We’re pulling back the curtain on ski testing, and to provide their wealth of experience in this arena are The Ski Monster co-founder & CEO, George Michaelsen, and Matt Berkowitz, who is now the brand director of The Ski Monster and who has participated in too many ski tests to count. We discuss good ways and bad ways to conduct gear tests; how and why The Ski Monster has been able to ramp up the amount of gear testing they’re doing; and why not all gear tests are created equal. TOPICS & TIMES:George Michaelsen’s questionable life decision (6:21)Matt Berkowitz’s ski industry background (10:28)Ski Monster update (17:05)How industry ski tests work (19:06)Ski tuning & ski testing (42:00)Different reviewers & reviewing (53:58)What We’re Celebrating (1:10:00)RELATED LINKSEpisode Sponsor: AvocadoJonathan’s Sleep ExperimentGetting Here: Gunnison & Crested ButteBlister Summit RegistrationSubscribe to our Newsletter & Gear GiveawaysBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s Guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shop Talk: Pulling Back the Curtain on Gear Testing

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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Taylor Ahearn has been photographing skiing, snowboarding, biking, and day-to-day life in the Gunnison / Crested Butte Valley for many years now, and in this conversation, Luke Koppa chats with him about how he turned that into a career; their favorite camera-related gear; tips to help *you* capture better photos next time you’re outside; the most rewarding, frustrating, and unusual parts of getting these shots; and more. If you’re curious about how people like Taylor create such inspiring photos, or are looking to better capture your own time outside, you’ll definitely want to stick around. RELATED LINKS: Our Blister Recommended Shops Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast TOPICS & TIMES: Taylor’s Photo Background (3:57) Most Rewarding Aspects? (10:37) Challenges (16:04) Photo Myths (22:22) Shooting Biking vs Skiing (26:02) Current Setups (30:10) Camera Accessories (38:43) Photography Advice (47:20) Editing & Settings (1:01:08) Favorite Photos & Photographers (1:11:39) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Outdoor Photography: Tips, Tricks, & Gear with Taylor Ahearn

For this episode, Luke Koppa sat down with Kristin Sinnott to go over some of the products they’ve found useful, surprising, or otherwise noteworthy while on the road or hurtling through the sky. They also discuss extremely relevant things like camcorder storage solutions and dinosaur podcasts, the fact that Luke doesn’t actually like traveling, and more. RELATED LINKS: Bag Balm: 20% Off w/ Code: BLISTER Blister Summit 2025: Early-Bird Registration Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ TOPICS & TIMES: Kristin & Luke’s Recent Trips (6:29) Travel Essentials (9:14) Camcorder Gear (20:09) Headphones & Dino Podcasts (23:58) Apparel (29:26) Surprisingly Useful Gear (45:05) Products We Wished Existed (47:30) 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.

Reviewer Reports: Travel Gear, Dinosaurs, & Camcorders

In part 2 of this GEAR THERAPY mini-saga, Justin Bobb lays out his specific recommendations for boots, bindings, boards, & more to get Jonathan started on his snowboarding journey. They also discuss how many days on a board JE will need before he’s ready to head up to the Headwall at Crested Butte. RELATED LINKS: Blister Rec Shop: Boone Mtn Sports Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Listen to Part One CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Cinematic CRAFTED Bikes & Big Ideas Blister Podcast Off The Couch TOPICS & TIMES: Next Blister Cinematic episode Snowboard Boots (8:46) Snowboard Bindings (22:07) Snowboards (29:01) Camber Profiles (30:32) Length / Sizing (36:21) Protective Gear (39:36) Common Injuries (43:12) Summary (45:52) Headwall Challenge (47:03) Crashes & Close Calls (53:57) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

GEAR THERAPY: A Skier (Blister’s founder) Learns to Snowboard, Part 2

How much does knowing how to ski help when learning how to snowboard? How do you slam as little as possible while learning to ride? Why don’t snowboards have releasable bindings? These are a few of our Blister founder's questions as he learns to ‘think sideways.’ RELATED LINKS: Blister Rec Shop: Powder Hound Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ TOPICS & TIMES: Hot Dog…The Movie (4:56) Snowboarding Status Update (8:33) Slam Reduction Program (12:08) Releasable Bindings? (14:32) JE’s Snowboarding Goals (19:38) Stance (21:21) Visualization / “Think Sideways” (23:54) Best Terrain to Begin On? (29:34) Types of Slams (33:25) Speed (35:51) Running Flat Bases? (36:30) Heel vs Toe, Part 1 (38:34) Tips on Crashing (41:36) Timeline (44:22) Heel vs Toe, Part 2 (45:00) Edges (51:31) How to Stop?? (53:05) Speed Scrubbing (1:01:30) JE’s Latest Crashes & Close Calls (1:05:21) 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.

GEAR THERAPY: A Skier (Blister’s founder) Learns to Snowboard, Part 1

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.

Shop Talk: Pulling Back the Curtain on Gear Testing

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