Blister Podcast

For our first Blister Podcast of 2021, we asked a few of our reviewers to share one highlight of the past year; one thing they’re most looking forward to in 2021; and one new year’s resolution. We got quite a range of answers, and apparently Kristin Sinnott and Jonathan Ellsworth will be starting up a new reality TV show?? Please enjoy, and Happy New Year!TOPICS & TIMESKristin Sinnott (1:02)Eric Freson (9:56)Luke Koppa (15:18)Sascha Anastas (19:53)Gordon Gianniny (30:13)Kara Williard (42:44)Dylan Wood (50:01)Paul Forward & Jonathan Ellsworth (57:45) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cody Towsend and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about chess & The Queen’s Gambit; savants & skier savants; ski media; political appointees; avalanche accidents; Cody’s new film, The Mountain Why; and more.TOPICS & TIMESCody versus the people of Girdwood, AK (2:15)The Queen’s Gambit & Savants (4:36)Spoiler Alerts for the Queen’s Gambit (6:29 - 19:21)Magnus Carlsen, & Skier Savants (8:23)Deb Haaland, Interior Secretary (19:25)Ski Media & Powder Magazine (37:31)Gear Shops, Gear Makers, & Crystal Balls (50:31)Who is getting into avalanche accidents? (56:08)Cody & Michelle Parker’s film, The Mountain Why (1:09:20)RELATED LINKSDavid Hill’s excellent article on Walter Tevis See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Elena Hight is an X Games Gold Medalist, two-time Olympian, and a person who everyone in our world describes first and foremost as … a badass.We talked with Elena about her new film project, Blank Canvas; competitive drive; how similar or different it is preparing to ride a big backcountry line versus a half-pipe contest run; her time in the mountains with the likes of Hana Beaman, Travis Rice, and Danny Davis; the importance for all of us to get better at dealing with the changes and transitions that are an inevitable part of life; and more.TOPICS & TIMESOffseason training & habits (4:49)Competitive Background (9:35)Mental preparation: contests vs. the backcountry (15:18)Shifting from halfpipe riding (22:21)Practices to help with moments of transition (33:40)Filming with Travis Rice (39:55)Current favorite books & music (43:26)2021 plans (44:50)Where to watch Blank Canvas (50:15) RELATED LINKSSurvivor Endurance phone case Jonathan’s experience with the Survivor Endurance See acast.com/p

