GEAR:30

This spring, Sam Shaheen and four of his friends took on the very big challenge of a Denali expedition. So in this conversation, we get the debrief from Sam, discuss what he and his crew learned in the process, and go over some of the most important gear he used (including a homemade unicorn nose guard), and of that gear, what worked well and what didn’t. 

TOPICS & TIMES:

• The idea of Denali (3:34)
• Group dynamics (9:40)
• Summiting (17:43)
• The Gear (30:22)
• Hotdog party & Sam’s celebrity (53:42)
• Sam’s magic red light (57:25)
• What We're Celebrating (1:02:13)

RELATED LINKS:

• Andrew Alexander King & The Between Worlds Project
• Become a Blister Member
• Blister Bike Buyer’s Guide

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This week we’re talking with the co-founder of WaveCel, Dr. Steve Madey. We discuss the origins of and the development of WaveCel; Steve makes what might be the best case we’ve ever heard about why rotational forces play such a critical role in brain injuries; and we discuss how WaveCel compares to MIPS and Koroyd. 

TOPICS & TIMES:

• What is WaveCel? (2:08)
• Development of WaveCel (7:06)
• Woodpeckers, head injuries, & rotational forces (17:25)
• Current iteration of WaveCel (28:38)
• Koroyd and WaveCel (30:51)
• Lawsuit (32:51)
• A few specific WaveCel helmets (36:31) 
• What’s next in helmet tech? (38:26)
• What We’re Celebrating (41:32)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Bike Buyer’s Guide
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 1
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 2
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 3
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 4
• Become a Blister Member

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Previously on GEAR:30 we laid out our Mt. Rushmore of Ski Suspension. Now, we’re moving to the opposite end of the spectrum to talk about the poppiest skis we’ve been on. We define some terms, talk about some of the characteristics that can help make a ski more poppy; and we work our way through a whole bunch of skis. Check it out, and let us know what skis you think are most deserving.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Update on Luke’s diet (3:08)
• What is “Pop”? (6:11)
• Our Mt Rushmore of Pop (17:28) 
• Low-Speed Pop (30:19)
• Mid-Range Pop (34:21)
• High-Speed Pop (38:00)
• Other Notable Skis (40:22)
• What We’re Celebrating (44:49)

RELATED LINKS:

• Recommended Shop: Powder Hound, AK
• Our conversations w/ Powder Hound’s Eric Helmbrecht
• Blister Bike Buyer’s Guide
• Become a Blister Member
• Mt Rushmore of Ski Suspension

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We talk with the Head of Product at POC, Oscar Huss, about headforms — the things they stick into helmets to mimic your head before smashing up helmets in testing; the numerous variables that need to be considered when setting up a way to test “safety”; the different considerations that go into designing kids helmets; and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Background of POC (2:29)
• Oscar’s background (7:34)
• More on certifications standards & tests (10:46)
• Optimizing for 1 standard vs. passing multiple standards (19:54)
• Testing for car impacts (25:22)
• Headforms (27:37)
• Customizing & tuning helmets (36:00)
• Kids helmets (45:51)
• Cyclist visibility (51:55)
• POC’s Kortal helmet (56:52)
• What We’re Celebrating (1:05:16)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Bike Buyer’s Guide
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 1
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 2
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 3
• Become a Blister Member

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We talk with the president & CEO of Pret Helmets about Pret’s approach to helmet design; the “dart test” portion of the safety certification process; the prospects of implementing customizable helmet liners; why Pret places such an emphasis on ventilation; and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Steve Bellefeuille’s background (2:46)
• Safety Standards & the Dart Test (13:16)
• Fit & Ventilation (17:45)
• MIPS myth? (19:07)
• Fit and Shape (26:02)
• Customizable Helmets? (29:18)
• Biggest advances today (32:29)
• Pret’s Cirque & Fury helmets (35:54)
• The "safest" helmet (38:59)
• What We’re Celebrating (43:25)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Bike Buyer’s Guide
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 1
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 2
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 4
• Become a Blister Member

