Gear:30

Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss our 21/22 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide and some corresponding industry trends and category highlights. They also talk snowblades, clarify our Buyer’s Guide ‘Best Of’ Awards, and go on a rant or two.TOPICS & TIMES:Early-season turns & the new Nordica Enforcer 104 Unlimited (6:21)Our new glossy Buyers guide (11:27)Weight Trends (13:25)Unisex vs. ‘women-specific’ trend? (21:56)Alpine ski boots (22:54)Rant: ski stiffness & stability (29:52)Grip Walk soles (34:11)‘Best Of’ awards clarification (36:58)What We’re Celebrating (43:48)RELATED LINKSEpisode Sponsor: AvocadoJonathan’s Sleep ExperimentBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, is back on GEAR:30 to talk about Moment’s 21/22 lineup of skis; the new Moment factory; the new Deathwish 104; snowblading; & more.TOPICS & TIMES:Moment’s new factory (4:51)Supply chain issues? (11:35)New Deathwish 104 (15:25)Deathwish (22:12)Wildcat skis (25:23)Commander skis (29:16)Touring Skis (35:14)Deathwish Tour vs Wildcat Tour (37:56)Sales of standard vs touring skis (39:44)Voyager binding on which skis? (41:27)Women’s Sierra Tour & Bella Tour (48:53)Women’s Hot Mess, Sierra, Bella (52:04)Frankenblade (54:54)Blister ‘Crash Course’ Snow blade video (57:27)Chipotle Banana (1:04:17)What We’re Celebrating (1:09:21)RELATED LINKSOff The Couch podcast: Tessa ChesserGetting to Gunnison-Crested Butte: FlightsBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Once upon a time, a couple of friends who were scheming to get some gear for their own adventures ended up creating a phenomenal outdoor shop. We talk to Trygve Sande and Rune Kvalsnes about the origins of Vertical Playground; their trip with Hoji where the idea of the 4FRNT Raven was born; the ski touring and mountain biking scene in central Norway; some of their favorite gear; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Vertical Playground today (4:23)Origins story (8:40)Ski touring culture in central Norway (14:08)Hoji, Sterbenz, & the birth of the 4FRNT Raven (19:07)Touring bindings (35:35)Mountain biking & summers in Oppdal (43:46)The future of Vertical Playground? (49:08)What We’re Celebrating (56:00)RELATED LINKS:Vertical PlaygroundEpisode Sponsor: AvocadoJonathan's Sleep ExperimentGetting to Gunnison-Crested Butte: FlightsBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk to Pete Wagner about three big new things happening at Wagner Custom Skis, where everything is built right in Telluride, Colorado.TOPICS & TIMES:Wagner’s new “Summit” skis (4:45)Summit 106 (15:56)Summit 107 (19:42)Summit 97 (21:30)Factory skis vs. the full custom process (22:49)Current consumer trends? (25:18)Avalanche cores (27:13)New James Niehues collab (33:42)Next Level Skiing podcast & Jonathan’s neck (35:36)What will you do for the next Blister Summit? (43:19)RELATED LINKSSee Wagner’s “Summit” skisVideo: Wagner’s “Avalanche CoresWagner’s Niehaus Collab SkisGetting to Gunnison-Crested Butte: FlightsBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk with Greg Klein, president of Willi’s Ski and Snowboard Shops, which is family owned and operated with several locations in the greater Pittsburgh area of Pennsylvania. We talk about what brought Greg’s father (Willi) to PA; Seven Springs Mountain Resort; the key ingredients of a great ski shop; ski length & ski width; Willi’s women’s program; shop beer vs. shop pizza; & more.TOPICS & TIMES:Greg’s father, Willi (4:47)The mid-Atlantic ski scene (8:20)Willi’s women’s program (13:03)How else are you making skiing more accessible? (15:30) The *actual* business of a ski shop (21:35)Kickball (24:02) The culture at Willi’s (25:56)Ski length & ski width (32:53)City shops vs. Mtn Town shops (49:03) Final Thoughts + Shop Pizza (57:22)What We’re Celebrating (1:00:30)RELATED LINKSRecommended Shop: Willi’s Ski ShopsGetting to Gunnison-Crested Butte: FlightsBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See ac

