DPS, ski design, and the new DPS ski boot that aims to change skiing as we know it.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Where did you grow up, and when did you get into skiing? (2:25)
- Being a “gringo ski bum” down in Las Lenas, Argentina (7:40)
- Were you interested in product design in general? / Early days of DPS? (13:35)
- Carbon fiber & the history of DPS (18:50)
- The first rockered ski -- the 2002 Tabula Rasa (23:40)
- Low weight and the “race to zero” in ski design (26:37)
- DPS’s new Alchemist construction vs. their Pure3 construction (29:30)
- Tip Taper (where I was expecting to get into a fight with Stephan) (40:39)
- The new paradigm-shifting DPS ski boot (54:15)
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We're talking again with Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, the Alaskan heli guide who we spoke with a couple of podcasts back (Ep. 34). This has shaped up to be a very good winter in the Chugach, so Paul has been getting a lot of time in on some fat skis, and I wanted to talk to him about a number of them.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- DPS Lotus 124 Alchemist (3:30)
- 16/17 Blizzard Spur (10:48)
- New HEAD Kore 117 (22:23)
- On the trend of pow skis getting narrower (24:44)
- Liberty Genome (27:55)
- Salomon QST 118 (29:33)
- 4FRNT Renegade, w/ comparisons to the 4FRNT Raven (35:48)
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Magnus Granér is different. Funky. We talk to him about his Real Ski win, SLVSH, The Bunch, growing up in Sweden, attending the real Hogwarts School, skiing on Mars, and more...
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Magnus in Zermatt (1:45)
- Andorra & SLVSH CUP (3:45)
- Growing up in Hörnefors, Sweden — and growing up snowboarding (13:10)
- Playing soccer, "floorball", and husky racing (16:05)
- Thinking / Not Thinking (19:22)
- How you got from just starting to ski to where you are right now? (22:31)
- True Story: Magnus attends the weirdest / coolest school ever (24:45)
- The Formation of The Bunch (31:15)
- Creation Nation (33:58)
- X Games Real Ski — from getting invited to winning the Gold (37:55)
- Battling fear & scaring yourself vs. making urban more fun & accessible (44:30)
- Magnus on Henrik Harlaut (48:37)
- Re: the peanut butter 450 on (54:35)
- On the closing shot of Magnus’ real ski edit (56:45)
- LJ Strenio’s crash reel (59:27)
- The Bunch: How would you describe it? (01:03:00)
- Dancing (01:07:35)
- India, Russia, China: the state of skiing internationally (01:10:23)
- Your pro model / working with ON3P Skis (01:15:00)
- What’s next? (01:18:35)
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What is the least understood but arguably most important piece of ski equipment? Ski boot liners. So we talk to ski boot pioneer, Sven Coomer, about why boot liners don’t receive the attention they deserve, what makes Zipfit liners different, and why Sven believes that liners are the single most important piece of ski equipment.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Why "Liners" should be called "Inner Boots," and what a good inner boot should do (0:00)
- Why Sven thinks that liners are the most important piece of equipment (5:00)
- What is someone failing to understand if they are failing to consider the inner boot? (13:00)
- Why liners and boots are more complex than skis; Why Zipfit liners don’t pack out (22:50)
- What is it about the construction of a Zipfit liner that's different? (24:45)
- What are the top issues / problems that a Zipfit liner might solve? (29:00)
- Alpine-Touring boots & liners — and the touring inner boot that Sven is working on (39:20)
- Final thoughts on the difference that the right liner can make (49:30)
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Paul Forward is a lead heli guide for Chugach Powder Guides in Girdwood, Alaska. He is also a physician who works a lot in the arctic village of Kotzebue, just north of the Arctic Circle. And in addition to that, Paul is one of our senior reviewers here at Blister — as well as being a bow hunter, a fly fisherman, an absolute gear whore, a lover of big missions, a good friend of mine, and (as a lot of people around the world will attest) a really fun person to venture out into the mountains with.
