BLISTER Podcast
319 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 468 ratingsThe Blister Podcast from BLISTER is a series of wide-ranging conversations with professional athletes and influential figures about the great outdoors, mountain culture, outdoor-industry news, books, films, and more.
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Episodes
Report: The 20/21 Ski Season in Europe
April 26, 2021 19:39 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBWe’ve talked quite a bit on Blister about the ski season in North America, but today we’re talking with Sebastian Steinbach, the owner of Blacksheep Sports in Munich, Germany, about the European ski season; we revisit some of the predictions that Sebastian had made prior to this ski season, and we get his early predictions for what he thinks this next ski season will look like in Europe. TOPICS & TIMES: Lockdowns in Europe at the start of the season (3:14) Backcountry skiing during Covid ...
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Mar 2021)
April 19, 2021 18:08 - 1 hour - 61 MBCody and Jonathan discuss the introduction of criminal charges for triggering avalanches; the case against straightlining; ski area news; our media recommendations; & more. TOPICS & TIMES: Criminal charges for Triggering Avalanches (3:01) The Result of the Avalanche Trial (12:23) Straight Lining vs. Turning (14:42) Most US Ski Areas made it through COVID! (19:42) Ski Areas might have to publish injury stats? (24:48) Helicopter Crash in AK (35:17) Media Recommendations (45:52) ZeroZe...
Adventure Photographer, Adam Clark
April 12, 2021 16:55 - 1 hour - 67.5 MBWe talk to the skier and adventure photographer, Adam Clark, about how he got started in photography; how he went about making a name for himself and honing his craft; his favorite camera gear; one of his most memorable ski trips; and a whole lot more. TOPICS & TIMES: Dentists + whale watching = photo career (5:06) Adam’s 1st season shooting skiing (13:49) Shooting with film vs digital cameras (23:09) Camera setups & current favorite (25:05) Most memorable ski trip? (34:51) Shooting s...
Cam Smith on The Grand Traverse; State of Skimo; & Training for Skiing, Running, & Mtn Biking
April 01, 2021 14:02 - 1 hour - 57.1 MBLast Sunday, Cam Smith and Tom Goth set a new record at the Grand Traverse, which is a point-to-point ski race from Crested Butte to Aspen. Starting at midnight, racers travel 40 miles across the Elk Mountain range, climbing over 6,800 vertical feet. Cam is also a repeat winner of the Triple Crown of The Grand Traverse, so we talked to Cam about his record-setting night; skiing vs. skimo; his World Cup ski goals; and how he specifically trains for skiing and mountain running and mountain bik...
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Feb 2021)
March 08, 2021 18:18 - 1 hour - 62 MBCody and Jonathan discuss the new rule changes re: filming in National Parks; lift-line etiquette; the future of freeride comps; the record number of avalanche fatalities in the U.S. this season; a new development in backcountry skiing; the shocking story of Dean Cummings; and we share some music, tv, and book recommendations. TOPICS & TIMES: The Blister Summit (2:20) Clarification on Nim’s K2 Summit (5:28) Commercial filming in National Parks (6:44) Lift-line etiquette debate (16:21) ...
Backcountry Travel, Snow Science, & the Art of Avalanche Forecasting
February 01, 2021 18:30 - 1 hour - 62.9 MBToday we’re talking about the science of snow, the art of avalanche forecasting, and what every backcountry traveler can be sending in to their local avy center to help them produce more accurate forecasts. Our guest is Zach Guy, who is the lead forecaster for the Crested Butte Avalanche Center. Zach has a master’s degree in snow science from Montana State University, he’s served as the director of the Flathead Avalanche Center in Northwest Montana; and he returned to Crested Butte in the f...
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Jan 2021)
January 25, 2021 18:12 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBCody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the first Winter Summit of K2 by the Sherpa and Nepali team, including Nirmal Purja; TNF x Gucci collab; mountain-town dynamics; Sam Anthamatten vs Cody on the SHIFT binding; our inaugural Blister Summit; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Surviving Girdwood, going skate skiing (2:59) The 1st Winter Summit of K2 (6:49) TNF | Gucci Collab (12:57) Mountain Town Dynamics & Politics (23:34) Sam Anthamatten on the SHIFT binding (34:27) Ski areas in Franc...
Andrew Alexander King & The Between Worlds Project
January 18, 2021 17:15 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBAndrew Alexander King is an explorer, alpinist, climber, and surfer who was born in Detroit, Michigan. Andrew has climbed over 50 different mountains around the world from Kilimanjaro to the highest mountain in the Atlantic, Indian, and the Pacific Ocean, and is currently training and aiming to become the first African American to climb the highest mountain and volcano on each continent. Andrew’s story is very interesting, and he is currently at work on The Between Worlds Project, which is ...