This week, we sat down with one of the stars of Matchstick Productions’ new film, The Stomping Grounds, to discuss her personal gear preferences; what ski equipment she’d most like to see get made; the topic of women-specific gear; the best ways to get more women involved in skiing; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Recommend Shop info: Blacksheep Sports (00:57)Kristin Sinnott on the Blister Summit (3:00)Praise / Roast of K2’s Jed Yeiser (9:01)What gear are you most particular about? (12:53)Skis (25:37)Ski length & which skis are you on most on most? (28:07)Backcountry skis: what are your design priorities (33:15)Telemark interlude (38:00)Women-specific gear (42:55)Bindings (55:14)Ski poles & avy packs (1:04:46)What We're Celebrating (1:08:51)RELATED LINKSRecommended Shop: Blacksheep SportsGetting to Gunnison-Crested Butte: FlightsBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out informatio

Matt Manser is back for a deep dive on Atomic’s new 21/22 lineup, and we also discuss ski boot design and construction in general; the “Frodo Pro”; “Complete Tech” vs. “Hybrid Tech”; Immanuel Kant; Omar Little; and he offers his take on Bode Miller’s recent GEAR:30 thoughts on ski boots.TOPICS & TIMES:Manser on Bode Miller on ski boots (8:24)Atomic ski boots range walkthrough (17:42)Redster Ti & STi (21:44)Redster Club Sport (30:02)Hawx Ultra vs Redster Club Sport (44:25)Atomic’s Mimic Liner & Professional Dualstrap (49:27)Atomic’s Professional Series (53:01)Hawx Ultra XTD & Prime XTD (1:08:10)Hawx Prime XTD “CT” vs “HT” (1:23:32)Crazy thing about tech inserts (1:30:19)What We’re Celebrating (1:47:58)RELATED LINKSGetting to Gunnison-Crested Butte: FlightsBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideA Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots, Part 1: PlasticsA Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots, Part 5: Atomic’s Professional Series See ac

It is difficult to overstate the innovation that Eric Pollard has brought to modern skiing, and in this conversation, you’ll get to hear more about how Eric sees the world and finds himself pursuing new directions. We also talk about graphics; Season’s all-black topsheets; and each of the models in Season’s ski lineup. TOPICS & TIMES:From ‘Drawn from Here’ to Season (3:27)1st time meeting Austin Smith (8:14)Principles behind Season Eqpt (11:33)Skiers vs Snowboarders - (14:45)Graphics / Season’s black topsheets (18:01)Teams (34:07)Season’s ski lineup (38:50)Aero - design concepts (42:14)Mount points (46:13)Hypothetical: coming up now vs when you did (48:16)More on the Aero (55:57)Ski width (1:01:38)Kin (1:06:35)Nexus and Forma (1:10:52)What else are you working on now? (1:15:40)What We’re Celebrating (1:19:40)RELATED LINKSGetting to Gunnison-Crested Butte: FlightsBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideBlister Podcast: E

We had Bode on the Blister Podcast (ep. 154) talking about education, mental preparation, and more, and that is a not-to-be-missed conversation. This time around, we dive deep into gear talk, and Bode makes clear that his different and creative ways of thinking weren’t just hallmarks of his approach to racing, they define his approach to skis, ski boots, bindings, and eyewear, too.TOPICS & TIMES:Race ski design priorities (5:09)Materials & Tennis analogies (10:48)More on race skis (14:02)Ski Boots (18:30)Raichle & Full Tilt boots (23:42)Ski boot flex patterns (35:15)Ski bindings (39:18)Eyewear & Optics (41:24)Update on Crosson skis (57:15)What We’re Celebrating (1:03:37)RELATED LINKSSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideBlister Podcast #154: Bode MillerRevo x Bode Miller Black Collection See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Flylow founder (and certified gear nerd) Dan Abrams is back to talk about the skis and ski boots he’s interested in for the coming season; Flylow’s mountain bike apparel; and what’s new in the Flylow lineup for Winter 21/22.TOPICS & TIMES:The skis & ski boots Dan is considering (4:01)Update on Flylow’s mountain bike apparel (14:53)Production logistics & mic drops (19:09)Winter gear, bibs, & a confession(26:25)Koan: “You don’t break in the garment…” (37:37)More gear confessions (43:05)Up & coming athlete on your radar? (44:44)What We’re Celebrating (52:43)RELATED LINKSSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideDan Abrams on Next-Gen MaterialsDan Abrams on How to Start & Grow an Outdoors Brand See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth answer listener gear questions; share some info about our new winter buyer’s guide; and Luke shares with us some good news, but also presents new reasons for us to worry about him.TOPICS & TIMES:Info on our new Buyers guide (3:14)Q: What’s your favorite ski ever? (10:24)Q: Best way to communicate with a boot fitter? (15:27)Q: More accessible skis vs. more demanding skis (22:45)Q: Impact of ski mass relative to width? (33:18)Q: Big ski brands & sustainability (41:08)Q: Favorite ski graphics? (48:06)Luke’s cry for help (51:10)What We’re Celebrating (56:31)RELATED LINKSBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re talking with Rachel and Drew Harding, the owners of The Spokane Alpine Haus, about the ski scene in Spokane, Washington; the Alpine Haus’ massive equipment leasing program; interesting ways to destroy skis; kid’s gear; and more. TOPICS & TIMES:Rachel & Drew’s origin story (2:10)The ski scene in Spokane (11:38)The 5 ski areas and how they differ (14:44)The shop & the Spokane community (18:36)Their leasing program (22:50)Their damage policy (36:54)Kid’s equipment (43:20)What We’re Celebrating (53:54)RELATED LINKS:The Spokane Alpine HausBlister Summit VideosBecome a Blister Member See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we are airing the panel session on ski design that we held at the Blister Summit. We talk to the designers behind the skis from Blizzard, Folsom Custom Skis, Rossignol, Dynastar, and Wagner Custom Skis to get their respective design philosophies; discuss current trends in ski design; debate whether skis are being dumbed down today; determine once and for all whether stated sidecut radius numbers are fake; & more.TOPICS & TIMES:Different approaches to ski design 01:46Jed Duke, Blizzard Skis 02:25Mike McCabe, Folsom Custom Skis 5:08Pete Wagner, Wagner Custom Skis 9:32Thor Verdonk, Rossignol & Dynastar 11:10Rank the top 3 innovations in ski design today 14:50Are skis being dumbed down today? 24:15How much has the manufacturing process changed? 33:06Women’s skis 40:06Current demand: specific touring skis vs. “50/50” skis 49:39Are stated sidecut radius numbers fake? 57:41Which ski design trends do you like best? 1:06:31Which ski design trends do you like least? 1:10:07RELATED LINKS:Blister Summit

You had to know we’d do this, right? We’re doing a deep dive on coffee with Sam Higby of First Ascent. We discuss the difference between good and bad instant coffee; light roasts vs. dark roasts (and what some dark roasts have in common with hot sauce or double IPAs); the brewing process & brewing at altitude; how to make great coffee on a budget; and more. TOPICS & TIMES:Sam’s background (5:44)First Ascent Coffee (10:09)History of instant coffee & what makes it good or bad (11:33)Light Roasts vs Dark Roasts (23:44)The roasting process (32:19)Q Graders vs Sommeliers (35:49)Hot sauce, hops, & dark roasts (38:42)Brewing at altitude (43:39)Grinding & Grinders (47:29)Extraction / grind size (52:43)Different brewing methods (52:43)How to: good coffee on a budget (1:03:33)What We’re Celebrating (1:11:16)RELATED LINKS:Blister Recommended Shop: Escape RouteBecome a Blister MemberPilot Roasters "Extraction Wheel" See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Chris Davenport walked over to Blister HQ from Aspen to talk about how he thinks about ski gear and his own personal preferences. We also discuss monoskiing; which gear he is most and least picky about; ski width; mount points; weight; and whether Shane McConkey would be into these GEAR:30 conversations.TOPICS & TIMES:Chris’ 1st comp: the CB Extremes (3:44)Old skis & how they've changed (7:46)Chris’ gear preferences (9:57)Chris’ ski quiver + light gear vs heavier gear (13:23)Chris’ ski boot quiver (18:25)Where do you look to save weight? (30:28)What gear are you the pickiest about? (36:05)Least picky? (38:11)Would McConkey be into GEAR:30? (42:00)Mount points (43:28)Which ski were you on the most the last 