Luke Koppa, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss what they’ve been getting up to lately, and the gear they’ve been using to do so. Luke recaps his first trip to Palisades Tahoe, being there during Level 1’s mind-blowing SuperUnknown event, finally experiencing the iconic Wildflour Bakery, and some of the skis that stood out throughout the week. Kristin covers her recent trip down to the tropics, and Jonathan goes over some of the touring skis, boots, and bindings he’s been liking. We also dive into ski socks, the particular socks each of us used most this season, some new midlayers we’ve all been testing, and more.RELATED LINKS:Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Luke’s Trip Report (3:57)Kristin’s Trip Report (11:22)Jonathan’s Trip Report (12:58)Volkl Revolt 101 vs. Fischer Ranger 102 FR (14:52)Salomon QST Echo 106 (18:11)Salomon MTN 96 & MTN Pure Binding (23:01)ON3P Jeffrey & Mango Skis (28:49)Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA (33:09)Our Favorite Ski Socks This Year (36:19)Patagonia Nano-Air Ultralight & Freeride (47:28)Kristin’s Promise to Jonathan (1:04:36)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:09:48
What's New in Ski & Snowboard Bindings (Burton, Spark R&D, ATK Bindings, AlpenFlow Design)
What new thoughts and ideas emerge when you bring together in conversation makers of hybrid ski bindings and AT bindings and snowboard bindings and splitboard bindings? Well you’re about to find out, because at Blister Summit 2025, Jonathan Ellsworth led a conversation along these lines with Will Ritter of Spark R&D; Royal White, from Burton; Andy Merriman, from ATK Bindings; and Cobey Nash, from the very new company, AlpenFlow Design. Enjoy, this is a great one.RELATED LINKS:Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Exploring the Evolution of Bindings (3:11)Customer Feedback in Product Development (5:47)Design Principles of New Companies (08:50)The Importance of User Experience (12:13)Evolution of ATK Bindings (15:00)The Future of Snowboard Bindings (18:02)Challenges in Binding Production (21:02)User Errors / Misuse of Bindings (23:58)Understanding Binding Mechanics & Maintenance (34:03)The Importance of Familiarity with Gear (37:10)The Shift towards Lightweight Ski Gear (41:18)Ethical Considerations in Product Development (46:54)Bindings Compatibility (50:00)The Cost of Backcountry Bindings Explained (54:03)The Future of Binding Standards in Skiing (57:15)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:02:26
See Better, Ski Better: the State of Goggle Lens Tech
If you think all goggles are the same, well, think again. At our Blister Summit 2025, Jonathan Ellsworth spoke with Steven Kennedy (Giro), Ted Ligety (Shred Optics), Stefan Stahl (Glade Optics), and Gabriel Lobbi (Provuu) about some different approaches — and solutions — to the problem of seeing well on snow.RELATED LINKS:Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Introductions (4:15)Different Approaches to the Problem (7:00)Photochromic & VLT (11:34)High-Contrast Lenses (17:08)Lens Shapes (19:53)Goggles & Helmet Fit (24:11)Flat-Light Optimization (28:48)What's the Best Question I Haven’t Asked? (32:05)Audience Questions (33:45)Goggle Care (40:58)Materials (42:11)Shield Helmets & Corrective Lenses (50:27)Fogging (53:23)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, Luke Koppa sits down with Kara Williard, Jonathan Ellsworth, and the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb to talk about the many skis Jonathan and I opted to take out during closing weekend at CBMR; Kara’s powder-filled winter trips, and the two skis and single boot she used throughout; and Justin’s latest, crazy biking / skinning / snowboarding adventure + some of the boards and boots he’s been testing. Finally, we dive into some ski-touring boots discussions, and Jonathan tells us about his surprise visit from Cody Townsend.RELATED LINKS:Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ MembershipTOPICS & TIMES:Jonathan & Cody’s Surprise Coffee Date (2:49)Colby MunicipalBoundaryLine (6:07)Kara’s Trip Report (8:45)Justin’s Trip Report (14:43)Salomon QST X (16:23)Luke’s Closing-Day Skis (24:02)New Snowboards & Boots (26:32)Jonathan’s Closing-Day Skis (35:46)Black Crows Anima Birdie (47:06)Atomic Hawx Ultra 115 XTD (49:25)La Sportiva Sender (53:26)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today we are sharing the first of our Blister Summit 2025 panel sessions, and we’ve got a great one to kick things off. We’re asking the pros — Hoji, Ted, Anne, and Jess — how they go about assessing and testing ski and snowboard gear, and what advice they have for the rest of us? Plus you’ll hear Ted share one of his favorite (but questionable??) ways of testing skis.RELATED LINKS:Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ BLISTER YouTube ChannelTOPICS & TIMES:BLISTER+ Updates (00:00)Intros (5:34)Evaluating Prototypes (8:21)Assessing Gear for Yourself (11:35)Going in Blind vs Getting Info First (18:05)Gear You Liked but Didn’t Expect to? (23:29)Advice on How to Evaluate (28:41)Trickiest Variables when Testing? (34:10)Ted’s Favorite Testing Method (38:55)Audience Q&A:Evaluating Pow Skis Outside of Pow? (46:26)Intuitive Products vs. Adapting to Them (49:27)Personal Preference vs. Objective Performance (54:00)How to Rule Out a Bad Tune? (55:29)How Many Runs Should You Take? (56:48)What Notes Do You Take? (1:00:16)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
GEAR:30 is the podcast from BLISTER that dives deep into the details of the most interesting and innovative outdoor gear. You'll hear BLISTER reviewers discuss the gear they're testing, as well as product designers, professional athletes, and some of the gear-obsessed folks from our recommended shops weigh in on gear trends and the equipment they’ve been most impressed with. If you love outdoor gear, you're going to love this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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