Blister Podcast

As people who love the outdoors, why can’t we just steer clear of the often gross world of politics and let other people deal with that stuff? Jason Blevins (co-founder, Colorado Sun) discusses this with 3 people who will make the case and are setting the example for the rest of us: Caroline Gleich (professional ski mountaineer & U.S. Senate candidate), Nina Waters (athlete, creative, & Summit County commissioner), & Dr. Len Necefer (founder, Sonoran Avalanche Center & Natives Outdoors).RELATED LINKS:Get Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Caroline: Candidacy for Utah Senate (3:54)Nina: Tackling Big Issues in Summit County (6:53)Len: Amplifying Unheard Voices (13:55)Turning Outdoor Passion into Action (22:16)Caroline’s Top Priorities (29:27)Len’s Top Priorities for Caroline if She Wins? (33:16)Local Action & Change (43:06)Audience Questions (49:45)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTED GEAR:30Bikes & Big IdeasOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for

Last week at our Blister Summit, Cody and Jonathan recorded their first episode of Reviewing the News in front of a live audience, and it was great. Enjoy!RELATED LINKS:Get Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Cody Should Quit the Fifty (7:07)“Underground” Ski Instructors (19:13)Most Canadian News (28:03)Killington & 20+ Lost Skiers (31:14)Mountain Town Advice (40:31)NFL / Super Bowl Talk (45:32)Audience Questions (49:16)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTED GEAR:30Bikes & Big IdeasOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blister Summit 2024 kicks off this Sunday. So Jonathan talks with our Blister Summit Director, Kristin Sinnott, about the latest details; the things they’re most excited about; and more. If you’re coming to the Summit, listen up. And if you’ve never been, this conversation should help you understand why the Summit is our favorite week of the winter.RELATED LINKS:Powder7Taos Ski ValleyJoin Us! Blister Summit 2024Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Current Conditions, Etc. (3:31)Broad Range of Product Categories (6:01)Backcountry Portion of the Summit (7:48)Group Meetups for All Ability Levels (12:39)Panel Session Topics (16:43)See You Soon! (24:30)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTED GEAR:30Bikes & Big IdeasOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cody and Jonathan debate the greatest athletic achievements in outdoor sports in 2023; Caroline Gleich’s run for the U.S. Senate; ski area & ski media business models; mountain town advice, the Most Canadian News; & more.RELATED LINKS:Moment Factory Store (Reno, NV)OpenSnow.com/BlisterJoin Us! Blister Summit 2024Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Live Taping of Reviewing the News (00:30)Cody’s December (6:31)Biggest Athletic Achievements of 2023 (11:08)Ski Areas & Business Models (28:29)Media, Ski Media, & Business Models (40:13)Climate News (52:43)Caroline Gleich Runs for Senator (1:01:50)Most Canadian News (1:09:29)Mtn Town Advice (1:14:02)What We’re Reading & Watching (1:28:12)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTED GEAR:30Bikes & Big IdeasOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many of us have daydreamed about starting our own ski or snowboard company, but what’s it like to actually do it? How much does it cost? How do you find customers? We sat down with Doug Bachand of FullSend Ski Co to answer all of these questions, to learn about Doug’s very unconventional journey to starting a ski company; and more.RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: CARVJoin Us! Blister Summit 2024Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:CARV (1:33)Blister Summit Update (3:22)Doug’s 1st Time in Mt. Crested Butte (5:15)Why Start a Ski Company? (7:17)Studying Engineering (12:28)Timeline: Starting FullSend (15:45)Financials (22:51)Growing Up in South Dakota (25:07)Investing in Equipment (26:37)Your First Ski Designs (29:07)Blister & Doug meeting at A-basin (31:16)Lessons in Ski Design (37:41)Ski Blades (40:48)Getting Customers (42:49)Where to Learn More re: FullSend? (49:00)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTED GEAR:30Bikes & Big IdeasOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p