In this conversation, we talk about Paul’s background; how he and I met and how he got involved with Blister; the life and logistics of a heli guide; and the new program on advanced wilderness medical care that Paul is starting this spring. And of course, Paul and I talk a bit about some of the new gear that he and I are currently reviewing, including the 4FRNT Devastator, Salomon QST 106, and Volkl 100Eight.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How Paul and I met, and how he almost killed me (3:20)
- How he became a Blister reviewer (5:20)
- Paul’s background (11:40)
- How he became a heli guide (18:25)
- How it works to be both a physician and a heli guide (22:38)
- What does a typical day in the life of a heli guide actually look like? (29:45)
- What are the most common mistakes that first-timers make? (35:09)
- What it's like guiding pro skiers / filming AK lines for movies (42:35)
- Paul’s new “venture,” offering advanced wilderness life support courses (52:05)
- Ski boots; 194 4FRNT Devastator vs. 184 Devastator; Salomon QST 106 vs. Volkl 100Eight (57:55)
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This is a round-table conversation with three custom ski manufacturers about the process of building custom skis, and what “custom” really means. We sat down with Pete Wagner of Wagner Custom Skis, Mark Wallace of Parlor Custom Skis, and Mike McCabe of Folsom Custom Skis, and among other things, we discussed why they each decided to go the custom route; how they each go about the custom process; and what sort of skier might want to consider custom skis.
We also talk about Frankenstein skis, why innovations in materials can be overrated, and the really remarkable fact that Wagner, Parlor, and Folsom all offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Introduction to Wagner Custom Skis (2:25)
- Introduction to Parlor Custom Skis (3:59)
- Introduction to Folsom Custom Skis (5:21)
- What does “Custom” mean, and why go custom? (7:35)
- How the Folsom process works (8:50)
- How the Parlor process works (11:20)
- How the Wagner process works (13:49)
- Why custom skis aren’t only for great skiers (16:20)
- How sophisticated is the input you get from prospective customers? (17:37)
- 100% Satisfaction Guarantee (What??) (24:54)
- What if a customer has a really bad idea? Will you still build it? (26:05)
- Parlor Ballet Skis ?!?! (31:25)
- Folsom Trn Tek 201 Pros !! (32:00)
- Remaking skis that have been discontinued (aka, “Frankenstein” skis). (34:45)
- How much differentiation/customization is there when it comes to materials? (38:09)
- Why innovations in materials can be overrated (41:20)
- The Advantage of Agility (46:32)
- Designing for individual skiers, not the “average” skier (47:25)
- What’s the best question I haven’t asked? (49:57)
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In this episode, we discuss the most intriguing, the most head scratching, and the most bizarre new products for next season that we saw at the SIA tradeshow. Some of the New Products We Discuss:
Scarpa Maestrale; Armada ARV 116; Scott S1 130 AT Boot; Atomic Hawx XTD 130 AT Boot; G3 Sender 112 Touring / 50-50 Ski; Patagonia Descensionist Touring Kit; Patagonia Descensionist Pack; Advances in airbag packs; Polartec Neoshell 2.0; Polartec; Alpha Direct; Metal in Skis; Scott Skis: the new lineup, including the Scrapper 115 and Punisher 105; Nordica’s expanding Enforcer line; Nordica’s women’s skis; Sego Skis — and Blades (!); Fischer Ranger 115; Nordica Enforcer Pro; Fischer RC4 130; K2’s new carvers; Black Crows lineup & their new Vertis.
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Warner and I discuss his background; the business of ski racing and ski academies; the thorny issue of sponsorships and athletes skiing on equipment that isn’t a good match for them; and Kitzbuhel.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Warner’s review of the movie, “Scully” (0:00)
- Warner’s First Beer League Race (which happened last week); Warner's Early Years + the first race he ever won (9:36)
- The problem of the “big business” of ski racing academies (20:24)
- Warner’s college experience (Colby), and his advice for skiers when choosing colleges (23:15)
- One of Warner’s biggest regrets in life (35:18)
- Warner’s time on the US Ski Team (36:20); Getting Cut — But Not Quitting; Team Dreamin’ the Life - enter Jon Olsson (43:15)
- How often are elite racers on equipment they don’t like? Aka, The issue of sponsored skiers being on the wrong equipment (47:25)
- What’s your best Jon Olsson story? (58:38)
- The Crown Jewel of Racing: Kitzbuhel / The Streif (01:02:33)
- Race Approach: going flat out vs. slightly dialing things back to be able to correct (01:06:17)
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If you spend time outside skiing, biking, camping, hiking, climbing, boating, or running in the mountains, how prepared are you to handle injuries when you are far from medical help? Will you just stand there panicked and helpless? Or will you do things that make the injuries worse?
This topic does not get talked about enough. So today, we’re talking with three experienced first responders to help you understand why — for your own personal safety, and for the safety of your friends and family — getting training in wilderness medicine is something you ought to do. There’s a lot of good information in this conversation, so please listen, and let’s all of us commit to increasing our level of knowledge and readiness for our adventures.
