Gear:30

Avalanche beacons might not be as sexy as other ski & snowboard gear, but their proper use and design can be the difference between life and death. So we sat down with the co-founder of Backcountry Access, Bruce Edgerly, to talk about avalanche transceiver design, backcountry safety research, and the most important — yet often overlooked — aspects of a rescue.TOPICS & TIMES:BCA’s transceiver design philosophy + a new Tracker (1:21)Improving backcountry strategy & increasing your safety (7:24)Scenario: multiple burials (13:59)Ski media & backcountry safety (16:28)How old is too old when it comes to transceivers? (18:50)The changing backcountry scene (20:31) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sam Shaheen, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about some of their favorite new skis, then — in what might be our most anticipated review ever — Sam Shaheen gives us his honest, in-depth, pretty hilarious, and surprisingly insightful take on the dating app, Tinder. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alaska is a place where your gear really needs to hold up. So we talk to Eric Helmbrecht, owner of Powder Hound Ski Shop in Girdwood Alaska, about the trends he’s seeing in skiing and snowboarding; the gear with the most and the least durability issues; some of his favorite gear; the most Alaskan thing ever; and more.TOPICS & TIMESHow Powder Hound has evolved (2:30)Trending: Resort skiing vs. backcountry skiing (7:00)What gear are you most psyched on? (9:58)Ski boots: heat molding shells vs. traditional boot work (15:37)Favorite bindings? (19:53)Some favorite skis for Alyeska / AK? (24:29)Gear with the least & most durability issues (31:32)Eric’s take on “Bang for your buck” products (35:23)Favorite new outerwear (40:55)Powder Hound’s growing snowboard business (43:17)The most Alaskan thing ever (51:08) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Blister editors Sam Shaheen, and Luke Koppa, talk about the enormous amount of new apparel that has arrived at our HQ over the past few weeks. Sam and Luke are both serious nerds when it comes to this stuff, and their conversation highlights a ton of new apparel, from crazy new tech all the way to head-turning casual pieces. Let the geek-out begin.TOPICS & TIMES:The most sustainable shoe ever? (2:15)Ultra-comfortable hardshells from Patagonia & Flylow (5:32)Super warm, super shiny, and super “extra” Mammut Anorak (14:24)What Holden’s Jacket has in common with wine corks (17:18)The recent anorak takeover at Blister (20:46)New Brand Alert: Forward (25:06)Update on the product Sam wanted to steal (27:58) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk to Prior’s head snowboard and ski shaper, Dominic Morin, about the origins of Prior, their philosophy of ski and snowboard shaping, their craziest designs, their new shapes for 19/20, and the legacy of Chris Prior.TOPICS & TIMES:The origins of Prior (2:15)Why Prior shapes cores by hand (3:43)What’s the craziest custom design you’ve done? (8:08)How do your snowboard designs influence Prior’s ski designs? (12:13)Why is there a wider variety of snowboard shapes than ski shapes? (15:38)The Prior CBC and Husume (20:23)The Prior Northwest 110 and 100 (26:06)Why Prior has several niche models (31:12)How does Prior respond to trends in snowboard shapes? (33:37)Chris Prior’s lasting legacy (42:21) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk to Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, about next year’s lineup of skis; space movies; Ryan Gosling; Tyler Curle’s ski preferences; the “Google Bump”; and … more Ryan Gosling.TOPICS & TIMES:“Freestyle” collection: PB&J, Meridian, Wildcat 108, Deathwish, & Wildcat (5:00)The inspiration behind Moment’s space-themed 19/20 graphics (17:00)“Freeride” collection: Commander 98, 108, 118, & 124 (24:00)Moment team rider and ski builder Tyler Curle’s ski preferences (27:50)How the Commander 124 differs from the rest of the Commander series (36:20)Luke & Jonathan’s suggestions for alternative ski names (39:43)“Tour” collection: Wildcat Tour 108, Deathwish Tour, & Wildcat Tour (41:22)“Women’s” collection: Hot Mess, Sierra, & Bella (46:00)Moment’s collaboration with Google and the “Google Bump” (53:00) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we’re talking about a whole bunch of skis, including the new Line Outline and new Sir Francis Bacon; the new Nordica Enforcer 104 Free; the 4FRNT InThayne; and the J Skis Friend. We also talk a bit about Luke and Sam’s article on caring for outerwear; and Jonathan Ellsworth makes a quasi-apology / mini confession about his previous stance on lightweight, inbound skis. Finally, there is a MASSIVELY IMPORTANT teaser about a forthcoming GEAR:30 episode.TOPICS & TIMES:Line’s Outline and new Sir Francis Bacon (3:24)Nordica Enforcer 104 Free (11:33)4FRNT Inthayne (16:36)J Skis The Friend, 183 cm (19:29)Change in perspective on lightweight inbound