Once again, we are sharing some of our team’s highlights and new year’s resolutions. This is a fun one, and it certainly fills out the picture of the people behind all of our reviews, videos, articles, and Blister Summit events. And then tomorrow on our CRAFTED podcast, you’ll get to hear our reviewers talk about the hobbies and crafts they adopted in 2023. (I guarantee that some of the answers will surprise you — perhaps especially, Dylan Wood’s.)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: SkibootRXJoin Us! Blister Summit 2024Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Luke Koppa (5:51)Dylan Wood (13:33)Simon Stewart (22:18)Kara Williard & Jonathan Ellsworth (32:55)Eric Freson (46:48)Sascha Anastas (1:02:52)Kristin Sinnott (1:15:43)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTED GEAR:30Bikes & Big IdeasOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What things should you consider when you’re wondering about turning a passion into a career? Should you pursue your passions at the cost of relationships? How do you say No to someone if they aren’t the right fit for a project? Angel Collinson is back on the show to dive deep into the topics of passion, curiosity, and boundaries, and how they relate to our favorite pastimes, our careers, and our relationships. RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: Willi’s Ski & BoardJoin Us! Blister Summit 2024Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Why These Topics? (2:40)Passion & Potential Loss of Meaning? (5:34)Can Passion Impede Curiosity? (10:45)What If Your Partner Isn’t on the Same Page? (19:35)Should You Follow Your Passion at the Cost of Relationships? (28:47)What If You Work Hard to Get Somewhere, then Realize It’s Not For You? (37:33)Turning a Passion into a Career: What Things to Consider? (50:31)Purpose & Passion (1:02:45)How to Set New Boundaries? (1:06:43)How to Say No to a Person if They ar

Last week, we had one of the most accomplished athletes of all time come to Western Colorado University for our Blister Speaker Series. And it was quite an opportunity to get to pick the brain of Courtney Dauwalter and get her thoughts on life and the limits we tend to place on ourselves; her approach to training and competition; how she goes about setting goals; and more.Ultimately, while we’ve watched Courtney’s staggering achievements as she crosses finish line after finish line, setting new course records and accomplishing the seemingly impossible along the way, this conversation makes it clear that her achievements are very much mental victories, and there are takeaways in this conversation that each of us would do well to absorb and implement into our own lives.RELATED LINKS:Join Us! Blister Summit 2024Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Courtney the Mountain Biker?? (4:33)Life Since the Triple?? (7:07)Approach to the Western States & Hardrock Combo (9:35)What Was Harder, the Physical o

Cody and Jonathan discuss the 1.1 *trillion* dollar outdoor industry; e-bike bans?; the business of retro sneakers / retro skis; Cody snowboarding; the Most Canadian News; mtn town relationship advice; the greatest burn in the history of Reviewing the News; & more.RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: Bluebird Mountain SportsEpisode Sponsor: OpenSnow.com/BlisterGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Join Us! Blister Summit 2024TOPICS & TIMES:Update on the Blister “100” (4:32)Blevins’ Corner: Outdoor Economy, $1.1 Trillion (11:40)Backcountry(.com)’s Wholesale Apparel Line (18:23)New E-Bike “Ban”? (31:06)Retro Sneakers, Retro Skis? (44:06)Most Canadian News (51:42)Mountain Town Advice (57:05)What We’re Reading & Watching (1:10:40)Cody Snowboarding & JE Gets Burned (1:14:51)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTED GEAR:30Bikes & Big IdeasOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are talking about weather forecasting — as well as finding your people in this dark, cold, and sometimes lonely universe — with two of the weather forecasters from OpenSnow, Bryan Allegretto and Evan Thayer. We discuss last season’s historic winter; how much stock you ought to put into ‘El Nino / La Nina’ predictions; whether the stated snowfall amounts at various ski areas are fake news; all the ingredients that go into the creation of snowfall; and more.TOPICS & TIMES: Recapping Last Winter (6:01)How Accurate is Snow Reporting at Ski Resorts? (8:24)Precipitation Amounts vs Actual Snowfall (13:55)Last Season’s Stats & Records (21:39)What’s the Recipe for Lots of Snowfall? (26:23)El Nino & La Nina (31:00)How Did You Get into Forecasting? (37:13)What are the Responses Like When You Get Forecasts Wrong? (44:56)Building a “Superhero” Team at OpenSnow (48:47)Favorite New OpenSnow Features? (56:54)The Flakes Podcast (59:15)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: Spokane Alpine HausBecome a BLISTER

