Today we’ve got another Shop Talk episode for you, where we speak with folks from one of our Blister Recommended Shops to get their perspective on a mix of topics ranging from broadly applicable to all of us, to topics that help us better understand what’s going on in the local community that each shop serves. Mark "Osman" Osell and Jeff Perry join us from Gear West in Long Lake, Minnesota. We talk about the Minnesota ski scene; the Gear West campus; dropping cliffs in the Iowa backcountry; the fantastic bike culture of Minnesota, and more. TOPICS & TIMESThe surrounding community & ski culture of Long Lake, MN (4:32)How covid has changed the dynamics at the shop (9:44)The Gear West “campus” (15:42)The progressive bike culture of MN (17:37)Dropping cliffs in the Iowa backcountry (19:56)“Dad boards” & the snowboard side of Gear West (23:48)The bike side of Gear West (26:41)What We’re Celebrating (32:46)
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Shop Talk: Gear West, Long Lake, MN

GEAR:30 is the podcast from BLISTER that dives deep into the details of the most interesting and innovative outdoor gear. You'll hear BLISTER reviewers discuss the gear they're testing, as well as product designers, professional athletes, and some of the gear-obsessed folks from our recommended shops weigh in on gear trends and the equipment they’ve been most impressed with. If you love outdoor gear, you're going to love this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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At Blister Summit 2024, we got a state of the union on the present and future of ski boot design from 3 people with a wealth of experience in this world: Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson, Matt Manser, and Greg Klein. They cover everything from the reception and performance of BOA boots to Hoji’s new Dynafit Ridge Pro boot; cold feet (literal & metaphorical…), and much more. RELATED LINKS: Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Blister YouTube Channel Blister Recommended Shops TOPICS: Intro 4:12 BOA Ski Boots: How’s It Gone So Far? 5:36 Weight: Still a Big Factor?13:27 Hoji’s New Dynafit Ridge Pro Boot 25:20 “Welcome Fit” 39:06 Footbeds & Boot Shell Plastic 45:31 Upper-Cuff BOAs? 54:09 Selling Shells w/o Liners? 56:34 Solutions for Cold Feet? 1:02:40 “True” size-22 Shells 1:04:57 Throat / Instep Fit 1:06:47 Canting & Cuff Alignment 1:09:11 “Custom” Boots 1:11:20 CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast Off The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sex & Ski Boots: Hoji, Matt Manser, & Greg Klein on the Present & Future of Ski Boot Design

We’re back with Eric Helmbrecht, co-owner of Powder Hound in Girdwood, AK, to discuss Alaska’s banner El Niño season; the gear he enjoyed most; the gear Kara Williard brought to Girdwood; what’s changed at Alyeska Resort since joining the Ikon pass; the reliability of various AT & alpine bindings, and more. RELATED LINKS: Shop Talk: Powder Hound, Girdwood, AK (Ep.133) Shop Talk: Celebrating 10 Years of Powder Hound in Girdwood, AK (Ep.222) Trends, Favorite Gear, and Most / Least Durable Products, with Eric Helmbrecht of Powder Hound AK (Ep.41)  Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Blister Recommended Shops TOPICS & TIMES Alaska’s Epic El Niño (3:07) Eric’s Favorite Gear (4:55) Kara’s Gear for AK (7:05) BOA Boots (10:57) Ski Tuning Upgrade (13:17) Ski Racing in AK (17:03) Alyeska on the Ikon Pass (20:03) Eric’s Trip Recommendations (25:19) Alpine Bindings (28:01) Binding Reliability & Longevity (30:56) Eric’s Preferences (40:53) AT Bindings & Trends (44:40) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast Off The Couch 
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Alaska’s Epic El Niño Season, Ski Bindings, & More with Powder Hound

Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the new skis they’ve been testing this spring RELATED LINKS: Blister Rec Shop: Powder Hound Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ TOPICS & TIMES: Intro & Updates (2:36) Blizzard Anomaly 88 (9:50) K2 Omen Team (20:00) Blizzard Anomaly 94 (23:32) Armada Declivity X 102 & Declivity X 108 (33:58) Moment Commander 102 (40:46) Line Pandora 99 & Pandora 106 (49:14) Black Crows Corvus (57:38) Rossignol Sender Free 118 (1:03:57) Crashes & Close Calls (1:10:07) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast Off The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whiskey, Murder, and a Bunch of New Skis

After years in the backcountry and a near-death experience, IFMGA Guide, Jeff Banks, wanted to build a tool that could simplify and improve the decision-making of any backcountry user. The result is Aspect Avy. 
Kara Williard sat down with Jeff to discuss how this app compares to and complements other backcountry tools; key features such as Adaptive Slop Shading and “No Go Zones”; how it accounts for human factors; different types of risk; the general state of tech in the backcountry; and more. RELATED LINKS: Download Aspect Avy for FREE Blister Rec Shop: Boulder Orthotics Get Covered: BLISTER+ VIDEOS: BLISTER YouTube Channel Invest in Aspect Avy TOPICS & TIMES: Jeff’s Background: IFMGA & Nordic (3:10) Jeff’s Near-Death Experience (6:15) Intro to Aspect Avy (9:18) Adaptive Slope Shading (10:31) No-Go Zones, Coaching Tool, & Runout Zones (13:21) Human Factors (19:17) Adaptive Tools (23:20) Who’s It For? (30:32) Tech & Backcountry Skiing (46:26) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast Off The Couch 
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New Tech to Simplify Decision Making in the Backcountry

What’s in and what’s out in ski design? And how have U.S. ski companies been doing over the past few years? At Blister Summit 2024, we discussed this and much more with Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, and Icelantic Skis founder, Ben Anderson. We cover notable trends; why skis cost what they do; the challenges of manufacturing skis in the U.S.; whether a core-shot-proof ski is possible, and more.
And, if you’d like to check out the video of this conversation, then head over to the BLISTER YouTube channel to watch this, plus other panel sessions from all of our Blister Summits, plus new brand lineup videos, etc. RELATED LINKS: Blister Rec Shop: Lone Pine Gear Exchange Get Covered: BLISTER+ VIDEOS: BLISTER YouTube Channel TOPICS & TIMES: Introductions 3:21 Manufacturing Challenges 8:08 Ski Costs vs. Ski Prices 14:10 Exciting New Ski Materials? 26:01 Audience Questions 35:50 CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast Off The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shop Talk: Gear West, Long Lake, MN

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