2 years? (45:58)Sidecut vs. rocker profile? (50:04)Being on the right gear for the day (58:59)Topics for our next talk (1:01:21)RELATED LINKS:Blister Recommended Shop: Gear WestBecome a Blister Member See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Andrew Alexander King tells us about his experience on Denali and some of the most important gear he used.TOPICS & TIMES:The planning (1:32)The Between Worlds Project (3:32)The training (5:51)The surprises (11:41)The gear (18:16)The climb (30:51)What's next (57:54)What We're Celebrating (1:06:26)RELATED LINKS:Our prior podcast on The Between Worlds ProjectBecome a Blister Member See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This spring, Sam Shaheen and four of his friends took on the very big challenge of a Denali expedition. So in this conversation, we get the debrief from Sam, discuss what he and his crew learned in the process, and go over some of the most important gear he used (including a homemade unicorn nose guard), and of that gear, what worked well and what didn’t. TOPICS & TIMES:The idea of Denali (3:34)Group dynamics (9:40)Summiting (17:43)The Gear (30:22)Hotdog party & Sam’s celebrity (53:42)Sam’s magic red light (57:25)What We're Celebrating (1:02:13)RELATED LINKS:Andrew Alexander King & The Between Worlds ProjectBecome a Blister MemberBlister Bike Buyer’s Guide See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we’re talking with the co-founder of WaveCel, Dr. Steve Madey. We discuss the origins of and the development of WaveCel; Steve makes what might be the best case we’ve ever heard about why rotational forces play such a critical role in brain injuries; and we discuss how WaveCel compares to MIPS and Koroyd. TOPICS & TIMES:What is WaveCel? (2:08)Development of WaveCel (7:06)Woodpeckers, head injuries, & rotational forces (17:25)Current iteration of WaveCel (28:38)Koroyd and WaveCel (30:51)Lawsuit (32:51)A few specific WaveCel helmets (36:31) What’s next in helmet tech? (38:26)What We’re Celebrating (41:32)RELATED LINKS:Blister Bike Buyer’s GuideCurrent State of Helmet Tech, pt. 1Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 2Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 3Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 4Become a Blister Member See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Previously on GEAR:30 we laid out our Mt. Rushmore of Ski Suspension. Now, we’re moving to the opposite end of the spectrum to talk about the poppiest skis we’ve been on. We define some terms, talk about some of the characteristics that can help make a ski more poppy; and we work our way through a whole bunch of skis. Check it out, and let us know what skis you think are most deserving.TOPICS & TIMES:Update on Luke’s diet (3:08)What is “Pop”? (6:11)Our Mt Rushmore of Pop (17:28) Low-Speed Pop (30:19)Mid-Range Pop (34:21)High-Speed Pop (38:00)Other Notable Skis (40:22)What We’re Celebrating (44:49)RELATED LINKS:Recommended Shop: Powder Hound, AKOur conversations w/ Powder Hound’s Eric HelmbrechtBlister Bike Buyer’s GuideBecome a Blister MemberMt Rushmore of Ski Suspension See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk with the Head of Product at POC, Oscar Huss, about headforms — the things they stick into helmets to mimic your head before smashing up helmets in testing; the numerous variables that need to be considered when setting up a way to test “safety”; the different considerations that go into designing kids helmets; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Background of POC (2:29)Oscar’s background (7:34)More on certifications standards & tests (10:46)Optimizing for 1 standard vs. passing multiple standards (19:54)Testing for car impacts (25:22)Headforms (27:37)Customizing & tuning helmets (36:00)Kids helmets (45:51)Cyclist visibility (51:55)POC’s Kortal helmet (56:52)What We’re Celebrating (1:05:16)RELATED LINKS:Blister Bike Buyer’s GuideCurrent State of Helmet Tech, pt. 1Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 2Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 3Become a Blister Member See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.