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We talk with Rob Wesson about Giro’s approach to various helmet safety standards and certifications; the differences between a $65 helmet and a $260 helmet; the pros and cons of adding a chin bar to a full-face helmet, or a large visor to an enduro bike helmet; and more.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Giro / Bell background + Rob’s background (4:05)
• Overview of the helmet market & sales (5:05)
• How Giro handles the different safety certifications & standards (13:00)
• Where have the biggest advancements in helmet tech been made? (19:28)
• Where are consumer priorities these days? (24:04)
• $65 MIPS vs $260 MIPS helmet (28:00)
• Full-face helmets, Enduro helmets, etc.(32:04)
• spherical shape - aerodynamics - and safety as it relates to shape (34:04)
• What We’re Celebrating (40:02)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Bike Buyer’s Guide
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 1
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 3
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 4
• Become a Blister Member

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In our new GEAR:30 mini-series, we’re talking to key designers in the world of snowsport and bike helmets to stitch together a current state of helmet tech and helmet R&D.

To get things started, we are talking with Ståle Møller, the co-founder of Sweet Protection, about the pros and cons of the two different safety certifications out there; advances in materials & our understanding of head injuries; ventilation; the unique challenges of designing helmets for various activities; and how to know when you ought to replace your helmet.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• History of Sweet Protection (4:11)
• Safety Certifications: European vs North American standards (10:00)
• Rotational forces (16:12)
• Weight & Volume (26:35)
• Sweet’s New System: 2VI (32:10) 
• Snow vs Bike helmets (32:55)
• Kayaking helmets: different challenges (36:31)
• Road bike vs. Mtn Bike Helmets (43:52)
• Sweet’s Trailblazer & Trailblazer MIPS mtb helmets (46:51)
• Sweet’s Falconer road bike helmet (49:23)
• When should you replace a helmet? (51:39)
• Sustainability (57:37)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 2
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 3
• Current State of Helmet Tech, pt. 4
• Blister Podcast Ep.18: Ståle Møller on How to Protect Your Head

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Matt Manser is back to talk about bike crashes and ski boot suspension.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Bike crash stories (2:17)
• Ski-boot suspension (11:43)
• Damp vs. Plush (14:25)
• How to achieve good suspension (21:18)
• Ski bindings (28:08)
• “Playful” ski boots (30:51)
• Cuff Test: compression & rebound (36:01)
• What We're Celebrating (48:52)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
• A Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots, Part 1: Plastics (Ep.54)
• A Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots, Part 2: Flex Patterns (Ep.55)
• A Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots, Part 3: Racers & Race Boots (Ep.60)
• A Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots, Part 4: Liners, Ramp Angle, & Forward Lean (Ep.88)
• A Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots, Part 5: Heel Pockets, Tongue Volume, & Atomic’s new Hawx Ultra & “Professional” Liners & Dual Strap (Ep.132)

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Carl Moriarty was the Design Director at Arc’teryx, and is currently the Design Director at Rapha. We discuss his background and career in the outdoor industry, then dive into several principles of technical apparel design; the pros and cons of various technologies; the challenge of balancing high performance with sustainability; and how being clear on these things can help us evaluate advertising claims about new pieces.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• From New Zealand to Australia to Vancouver to London (2:28)
• Waterproof / Breathable Apparel (10:32)
• Breathable vs. Air Permeable Apparel (15:34)
• DWRs & fluorocarbons: truth in advertising (24:07)
• What We’re Celebrating (39:52)

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Which tech bindings feel the most like alpine bindings? What “very light” skis offer the best suspension and damping? Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about a bunch of ski touring gear they’ve been reviewing and answer a number of your touring-related questions.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Blister Membership details (0:37)
• Fischer TransAlp Pro (3:46)
• DPS Pagoda Tour 100 RP (10:26)
• Ronin 108 (13:21)
• Weston Summit (16:48)
• WNDR Alpine Vital 100 (18:26)
• Alpine touring bindings (26:24)
• Downsides of the Hoji Hole? (35:54)
• “Very light” AT skis (37:25)
• AT vs Touring vs SkiMo (40:41)
• Pin bindings & the Hoji Pro Tour (42:36)
• Heel lift & AT boots (46:12)
• Inexpensive AT setups? (50:54)
• Backpacks for touring (55:23)
• What We’re Celebrating (59:26)

RELATED LINKS:

• Blister Summit Videos
• Become a Blister Member

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