GEAR:30

Luke Koppa is joined by Justin Bobb, Kara Williard, Dylan Wood, and Kristin Sinnott to discuss some of the standout gear they were able to test at last week’s Blister Summit, from skis to snowboards, ski boots, bindings, and even snow blades. Then about halfway through, Jonathan Ellsworth jumps in and adds his thoughts on a couple of the skis he got on, too.

TOPICS & TIMES 

• Fischer RC4 BOA Boots (3:06)
• Moment Countach 110 (6:53)
• Kristin’s Ski Picks (9:09)
• Jbobb on Snowboards (10:49)
• Icelantic Shaman (13:17)
• Renoun Citadel 106 (17:44)
• Volkl Revolt 114 (19:45)
• Majesty Havoc Ti (23:18)
• Nidecker Supermatic Bindings (26:02)
• ZipFit Liners (30:46)
• K2 Mindebender 108 Ti & Nordica Unleashed 108 W (37:37)
• Deviation Works (39:06)
• Jonathan Jumps In (41:56)
• Snow Blades, Tele Skis, Mono Skis, & Compeed (54:36)
• What We're Celebrating (1:02:06)
• Crashes and Close Calls (1:06:12)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Recommended Shop: Powder7
• Blister + Spot Membership 
• New Gear Recap from Blister Summit 2023

OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

• Happy Hour
• CRAFTED 
• Bikes & Big Ideas
• Off The Couch
• BLISTER Podcast

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

For this edition of Shop Talk, we are back with Kai Palkeinen, founder of Pulse Boot Lab, to hear about what Kai’s been up to since we last talked, including opening a third location in Collingwood; the evolution of Pulse and what they have in mind for the future; their process for developing and refining some 3D printing technology that is being applied to more than just ski boots; what it means to spend the day fitting race boots; why liners are everything, subjective, and also circular (?); Kai’s thoughts on some recent new boot tech, and more.

TOPICS & TIMES 

• New Collingwood Location (2:41)
• Skiers That Care (5:57)
• The Race Skillset (7:16)
• The Evolution of Pulse (9:49)
• 3D Printing & Verticals (14:04)
• Other Pulse Initiatives? (26:17)
• BOA Hype (32:06)
• Liners: Subjective & Circular (40:26)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Recommended Ski Shop: Pulse Custom Boot Lab
• Ep. 35: New Innovations in Bootfitting with Pulse Boot Lab
• Ep 217: A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 3: Stance Balancing with Pulse Boot Labs 
• Blister Summit 2023 Registration 
• Blister + Spot Membership 

OUR OTHER PODCASTS:

• Happy Hour
• CRAFTED 
• Bikes & Big Ideas
• Off The Couch
• BLISTER Podcast

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

Dr. Sean Humbert is back to provide an update on our ski testing at Blister Labs; discuss the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning for product reviewing and ski recommendation engines; and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Skier, Biker, Mechanical Engineer (4:00)
• Update on Blister Labs Ski Testing (5:35)
• Artificial Intelligence & Ski Testing (9:48)
• Ski Recommendation Engines (16:20)
• Other Labs Initiatives + AI Engine Compatibility (21:42)
• Crashes & Close Calls (26:00)
• What We’re Celebrating (29:51)

RELATED LINKS:

• GEAR:30 ep.198: Sean Humbert on Ski Testing & Dynamic Modelling
• GEAR:30 ep.213: Manufacturers vs. Researchers & Reviewers
• Blister + Spot Membership
• Blister Summit 2023 Registration