Jonathan and Blister reviewer (and guide, doctor, and bow hunter), Paul Forward, discuss Paul’s first day of the ski season; their recent, respective injuries; Paul’s favorite ski movies; why we need to broaden the tent of who — and what — counts as, “the outdoor community,” and they discuss some ideas and practices that the broader outdoor industry should probably adopt.TOPICS & TIMES:Paul’s 1st Day of the Ski Season (3:16)Injury Updates (6:44)Paul’s Favorite Ski Movies (9:51)The Divide in the Outdoor Industry (17:20)How to Create Broader Consensus & Cooperation (35:29)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: Taos Ski ValleyBecome a BLISTER+ MemberCRAFTED pod: Paul on Traditional Bow HuntingCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30Off The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Angel Collinson and Jonathan discuss an experience that every single one of us will deal with at some point in our lives: grief. It’s a topic that we don’t talk much about in outdoor media circles — how to process it, how best to help others who are grieving, etc. And yet, for reasons that are rather painfully obvious to the outdoor community, we clearly need to.TOPICS & TIMES: Why We’re Talking about Grief (4:46)Defining Grief (7:34)Why Now? (11:55)Healthy Grieving (21:36)Grief Practice / Ritual? (24:07)How Do You Turn ‘Grief’ into ‘Growth’ (29:53)Feeling Everything vs. Letting Go (34:18)Grieving a Loved One (45:43)How To Be There for Someone Experiencing Grief? (49:46)How Do You Deal with Being Alone in Your Grief? (54:41)How to Explain Your Feelings to Those Who Haven’t Experienced Grief? (57:06)How to Navigate an Identity Crisis Triggered by Grief (59:49)How Can We Support Someone Who is Grieving? (1:06:00)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: OpenSnow.com/BlisterEpisode Sponsor: Round House Spor

Last week, Trevor Kennison & Level 1 founder & director, Josh Bermann, came to Western Colorado University for our Blister Speaker Series for a follow-up conversation about their new film, Full Circle. We discussed what life’s been like for both of them since the film premiered; we take questions from the audience; and Trevor answers the big question: is he glad the injury happened?We’ll also be posting a video of this Speaker Series conversation, so if you’d like to watch while you listen, head over to our Blister YouTube channel to check it out, as well as a rapidly-growing number of new videos.TOPICS & TIMES:Sending Corbet's Couloir w/ T. Rice (2:49)Touring / Showing Full Circle (10:29)Tell the story of your injury (12:14)Why Josh claims Full Circle isn’t a ski film (14:37)Dealing with Disappointment (20:29)Making Full Circle (23:51)Plumbing (28:12)When did the sit ski click for you? (28:46)Initial responses to the film? (34:51)The Big Question: are you glad the injury happened? (37:32)How do y

Cody and Jonathan discuss the latest FIFTY film, Comstock, and the conflict that lies at the heart of the FIFTY Project; FIS vs POW; a new division of Blister called, ‘Blister Cinematic’; bigfoot & aliens; the Most Canadian News; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:The 100, etc. (6:35)Cody’s lastest FIFTY film, ‘Comstack’ (13:43)Follow Up: New Ski Areas (30:03)FIS vs POW (34:02)Blister Cinematic & Blister Awards (50:16)Bigfoot? (1:03:46)Most Canadian News (1:11:42)Mountain Town Advice (1:14:17)Follow Up: Sex before Skiing? (1:18:43)What We’re Reading & Watching (1:25:40)Crystal Bridges Museum of American ArtRELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: Mountain Ops VTBecome a BLISTER+ MemberBlister Summit: Learn MoreCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchGEAR:30Coming Soon: Blister Cinematic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What goes into getting a ski area ready for opening day? We discuss snow making, maintaining & operating chairlifts, and ski area culture and sustainability with Taos Ski Valley’s chief operations officer, John Kelly.TOPICS & TIMES:John’s role at TSV (4:57)Starting out as a Lifty (5:12)The lead-up to opening a ski area (6:56)Early season snowmaking variables (10:40)How snowmaking has evolved (14:18)Why do lifts end up closed? (18:27)Catering the ski experience to folks from various economic backgrounds (27:51)Wearing beacons & avy gear inbounds? (38:24)Climate change: what’s TSV doing? (42:01)Electric snowcats (45:25)What can ski areas collectively be doing to improve things? (46:46)What else is new at TSV? (51:33)What’s your personal favorite ski run? (54:41)RELATED LINKS: Get Yourself Covered: Become a BLISTER+ Member2024 Blister Summit: Learn MoreOur 23/24 Winter Buyer’s Guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trevor Kennison is one of the most remarkable athletes in the world, and like Travis Rice, Candide Thovex, Courtney Dauwalter, and Alex Honnold, he forces us to see things differently and rethink what’s possible.Josh Berman and his team at Level 1 Productions have created a film, Full Circle, that premieres this week in New York, and that documents Trevor’s incredible story and exploits, and the challenges — and opportunities — of life after spinal cord injury.ALSO: Trevor and Josh are going to be coming to Western Colorado University on Wednesday, November 1st, for a Blister Speaker Series, so if you’d like to come meet Trevor and Josh and hear us dive into a number of topics that we don’t touch on in this conversation, well come join us on Wednesday, November 1st, at 7pm at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, CO.TOPICS & TIMES:Impressing Travis Rice (4:59)Barry Corbet / Corbet’s Couloir (9:53)Trevor’s background with skiing / snowboarding (19:28)2014: The Accident (21:39)Getting Back on Snow (24:44

