GEAR:30

Norrøna has been making gear since 1929, and this family-owned company aims to make the best outdoor recreation products on the market. But that’s easier said than done, so Jonathan Ellsworth talks with Jørgen Jørgensen — the 4th-generation owner & CEO of Norrøna — about the brand’s approach to product design & testing, and the origins, evolution, and future of the brand.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Origins & Evolution of Norrøna (4:32)

Customer Satisfaction (31:39)

Product Testing (34:03)

Quality Assurance & Durability (41:14)

Making the "Best Products" (47:46)

Blister Labs & Current Standards (51:38)

PFAS (56:20)

Some of Jørgen’s Favorite Norrøna Products (1:01:35)

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Blister Summit 2024

CDC Factsheet on PFAS

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“PFAS” or “Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances” are a hot topic today, especially in the outdoor apparel world, where they’ve been used for decades, most notably in the “DWR” or Durable Water Repellant finishes that are applied to a lot of clothes these days. But that’s going to be coming to an end in the near future. 

So, to learn more about why this matters and what it means for manufacturers and consumers alike, Luke Koppa sat down with Alex Lauver, the Senior Director of Materials, Innovation, and Sustainability at Outdoor Research. 

They cover why PFAS have been so prevalent in technical apparel for so long; how their use in clothing is just the tip of the iceberg; their downsides and why we’re seeing this recent push to completely eliminate them; the challenges presented by coming up with PFAS-free alternatives; how this shift affects the entire apparel supply chain; how Outdoor Research has approached this transition and worked to stay ahead of the curve; and much more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Alex’s background (3:41)

PFAS vs PFC (8:38)

How long these compounds have been in use (10:41)

Prevalence in the outdoor industry (17:21)

PFAS alternatives (25:28)

Regulatory aspects and timeline (34:08)

What’s next? (50:15)

Crashes and Close Calls (55:42)

RELATED LINKS:

Episode Sponsor: OpenSnow

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Blister Summit 2024

PFAS FAQs from Outdoor Research

CDC Factsheet on PFAS

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Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. Sometimes you don’t even know where to start. You need some help! 

In our 3rd session of GEAR THERAPY, Blister Member, Arika Poulin Weller, joins Blister reviewers Kara Williard and Kristin Sinnott. Arika is a longtime skier with roots in Nordic skiing (Fun Fact: she and Kristin raced together in college) and a mother who wants to spend more time skiing after moving back to CO, but she had no idea where to start. 

So in this episode, we break down some basics, define some ski-gear terms and what it all means on snow, and provide some recommendations for a 1-ski and 1-boot resort quiver.

TOPICS & TIMES

How Arika & Kristin met (3:20)

Arika’s background (7:26)

Her Current Setup (9:25)

Why Boots are #1 (16:29)

Tech Terms (29:12)

Ski Recommendations (42:34)

Binding Recommendations (56:30)

Boot Recommendations (1:00:38)

Where to go from here? (1:03:20)

Crashes & Close Calls (1:05:39)

RELATED LINKS:

Blister Summit Registration

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Blister Recommended Shops

23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide

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Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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At Blister Summit 2023, we brought together ski boot designers, Tom Pietrowski (K2), Christoph Lentz (Fischer), Riccardo Bonaiti (Dalbello), Ross Herr (Dynafit), and pro skier / designer / obsessive tinkerer, Hoji, to discuss ski boot design in general; the hype and skepticism around BOA (are boot buckles dying??); the role that weight plays in the development of boots of all types; the balancing act of designing a walk mechanism; the challenges presented by the boot-binding interface, and more.

TOPICS & TIMES 

Intros & Latest Products (4:07)

Weight & Downhill Performance (12:38)

The Rise of BOA (24:28)

Walk Mechanisms (33:13)

Boot-Binding Interface Challenges (44:01)

Evaluating Fit (54:16)

Women-Specific Boots (59:29)

Crashes & Close Calls (1:06:56)

RELATED LINKS:

Episode Sponsor: Bag Balm

Blister Summit 2024 Registration 

Blister YouTube

Become a BLISTER+ Member

23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide

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Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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Apparel testing, show pigs, & the underrated importance of ballpoint pens. Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss these things with our Blister Labs colleague, Melanie Peddle, who is a faculty member in the partnership program between Western Colorado University & the University of Colorado Boulder. We also discuss some takeaways from the compression, abrasion, and UV tests we’ve been running; steps toward developing new standards; and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Mel’s Background (1:47)

Apparel Testing: Quick Overview (10:55)

What We’ve Been Doing & What’s Next (15:07)

Notable Takeaways (24:35)

Real-World Applicability (40:31)

Crashes & Close Calls (43:11)

RELATED LINKS:

Blister Labs: Learn More

VIDEO: Blister Labs Summit Panel

Become a BLISTER+ Member

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Bikes & Big Ideas

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Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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Have you ever dreamt about skiing in New Zealand? Well, in this episode, Kara Williard talks with local Kiwi experts, John Knight and Darren Grimmett, from our Blister Recommended Shop, Outside Sports, to give us the rundown on what skiing in this Southern Hemisphere destination entails, and how to make the most of it.

We discuss the best gear for the conditions and terrain in NZ; the difference between ski fields and club fields; backcountry skiing and heliskiing; plus all the other things you can enjoy while in New Zealand, including eating the best meat pies, biking, hiking, and being around some of the genuinely nicest people.

TOPICS & TIMES

John and Darren’s backgrounds (5:02)

Outside Sports’ humble beginnings (11:15)

Gear Trends in NZ (18:18)

Skis for Variable Conditions (24:50)

Getting to New Zealand & Ski Fields vs. Club Fields (27:04)

Backcountry Skiing & Heliskiing (33:18)

Getting Around (40:04)

More than just skiing (42:51)

Best Gear for NZ (47:22)

Heavier BC Gear for a Reason (48:51)

Ski Season Itch (54:26)

Crashes & Close Calls (56:56)

RELATED LINKS:

Blister Recommended Shop: Outside Sports

Blister Recommended Shops

Become a BLISTER+ Member

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

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Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! So in our 2nd episode of GEAR THERAPY, Blister Member & Spokane-based ski patroller, Kam Smith, poses his most-pressing gear questions to Jonathan and Luke, and gets their best recommendations (and a bit of a tongue-lashing from Jonathan). Enjoy!

TOPICS & TIMES:

Meet Kam, Ski Patroller (4:10)

Kam’s Ski Boot Situation (9:45)

Our Suggestions (15:27)

Spokane Alpine Haus (21:51)

Kam’s Ski Quiver (27:12)

Our Recommendations (34:03)

Metal vs Non-Metal Skis (40:03)

Folsom (47:04)

Session Wrap Up (52:27)

Kam’s Crashes & Close Calls Story (56:18)

RELATED LINKS:

See our Blister Recommended Shops

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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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Oliver Steffen founded Genuine Guide Gear (G3) many years ago because of his passion for innovation and problem-solving, and while this has largely been aimed at creating solutions related to gear and backcountry touring, most recently, he turned his focus to the environmental impacts and life cycles of G3’s skis and snowboards. 

This year, G3 is launching their recyclable “R3” ski and snowboard program, guaranteeing that products manufactured going forward can be broken down, reused, and recycled. So Kara Williard talked to Oliver about this process, what it entails, and how it can be more widely applied to the outdoor industry. Plus, we get the details on the 23/24 R3 ski and snowboard lineup, and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Founding G3 (3:43)

Innovation over the years (7:12)

“Right to Repair” and R3 Introduction (10:47)

The Life Cycle Problem (27:11)

Ride, Reuse, Recycle (32:51)

R3 lineup (45:06)

Scaling & Working Together (50:56)

Crashes and Close Calls (58:13)

What We’re Celebrating (1:00:20)

RELATED LINKS:

Exclusive Offer: Get 50% off OpenSnow w/ code blister23

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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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Too often, the consumer reviews you find online are incomplete and unhelpful. But through our Blister Labs partnership with Western Colorado University & the University of Colorado Boulder, we’re working to change that. With Blister Community Reviews, we are creating a better method of gathering, synthesizing, and displaying user feedback from people of all shapes, sizes, ability levels, and locations, to produce even more helpful consumer product information for outdoor enthusiasts all around the world.

Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the origins of our Blister Community Reviews initiative; the takeaways from our beta testing at Blister Summit 2023; our goals for the future; and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

Blister Community Reviews: Background & Origins (4:17)

Takeaways from Beta Testing (16:58)

Going Forward: Goals & Timeline (22:10)

Crashes & Close Calls (29:34)

What We’re Celebrating (40:20)

RELATED LINKS:

Blister Labs: Learn More

VIDEO: Blister Labs Summit Panel

Become a Blister Member

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

Off The Couch

Bikes & Big Ideas

Blister Podcast

CRAFTED

Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! So in this inaugural edition of GEAR THERAPY, Jason Verlinde — a self-described “average / normal / non-industry / non-pro Blister member” — poses some gear questions and conundrums to Jonathan Ellsworth & Luke Koppa, and “gets to confess my ignorance and state my real-world situation, with the experts weighing in, straightening me out, and steering me toward some products I might love.” Enjoy!

TOPICS & TIMES:

Gear Therapy Explained (3:36)

Why It’s Hard Out There for a GearHead (10:05)

Meet the Patient: Jason Verlinde (12:10)

Jason’s Ski Quiver (14:33)

Putting On Cold Ski Boots & Liners (20:35)

The Blister Approach to Reviews (33:00)

Line Blade & Steep Terrain (44:10)

"Loose and Surfy"? (52:55)

Crashes & Close Calls (1:00:08)

What We're Celebrating (1:07:28)

RELATED LINKS:

Episode Sponsor: OpenSnow.com

Become a BLISTER+ Member

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

CRAFTED: Jason Verlinde on Guitar Making

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

Off The Couch

Bikes & Big Ideas

Blister Podcast

CRAFTED

Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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