TOPICS & TIMES:
• Quick Christmas Party Story (4:28)
• Backgrounds: Mike Thurber, Morgan Matthews, and Justin Bobb (7:05)
• What is "Wilderness Medicine"? (13:30)
• Huge Factor: wilderness injuries involve *long* evacuation times (16:40)
• Three Real-World Emergency Anecdotes (19:40)
• Most important things you learn in a Wilderness First Responder course? (32:30)
• Difference between a WFR certification and an EMT certification (38:26)
• Emergency Scenarios #4 & 5: Driving, come up on a crash on the highway (40:29)
• Hypothermia, Avalanches, and Trauma — some important stats (44:35)
• Beacons, First Aid Kits, etc. Do you have them? Do you *know how to use them*? (53:55)
• What are the different WFR certifying agencies, and what are the different certifications a person can get? (58:49)
• How to tell if your friends, boyfriend, or girlfriend really love you (01:15:58)
• How helpful is WFR training if you are out by yourself? (01:17:28)
• FINAL POINT: Why do AVI 1 courses get so much attention, while wilderness medical courses get so little? (01:20:00)
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From Bend, we announce the release of a new special-edition Blister Pro, then talk to Blister reviewers David Steele and Andrew Forward about growing up in Alaska; speed flying; Glacier National Park; funny & painful ski touring missions, Super Burrito, and more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Meet the new reviewers (2:30)
- Our take on Bachelor and a recap of the week (4:00)
- News about the release of a special-edition Blister Pro (7:50)
- Andrew Forward's story: Growing up in Alaska, why he turned from skiing to snowboarding; etc (10:00)
- David Steele's story: Growing up in Kalispell, Montana; from mogul skier to park rat to backcountry beast; (16:06)
- Cy and David's most excellent "adventure" skiing Mt. Olympus, Washington (19:00)
- David's deep relationship with Glacier National Park (34:45)
- Andrew's new obsession: Speed Flying (aka, "Kite Running"??) (39:30)
- David on skiing and climbing and teaching—and why he loves them all (49:00)
- Super Burrito! (54:50)
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We talk to Semi-Rad.com's Brendan Leonard about creativity and the process of creating: How to stop procrastinating and get started; why - or why not - to try something new; and what it takes to keep going.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- The reception of Brendan's book, "60 Meters from Anywhere" — and what it's like to do a 43-stop Book Tour (5:50)
- Brendan's new book, "Make it Till You Make It" (16:00)
- On How — and How Not — to Get Started (22:29)
- The Difference Between Art and Narcissism (24:33)
- How to Deal with Criticism — and Internet Trolls (25:39)
- Saying Yes to Things that Terrify You (31:50)
- On Busy-ness (39:11)
- Book, Movie, and Music Recommendations from Brendan (47:05)
- Brendan's foray into filmmaking (56:00)
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We stopped by Armada’s headquarters in Park City, Utah, to sit down with Andy Hytjan and Logan Imlach to talk about Armada’s past, present, and future; Armada’s stacked team and how they work with Andy and Logan; how Logan landed a design job in the industry; and we discuss a number of specific skis in the Armada line, including the history of the JJ, the evolution of the Edollo, the Invictus 108, and the new ARV 106.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How Logan broke into the ski industry & the ski design industry (6:50)
- The tricky business of setting recommended mount points on skis (14:00)
- “Symmetrical” park skis — overrated? (25:30)
- How do you design skis to work for a broad range of customers while also satisfying Armada athletes? (26:40)
- History of the Armada JJ (29:00)
- Andy Hytjan’s background (33:30)
- The evolution of park skis & Armada’s future in park (~36:00)
- Possible redesign of Henrik Harlaut’s pro model, the Al Dente / Edollo (~39:00)
- The Armada Invictus 108Ti (44:20)
- The Armada “ARV” line & particularly the new ARV 106 (47:38)
- The Armada Invictus 99Ti & B-Dog (53:20)
- Armada’s Touring Skis - Declivity, Kufo, and a peek into what’s next... (54:50)
- Big Indie or Small Major? Armada’s unique position in the industry (1:04:04)
- Manufacturing in the US vs. China vs. Europe (vs. Dubai?) (1:15:00)
- Park & freestyle are such a big part of Armada’s roots, but as the company grows, do you let go of certain segments that used to be important? Or do you fight like hell to maintain those original segments? (1:22:15)
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We recorded this podcast a few days ago in Canterbury, New Zealand, where we were wrapping up our ski review trip from one of our favorite ski areas in the world, Craigieburn Valley Ski Area. Our four reviewers talk about the skis they've been testing from Kastle, Moment, Salomon, Armada, 4FRNT, K2, and more — which of them surprised us the most, which impressed us most, and which skis we’d most want to add to our quivers this season. We also talk about the Salomon MTN Lab boot vs. the new Tecnica Zero G Pro, and we may or may not also talk about Millennials and Tinder profiles.