Bode Miller is not only one of the greatest ski racers of all time, he’s also working on a number of interesting projects. So we have a very wide-ranging conversation with Bode about his involvement in rethinking education with the Institute for Civic Leadership; the use of technology and data to make skiing easier (SKEO); the crucial lesson his grandmother taught him at a young age; his greatest competitive advantage as a ski racer; his interest in reenvisioning advertising (DTX); what he aims to do in terms of ski design with Crosson Skis; and more. TOPICS & TIMESRethinking Education: ICL: Institute for Civic Leadership (2:40)Tech, Data, & Skiing: SKEO (11:52)Benefits & dangers of new technologies (17:46)Lesson from Bode’s grandma (24:36)Various factors of ski racing (30:12)Bode’s greatest competitive advantage (33:43)Rethinking Advertising: DTX & Flowcode (43:33)Bode on ski design: Crosson Skis (56:45) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk with Moosejaw CEO, Eoin Comerford, about how to increase diversity and inclusivity in the outdoor industry; the Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator — which we hope that a number of you will apply for; what Moosejaw’s aims are today, and how those aims are informed by Moosejaw’s parent company, Walmart; and more.TOPICS & TIMESMoosejaw’s history (3:18)Being backed by Walmart (9:24)The Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator (18:46)Inclusivity in the outdoor space (22:51)Large online retailers & indie brick & mortar shops (30:57)The current state of the outdoor industry (38:33)More details re: the Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator (49:58)RELATED LINKSMoosejaw Outdoor Acceleratorblister.getspot.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sales of backcountry guide books are up, and more and more people are venturing out. So we talked with Beacon Guide Books founder, Andy Sovick (who Cody Townsend and I recently talked about on episode #150), about how he got into publishing guide books; why he actually dislikes the term “guide books”; whether or not backcountry guide books should even exist; the responsibilities that come with publishing them; why Andy is an advocate of the “ATES” system (Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale); and more. TOPICS & TIMESAndy’s ‘back-to-the-land’ upbringing (4:39)Mentorship (9:30)The responsibility of publishing guidebooks (33:28)ATES: The Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (47:45)Updating the atlases (55:35)Beacon Guide Books Rakkup app (59:34)Steamboat lawsuit (1:04:52)Where to find Beacon Guidebooks (1:22:12) RELATED LINKS:blister.getspot.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Athletic Brewing Company is a fast-growing brand in an emerging category that is about to blow up: non-alcoholic craft beer. So we talked to Athletic Brewing’s founder about why he started the company; the stigma of not drinking; why “near beer” has been so bad; why there’s such a need for products like this in the outdoors community; Athletic’s brewing process; how he feels about the emerging competition in the space; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:When / why did start thinking about starting Athletic? (2:17)Stigmas around not drinking (5:06)Stigmas around “N/A” beer (8:31)Why didn’t N/A beer take off sooner? (12:45)Parallels: N/A beer & the plant-based meat industry (28:17)Two For the Trails program (31:02) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we are launching a new segment on the Blister Podcast. Each month, Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth will discuss some of the biggest stories and most interesting news headlines from the world of outdoor sports, and on occasion, the broader world, too. Then we’ll conclude each episode by talking about some of the best things we’ve watched, read, or listened to. Check it out, and let us know your thoughts & recommendations in the Comments Section of the show notes on the blister website.TOPICS, TIMES, & RELATED ARTICLES: (1) Emily Harrington’s Epic Climb (2:58)Outside Magazine articleFox News articleNBC News article & video(2) The Race to Open Ski Areas (22:21)Local Freshies article(3) The Election & Outdoor Athletes (32:00)San Francisco Chronicles article(4) Cooking in Geysers (43:48)Travel and Leisure articleOutside Magazine article(5) Blevin’s Corner: Are Backcountry Lines Trade Secrets? (49:26)Jason Blevin’s Colorado Sun articleAndy Sovick’s Beacon Guide Books(6) The Rise &

Did you know that 1 out of 5 people in the United States have a disability? 20 percent. And that is just one of the reasons why those of us who love and care about outdoor recreation really ought to know about all that is happening in the world of adaptive sports.So to get an overview of the past, present, and future of adaptive sports and recreation, we sat down with Chris Read and Betty Philbin of the Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte.TOPICS & TIMES:What are Adaptive Sports? (2:00)Origins of outdoor-focused adaptive sports (2:51)Terminology & Etiquette (16:55)The Gear (22:46)Programing in Crested Butte (27:19)Lodging (32:31)How to get involved (38:04)RELATED LINKS:Our Off The Couch podcast: Kyle Robidoux on Running, Skiing, & Being Legally BlindAdaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Wurl — The Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup — has gained quite a lot of attention in the trail running and climbing worlds, but it had never been done in the winter, and Mali Noyes and Lani Bruntz set out to change that.So we recently talked with Mali and Lani about their respective backgrounds, the origins of this idea to ski The Wurl, and then we dive into the planning and logistics and scouting and spreadsheets (do not underestimate the importance of spreadsheets!) that happened behind the scenes and well before they set out on their mission. After the conversation, head over to Salomon TV to watch the short film of Mali and Lani’s attempt to ski The Wurl.TOPICS & TIMES:Mali’s background (2:46)Lani’s background (7:30)Describe The WURL? (16:14)Planning & Logistics (23:58)Spreadsheets! (26:32)Conditions & Weather (38:02)Highlights? (40:31)Closing Thoughts (44:59)RELATED LINKS:Salomon TV: The Wurl See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is another installment in our series on food, food systems, and food movements, and we have included links below to all of the really interesting and diverse range of conversations we’ve had this year on these topics.Our guest today was first introduced to me by Blister reviewer, Paul Forward. Mahting Putelis is the founder of Hunt to Eat, which is an organization that exists to:“Find modern, progressive, and inclusive ways to support and grow the community of folks that go outdoors, harvest wild meat, or plants, or fungi, and take these things home to be cooked with care for themselves or their friends and family. The folks that see the importance of wildlife and nature. This community is not defined by race, politics, education, wealth, or gender; it's simply a human community. Hunting, fishing, foraging, and existing in nature are things that human beings have done to survive since the dawn of our evolution. Everyone who exists in nature is part of the Hunt to Eat community. And it can only grow from

Last week Cody Townsend came to Western Colorado University for our Blister Speaker Series and spoke about why his education has been so beneficial to his career; social media and the new responsibilities of athletes today; starting & growing a business (Arcade Belts); The Fifty Project and all of the behind-the-scenes work; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Why Cody studied linguistics (5:19)Responsibilities of athletes today (11:28)Social media — expectations (15:46)Cody’s mentors (23:02)Starting & running a business: Arcade Belts (25:11)The Fifty Project (30:07)The work that goes on behind the scenes (35:01)Getting funding for projects Lines that should be included in the Fifty? (44:04)Climate motivation (46:43)How can skiing become more inclusive? (51:02) RELATED LINKS:Previous Blister Speaker Series Events See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’ve got a really fun one for you today — Alexi Godbout and Stan Rey are on the show talking about their new film, Follow the Forecast, which features a bunch of good friends who happen to be really good at skiing. We also talk about potential alternate titles for the film; what’s harder: ski mountaineering or skiing pillows?; who won the movie?; and yes, Stan’s spit cup.RELATED LINKS:icelab.co - Come live & work in the Gunnison Valley!Watch the Trailer: Follow the ForecastTOPICS & TIMES:Introductions (4:18)The story behind Blank Collective (6:31)Why did you let that guy Cody be in the film?? (9:32)Favorite segment in the film? (22:20)The music (23:57)Alternate Film Title Suggestions (25:52)Stan’s favorite joke (30:24)“Doggy” (35:46)The best cheap ski products of all time? (38:10)Favorite non-ski movies? (41:24)Who won the movie? (46:23)Best Crash Award (48:18) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our guest today is Camille Jaccoux, the co-founder of Black Crows Skis. This is Camille’s 2nd time on the Blister Podcast, and you should check out Blister Podcast ep. 64, where I talked to Camille and Black Crows head ski designer, Julien Regnier, about the history of Black Crows. This time, we talk about growing up in Chamonix and Camille’s background in skiing; what Black Crows is doing to grow the brand while trying to stay true to the reasons why they started the company in the first place; we discuss the lost art of ski ballet, who would win today in a mogul comp between Camille and Glen Plake, and get predictions for this upcoming season. TOPICS & TIMESPredictions for the upcoming season (7:30)Growing up / Camille’s ski background (11:15)Ski ballet! (16:03)Mogul skiing (Camille vs Glen Plake) (23:49)Key moment in your ski history? (25:53)Turning point in Camille’s life (38:11)Founding Black Crows / ski culture in 2005 (42:46)Hardest thing about growing Black Crows? (54:10)Most fun / rewar

Will Gadd has established a number of the hardest mixed ice climbing lines in the world; set the world distance record for paragliding (twice); kayaked down dozens of first ascents across North America; and won the Canadian National Sport-Climbing Championships four times. And yet, the most extraordinary thing about Will might just be his passion level for doing just about anything outdoors, coupled with his commitment to making sure that the next generation - and the generations after them - have the same opportunities.So we talk to Will about ice climbing, skiing, paragliding, rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking — and how they relate to one another. And we also talk about his new film, The Last Ascent, which documents Will’s return to Mount Kilimanjaro in February 2020 to climb the Messner route and the Tanzanian ice (at 19,000’ altitude) while they still can.TOPICS & TIMES:How would you describe this film? (4:55)What makes African ice unique? (8:51)Will on the influence of Messner (10:51)Comparing

