Blister Podcast

We just held the inaugural Blister Speaker Series event at Western Colorado University with Brendan Leonard — author, filmmaker, and creator of Semi-Rad.com. So here is that live conversation where we talk with Brendan about work, work ethic, creativity, and how to keep from compromising your vision in whatever field you are passionate about pursuing.TOPICS & TIMES:Background of the Blister Speaker Series (1:50)How does Brendan describe his eclectic body of work? (6:22)Brendan’s journey from journalism to the Outdoor Industry (8:13)Tips for pursuing your passion without compensation (11:06)How Semi-Rad.com was born of rejection (19:03)Books that Brendan recommends (29:25)What advice would Brendan give his undergraduate self? (32:52)New Blister project with Brendan (41:08)Brendan’s tips for balancing time outdoors with a desk job (43:40)When did Brendan become more conscious of his work’s impact? (49:32)Advice about remaining resilient in the face of career challenges (52:14)What motivates Brendan and Jona

Earlier this year I sat down with Greg Hill and Chris Rubens to talk about their "Electric Adventures" (episode #66), and we also discuss in that episode a bit about Greg’s background. And in this new conversation, our focus is on the present and the future. Greg and I discuss the new Canadian chapter of Protect Our Winters; get Greg’s advice for how to productively deal with what he calls “eco-anxiety”; we talk about a new app called 57 Hours that is more effectively connecting guides with skiers, bikers, and climbers; and I ask Greg what piece of backcountry safety equipment he is currently most excited about.TOPICS & TIMES:Kids, trampolines, and backcountry skiing (2:10)Greg's work with Protect our Winters Canada (8:45)"Eco-Anxiety" and productive responses (13:08)An update on Greg's Electric Adventures (22:30)Greg's take on the growing category of electric vehicles (34:18)Greg's work as a guide (39:12)New guide app 57 Hours — why Greg and I are excited about it (41:14)What new backcountry safety equip

Very few people are so good at what they do that they can have a film made about their life and their career while they are still in the middle of both. But Eric Hjorleifson is one of those people, and we talked to Eric about the eponymous film, Hoji, that was produced by Scott Gaffney and Matchstick Productions. Eric and I talk about the tour he’s been on for the film, how the idea for the film originated, and we even got Hoji to ruminate a bit on what he thinks sets him apart as a skier.And gear heads stay tuned, because tomorrow, we’ll be dropping a GEAR:30 episode where you can hear Eric talk about his new Hoji Free boot, as well as the latest iteration of his ski, the 4FRNT Renegade.Click here for more info on the Hoji movie tour datesTOPICS & TIMES:Eric’s favorite stops while touring the movie. (03:50)Where did the idea for the movie come from? (09:06)Jonathan’s favorite people featured in the film. (13:25)What has Eric learned from making the film? (20:05)What’s Eric’s favorite ski movie? (22:40)Wh

Elyse Saugstad is one of the best big mountain skiers in the game, and we spoke with her a few days ago about the soon-to-be-released film, All In, from Matchstick Productions — the evolution of All In, and the experience of teaming up with several other big mountain rock stars, Angel Collinson, Michelle Parker, and Tatum Monod. We then talk about growing up in Alaska, and Elyse gives an update on Safe As Clinics, which is the backcountry education program she co-founded. And then we get into a whole bunch of other stuff, too, so just know that this is a fun conversation and an inspiring one, since Elyse is very actively showing all of us the value of continuing to seek out new ways to challenge ourselves and grow.TOPICS & TIMES:Packing for Portillo / What are you up to? (2:50)Skiing & filming with Angel Collinson, Michelle Parker, and Tatum Monod (4:25)How the *All In* film evolved (11:20)Growing up in Girdwood, Alaska (20:10)Figure Skating & Ski

Julian Carr is a professional skier and world-record cliff jumper, the founder of Discrete Clothing, and the founder and race director of the Cirque Series, a group of six big-mountain running events held at some pretty iconic ski areas: Brighton, Alta, Alyeska, Sun Valley, Arapahoe Basin, and Snowbird.My conversation with Julian really falls into four parts: First, Julian and I talk about the Cirque Series, which kicks off this coming weekend on June 30th at Brighton, Utah. And you might assume that the race director of the Cirque Series probably is a pretty serious runner, but Julian doesn’t really consider himself to be a runner at all, but rather, someone who simply loves to be in the mountains, and enjoys becoming more and more adept at moving in the mountains. And that discussion about not really identifying as a runner makes up the 2nd part of our conversation.In part 3, Julian and I drill down pretty deep on the thing that many of you probably most associate Julian with: dropping impossibly huge cliff