Sam Anthamatten on Steep Skiing, La Liste 2, the FWT, & Gear Choices
January 11, 2021 19:56 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBSam Anthamatten does things in the mountains that very few skiers do, and in this conversation, you’ll get a better sense of the background and the trajectory that helped Sam get to where he is today. We also get an update from Sam on the status of La Liste 2 (watch La Liste if you haven’t seen it); we talk about the process of flashing massive, big-mountain lines; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Update on skiing in Europe (1:36) Sam’s background in the mountains (6:11) Update: La Liste 2 (17...
Reviewers’ 2020 Highlights & 2021 Resolutions
January 05, 2021 04:59 - 1 hour - 64.3 MBFor 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 & TIMES Kristin Sinnott (1:02) Eric Freson (9:56) Luke Koppa (15:18) Sascha Anastas (19:53) Gordon Gianniny (30:13) Kara Wi...
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Dec 2020)
December 28, 2020 16:07 - 1 hour - 85.3 MBCody 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 & TIMES Cody 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,...
Snowboarder Elena Hight on Competition, Transitions, & Blank Canvas
December 21, 2020 18:18 - 51 minutes - 47.5 MBElena 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 tran...
Bode Miller on Education, Mental Preparation, Technology, Ski Design, & More
December 14, 2020 22:58 - 1 hour - 59.3 MBBode 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 a...
Inclusivity & Innovation in the Outdoor Industry: Moosejaw CEO, Eoin Comerford
December 07, 2020 17:47 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBWe 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 & TIMES Moosejaw’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 retailer...
On Guidebooks & Decision Making in the Backcountry
December 02, 2020 17:05 - 1 hour - 79.7 MBSales of backcountry guide books are up, and more and more people are venturing out. So we talked with Beacon Guidebooks founder, Andy Sovick (who Cody Townsend and I recently talked about on episode #150), about how he got into publishing guidebooks; why he dislikes the term “guidebooks”; whether backcountry guidebooks 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 ...
On Guide Books & Decision Making in the Backcountry
December 02, 2020 17:05 - 1 hour - 79.7 MBSales 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); a...
Athletic Brewing Company founder, Bill Shufelt
November 23, 2020 19:04 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MBAthletic 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 Brewing Company Founder, Bill Shufelt
November 23, 2020 19:04 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MBAthletic 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 ...
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Nov 2020)
November 16, 2020 20:24 - 1 hour - 81.3 MBToday 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 webs...
Adaptive Sports & Recreation: Past, Present, & Future
November 09, 2020 20:00 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBDid 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...
Lani Bruntz & Mali Noyes ski The Wurl
November 02, 2020 22:29 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MBThe 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...
Mali Noyes & Lani Bruntz ski The Wurl
November 02, 2020 22:29 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MBThe 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...
Hunt to Eat founder, Mahting Putelis
October 26, 2020 15:24 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBThis 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...
Blister Speaker Series 3.1: Cody Townsend
October 19, 2020 17:45 - 56 minutes - 52 MBLast 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) ...
Stan Rey & Alexi Godbout on Skiing Pillows; Spit Cups; & Their New Film
October 12, 2020 19:47 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBWe’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 Forecast TOPICS & ...
Black Crows Skis co-founder, Camille Jaccoux
October 05, 2020 19:06 - 1 hour - 71.1 MBOur 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 ...
Will Gadd on The Last Ascent + Doing all the Sports
September 21, 2020 15:25 - 41 minutes - 38.6 MBWill 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 ...
Jeremy Jones on His New Film, Purple Mountains
September 14, 2020 16:35 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBWe 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 channel Watch the trailer for Purple Mountains TOPICS & 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...
Paul Forward on Hunting, Climate Advocacy, & Conservation
August 31, 2020 17:09 - 48 minutes - 44.8 MBBlister 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 & TIMES Paul’s background (5:13) Hunting with a bow (7:5...
Adventures of a Hemophiliac: Chris Bombardier on Climbing Mount Everest
August 17, 2020 21:03 - 58 minutes - 80.2 MBOn 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 won...
Current State of the Camping Industry
August 10, 2020 16:46 - 1 hour - 61.5 MB“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 Cam...
Jeremy Bloom on Winning, Happiness, & The Weight of Gold
August 03, 2020 17:40 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MBJeremy 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 ...
National Brotherhood of Skiers co-founder & U.S. Ski Hall of Fame inductee, Art Clay
July 28, 2020 14:45 - 51 minutes - 70.2 MBArt Clay is the co-founder of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, and he and his NBS co-founder, Ben Finley, are the first African Americans to be inducted into the US Ski-Snowboard Hall of Fame. This past weekend, Jonathan Ellswoth sat down with Art at his home in Chicago to talk about growing up in Chicago in the 1940s; his first time skiing; the idea to start the National Brotherhood of Skiers; cutie pies; the Black Summit; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Growing up in Chicago in the 1940s (3...
Skid Row Running Club founder, Judge Craig Mitchell
July 13, 2020 17:49 - 50 minutes - 45.8 MBWhether or not you’re a runner, you ought to know about the Skid Row Running Club and the Skid Row Marathon. We talk to the club founder, Judge Craig Mitchell, about why he started the club; his background; the duty of police officers to protect and serve; the need for minimum sentencing reform; and much more. TOPICS & TIMES The judge’s running background (7:09) The Midnight Mission & the running club (10:05) What / where is Skid Row? (12:22) Who are the club members? (15:58) The club...
Olympian Dotsie Bausch on Cycling, Switch4Good, & the Dairy Industry
July 06, 2020 22:08 - 1 hour - 87.7 MBDotsie Bausch is a 7-time USA Cycling National Champion, an Olympic medalist, a featured athlete in the film, The Game Changers, and the executive director of Switch4Good. We talked to Dotsie about her very unusual path to an Olympic podium; her work at Swith4Good; and what we ought to understand about dairy products and the dairy industry. TOPICS & TIMES Dotsie’s athletic background (1:44) When did you start cycling? (7:55) Mental toughness vs. natural ability (12:50) Getting into Trac...
What You Need to Know - and Do - about the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA)
June 29, 2020 21:33 - 45 minutes - 63 MBYou are probably familiar with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but what do you know about the arguably more important National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)? NEPA is a critical piece of legislation, and each of us needs to understand what it does and why it matters so much. And currently, some major changes to NEPA are being proposed that could have extremely serious environmental and human rights consequences. So to help us understand the high stakes of the changes being propo...
BlackAFinSTEM, Birders, & Bees
June 22, 2020 23:06 - 1 hour - 90.1 MBBlackAFinSTEM was started to encourage and support Black individuals who are working in — or who are just passionate about — the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and also to encourage, support, and increase the visibility of Black naturalists and Black people who recreate and work outdoors. So we talk to Tyler Jones, the co-organizer of Black Birders Week, about all of the above, plus the difference between a bird and a trash bag; Taco Bell & STEM; her graduat...
Bees, Green Lawns, “Perfect” Apples, & the Reinvention of Farming
June 15, 2020 20:17 - 55 minutes - 76.4 MBLast week on the show we talked to Sanjay Rawal about his new film, Gather, which examines the growing food sovereignty movement among Native American tribes across the United States. And this week, we are talking about why and how we need to re-invent the way that food is being grown and farmed, and the critical role that bees play in all of this. Our guests are Peter Nelson and Sally Roy who have made the film, The Pollinators, which tells the fascinating story of bees and beekeeping and...
Food Sovereignty, Indigenous Rights, & the Film, Gather
June 09, 2020 00:30 - 46 minutes - 64.3 MBToday we are talking with our friend, Sanjay Rawal, about his new film, Gather. Sanjay is a fantastic story teller and a maker of films that might seem to have a pretty specific focus, but actually have wide-ranging applicability and relevance. And this is most definitely true of his latest film, Gather, which Sanjay directed, and Renan Ozturk served as the cinematographer. Gather tells the story of the growing food sovereignty movement among Native American tribes across the U.S. — which ...
How to Recreate Responsibly in the Time of COVID
May 26, 2020 15:22 - 21 minutes - 30 MBAs a number of locations are beginning to relax travel restrictions and are able to welcome visitors back, we wanted to discuss some important reminders and best practices for recreating responsibly in this time of COVID. If you do not have time to listen to the full conversation, then we strongly encourage you to check out the show notes to this episode to ensure that you are up-to-date on state and local ordinances. So let’s all commit to doing things the right way, setting a good exampl...
Geoff McFetridge on The Abstract Wild by Jack Turner
May 19, 2020 02:49 - 1 hour - 99.7 MBIn the latest installment of our Blister Book Club, we talk with the artist, Geoff McFetridge, about Jack Turner’s book, The Abstract Wild. We discuss why Geoff selected this book; why it isn’t designed to be a comfortable read; why we need to get clear on the distinction between “the wild” and “wilderness”; and why we think that every reader of BLISTER ought to read this book. TOPICS & TIMES: Why did you select this book? (2:50) McFetridge on Art (11:44) Geoff’s stand out parts of the b...
On the State of Heli Skiing: Henry Munter, Chugach Powder Guides
May 04, 2020 15:34 - 1 hour - 109 MBHenry Munter is a lead heli guide and the general manager of Chugach Powder Guides in Girdwood, AK. We talk with him about making the call to shut down operations right as the heli season was in full swing; the evolution of heli skiing over the past 20-30 years; decision making, memory, and some of the tools and practices and books that Henry uses in forecasting, guiding clients, and handling all types of different aspects of the business; and we discuss environmentalism and heli skiing, and...
X Games Real Ski 2020 Gold Medalist, Jake Mageau
April 20, 2020 14:48 - 50 minutes - 68.8 MBThe X Games Real Ski competition is an invitation-only event, where some of the top skiers in the world go out and put together a 90-second street edit. The creativity and talent on display in real ski is always bonkers, and we’ve talked with past X Games winners and fan favorites, like Magnus Graner (Blister Podcast #36) and LJ Strenio (Blister Podcast #94). And today, we’re talking with Jake Mageau, who in 2019 was voted the Real Ski fan favorite, and then this year, Jake took home the Re...
SKI INC. 2020: The Current State & Future of the Ski Industry
April 13, 2020 14:27 - 1 hour - 83.4 MBThe ski industry has undergone rapid changes in the past several years, and we are currently in another unprecedented moment with the COVID-19 pandemic. So to help us better understand the past, present, and future of the ski industry, we talked to industry veteran and author of SKI INC, and SKI INC. 2020, Chris Diamond, about the rise of the EPIC and IKON passes; this recent era of rampant ski resort acquisitions; the state (and fate) of independent ski areas; whether COVID-19 will likely h...
Crash Course: How to Telemark Ski, Part 1
April 07, 2020 02:20 - 1 hour - 95.9 MBBaby giraffes? Organic bamboo scissors? Superman? Since we now have to learn how to tele ski and shoot a tele video (we’ll explain in the episode), we’re crowdsourcing a crash course in what we need to know to avoid embarrassing and / or killing ourselves. So here in Part 1, we solicited the best tips and advice from artist and telemarker, Geoff McFetridge; Flylow Gear co-founder and president, Dan Abrams; and Blister reviewers Paul Forward and Kristin Sinnott. TOPICS & TIMES: Geoff McFetr...
Catching Up with Caite Zeliff
March 30, 2020 14:51 - 1 hour - 76.9 MBWe all probably need more Caite Zeliff in our lives. (And if you didn’t already know this, you definitely need to listen to this conversation.) Caite is a former ski racer turned big mountain skier. She won the first ever Kings & Queens of Corbet’s competition in 2018, then won again in 2019, then was on the podium this past year. She’s filmed with Warren Miller and TGR, she is equally fun to ski with and to shoot the breeze with, and, while she’s already accomplished a lot, it still seems l...
Up & Coming? FWT World Champion, Isaac Freeland
March 23, 2020 14:55 - 57 minutes - 65.7 MBAs part of our Up & Coming Series, we had intended to talk to Isaac Freeland, because he is a very good skier and he was definitely on his way up. But then Isaac threw us a curve ball by not only winning the 2020 Freeride World Tour Rookie of the Year award… he went and won the whole thing. So even if “Up & Comer” now feels like a bit of an understatement, we asked Isaac to take us through his first season on the Freeride World Tour and walk us through each stop. We also discuss what it was...
Without Precedent: COVID-19, Ski Area Closures, & Ski Towns
March 16, 2020 16:23 - 31 minutes - 36.3 MBThis past weekend, something happened that has never happened in the history of resort skiing: in the span of 12 hours, most ski areas abruptly suspended operations. So on our latest #blisterpodcast, we talked to veteran ski industry reporter, Jason Blevins of the Colorado Sun, about the COVID-19 pandemic and the historic mass closure of ski areas. We discuss what, exactly, is going on; what is likely to come next; the impact on ski towns; and what each of us should and should not be doing r...
Bobby Brown on Big Air & Backcountry Skiing
March 09, 2020 16:52 - 58 minutes - 66.5 MBBobby Brown is one of the best slopestyle and big-air comp skiers of all time, but he’s currently focused on finding out what he’s capable of in the backcountry. So I talked to Bobby about his trajectory; the art of landings, air awareness, and making mid-air adjustments; who he most enjoys watching these days; what’s next for him; and more. TOPICS & TIMES Bobby’s film, Dynamic Medium (1:44) Landings & air awareness (8:57) Mid-air adjustments (14:34) “Perfect Pop” (17:31) Bobby’s one-r...
Blister Speaker Series 2.5: Tommy Caldwell
March 03, 2020 15:32 - 58 minutes - 66.7 MBLast week at our monthly Blister Speaker Series at Western Colorado University, in Gunnison, Tommy Caldwell spoke in front of a packed auditorium about speed climbing & setting the speed record on the Nose with Alex Honnold; strength vs. experience; how he focuses on climbing projects while also having more disparate responsibilities than ever; and how and why he’s become increasingly involved with environmental causes; and more. TOPICS & TIMES: Breaking the Nose Speed Record (4:25) Thoug...