OUR OTHER PODCASTS

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

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

Matt Manser is back to go deep on the just-unveiled 23/24 Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD (and Hawx Ultra XTD BOA GW); the new Hawx Ultra XTD Mimic Professional liner; the all-new Atomic Backland XTD; and why we’re suddenly seeing the proliferation of the BOA system on ski boots. We also discuss ponies, children’s cough syrup, and Matt shares his own ‘Crashes & Close Calls’ story.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Scotch, Kid’s Cough Syrup, & Happy Hour (9:22)
• BOA Teaser (16:01)
• 23/24 Hawx Ultra XTD (17:42)
• Last Width and Plastics Used (19:59)
• Measured Weights (29:44)
• Comparisons to Other Boots (32:47)
• Glued-On Sole (36:21)
• 23/24 Liner Improvements with Mimic (39:33)
• Gnar Bar & Walk Mechanism (45:25)
• The BOA in The Room (51:49)
• Fit / Importance of Fit (1:01:56)
• Durability & Repairability (1:03:26)
• Why BOA now? (1:10:02)
• Boot Out? (1:16:32)
• 23/24 Women’s Hawx Ultra XTD (1:19:01)
• 23/24 Hawks Ultra XTD Mimic Professional Liner (1:21:57)
• Consumer Options for Liners (1:23:42)
• Backland (1:29:51)
• 23/24 Backland XTD 120 construction (1:38:23)
• Why Still Call It a “Backland”?(1:41:54)
• Crashes & Close Calls (1:45:18)
• What We're Celebrating (1:50:56)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Rec. Shop: The Skier’s Sport Shop
• OpenSnow.com/Blister
• Blister + Spot Membership
• Blister Summit 2023 Registration
• Amateur Hour: Matt Manser on Scotch

OUR OTHER PODCASTS

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

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

Jonathan talks about shop life, gear, the price of single-day lift passes, and more with Alex and Matt from Powder7 in Golden, Colorado. Then Blister bike editor, David Golay, joins Jonathan to tell his Crashes & Close Calls story.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• What is Powder7 + Origin Story (3:57)
• Defining Ski Days (10:58)
• Lift Ticket Day Passes (16:59)
• Powder7 Test (32:07)
• Gear & Ski Width (37:48)
• Boot Fitting (48:53)
• Ski Trade-In Program (51:44)
• Crashes & Close Calls (1:00:42)
• What We're Celebrating (1:13:00)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister + Spot Membership
• Blister Summit 2023 Registration

OUR OTHER PODCASTS

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

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

Today we’ve got a masterclass on the history and evolution of snowboard design with Jeremy Jones, as well as Jeremy’s own philosophy behind product creation and refinement at Jones Snowboards. Jeremy and I discuss “progression bumps”; a new Jones board coming out this spring; prototyping; finding design inspiration in unexpected places; a number of the boards in the current Jones lineup; and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Splitboards: why did you start with splits? (6:36)
• Making gear work vs. dialing in gear (11:25)
• Progression Bumps: Evolutions & Revolutions (13:55)
• Jones Tweaker & Nose Shape (17:10)
• New Board: the Jones Butterfly (19:55)
• Philosophy of Product Changes (21:54)
• Storm Chaser & Inspiration from Surfing (30:08)
• Design evolution since the early 80's (32:11)
• Are you more picky about shape or flex? (39:14)
• Manufacturing errors? Tolerances & Variations (43:32)
• Supply Chain update (49:05)
• Project X Boards (52:10)
• Product Name Changes & ‘Know Thyself’ (54:06)
• Jones Apparel (1:01:40)
• Crashes & Close Calls (1:08:22)
• What We’re Celebrating (1:16:14)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Recommended Shop: Pulse Boot Lab
• Blister + Spot Membership
• Blister Summit 2023 Registration
• Blister Pod ep.231: Speaker Series, Jeremy Jones 
• YouTube: Blister Speaker Series, Jeremy Jones

OUR OTHER PODCASTS

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

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

We’re talking ski gear, customer trends, & sustainability initiatives (from the POV of a shop owner) with Mike Donohue of Outdoor Gear Exchange, our Blister Recommended Shop in Burlington, Vermont. And we have a great listener-submitted story for “Crashes & Close Calls.”

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Outdoor Gear Exchange History & Consignment (4:11)
• Mike’s History & OGE Today (7:15)
• Telemarking Roots, Splitboarding, & Gear (9:56)
• Ski Boots & Mike’s Touring Gear (12:57)
• Shift Bindings (16:29)
• Skis (20:25)
• Customer Trends (22:48)
• Buying New vs Used Gear (29:01)
• Sustainability: Shop Owners & Manufacturers (31:11)
• Crashes & Close Calls (41:16)
• What We’re Celebrating: Relationship Questions! (48:14)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister + Spot Membership
• Blister Summit 2023 Registration

OUR OTHER PODCASTS

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

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

Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, Kara Williard, and Dylan Wood discuss some of the notable gear they’ve been reviewing this season. They also discuss Christmas quesadillas; whether it’s okay to put sweaty ski socks on boot dryers; and we launch a new segment: Crashes & Close Calls.

TOPICS & TIMES

• Christmas Quesadillas (6:09)
• Wagner Custom 104 & Summit 106 (11:29)
• Scarpa 4-Quattro XT (21:03)
• Happy Hour! (25:26)
• Our New Boot Dryer (27:45)
• Fischer Ranger 115 W (34:36)
• Head Supershape e-Rally (39:17)
• Our Alpine Binding Test (42:45)
• Folsom Cash 93 & Spar 88 (44:48)
• Insulated Flylow Jackets and Another Anorak Debate (51:50)
• Crashes & Close Calls (56:14)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Recommended Shop: Willi’s Ski & Board
• NEW: Blister + Spot Membership
• Blister Summit 2023 Registration

OUR OTHER PODCASTS

• Off The Couch
• Blister Podcast
• Bikes & Big Ideas 
• CRAFTED
• Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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

Travis Hainsworth is a whole lot of fun. And when he’s not out on his highly questionable one-ski quiver, he’s busy being the associate director of the  Western-CU Boulder Computer Science Program here in Gunnison, CO, and an integral member of our Blister Labs team. So in this conversation, we’re talking “SoRo”;” MoCap”; wheelset testing; his dream of becoming the first Red-Bull-sponsored mathematician; and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Subarus, Bourbon, & Travis’ One-Ski Quiver (7:29)
• “Soft Robots” (11:37)
• Dirt Biking, Broken Bones, & Mechanical Engineering (18:47)
• Fur-Lined Hoods & Travis's Ski Set Up (24:45)
• Blister Labs Wheel Testing (28:48)
• Extracting the Data & What We're Trying To Learn (43:33)
• Red Bull Sponsored Mathematicians (46:24)
• System Dynamics & Intro To Robotics Courses (49:03)
• When Results? (57:51)
• What We're Celebrating (1:00:21)

RELATED LINKS:

• NEW: Blister + Spot Membership
• Video: Blister Labs Wheelset Testing
• Blister Summit 2023 Registration
• Get Your Blister x John Fellows Artist Series Shirt

OUR OTHER PODCASTS

• Off The Couch
• Blister Podcast
• Bikes & Big Ideas 
• CRAFTED
• Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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

Too often, passionate skiers have to mourn the discontinuation of our all-time favorite ski designs. So Marshal Olson started Heritage Lab Skis to fix that. In this conversation, we talk with Marshal about all things Heritage Lab, including how it got started; how it’s going; their ‘smokin’ rocks’ warranty policy; order updates; and what’s next.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• What is Heritage Lab Skis? (4:34)
• How did you get it started? (11:25)
• Shapes & Designs (17:15)
• Testing & Production (21:48)
• Who are They For? (26:46)
• Warranty, Returns, & Smokin’ Rocks (28:06)
• Where are the Skis Built? (30:13)
• Build Types & Talking about ‘Classic Designs’ (32:52)
• Stated Radius Numbers (37:29)
• Biggest Surprises So Far? (39:13)
• What's Next? (40:27)
• Orders & Current Status (42:05)
• Where to Learn More (46:07)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Recommended Shop: Hickory & Tweed
• Exclusive Offer: OpenSnow.com/Blister
• NEW: Blister + Spot Membership
• Blister Summit 2023 Registration
• Get Your Blister x John Fellows Artist Series Shirt

OUR OTHER PODCASTS

• Off The Couch
• Blister Podcast
• Bikes & Big Ideas 
• CRAFTED
• Happy Hour (for Blister Members)

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