Glen Morden has an extremely cool job — he's the head of Product Innovation at Patagonia. So we talk to Glen about his background and how he ended up in this position, then Glen pulls back the curtain on the product design process at Patagonia, what he and his colleagues are currently most concerned with, and what sorts of projects are on the horizon. So if you are interested in product design, new gear, or how innovation happens, you’re going to enjoy this conversation.TOPICS & TIMES:As the "VP of Product Innovation at Patagonia" ... what do you actually do? (1:01)Glen's background (4:10)What was your formal education like? (7:14)When & how did you start working at Patagonia? (18:29)What is the design process like at Patagonia, and what are the various departments & teams? (22:42)Impact reduction and product design (28:30)What are your favorite products that you've worked on? (36:18)What areas in apparel design do you see the most potential for improvement? (40:33)Working with Patagonia's athlet

In the past several days, there has been another reported instance of bullying going on in the outdoors sports world, and the loud, swift, and aggressive responses to this, have made clear that many of us still have a lot to think through.Last week, professional climber Sasha Digiulian announced on social media that she has been the ongoing target of tasteless jokes by fellow climber, Joe Kinder. Sascha stated that she had reached out to Joe in private about this to try to resolve the matter, but had received no reply. So, finally, she went public.You can find - and should read, if you haven’t already - in the show notes to this episode on Blister Sascha’s statement, Joe’s apology, and the responses by Black Diamond and La Sportiva, about why they decided to end their sponsorships of Joe.But the reason why we are talking about this here, is because of those alarming number of disturbing responses online and on social media to these events.So in this conversation, I’m joined by Blister’s climbing editor, Dave

We’re talking with Renan Ozturk, an expedition climber, landscape artist, filmmaker, co-founder of Camp4 Collective, and the principal cinematographer of the very powerful film, “MOUNTAIN.” MOUNTAIN is an epic meditation on our relationship to and fascination with mountains. Directed by Jennifer Peedom and narrated by Willem Dafoe, the script is based on Robert Macfarlane's, "Mountains of the Mind," and the film features many of the best mountain sports athletes in the world — Alex Honnold, Candide Thovex, Conrad Anker, Tommy Caldwell, Hilaree O’Neil, Danny MacAskill, Travis Rice, and Renan Ozturk himself. You can learn more about screening dates and locations at mountainthefilm.com.Renan and I discuss his work on the film and what makes MOUNTAIN unique, his own evolving relationship with the mountains, and what's next for him.TOPICS & TIMES:How would you attempt to describe this film? (2:15)How did the idea for this film originate? (8:14)Logistics: How was all of this put together? (1

We have been receiving more and more questions about Sego Skis and requests to review them, so today, you’re going to get the backstory. Sego was founded by two brothers, Tim and Peter Wells, and Sego is headquartered in the small mountain town of Victor, Idaho. So we talked to Tim and Peter about starting a ski company (actually, how they started two ski companies) and why they decided to set up shop in Victor to build skis.Then we go over some particular Sego skis, working with Lynsey Dyer, the snowblades they’re producing, and why they have a ski called the Condor that has nothing on it other than … an avocado.You can check out now our First Look at the Condor, and, if you become a Blister member, you can also read our Flash Review of the Condor and get our initial on-snow impressions of the ski.TOPICS & TIMES:Introducing Sego's founders, Tim & Peter Wells (1:33)Starting their 1st ski company + lessons learned (4:08)Starting their 2nd ski company, Sego (13:19)Why the n

We stopped by the headquarters of Venture Snowboards in Silverton, Colorado, to talk to Venture’s founders, Lisa and Klem Branner. As you’ll hear, Venture does a lot of things different than most snowboard companies. For example, very few companies are manufacturing snowboards here in the U.S., and even fewer of those companies are starting from scratch — literally building boards starting with raw lumber.So we talked to Lisa and Klem about why they do what they do, why they chose to build in the tiny town of Silverton, and why it all matters. We also discuss why Klem really dislikes using the term “sustainable” when it comes to building snowboards; why he thinks it’s a bad idea to build snowboards with traditional camber; which current trends in snowboard design he thinks are stupid; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:When & where did you two meet? (03:00)Klem on making the first board he ever rode (5:04)From grad school to starting Venture Snowboards (7:22)The decision to set up shop in Silverton, Co