We talk to snowboarder & Protect Our Winters founder, Jeremy Jones, about his new film, Purple Mountains; the importance of reviving a lost art; and more.Watch a video of this conversation on our YouTube channelWatch the trailer for Purple MountainsTOPICS & TIMES:The title of the film (1:59)Social media (7:05)Common ground / consensus (9:28)The art of conversation (11:28)Best ways to discuss these issues? (12:37)Politics as a sport / entertainment (14:08)Upcoming election (21:50)A favorite moment from the film? (27:20)Closing thoughts (32:18) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, is a lifelong hunter. Jonathan Ellsworth has been a vegetarian for over 20 years. So how much common ground do they share? We discuss that plus Paul’s latest solo hunt; why he only hunts with a bow; what the broader hunting community might learn from skiers & mtn bikers in terms of climate advocacy; and what skiers & mtn bikers could stand to learn from the hunting community about conservation.TOPICS & TIMESPaul’s background (5:13)Hunting with a bow (7:53)Paul’s recent solo hunt (11:37)Animals, Pain, & Death in the Wild (13:55)Going vegetarian in college (20:22)Conservation & Climate Advocacy (29:31)Pebble Mine, Alaska (36:50)Closing thoughts (43:07)Our Other Podcasts on Food, Diet, & NutritionBlister Podcast, ep. 131: Food Sovereignty & Indigenous RightsBlister Podcast, ep. 132: Bees, Green Lawns, “Perfect” Apples, & the Reinvention of FarmingBlister Podcast, ep. 133: BlackAFinSTEM, Birders, & BeesBlister Podcast, ep. 135: Olympian Dotsie Ba

On January 6, 2018, Chris Bombardier became the first person with hemophilia to complete all Seven Summits, and tomorrow, a film comes out called Bombardier Blood that tells Chris’ story and homes in on his attempt to summit Mt. Everest.  Chris is also now the executive director of the organization, Save One Life, whose mission is to improve the quality of life and future for people with bleeding disorders in developing countries. So in this conversation you’ll be introduced to a wonderful guy named Chris; you’ll learn more about hemophilia and better understand the experience of those who have the condition; you’ll learn more about the work of Save One Life; and then tomorrow, you’ll get to go watch Bombardier Blood and be introduced to “Crazy Uncle Dave” and a number of other wonderful people. WATCH THE TRAILER FOR BLOOD BOMBARDIER TOPICS & TIMES:Baseball, sharks, & growing up w/ hemophilia (3:00)What exactly is Hemophilia? (7:28)Playing baseball, dealing w/ injuries? (16:00

“Camping” is a massive industry, and a lot goes on under that one name. So today we discuss who’s doing it; what, exactly, people are doing; the different segments of camping; the most important trends; some of the current problems and challenges in the space; and some of the potential solutions. To walk us through it all we sat down with Sam Degenhard, founder of campfireranch.co.TOPICS & TIMES:Sam’s background (2:48) Defining Terms & Segments: Primitive Camping (8:56)Public Campgrounds (11:20)Private Campgrounds (13:12)Glamping (14:30)Overlanding / Van Life (18:49)Camping Connectors / Services (23:06)Audience Size & Financial Figures (27:12)Trends (32:28)Sam’s company: Campfire Ranch (48:18)How to book a stay (1:02:28) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jeremy Bloom is a 3-time world champion mogul skier, a 2-time Olympian, an 11-time World Cup gold medalist, and an All-American football player that was drafted into the NFL. He's also the executive producer of an important new film, The Weight of Gold, which explores the mental health challenges that Olympic athletes often face. So we talked to Jeremy about his own background; the pursuit of athletic excellence; winning and happiness; brain health; and more.TOPICS & TIMES Jeremy’s life these days (2:45)Skiing AND Football (6:17)The Film: The Weight of Gold (19:00)Winning & Happiness (29:13)Life after Athletics (42:45)Physical Health & ‘Brain Health’ (45:05)RELATED LINKS:teamusa.org/mentalhealth See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.