skis (23:30)Luke and Sam’s article on outerwear care (26:10)Sneak peek of an incredible upcoming episode (30:10) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Outdoor Retailer / SIA show ended yesterday, so we sat down right after to debrief and discuss some of the most notable trends we saw, talk about the products we’re dying to try (and were most tempted to just steal), and some of the other odd and / or noteworthy people and things we saw at the show.TOPICS & TIMES:New trends in apparel and skis (1:10)What we’re most curious to try (8:29)Gear we’re most tempted to steal (16:31)Weirdest thing we saw (25:44)Swagger Award (27:05)Best graphics (30:57) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are you one of the many people who have ever wished that your ski touring boots were a bit stiffer or more comfortable? Well then listen up, because the bootfitters at Pulse Boot Lab in Revelstoke have come up with a number of innovative ways to achieve both.TOPICS & TIMES:Pulse’s “mathematical” approach to bootfitting (2:12)The Pulse Fit Assistant App (5:26)New tools for shell modifications (8:30)Thermo-moldable vs. injection-style liners (11:12)Biggest trends in bootfitting (17:24)What is the Pulse Proflex? (18:48)And how exactly does it work? (22:24)Why did they choose to work with Pebax? (28:10)The Pulse ProFlex Kickstarter Campaign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk to K2 ski designer, Jed Yeiser, about the 13 new skis that make up K2’s brand new “Mindbender” series.TOPICS & TIMES:Background: the Mindbender series (2:55)The individual skis: Mindbender 85 (9:20)Mindbender 90C (10:50)Torsional stiffness and design controls (12:21)Mindbender 90Ti (16:50)Mindbender 99Ti (18:55)Mindbender 108Ti (22:40)Mindbender 116C (29:10)Mindbender vs the previous Pinnacle series (32:25)Men’s line vs Women’s line (35:03)New “Powerwall” Tech (38:10)Mindbender Jr. Ski (41:22) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We discuss the latest skis and outerwear we’re reviewing, including the Black Crows Corvus, Rossi Black Ops, Parlor Cardinal 90, Argent Skis Badger, Flylow Baker Bibs, and Patagonia Micro Puff Storm.TOPICS & TIMES:Rossignol Black Ops (1:40)Black Crows Corvus (6:35)Parlor Cardinal 90 (13:41)Argent Badger (18:51)Flylow Baker Bib (plus bibs vs. non-bibs) (21:33)Patagonia Micro Puff Storm (25:03) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Caleb and Morgan Weinberg are brothers who founded Romp Skis in Crested Butte, Colorado, so we sat down with them at our headquarters in CB to discuss their backgrounds, what it specifically means to them to be a “custom” ski building manufacturer, how they ended up building skis for the 10th Special Forces Group, and more.Follow Romp Skis on InstagramTOPICS & TIMES:Finding their way to Gunnison / Crested Butte (1:18)Why the name “Romp”? (9:25)The early days: figuring it out (10:25)What does the word “custom” mean for Romp? (18:13)Their approach to shaping skis (29:35)Thoughts on ski weight & related tech (33:20)Building skis for the 10th Special Forces Group (42:35) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we are making good on some past promises, so I sat down with Luke Koppa and Sam Shaheen at our Blister headquarters at Elevation in Mt Crested Butte. We start by talking about 3 skis that just missed the cut from earning a Best Of award from us this year. Then we turn to talk about a number of new skis we’ve been getting on or are about to get on, including the Folsom Trophy Carbon, Rossignol Black Ops 118, the HEAD World Cup Rebel i.Speed Pro, the Dynastar PR-OTO Factory, and the Moment Commander 98 and 108.TOPICS & TIMES:Prior CBC (2:06)Fischer Ranger 102 FR (5:00)Dynastar Mythic 97 (8:30)Folsom Trophy (9:10)Rossignol Black Ops 118 (9:53)Head Worldcup Rebels i.Speed Pro (13:05)Dynastar PR-oto (15:48)Moment Commander 98 & 108 (18:43)Blister Showroom (23:45) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Not all gear is great — or even good. So today we’re discussing a number of intriguing products that turned out to disappoint. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we’re talking with the one and only Eric Hjorleifson about his brand-new boot, the Dynafit Hoji Free, what’s new with this boot, and how it differs from the current Hoji Pro Tour.Then you’re going hear Eric talk about trying to improve and refine the latest iteration of his favorite ski, the 4FRNT Renegade, and finally, we wrap up our gear geekery by talking a bit about outerwear and Eric’s work with Arc’teryx.And if you somehow missed it yesterday, we ran over on the Blister Podcast platform what was basically Part 1 of our conversation, where we talk to Hoji about his new film, “Hoji.”TOPICS & TIMES:Hoji on the Dynafit Hoji Free. (3:00)Differences between the Hoji Pro Tour and Hoji Free. (5:50)Did weight play a factor in designing the Hoji Free? (22:32)Hoji Free crampon compatibility? (27:12)What’s new with the 4FRNT Renegade? (30:55)The problem with updating for the sake of updating. (37:55)Does Eric geek out on outerwear, too? (43:30) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Last week we talked to Will Ritter, the founder of the biggest splitboard binding company in the world, Spark R&D, about the origin story of Spark R&D, and some of the milestones and setbacks that the company has achieved — and survived — along the way.This week we’re running Part 2 of our conversation, and Will and I discuss some of Spark R&D’s current products, discuss the old hard boots vs. soft boots debate, talk collaborating with companies like CAST Touring and 22 Designs, and using solar power at the Spark R&D factory.TOPICS & TIMES:Sparks’ new "Pro Series" of bindings (1:05)Should we expect any drastic changes in Spark's splitboard interface? (4:43)Thoughts on Karakoram’s new interface? (14:02)Hard boots vs. soft boots (15:48)Will the next biggest innovation be in bindings, splitboards or boots? (21:30)Spark's collaborations with CAST Touring, 22 Designs, Phantom, etc. (29:31)What’s the best question I haven't asked you? (35:54)Using solar power at Spark R&D (38:45) See ac

Will Ritter is the founder of Spark R&D, the largest splitboard binding company in the world, and Spark R&D designs and manufactures all of their products in Bozeman, Montana. This turned into such an interesting conversation with Will that we are presenting it in two parts. Here in part 1, we talk about the history of Spark R&D, and whether or not you’ve ever ridden a snowboard, if you have ever thought about starting any company of any kind, listen closely, because I promise you that you will glean some very real insights into what actually goes into starting and running a company.And then we will be posting later part 2 of our conversation, where Will and I went deeper into Spark R&D’s specific products, we discuss hard boots vs. soft boots, how much room Will thinks there is for splitboards to improve, and more.But for now, let’s get the origin story of Spark R&D, and listen to Will kindly share some real words of wisdom for anyone thinking of starting anything.TOPICS & TIMES:Trick

Blister editors Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, and Sam Shaheen talk about the making of our 18/19 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide, the current state of Buyer's Guides in general, some of the “Best Of” award winners, and our Product of the Year.And if you have any comments or questions about the Guide that you’d like to see us address on a future GEAR:30 episode, feel free to email us or leave a question in the comments section to this episode’s show notes on the website.TOPICS & TIMES:On the Print Buyer's Guide & Other News (2:12)Our Guide and the state of Buyer's Guides in general (5:31)Our Product of the Year (9:12)Some of our "Best Of" Award Winners (11:56)What we'll be discussing in Part 2 (29:06) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we're discussing the wonders and weirdness of Interbike, 2018, with Blister's bike editor, Noah Bodman. Noah gives the rundown on Interbike's new digs (it moved from Las Vegas to Reno this year), what he saw, what he didn't see, and what he rode.And we open with Jonathan Ellsworth giving a bit of an update on our 18/19 Winter Buyer’s Guide, and revealing some sketchy details about his participation at Interbike last year.TOPICS & TIMES:Update on Winter Buyer's Guide (2:20)Confessions from Interbike, 2017 (4:00)Interbike's New Digs — from Vegas to Reno, NV (6:40)The new Pivot Shuttle and the predominance of e-bikes (8:20)Pivot 429 Trail (14:45)How this year's show compared to last year's (16:20)Dumb or Niche: folding e-fat bikes (20:05)Tariffs impact on Asian companies (20:45)Single bike racks are for the lonely and / or lazy (22:06)PRESENTING SPONSOR:750 Miles of Trail in Gunnison/Crested Butte, CO See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk to Boston-based Parlor Custom Skis co-founder, Mark Wallace, about the origins story of Parlor; the very successful “Build Your Own Skis” class they offer; the new models in their 18/19 lineup — including Parlor snowboards and splitboards; and several trends on the East Coast ski scene.And if you’d like to hear Mark talk more about custom ski building, check out our Round Table on Custom Skis, which is episode #33 of the Blister Podcast.TOPICS & TIMES:Brief history of Parlor Skis (2:50)On Parlor's "Build Your Own Skis" class (8:21)18/19 Parlor Skis Lineup (19:58)"Project Warbird" (21:20)Naming skis (22:53)Working with titanal (24:47)The Cardinal Pro (26:59)The "Dad Skinner"?? (29:24)Parlor's New Snowboards (31:39)Trends in East Coast Skiing: backcountry skiing (34:15)East Coast Ski Width (36:54)EC Snowmaking (43:55)What's the best question I haven't asked you? (48:38)PRESENTING SPONSOR:750 Miles of Trail in Gunnison/Crested Butte, CO See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.