For this week’s edition of GEAR:30, Scarpa North America’s CEO, Kim Miller, is back to talk about Scarpa’s Green Manifesto and their pathway to B Corp certification. Kim and Kara Williard discuss what measuring and accounting for progress looks like; the tricky balance of sustainably innovating without compromising performance; the process of recycling products and materials; assessing the life cycle of various products; and some of the gear that best exemplifies Scarpa’s commitment to these values (starting with a tele boot back in 2009!).

TOPICS & TIMES

Kim’s Career & Values (4:03)

Scarpa’s Business Culture (12:14)

Transparency & Accountability (13:18)

Measurements & Metrics (16:59)

Life Cycle Analysis of Gear (33:52)

Service vs. Profit (38:23)

Working Together as an Industry (44:21)

Gear & the Green Manifesto (45:33)

A Sense of Urgency (51:40)

All Pillars of Sustainability (55:49)

Scarpa as a B Corp (1:02:25)

Leading with Passion (1:13:16)

Kim’s Crashes & Close Calls Story (1:18:16)

What We’re Celebrating (1:21:33)

RELATED LINKS:

GEAR:30 Ep.79: SCARPA CEO, Kim Miller, Part 1

GEAR:30 Ep. 84: SCARPA CEO Kim Miller on the F1 LT & More

Scarpa’s Green Manifesto 

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23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-Order

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Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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Today we’re providing some updates and discussing the implications of the initial results of our Blister Labs wheelset testing with Greg Vanderbeek (assistant professor of mechanical engineering at CU Boulder & the Western Colorado University / CU Boulder partnership program here in Gunnison, CO) and Travis Hainsworth (associate director of the  Western-CU Boulder Computer Science Program).

TOPICS & TIMES:

Project Overview (4:19)

Carbon vs Aluminum = Complicated (7:13)

Preliminary Data / Fancy Squishing Machines (8:42)

Lacing Patterns, Impact Loading, & Dynamic Loading (12:12)

Marketing Wheelsets (14:43)

Challenges (18:58)

Next Steps (24:23)

Variables (26:38)

Learn More (38:32)

RELATED LINKS:

Video: Blister Labs Wheelset Testing

Learn More about Blister Labs

OUR OTHER PODCASTS

Off The Couch

Blister Podcast

Bikes & Big Ideas 

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Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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When it comes to gear, how do you balance the specific needs of world-class athletes with those of average skiers and riders?

In this conversation from Blister Summit 2023, McKenna Petersen (K2 athlete), Drew Peterson (Salomon athlete), Tyler Curle (Moment athlete & ski builder), and Jed Yeiser (K2 engineer) discuss the product development process; the roles that athletes, designers, and product managers play; the weirdest prototypes they’ve tried; what “evolutionary” and “revolutionary” changes we should expect in the future; which discontinued products they’d like to bring back, and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Intros & Backgrounds (2:48)

Balancing Needs of Pro Athletes vs the Public (7:31)

Are We in an Evolutionary or Revolutionary Stage of Ski Design? (25:15)

Weirdest Prototype You’ve Tried? (34:17)

How Have Your Responsibilities Evolved? (42:59)

Changing Popular Products (47:13)

What Product Would You Bring Back? (52:46)

RELATED LINKS:

Become a BLISTER+ Member

Blister Summit 2024 Registration

Blister YouTube Channel

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Off The Couch

Bikes & Big Ideas

Blister Podcast

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Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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Odds are that just about every piece of clothing you own has been applied with some sort of surface treatment, and those (typically petroleum-based) treatments contribute to a significant portion of the apparel industry’s already massive carbon footprint. With their recent collaboration, Beyond Surface Technologies and WNDR Alpine are changing that.

So Luke Koppa got the whole story from BST’s CEO, Matthias Foessel, and WNDR Alpine’s Matt Sterbenz, including the details of WNDR Alpine’s Phase Series apparel collection; how BST’s “miDori bioWick” treatment actually works; how it differs from existing plant-seed-based treatments; why it’s important to take a holistic approach when developing alternative processes and treatments, and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Matthias’ Background (2:53)

Fabric Surface Treatments: Background (5:31)

Surface Treatments: Environmental Impact (11:15)

WNDR Alpine, Beyond Surface Technologies, & Checkerspot (14:42)

What does miDori bioWick do? (18:52)

WNDR Alpine Phase Series (25:15)

Algal Oils vs Plant Seed Oils (29:05)

What’s Next? (36:12)

Holistic Approach to Surface Treatments (40:59)

What We’re Celebrating & Crashes & Close Calls (46:26)

RELATED LINKS:

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23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-Order

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GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

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Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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For decades, Kästle has been making high-end skis for everything from racing to Nordic and skimo. But what sparked their recent launch into the ski boot category? It’s far from a simple process, so Kara Williard talked with Alessandro Speranzoni, Kästle’s global ski boot product engineer, and Alex Pritzlaff, their U.S. product manager, to discuss the origins of the project; the design details of their boots, including their mysterious “Secret Mix” plastic composition; the 23/24 Kästle boot lineup; some new projects they have in the works, and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Alessandro & Alex’s Background (3:22)

Kästle’s heritage (6:49)

The “Ski Boot Challenge” (10:02)

Prototyping & Design (13:41)

Key Blend / “Secret Mix” Plastics (21:04)

Fit & Liners (31:44)

Stance & Boot Boards (37:34)

“K Release” Buckles (40:08)

23/24 Lineup (41:53)

Women-Specific Boot & Ski Project (52:25)

Crashes & Close Calls (1:05:32)

What We’re Celebrating (1:07:15)

RELATED LINKS:

BLISTER+ Membership

23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide

Blister Summit Registration

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

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GEAR:30

Blister Podcast

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Tyrolia’s Protector bindings with “Full Heel Release” is something that every skier ought to know about. Tyrolia calls it “the safest binding we have ever made,” and exactly how it works and how it’s supposed to reduce knee injuries is the topic of this conversation with Andrew Couperthwait, VP of Winter Sports for HEAD / Tyrolia.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Overview of Protector Bindings (4:10)

How Traditional Alpine Bindings Release (5:51)

Protector Technology (8:19)

Backwards Twisting Falls (10:57)

Two Distinct Movements (16:12)

Why 7mm? (20:22)

Retention (25:24)

Knee Bindings vs. Protector Bindings (32:17)

ISO Norms & Boot Soles (36:07)

Look Pivot vs Protector Bindings (40:44)

Priorities: Release or Retention? (46:49)

Development of Protector Technology (49:22)

Product Evolution (52:24)

Where to Find Protector Bindings (58:56)

Crashes & Close Calls (1:00:59)

What We're Celebrating (1:12:37)

RELATED LINKS:

BLISTER+ Membership

23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide

Blister Summit Registration

Video: Blister Summit Bindings Panel

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ferreol is a relatively new company that designs and builds skis in Quebec, and they are working hard to push beyond conventional ski materials and construction. They created their own “Innovation Lab” to not only test skis but also develop new materials — and they’re not keeping it to themselves. Instead, they’re collaborating with other brands in order to move things forward at a greater scale.

So Luke Koppa sat down with Ferreol co-founder, Jonathan Audet, to discuss all of that, including the development of their own alternative to titanal alloy; fully replacing fiberglass with natural flax fibers; their 23/24 ski lineup, and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Origins of Ferreol (3:38)

Blindspots in the Market (7:00)

Replacing Fiberglass w/ Flax (8:45)

Life Cycle Analysis (11:24)

Ferreol’s 23/24 Lineup: (19:18)

Surfer 112 (19:18)

Pioneer 104 (23:19)

Explo 96 (28:26)

ZigZag 92 (30:43)

Ferreol Innovation Lab: Background (34:01)

Developing an Alternative to Titanal (36:49)

Ski Design App (50:13)

Ferreol Skis: Who Should Get Them? (51:45)

What We’re Celebrating / Crashes & Close Calls (59:37)

RELATED LINKS:

BLISTER+ Membership

23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide

Blister Summit Registration

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ok, you know the drill. Which ski company is most similar to which bike company? What’s the latest incendiary thing that will come out of Dylan Wood’s mouth? This final installment of our 4th edition of Bikes vs Skis is definitely another fun one.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Yeti (5:53)
• Black Crows vs Revel (9:36)
• Line Skis (12:10)
• Propain Bikes vs. Line Skis (18:54)
• Season Skis & Snowboards (20:08)
• DPS (22:11)
• Ibis (28:07)
• Commencal (35:22)
• Kids Gear (40:11)
• Elan (41:51)
• Icelantic (43:50)
• Evil (49:45)
• 4FRNT (52:03)
• RMU (54:00)
• Rocky Mountain Bikes (59:10)
• Norco (1:01:20)
• Scott (1:04:49)
• Orbea (1:06:51)
• Heritage Lab Skis (1:07:33)
• Crashes & Close Calls (1:15:15)
• What We're Celebrating (1:19:41)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Summit Registration
• BLISTER+ Membership
• This Week’s Gear Giveaway
• Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 1
• Bikes vs Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 2
• Bikes vs Skis, 3rd Edition (2021): Part 1
• Bikes vs Skis, 3rd Edition (2021): Part 2
• Bikes vs Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 1
• Bikes vs Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 2
• Bikes vs Skis, 1st Edition (2018): Part 1
• Bikes vs Skis, 1st Edition (2018): Part 2

OUR OTHER PODCASTS

• Off The Couch
• GEAR:30
• Blister Podcast
• CRAFTED
• Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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At Blister Summit 2023, we brought together Hoji (Dynafit), Lars Chickering-Ayers (CAST Touring), and Giray Dadali (Daymaker Touring) for an extremely interesting and important discussion on the past, present, and future of ski bindings. We get their thoughts on “acceptable use” for certain bindings; the “Age of Confusion” surrounding different binding designs; being “handcuffed by standards” and thinking about the binding / boot / ski interface as a whole; what we should (or should hope to) expect from bindings in the future, and much, much more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Intros & Backgrounds (5:56)
• “Acceptable Use” for Certain Bindings (12:49)
• “Age of Confusion” re: Designs & Standards (21:58)
• Boot / Binding Interface Challenges & Future (34:22)
• Release & Retention: Alpine vs. Touring Bindings (43:40)
• “Ideal Systems” for Bindings, Boots, & Skis? (1:00:25)
• Advice re: Wear, Tear, & Icing (1:09:07)
• What We’re Celebrating (1:17:22)

RELATED LINKS 

Episode Sponsors:

• Compeed 
• New Image Brewing
• Town of Mount Crested Butte
• Crested Butte Mountain Resort 
• Our Blister Recommended Shops

• Blister Summit 2024 Registration
• BLISTER+ Membership
• BLISTER+ Real World Testimonials
• VIDEOS: Blister Summit Panel Sessions & Brand Lineups

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

• CRAFTED
• Blister Podcast
• Bikes & Big Ideas
• Off the Couch
• Happy Hour

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Which bike company and which ski company is currently holding the ‘Cool Kids Belt’? Which brand do other companies secretly wish they could trade places with? We debate these questions and more in our latest edition of Bikes vs. Skis. Check it out, and let us know your current answers to these questions.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Best Bang for The Buck: Bike (7:22)

Best Bang for The Buck: Skis (10:39)

Most Dialed & Complete Lineup? (14:51)

Who Holds the ‘Cool Kids’ Belt? (22:52)

Specific Bike the Cool Kids are On? (28:35)

Most Coveted Bikes & Skis (31:11)

Flying Under The Radar? (41:32)

Brand that Other Co’s Would Switch Places With (47:51)

Most Overhyped? (55:40)

Who Has the Most Brand Loyalty? (1:01:04)

Who Would You Buy Stock in Today? (1:05:04)

Crashes and Close Calls (1:19:15)

What We’re Celebrating (1:22:31)

RELATED LINKS 

Episode Sponsor: Gear West

Blister Summit 2024 Registration

BLISTER+ Membership

BLISTER+ Real World Testimonials

VIDEOS: Blister Summit Panel Sessions & Brand Lineups

See all of our Blister Recommended Shops

Bikes vs Skis, 3rd Edition (2021): Part 1

Bikes vs Skis, 3rd Edition (2021): Part 2

Bikes vs Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 1

Bikes vs Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 2

Bikes vs Skis, 1st Edition (2018): Part 1

Bikes vs Skis, 1st Edition (2018): Part 2

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

CRAFTED

Blister Podcast

Bikes & Big Ideas

Off the Couch

Happy Hour

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