Cyrus Schenck is the founder of the company, Renoun, and a ski designer with an award-winning technology that's used by no other ski manufacturer in the world. Cyrus is thinking big. And definitely outside of the box. And definitely not just about skis.So we talk to Cyrus about building skis with non-Newtonian polymers, and everything else he's working on — both inside and outside the world of skiing.TOPICS & TIMES:Cyrus’ background (2:50)Starting Renoun & working with “Non-Newtonian Polymers” (6:25)So what is the on-snow advantage of using “HDT” in a ski? (16:14)How does HDT work? (18:23)If HDT is so great, why don’t more companies use it? (34:11)Other applications for HDT - like NBA flooring?? (36:03)Why expanding into other industries could be great for skiing (39:36)Who is “Renoun” — you and who else? (41:49)Renoun’s current ski lineup (42:16)Renoun’s new ski - The Citadel - with carbon + HDT (45:16)Why Renoun’s 100-Day Guarantee is the smartest thing any indie could offer (49:14)What’s the best q

This week we're talking to Greg Hill and Chris Rubens. Greg is probably best known for his feats in ski touring, including his accomplishment in 2010 of skiing 2 million vertical feet in a year. And Chris Rubens is probably best known for being dumb enough to try to keep up with Greg.We sat down with Greg and Chris in Denver to talk about how the two became the unofficial power couple of Revelstoke, and to learn more about the logistics of their latest Electric Adventure which took them from Revy to Colorado in an electric car for a screening of their new film, The Curve of Time.Greg and Chris talk about what inspired the film, how it embodies both their love of the outdoors and their continued efforts to consider the impact that each of us is having on the environment — and what we might do about that. So I really hope their new film and our conversation here stimulate some new thoughts that get each of us to take some new actions.TOPICS & TIMES:When did you guys meet? (2:10)Greg’s background & traje

Today we’re talking with New York Times sportswriter, Karen Crouse, about her new book, Norwich.Norwich is a tiny town in Vermont that has produced eleven Olympians, and Karen’s extremely well-written book looks into how it is that this little town has managed to produce so many successful athletes.But Karen is also exploring far bigger, universal questions about the relationship of athletic achievement and personal well-being, and really, I think her book Norwich is best understood as a blueprint for how to raise and train athletes to be more than mere medal-winning machines. Norwich is a book about community, about parenting, and how to go about helping kids become fully-developed people who are well positioned to lead happy, healthy lives.Karen and I also discuss the current state of the Olympic Games, since Karen has been to and has covered a bunch of them and will be at the Olympics again next month, and she and I talk about how her time spent with all-time achievers like Michael Phelps and Tiger Wo

Black Crows is one of the hottest brands in the entire ski world, and today we’re talking with their co-founder, Camille Jaccoux, and head ski designer, Julien Regnier, about the origins and design principles of the brand, a few of the important skis in the history of the company, and what's next.TOPICS & TIMES:When did Black Crows start, and talk a bit about what was going on at the time in skiing? (2:58)When & how Julien and Camille met (9:17)Chamonix’s particular impact on the company and the skis they were making (12:29)The 1st Black Crows ski: the Corvus (13:30)The 2nd Black Crows ski: the Navis (14:45)The origin of the Black Crows name & the Black Crows logo (16:00)If someone were to ask, “What do Black Crows skis ski like?”, what would your answer be? (22:03)Julien on the new-for-this-season Black Crows Daemon (23:25)Which are your personal favorite skis in the lineup? (29:35)Outside of the ski world, what areas of design are you interested in? (34:10)Julien on the Japanese architect, 

