The Good Old Days
In our latest Open Mic piece, our editor-in-chief reflects on closing days, the good old days, and more.
Jonathan Ellsworth
An Exchange: Cody Townsend & Jonathan Ellsworth on The Bear
For this edition of our Open Mic series, Jonathan Ellsworth and Cody Townsend exchange their takes on the FX show The Bear, discussing the plot, the cinematography, and the (controversial?) ending.
Best Skis for Beginners: A Guide
If you are new to skiing — or just haven’t gone in a while — here is our guide to what you ought to look for in a ski, whether you are looking to rent or buy.
Ed Roberson on The Procrastinator’s Punishment 50k (Ep.78)
Ed Roberson is the creator of The Procrastinator’s Punishment 50k; the host of the excellent Mountain & Prairie podcast; and the author of a fantastic Books Recommendation series. So Brendan Leonard & Jonathan Ellsworth talked to Ed about all of the above, and more.
New Volkl Mantra M6; Burly Chargers; & Movement Skis (Ep.130)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth offer their initial thoughts on the new Volkl Mantra M6 & Secret 96; reviewer, Drew Kelly, makes his GEAR:30 debut to compare the Volkl Katana 108 vs the HEAD Monster 108 vs the Blizzard Cochise 106; Luke discusses some of the Movement skis he’s been getting time on; & more.
Gear of the Year, 2020 (Ep.129)
Luke Koppa & Jonathan Ellsworth talk about some of the skis they’ve recently been testing; name some of the most surprising products of 2020 and some of the standout products of 2020; offer a few gear predictions for 2021; and end with what they’re celebrating this week.
Shop Talk: Backcountry Essentials, Bellingham WA (Ep.128)
On our latest edition of ‘Shop Talk’, we’ve got the founder of Backcountry Essentials, Chris Gerston, talking about Bellingham; starting Backcountry Essentials; and some of the gear that he thinks works really well for skiing at Mt Baker and for volcano skiing.
1-Ski-Boot Quiver; Listener Questions; Skis; Apparel; & Masks (Ep.127)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss several listener questions about ski quivers; 1-boot quivers; some game-changing news in the ski boot world; a number of skis, apparel pieces, and ski masks we’ve been testing; & what we’re celebrating this week.
Zoë Rom on Fruit, Oreos, Fireball, FKTs, & Running Culture (Ep.77)
Zoë Rom is a runner / scrambler / climber; reader; writer; and host of the DNF Podcast. We talk with her about all of this plus her interest in continuing to deepen and enrich running culture; the very specific way to win her heart; getting cut from the cross country team in high school; winning her first ultra with the help of Oreos & Fireball; her FKT on Capitol Peak; what she’s reading, watching, and listening to; and more.
Shop Talk: The Ski Monster founders, George & Eric (Ep.126)
We’re talking with the two friends who founded The Ski Monster in Boston, MA. We discuss how George and Eric met; how getting fired — twice! — turned out to be a very positive development; the diverse customer base they serve; why ski shops ought to work to elevate the experience of purchasing all of this expensive gear; and more.
Ski Quivers for Garden Gnomes, 1-Year-Olds, & Heli Guides (Ep.125)
We talk to Blister reviewers Sascha Anastas & Paul Forward about their ski quivers; binding preferences; coffee in AK; your questions; and more.
Buttered Noodles; Opening Day; & Ski Quivers (Ep.124)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the opening day of the ski season; approaches to building ski quivers; our specific selections; Luke’s latest rant; What we’re Celebrating; & more.
Shop Talk: Tyson Stellrecht, Boise Gear Collective (Ep.123)
We sat down with Tyson Stellrecht, the founder of Boise Gear Collective, to talk about the selling of both used gear and brand new gear; how it’s going with backcountry.com one year later; why Tyson isn’t moving into e-commerce; gear snobs; predictions for the upcoming season; and more.
Bending the Paradigm: Polartec’s Approach to “Waterproofness” & Comfort (Ep.122)
What does “waterproof” really mean, and when should you worry (and not worry) about a 10k or 20k rating on the jacket or pants you are thinking of buying? Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth spoke with Michael Cattanach, the product design director at Polartec, about the “ingredients” used to make your favorite apparel; Polartec’s history; and what Polartec is up to today.
20/21 Blister Buyer’s Guide + Your Questions (Ep.121)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the highlights and big takeaways from our new Winter Buyer’s Guide; our Best Of award winners; whether or not the 20/21 crop of ski gear represents a step forward; and we then answer a lot of the questions you submitted.
Kaytlyn Gerbin on Science, Volcanoes, & Pretty Much Everything Else (Ep.69)
Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk to Kaytlyn Gerbin about her work as a bioengineer, the Rainier Infinity Loop; running ultras vs mountaineering; why scientists make good ultra runners; cheating on snowboarding; and a whole lot more.
Shop Talk: Sebastian Steinbach, Black Sheep Sports (Ep.116)
We talk to the founder of Black Sheep Sports about this past ski season; his predictions for the upcoming ski season in Europe — and whether we’ll see a backcountry boom in Europe? We then talk about the critical art of customer service; why friends shouldn’t tell friends to just “Go buy this boot”; and more.
Jonathan & Maddie run (and record this during) the Elk Run 5k (Ep.68)
Last Saturday, Blister reviewer & accomplished ultrarunner, Maddie Hart, ran the Emma Coburn Elk Run 5k with Blister founder & unaccomplished runner, Jonathan Ellsworth, and they recorded the experience. Hilarity (and embarrassment) ensued, but it was all for a great cause.
Faction Skis: Company History & 20/21 Lineup (Ep.115)
For some time now, Faction has been one of the hottest brands in skiing. But how much do you actually know about the company? This week we are talking about the history of the brand, some key moments in the company, and some big recent changes; what it’s like to go skiing with and design skis for Candide Thovex; and Faction’s lineup for the upcoming season.
Jason Levinthal & 4FRNT’s New Ownership Group (Ep.114)
Last week, it was announced that Jason Levinthal had sold 4FRNT Skis. So we talked to Jason about how this deal came about; learn the background of the new leadership group at 4FRNT; ask what the group does and doesn’t intend to change about the brand; and more.