TOPICS:
- Gear that surprised you the most?
- A/B Results: Salomon MTN Lab boot vs. Tecnica Zero G Pro
- A/B Results: Armada ARV 106 vs. K2 Marksman
- If you had to spend the entire upcoming season on one of the skis we brought, which would you pick?
- Which of the skis we have down here would you most want to add to your regular quiver?
- Paul Forward offers his take on Millennials
- Which reviewer won the most spectacular crash award on this trip?
- Tinder profile advice from Cy Whitling
- A quick word on the new Tecnica Cochise Pro 130 AT Boot
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This week marks the Centennial of the National Parks Service. So we headed to Bar Harbor, Maine — right next to Acadia National Park — to talk about the parks with James Kaiser, who has been writing about the parks and spending a whole bunch of his time in them for years. James is the author of best-selling guides to national parks, including exceptional guidebooks to Acadia, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and Grand Canyon.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- The history of the parks & Abraham Lincoln’s role and their unprecedented nature (3:55)
- Grand Canyon National Park, and its wild, contested past (5:50)
- What’s the difference between National Forests, National Parks, and National Monuments? (9:08)
- What are the biggest problems facing the parks? (16:43)
- Why do the national parks matter? At their best, what do they do? (24:50)
- Why do people do such stupid things when they go to national parks? (28:15)
- How optimistic or pessimistic are you about the future of the parks? (31:30)
- James’ background, and how he got into creating guide books (36:45)
- The history of Acadia National Park and what makes it unique (38:22)
- Joshua Tree National Park (46:25)
- Yosemite: James’ recommendation for where to go when it’s crowded; the history of climbing there, etc. (53:00)
- What's the most famous park you haven't visited? Which do you most want to visit? (58:12)
- Why James wrote a guidebook to Costa Rica, the history of their parks, and why it was the most difficult of his books to write (1:00:02)
- How do you go about building & updating a guidebook? And what makes a guidebook good or bad? (1:10:15)
- Back to Acadia: James’ best recommendation for where to go in Acadia to escape the crowds on the busiest days (1:18:25)
- Random Questions for James, including: "Allen's Coffee-Flavored Brandy — What the ???" (1:23:26)
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On today's podcast, we present a rather quintessential American Success Story that goes by the name of ENVE Composites. If you ride bikes and have a thing for high-quality gear, you already know ENVE. But you almost certainly don’t know the whole story. You’d never guess from the look of things now, but ENVE’s trajectory wasn't exactly a rocket ship, but more of a roller coaster ride with lots of peaks and a number of nerve-wracking valleys.
Last week I headed to Ogden, Utah, to visit ENVE’s headquarters and tour their factory, and I then sat down for a conversation with three people who have each have played (and continue to play) an important role in ENVE’s past, present, and future: ENVE’s CEO, Sarah Lehman; ENVE’s chief engineer Kevin Nelson; and ENVE’s product manager, Jake Pantone.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Our guests introduce themselves, and we discuss the origins and the early days of ENVE (3:25)
- Sarah on the “Cinderella story” of ENVE, including the dark days, name changes, and the decision to keep manufacturing in the US (6:20)
- Why carbon, and what does it mean to “Do carbon right”? (29:45)
- Manufacturing in the US vs overseas: What are some of the misconceptions, challenges, and benefits? (36:10)
- Can an intermediate rider notice the performance benefits of expensive carbon wheelsets? (46:40)
- ENVE’s future: what is ENVE’s plan to grow, how is “price” related to that growth, and how does ENVE intend to differentiate itself as more companies get into this space? (50:00)
- Working with the Santa Cruz Syndicate — which Syndicate rider breaks the most stuff? Which rider provides the most product feedback? (1:00:00)
- Team Dimension Data vs The Syndicate — Which team is providing the most feedback? (1:03:30)
- Sarah’s best day at ENVE (1:07:57)
- What’s next? (1:10:00)
- My Grand Finale Question (1:11:53)
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Luke Jacobson has been Moment's head ski designer, and he is also now Moment's new CEO. We talk to Luke about their new 16/17 lineup (including the new Meridian, the new Bibby Tour, and the redesigned Tallac), and Luke breaks some exclusive news about two other new skis. We also discuss how Moment’s rather unique aesthetic came to be, why Luke thinks that the "Deathwish" isn't the worst name ever for a ski, and more...
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Talk about your new role at Moment, and what you guys are up to now? (1:50)
- What do you miss about the early days of Moment, and what don’t you miss? (5:55)
- The 16/17 lineup of skis, starting with the redesigned Tallac (9:55)
- The new Bibby Tour (13:15)
- The new Meridian, and how it evolved from the Chipotle Banana (16:25)
- What’s your current favorite ski in the line? (21:20)
- Breaking News: Luke announces a new ski (23:50)
- More Breaking News: Luke announces another new ski, the “Chief Commander” (25:25)
- Art and the ‘Moment aesthetic’ (32:15)
- Music - what Luke’s listening to (40:55)
- Outside of skiing, what are you into these days? (Answer: aerobatic flying?!?) (43:15)
- Luke’s DJ name (48:50)
- Wes Anderson films! (50:20)
- How drunk were you when you named a ski, the “Deathwish”? (~52:00)
- Ski Shops (59:00)
- Bidets, and why Moment is a more eco-friendly company than ON3P (1:04:55)
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Xavier de le Rue is a 3-time World Freeride Champion, a 4-time boarder-cross World Champion, and he has pushed the boundaries of big mountain riding so far, it is basically impossible to overstate his significance and influence. (Or his total badassery.) He also happens to be one of the smartest and most reflective skiers or boarders out there.
Among other things, Xavier and I talk about his philosophy of life and risk taking; why he thinks that riding faster = riding safer; the current state of the snowboarding industry; some of his former and current film projects; and what’s next for him.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Where are you currently? (1:59)
- Snowboarding, Surfing, and Why XV hates traditional Fitness Programs (2:54)
- XV on risk, death, “progression,” and his film White Noise (5:27)
- Do you look at the younger version of yourself and think, “The risks I was taking then were stupid”? (13:59)
- Why Xavier gets nervous before every line he rides (17:25)
- When things start getting intense, do you get serious, or do you try to keep things light? (25:47)
- Who were your heroes growing up? Who were you drawing inspiration from? (28:23)
- The importance of boarder cross for XV; why he is disappointed in the current state of it; and what he might do about it (32:56)
- Why XV thinks riding faster = riding safer in the mountains (36:44)
- What do you think of the current state of snowboarding? (39:54)
- What XV is currently reading, and why he doesn’t watch many snowboard movies (45:32)
- XV’s DIY Project, and why he has moved away from more traditional films to his current projects (49:09)
- Xavier’s board — how it was designed to be ridden, and whether his taste in boards has changed over the years (54:17)
- Which of your films is your favorite? Is there one that you think is most representative of your riding? (56:53)
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This week's podcast somehow ended up being about topics that begin with the letter 'B' — Noah and I talk about bikes; Brexit; Butte (Montana); Brady (Tom), the best bike movie, bands (Noah’s favorites) ... I could go on. And we even discuss one or two things that don’t start with the second letter of the alphabet, like the new SRAM Eagle 1x12 drivetrain; the current state of bike trails access and advocacy, and whether or not we can expect to see bike trails in wilderness areas, etc.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- How Noah spent the 4th of July (2:50)
- Why Noah hates Butte, Montana (3:05)
- Noah enlightens us about Brexit (4:45)
- Noah tries to explain Trump and Hilary to me (7:00)
- Noah's top 3 favorite bands (that we're not sure actually exist) (8:02)
- What Noah learned on Blister's recent bike review trip to Whistler (9:42)
- Peachios! (10:30)
- Best way to carry water: Fanny packs vs. water bottles vs. hydration packs vs. bibs (11:25)
- What's the greatest bike race / bike event in the world (12:35)
- New bike tech: what trends do I have to familiarize myself with now? (16:58)
- Which bike company is bucking the trend of going lower, longer, slacker? (18:00)
- SRAM Eagle: do I need 12 speeds? (19:50)
- Clipless pedals vs. Flats: which is trending? (22:50)
- E-bikes: are they currently more of a thing or less of a thing? (23:40)
- The part in the podcast where you can actually hear Noah blow my mind (26:50)
- What bike movie should I watch? (29:00)
- Bike advocacy: How to go about improving trails & trail access (33:35)
- The conflict between mtn bikers and other wilderness users — IMBA / Sustainable Trails Coalition vs. the Sierra Club & the Wilderness Society (36:50)
- What Noah is reviewing now & what's up next (40:48)
- Heroin vs. Carbon Wheels? Which is worse? (42:28)
Episode Sponsor: Nest Bedding
The last couple of weeks we’ve talked about the importance of sleep to achieve peak performance and for improving the quality of your life, day in and day out. But this week, we want to provide a bit of a Public Service Announcement, and point out that Nest Bedding makes a mattress they call, The Love Bed. Why is it called the Love Bed, and what is it supposed to be good for? Let’s just say that, ideally, your mattress should be doing more than just delivering a great night of sleep. Get it? Whether you do or you don’t, check out The Love Bed at nestbedding.com, and ask yourself whether that nasty, stained mattress of yours is doing you any favors.
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On our last podcast, we talked to Ståle Møller, the co-founder and lead designer of Sweet Protection, about the critically important issue of head injuries, and how helmets can mitigate the risks we take outside. Today's episode can be viewed as Part II of that conversation, and we focus a bit more on The Future and What's Next? To that end, we recruited the senior director of R&D at Giro, Rob Wesson, to further flesh out some of the fundamental issues surrounding head injuries, what sorts of new safety standards we can expect to see in the near future, and how helmet designs will evolve in the coming years.
Rob and I cover a lot of important ground in this conversation, and you will find a detailed breakdown of the topics and the specific times at which we cover them in the Show Notes below.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Rob’s background & what his work at Giro’s R&D Center involves (2:40)
- What most customers regard as the #1 factor when selecting a helmet (12:18)
- Which helmet type (road bike, mtn bike, ski, etc) is the most labor-intensive and most difficult to design? (14:40)
- Where are we headed in terms of helmet design? (18:14)
- Why MIPS matters, but why Giro wasn’t an early adopter (20:15)
- What's the Difference between “MIPS” and “Rotational Energy Management Systems” (22:38)
- Helmet Standards & Certifications: Who sets them & How does it all Work? (25:10)
- Setting the record straight on the term “Multi-Impact” (30:10)
- Why Rob doesn’t think I should start skiing in a hockey helmet (43:37)
- CTE: How does our growing understanding of head injuries and CTE affect your work? (36:30)
- Why people who are against the use of helmets—and the evidence they tend to cite—are off base. (42:28)
- 4-5 years from now, what will be the biggest differences in the helmets from what is available today? (45:38)
- What is Giro doing different or better than other helmet companies out there? (50:19)
- A dirty little secret about over 80% of the companies that sell helmets (52:35)
- What’s the real difference between a $60 helmet and a $250 helmet? (59:15)
- Why Giro is coming out with a $600 ski helmet, and why it was a huge project (1:02:22)
- How does Giro determine what sort of shape and fit their helmets will have? (1:04:40)
EPISODE SPONSOR: Nest Bedding
More studies are showing that the quality of your sleep is directly related to the quality of your life. So even if you happen to have a cool job, the best friends, or you make a bunch of money, you won’t feel all that great if you aren’t well rested. (This is a super obvious point, by the way, so how come so many of us report that we aren’t getting enough quality sleep?) So if you’d like to literally improve the overall quality of your life and feel better every single day, you might want to consider a new mattress. Check out nestbedding.com — the affordable alternative to overpriced mattress stores — to see which of their mattresses is the best option for you.
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These days, most people understand that when we're out skiing, biking, boating, or climbing, it's pretty stupid not to wear a helmet. More than ever before, we are gaining a better understanding of the variety and the devastating consequences of head injuries, ranging from (what we used to call) "mild" concussions, to full-blown "CTE" (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). But while we can agree that helmets are a good idea, it is pretty alarming how little most of us know beyond that — and that lack of knowledge could prove to be dangerous.
Are all helmets pretty much the same, and equally safe? What's up with all those different safety certifications? What should a helmet fit like if it is actually going to protect your head? What are the main things you should you be looking for, and what do you most need to know, before selecting and purchasing a helmet? One thing’s for sure: the time to figure all of this out is not after you’ve had a bad crash.
In this episode, we talk to Ståle Møller, the lead designer and co-founder of Sweet Protection. Ståle has spent a lot of his time thinking about and designing helmets, and I am confident of three things if you listen to this podcast: (1) You will come away much better informed about how to protect your head; (2) You will almost certainly purchase helmets differently in the future, and (3) You will see why we were so impressed with Ståle back at SIA.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What is your background — athletic and academic?
- How did you get into helmet design (4:15)
- How did you go from making some products to starting a company, Sweet Protection (12:20)
- What are the most important factors for people to consider when purchasing a helmet? (17:20)
- What does a “properly sized" helmet fit like / feel like? (19:00)
- What is the real difference — in terms of safety — between a $80 helmet and a $300 helmet? (26:30)
- Does “MIPS” (Multidirectional Impact Protection System) matter? (30:25)
- What's up with "Multi-Impact" helmets? (35:58)
- How do I evaluate / know when it's time to replace my helmet? (41:04)
- What are the trickiest compromises to deal with in helmet design? (43:13)
- Why use carbon in helmets? Is it just for the bling factor? (53:00)
- What's next for Sweet Protection — are there other categories Sweet is looking to move into? (1:07:42)
- As a designer of helmets for outdoors sports, what other fields are you paying attention to? (1:09:00)
- Where are we in terms of helmet tech — pretty advanced, or in the early stages of development? (1:14:20)
- How do helmet certifications differ? Is one better than the others? Are they the same for bike and ski? (1:18:41)
- What makes Sweet Protection's price-point helmets different or better than others on the market? And why should someone consider buying a kid's helmet from Sweet? (1:25:50)
- What makes Sweet's top-of-the-line helmets different or better than others on the market? (1:29:40)
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Brendan Leonard is one of our favorite authors and favorite people. He's also the creator of one of our favorite websites, Semi-Rad.com. If you don’t know Semi-Rad, you need to. Brendan has a new book out, called, Sixty Meters to Anywhere. So it was a good time to bring Brendan onto the podcast to talk about the book, and a bunch of other things. Brendan is a great storyteller, so if you love the outdoors and have ever been tempted to pick up a pen or a camera to document your experience, you ought to listen to this podcast.
TOPICS:
- Brendan's upcoming projects, including books about art, about pizza, and a book about football (that I might have to force him to write).
- Why Brendan is being drawn toward films & filmmaking
- Addiction
- Distraction (and social media and phones and dopamine)
- On being "busy," and why Brendan tries to avoid using the term
- Kanye West (!!!)
- Coffee — and why I think Brendan is wrong to be trying to cut back on his consumption
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Question: Aside from the graphics, what’s the difference between one ski from the next? How do you tell whether a ski is well-built or poorly-built? What sort of things should you be looking for?
We’ve just returned from our review trip to the PNW, and our very first stop in Portland was at the ON3P Skis factory, where we stopped by to talk to ON3P founder, Scott Andrus. Of all the people I know in the ski industry, there is no one I talk to who obsesses more about the minute details of ski building & finishing than Scott. So I talked to Scott about how to tell the difference between a quality build and a crap build, and we go on to talk about a bunch of other stuff, too.
My advice is to listen closely at the start of this one -- you’ll very quickly get the sense that not all skis are created equal, and hopefully, you’ll be able to size up various skis yourself with a more critical eye. And then after about the first 10 minutes, you can relax a bit and listen to us discuss a bunch of other good stuff - including Scott’s future cat farm.
TOPICS:
- ON3P’s new ski lineup (and Scott’s personal favorite).
- Why ON3P loves a good bidet. (No joke.)
- The real and perceived differences between “major" ski companies and smaller “indie” companies.
- The role of “teams” at ski companies, plus how — and how not — to get sponsored.
- Why ON3P isn’t in the race to build the lightest skis out there.
- Questions from Blister readers + Scott's future cat farm
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It's time to talk bikes, so we brought in Blister's bike editor, Noah Bodman. Noah and I talk about a whole bunch of stuff.
TOPICS:
- What the 'Most Montana' town in Montana is?
- Aaron Gwin’s impressive world cup victory in Lourdes, France, on his new bike
- Whether Noah thinks I could beat Gwin down a DH course if I got to ride a DH bike and he had to ride a hardtail
- Why Noah doesn’t think I should shoot Gwin in the leg in Butte, Montana
- The most intriguing new bikes this season
- 27.5" vs. 29" — where are we in the war of the wheel sizes?
- Carbon wheels vs. Aluminum wheels — which riders would benefit most by going to carbon?
- The pros and cons of all the new bike standards (including "Boost", and what the real implications of all of these new options will be over the next 5 to 10 years.