So how does a kid from a little town in New York end up becoming a global product manager at one of the largest ski and boot manufacturers in the world, and living in Austria? And why does he believe that studying philosophy in college and in grad school turned out to be the ideal preparation for his day-to-day responsibilities at Atomic?We’re talking to Matt Manser about his background, his studies in philosophy, his experience as a bootfitter, and the design decisions that go into the creation of every ski boot he works on, including the current Atomic Hawx Ultra and Hawx Ultra XTD.Matt and I cover a lot of topics, so if you want to dip in and out of our conversation, check the show notes on the website or on your phone to see a list of the topics and times.Also, if you’d like to ask Matt a question or give him some feedback, you can hit him up on instagram at: @onenerdykid — and if he isn’t too busy playing video games or reading Aristotle, you will probably get a reply back pretty quickly.TOPICS & TIM

What items should you be carrying with you, and what do you need to know before venturing out into the backcountry in the first place? We're discussing these critical topics of backcountry travel and wilderness medicine with blister reviewer, AWLS instructor, and physician Paul Forward — and giving a status update on Jonathan Ellsworth, after his own backcountry accident this past summer.TOPICS & TIMESUpdate on Jonathan’s status (3:24)What should people have, studied before venturing out into the backcountry? (8:56)Two-Way Radios (12:03)How to improve your radio signal in the backcountry (17:02)Minimizing interference with your beacon (17:44)DeLorme / Garmin In-Reach (21:58)Satellite Phones (26:29)First Aid Kit, and what Paul himself carries (28:37)How to evacuate someone / Creating a makeshift sled (39:24)Various Types of Wilderness Education Courses (46:06)The course Paul is teaching this coming February — AWLS + Heli-Skiing (51:38) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk to Danny Davis about the upcoming Peace Park 6; why Peace Park should become a new discipline; "technical" tricks vs. "stylish" tricks; the Olympics; and the need for a unified snowboarding tour; and Danny's growing passion for splitboarding.TOPICS & TIMES:Danny’s health & contest culture (3:31)Why Danny was splitboarding so much last season (6:28)The beauty of going from the backcountry to the halfpipe and back (14:23)The advantages of being an older, more experienced rider in halfpipe contests (24:50)“Technical” tricks vs. “Stylish” tricks (35:47)What is Peace Park, and what makes it so unique (and awesome)? (46:05)On Peace Park becoming its own new discipline (54:00)On the Olympics & the need for a unified snowboarding tour (1:00:40)On the east-coast qualifying event for Peace Park 6 (1:09:40)Danny’s upcoming contest schedule (1:14:20) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Scott Gaffney is one of the most accomplished ski movie directors of all-time, and the guy behind so many of the iconic Matchstick Productions films.So we talked to Scott about how he got into filming ski movies; how he got connected with Matchstick Productions; and which Matchstick films are his personal favorites.We also talk a lot about working with the likes of Shane McConkey, Eric Hjorleifson, Cody Townsend, and Candide Thovex, and about the most mind-blowing sessions he ever witnessed.Scott and I also talk about the newest Matchstick film, Drop Everything, and you can head over to skimovie.com to see the Drop Everything tour schedule and go see it with your friends on the big screen. You can also download Drop Everything and a bunch of the other MSP films we talk about in this episode at skimovie.com — which is good since, after listening to this conversation, I am certain you’re going to want to watch or rewatch a number of them.TOPICS & TIMES:When & where did you get into skiing? (4:01)How did

DPS Phantom is a new product that claims to eliminate the need to ever again wax your skis or board. Sounds crazy, so we talked to DPS founder, Stephan Drake, and Jeff Bates, the technological developer of Phantom, to have them explain how this is possible. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You know him from his course previews of Redbull Rampage and WC DH, but you don't know Claudio Caluori like this. We discuss Rampage, this past DH season, soccer, life, China, Elon Musk ... and pretty much everything else.TOPICS & TIMES:Why is Claudio in Beijing? (3:49)How would you describe Rampage in a single sentence? (5:10)Claudio’s pick for our “Rampage No-Fear Zombie” Award (8:32)What would your choice be for the next Rampage venue? (20:58)Biggest surprise of this past DH season? (22:45)Aliens vs. 1 DH rider for the fate of the world - who would you pick? (26:59)Any news about the SCOTT team or new SCOTT products? (28:38)What is Velosolutions, what is its mission, and what are you guys up to? (30:03)WARNING: soccer players might get triggered here (31:28)The Meaning of Life (38:58)Elon Musk and Claudio’s suspicions about his intentions (41:25)Claudio’s Grand Vision (50:30) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.