Last Thursday, Mark Abma came to Western Colorado University for another edition of our Blister Speaker Series. He broke down his segment from the MSP film, ALL IN; discussed his part in the new MSP film, Land of Giants; and he talked about his preparation for ski season; longevity; confidence; pressure; staying calm; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Revisiting your segment from “ALL IN” (5:43)Evolving Big Mtn Skiing (7:54)New MSP film: The Land of Giants (14:56)Longevity in Skiing (21:11)Your Preparation for Ski Season (25:02)Confidence (27:56)When / How Did Energy & Housing Become Big Issues for You? (32:48)Advice to Students about Life After College? (42:22)Audience question: Spinning vs Flipping (46:07)Audience question: Staying Calm on Big Lines? (48:38)Audience question: Training (52:35)Audience question: Snow Safety when Traveling? (55:23)Audience question: Pressure (58:33)RELATED LINKS:Abma’s Segment from ALL INBecome a BLISTER+ MemberBlister Summit: Learn MoreCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED 

Cody and Jonathan pay tribute to Robb Gaffney; discuss the growth in snowsports and who is more passionate: alpine skiers, cross country skiers, or snowboarders; the sale of Silverton Mountain; the Most Canadian News; Cody’s latest FIFTY film, ‘Split’; & moreTOPICS & TIMES:Time to Get Jonathan on a Snowboard (5:00)Remembering Rob Gaffney (13:29)SIA Report: Snowsports Participation is Up (21:41)Has Climbing Succumbed to Numbers? (38:22)Blevins Corner: Silverton Mountain Sold (50:51)Most Canadian News (1:01:06)Mountain Town Advice (1:05:36)What We’re Reading & Watching (1:10:13)Cody’s New FIFTY film, ‘Split’ (1:25:43)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: OpenSnow.com/BlisterBecome a BLISTER+ MemberBlister Summit: Learn MoreCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchGEAR:30 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does the future of snowsports look like? At our last Blister Summit, we asked Nina Waters (Blizzard-Tecnica), Dr. Len Necefer (Natives Outdoors & Sonoran Avalanche Center), Dan Abrams (Flylow), & Hanna Whirty (Icelantic) to discuss some of the current realities, biggest challenges, and significant opportunities for the outdoor sports industry. You can also check out the video of this conversation on our YouTube Channel.TOPICS & TIMESIntroductions (2:36) Expanding Involvement: Different Approaches (8:34)Crowding & Potential Solutions (38:35)Economic Barriers to Entry (43:22)Partnerships between Non Profits & Brands (49:58)DE&I, Advocacy, & Climate Change (53:08)RELATED LINKS:YouTube: The Future of SnowsportsBecome a BLISTER+ MemberBlister Summit 2024: Learn MoreCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchGEAR:30 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last Thursday, Angel Collinson came to Western Colorado University for another edition of our Blister Speaker Series. We talk about her ski career, purpose, passion, and how to think about when it might be time to alter the path you're on.TOPICS & TIMES:Angel’s education (3:40)Philosophy (6:29)Brass tax moment in her ski career (10:37)Talk about leaving “the ski dream” a couple years ago (15:49)Quitting something and going in the “I don’t know” phase (22:41)Reducing spending (28:57)Purpose & passion (33:47)Student question: Where are you at with skiing now? (44:21)Student question: Should you put commitments in front of personal growth? (46:52)Disipline (51:48)Student question: Walking away from something while maintaining relationships (57:20)RELATED LINKS:Blister YouTube ChannelPast & Future Blister Speaker SeriesBecome a BLISTER+ MemberBlister Summit: Learn MoreCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchGEAR:30 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor