GEAR:30

Jonathan and Folsom Custom Ski’s Mike McCabe discuss the skinniest ski in the Folsom lineup, the Spar 78; Folsom’s new huge pow ski, the Rotor; and then they discuss a new custom touring-ski project for Jonathan, and dive deep into the various layup & core combinations one would use to hit certain weight targets. Our fellow gear dorks, you’re going to dig this one.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

What’s going on at Folsom? (5:30)

Folsom Spar 78 (8:08)

New: Folsom Rotor (11:58)

Backstory: Folsom ‘Giver’ & ‘Primary’ (14:02)

Bag Balm x Blister x Folsom (20:55)

JE’s Custom Touring Ski Project (34:30)

Which Bindings? (38:36)

Which Boots? (42:21)

Ski Length (52:11)

Weight (54:44)

The Hammer (1:08:44)

Folsom’s Configurations (1:14:53)

Mount Point (1:16:44)

Camber Profile (1:19:03)

Mike’s ‘Crashes & Close Calls’ Story (1:30:26)

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Luke Koppa, Kara Williard, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss getting back on snow, the best holiday of the year, ski boots, frontside skis, mountain biking in Nepal, engagement taco parties, and new apparel.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Blister Summit Update (0:00)

Back on Snow (3:41)

Ski Boots (12:16)

Mtn Biking in Nepal (23:49)

Frontside Skis (32:02)

Apparel (50:01)

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What are some of the biggest mistakes skiers make when buying gear? And what do regular, recreational skiers & snowboarders need to know about ski tuning and waxing? Jonathan discusses these questions and more with Logan and Riley Boone of Boone Mountain Sports. They also talk about how they all met (it was in Austria), and Jonathan reveals the upcoming ‘Blister 90-Flex Challenge’.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Blister Summit Update (1:50)

How / Where We All Met (8:09)

Intros: Logan, Riley, & Boone Mountain Sports (13:44)

Kombucha, Music Festivals, & Youth Programs (18:33)

Biggest Ski Buying Mistakes? (28:42)

The Blister ‘90-Flex Challenge’ (35:11)

Ski Tuning (51:00)

Waxing (1:08:35)

Crashes & Close Calls (1:13:50)

The Boone Mountain Sports Logo (1:23:30)

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Jonathan talks with Ted Ligety (2x Olympic Gold Medalist & 5x World Cup champion) about his approach to gear; the specific gear he’s using today; how to best deal with flat light and low-vis conditions; his take on the current state of skiing and ski racing; and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

How Do You Prepare & Train for Ski Season? (3:55)

Ski Boots (11:25)

CARV (18:59)

Your Ski Quiver These Days? (35:07)

Tuning & Waxing (37:32)

Goggle Lenses for Flat Light (46:16)

Current State of Skiing & Ski Racing? (57:34)

Crashes & Close Calls (1:08:57)

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Blister Podcast ep. 14: Ted Ligety

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Jonathan was at the Parlor Custom Skis factory in East Boston to check out the factory and talk with Parlor owner & manager, Mark Wallace, about building custom skis in Boston; assessing skiers (and skiers assessing themselves); custom vs. semi-custom skis; and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

What is Parlor? (4:46)

Parlor’s Ski Building Classes (7:45)

Assessing Skiers & Self Assessments (21:17)

Fitting skiers into the right skis (23:27)

Bringing Back Old Skis (30:15)

Custom vs. Semi-Custom Skis (33:11)

Ski Width Controversy (38:13)

Best Question I Haven’t Asked You? (58:07)

Crashes & Close Calls (1:01:12)

Where to Learn More about Parlor (1:09:47)

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Jeremy Jones is back on GEAR:30, and this time, he brought along with him Xavier Nidecker, global brand director of Jones Snowboards, to talk about Jones’ new Re-Up Tech — what it is, how it works, why it matters, and what it could mean for the greater ski & snowboard industry. We also discuss FIS, POW, and climate change, and Jonathan solicits some advice about which board Jeremy and Xavier think he ought to get on as a never-ever.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Update: Blister Crash Course Video (2:00)

Circularity (4:26)

Re-Up Tech vs. Virgin Materials (7:28)

Shipping & Collecting Dead Snowboards (15:24)

Which Parts of the Dead Boards Get Used? (27:56)

Small Steps & Big Solutions (38:56)

Jones’ Fair Trade Certified Factory (48:22)

FIS, POW, & Climate Change (49:50)

Which Snowboard Should JE Start On? (1:10:09)

Crashes and Close Calls (1:15:10)

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A very intriguing — and extremely affordable — new piece of ski-touring gear has just been released, and you ought to know about it. So on our latest GEAR:30 episode, Jonathan talks with Giray Dadali, a pro skier, engineer, ski designer, and founder of Daymaker Touring, about their new product, TEKDAPTERS, that allow you to ski tour using a pin-tech toe on the way up, then click into your DIN-certified alpine binding of choice on the way down.

Giray and I dive deep into the design, materials, weight, compatibility, and rationale for this new product, and we think you’ll agree that it represents an intriguing new offering in the world of ski-touring gear.

TOPICS & TIMES:

When was this idea born? (6:17)

Giray’s Background (8:59)

Who’s It For? (11:52)

TEKDAPTERS vs Original Daymaker (17:48)

“Field Goal” guide rails (26:52)

Universal Compatibility (31:47)

Materials & Design (35:18)

User-Error-Avoidance Tips (43:48)

Locked-Out Pins & Avalanche Danger

Using the Right Tool for the Job (54:42)

Crashes & Close Calls (1:02:20)

Where & When can you get TEKDAPTERS? (1:12:37)

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Jonathan Ellsworth sat down with Kara Williard, Dylan Wood, Justin Bobb, and Luke Koppa to debrief about our 2023-2024 Winter Buyer’s Guide, discuss what changed this year (and more importantly, what has *not* changed), go over some trends, and more. 

Along the way, we dole out our unofficial “RIP,” “Good Riddance,” and new “Best Glow-Up” awards; talk about what we’re most excited to get on this season; and Jonathan debates whether Luke isn’t even invited to his funeral, or if he’ll be managing the whole thing…

TOPICS & TIMES:

What’s New, What’s Different, & What’s the Same (5:34)

Most Notable Trends (14:13)

RIP Awards (20:21) 

Good Riddance Awards (30:20)

Our Blister ‘Best Of’ Section (36:12)

How to get the Guide (56:25)

Snowboarding Talk w/ Jbobb (59:55)

Crashes & Close Calls (1:18:25)

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Kara Williard sat down with Jake “Fasa” Nelson from the Moment Factory Store to clear up some of the most common bootfitting myths and misconceptions, including the idea that ski boots have to be cold and uncomfortable; why adding forward lean to a boot might not help someone get more forward over their skis; why *everyone* (not just experts) will benefit from a well-fit ski boot and custom insoles; how picking the “right” boot can’t fix all your problems, and more. 

We also discuss why these myths are so prevalent in the first place; provide tips on how to shop for a ski boot this season; realistic expectations you should have for a ski boot, and much more.

TOPICS & TIMES 

Where do these misconceptions come from? (3:10)

Myth 1 - Boots = Uncomfortable (6:16)

Myth 2 - Boots = Cold (10:04)

Myth 3 - Body Position & Forward Lean (15:44)

Myth 4 - Boot Stiffness Debunked (28:31)

Myth 5 - Skier Type (34:49)

Myth 6 - Custom Insoles (41:23)

Expectations vs. Reality (59:32)

The Boot, Binding, & Ski equation (1:07:50)

How to Shop for Boots (1:16:21)

Crashes & Close Calls (1:24:27)

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Ep.221: A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 4: Big-Mountain Freeride Bootfitting with Fasa

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In our latest edition of GEAR THERAPY, Luke and Jonathan talk with Blister Member, Giovanni Saccarola (an Italian living in Switzerland), about his ski quiver, ski boots, and ski boot liner options.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Giovanni: most interesting man in the world? (8:25)

Blizzard Zero G 95 (17:03)

Height / Weight (23:09)

Bindings & Pairing Down His Quiver (26:09)

ATK Free Raiders (28:50)

Giovanni’s Current Quiver (32:27)

Black Crows Atris (36:18

4th ski (38:10)

Tecnica Cochise 130 & Liners (47:20)

Crashes and Close Calls (1:00:28)

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