- The "Best Bets" for bikes - which bikes Noah thinks amount to the surest things, the safest recommendations to a broad range of riders.
- Why I'm excited to go to Butte, MT, and whether or not Noah will ever be able to safely set foot in Butte after this podcast...
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At the 2015 World Championships, Ted became the first skier to win three consecutive World Championship titles in GS. At the age of 21, he became the youngest American male to win an Olympic Gold Medal in Alpine Skiing, and he continues to dominate the men’s alpine circuit with five World Cup Overall GS titles and five World Championship titles.
In our conversation, Ted and I talk about his end-of-January injury, what happened, and what his goals are for next season. We also revisit the question of the ‘current’ FIS-regulation skis, and whether his initial opinions about those skis have softened or grown stronger? We then set the record straight on Ted’s background: how and why he was able to go from losing races badly to becoming the best in the world, and we talk about “failure” and figuring out when to quit vs. when to persevere.
Finally, we talk about Ted’s company Shred, and why he thinks that some of their latest developments are improvements over current technologies.
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Jason Levinthal is the founder of LINE skis, and a true pioneer of modern skiing. Two years ago, he left LINE to start a new company called J Skis.
In our conversation, Jason pulls back the curtain on the ski industry—he pulls it waaay back—and talks very bluntly and with full transparency about how the ski industry works, what isn’t working, and what he thinks needs to be done to fix it.
In addition to brass tacks and gory details, J and I also talk about some of the new ski designs he’s experimenting with, what the hardest and easiest things have been about starting his new company, and J reveals what his next company might be. (Spoiler alert: it involves sleds, and he thinks I should go in on it with him.)
Jason has always been known to speak his mind, but I doubt you’ve ever heard him be this unfiltered before:
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This week on the podcast, we talk to one of our favorite skiers, Angel Collinson. Angel is on fire right now, and her current trajectory is somewhere up in the stratosphere. She’s just come off a win of the Red Bull Cold Rush comp, she was the first woman to win Powder Magazine’s Line of the Year, and she has two recent TGR segments that the entire internet is watching and rewatching. And more impressive than all that is how well Angel is handling the spotlight.
TOPICS:
- Growing up across the street from Snowbird
- How a cute coach might be responsible for the success she's enjoying today
- "Women-specific" equipment
- Studying philosophy in college
- Filming with Ian McIntosh and Sage Cattabriga-Alosa (and who's cooler, Ian or Sage?)
- Lazer Tag; candy
- Her new sponsors (Red Bull & Volkl)
- Self-marketing & social media (and her advice to those coming up and interested in becoming a pro)
- Her favorite audiobooks, podcasts, and more.
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In this episode, we talk to one of the most prominent big-mountain skiers in the world, Cody Townsend. Cody's been staring in ski movies since he was 19 years old, he's recently been making his own films while simultaneously running a company, Arcade Belt Co. So we talk to Cody about skiing, filming, entrepreneurship, and more
TOPICS:
- His background (including a great story about Cody not exactly fitting in with the other ski racers)
- Our product of the year (and Cody's go-to ski boot), the Salomon MTN Lab AT boot
- Skiing consequential lines on skis that are not traditional big-mountain chargers
- Cody's take on the next revolution in skiing
- Filmmaking and the Rise of Indie Film Projects — including Cody's own film, Conquering the Useless
- A discussion of the best ski movie ever, Cody’s recent favorites, and the future of ski movies
- Cody’s company, Arcade Belt Co., the pros and cons (and grind) of starting a company, and the reasons why VC investor, Chris Sacca, is impressed with Arcade’s products
- Podcasts: why we love them, and which ones are Cody’s favorites.
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Garrett Altmann is a three-time competitor on the Freeride World Tour, and also a Blister reviewer—one of our original reviewers, in fact. We talk to Garrett about his background: growing up racing and mogul skiing, his time on the US ski team, filming with Warren Miller movies, and more.
Then, since Garrett is leaving in just a couple days to head to Europe for the start of the Freeride World Tour, we talk to him about the FWT: about some of the venues, Garrett’s mindset heading into the tour; and his strategy this season—how he thinks about 'Risk vs. Reward' — that constant inner struggle of whether to pick a conservative line, play it safe, and just stay on your feet, Vs. saying, "Screw It," and just Going Big.
We also discuss some rule changes that we’d like to see the FWT adopt, and why these FWT comps are even harder, scarier, and more demanding than they look.
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