New DPS Skis & Products with Stephan Drake

Apparel testing, show pigs, & the underrated importance of ballpoint pens. Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss these things with our Blister Labs colleague, Melanie Peddle, who is a faculty member in the partnership program between Western Colorado University & the University of Colorado Boulder. We also discuss some takeaways from the compression, abrasion, and UV tests we’ve been running; steps toward developing new standards; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Mel’s Background (1:47)Apparel Testing: Quick Overview (10:55)What We’ve Been Doing & What’s Next (15:07)Notable Takeaways (24:35)Real-World Applicability (40:31)Crashes & Close Calls (43:11)RELATED LINKS:Blister Labs: Learn MoreVIDEO: Blister Labs Summit PanelBecome a BLISTER+ MemberCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Off The CouchBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastCRAFTEDHappy Hour (for Blister Members) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Sep 202349min

Have you ever dreamt about skiing in New Zealand? Well, in this episode, Kara Williard talks with local Kiwi experts, John Knight and Darren Grimmett, from our Blister Recommended Shop, Outside Sports, to give us the rundown on what skiing in this Southern Hemisphere destination entails, and how to make the most of it.We discuss the best gear for the conditions and terrain in NZ; the difference between ski fields and club fields; backcountry skiing and heliskiing; plus all the other things you can enjoy while in New Zealand, including eating the best meat pies, biking, hiking, and being around some of the genuinely nicest people. TOPICS & TIMESJohn and Darren’s backgrounds (5:02)Outside Sports’ humble beginnings (11:15)Gear Trends in NZ (18:18)Skis for Variable Conditions (24:50)Getting to New Zealand & Ski Fields vs. Club Fields (27:04)Backcountry Skiing & Heliskiing (33:18)Getting Around (40:04)More than just skiing (42:51)Best Gear for NZ (47:22)Heavier BC Gear for a Reason (48:51)Ski Season Itch (54:26)Crashes & Close Calls (56:56)RELATED LINKS:Blister Recommended Shop: Outside SportsBlister Recommended ShopsBecome a BLISTER+ Member23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-OrderCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Off The CouchBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastCRAFTEDHappy Hour (for Blister Members) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Aug 20231h 1min

When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! So in our 2nd episode of GEAR THERAPY, Blister Member & Spokane-based ski patroller, Kam Smith, poses his most-pressing gear questions to Jonathan and Luke, and gets their best recommendations (and a bit of a tongue-lashing from Jonathan). Enjoy!TOPICS & TIMES:Meet Kam, Ski Patroller (4:10)Kam’s Ski Boot Situation (9:45)Our Suggestions (15:27)Spokane Alpine Haus (21:51)Kam’s Ski Quiver (27:12)Our Recommendations (34:03)Metal vs Non-Metal Skis (40:03)Folsom (47:04)Session Wrap Up (52:27)Kam’s Crashes & Close Calls Story (56:18)RELATED LINKS:See our Blister Recommended ShopsBecome a BLISTER+ Member23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-OrderCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Off The CouchBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastCRAFTEDHappy Hour (for Blister Members) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

18 Aug 20231h 6min

Oliver Steffen founded Genuine Guide Gear (G3) many years ago because of his passion for innovation and problem-solving, and while this has largely been aimed at creating solutions related to gear and backcountry touring, most recently, he turned his focus to the environmental impacts and life cycles of G3’s skis and snowboards. This year, G3 is launching their recyclable “R3” ski and snowboard program, guaranteeing that products manufactured going forward can be broken down, reused, and recycled. So Kara Williard talked to Oliver about this process, what it entails, and how it can be more widely applied to the outdoor industry. Plus, we get the details on the 23/24 R3 ski and snowboard lineup, and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Founding G3 (3:43)Innovation over the years (7:12)“Right to Repair” and R3 Introduction (10:47)The Life Cycle Problem (27:11)Ride, Reuse, Recycle (32:51)R3 lineup (45:06)Scaling & Working Together (50:56)Crashes and Close Calls (58:13)What We’re Celebrating (1:00:20)RELATED LINKS:Exclusive Offer: Get 50% off OpenSnow w/ code blister23Become a BLISTER+ Member23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-OrderCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Off The CouchBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastCRAFTEDHappy Hour (for Blister Members) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Aug 20231h 1min

Too often, the consumer reviews you find online are incomplete and unhelpful. But through our Blister Labs partnership with Western Colorado University & the University of Colorado Boulder, we’re working to change that. With Blister Community Reviews, we are creating a better method of gathering, synthesizing, and displaying user feedback from people of all shapes, sizes, ability levels, and locations, to produce even more helpful consumer product information for outdoor enthusiasts all around the world.Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the origins of our Blister Community Reviews initiative; the takeaways from our beta testing at Blister Summit 2023; our goals for the future; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Blister Community Reviews: Background & Origins (4:17)Takeaways from Beta Testing (16:58)Going Forward: Goals & Timeline (22:10)Crashes & Close Calls (29:34)What We’re Celebrating (40:20)RELATED LINKS:Blister Labs: Learn MoreVIDEO: Blister Labs Summit PanelBecome a Blister MemberCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Off The CouchBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastCRAFTEDHappy Hour (for Blister Members) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 Aug 202345min

When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! So in this inaugural edition of GEAR THERAPY, Jason Verlinde — a self-described “average / normal / non-industry / non-pro Blister member” — poses some gear questions and conundrums to Jonathan Ellsworth & Luke Koppa, and “gets to confess my ignorance and state my real-world situation, with the experts weighing in, straightening me out, and steering me toward some products I might love.” Enjoy!TOPICS & TIMES:Gear Therapy Explained (3:36)Why It’s Hard Out There for a GearHead (10:05)Meet the Patient: Jason Verlinde (12:10)Jason’s Ski Quiver (14:33)Putting On Cold Ski Boots & Liners (20:35)The Blister Approach to Reviews (33:00)Line Blade & Steep Terrain (44:10)"Loose and Surfy"? (52:55)Crashes & Close Calls (1:00:08)What We're Celebrating (1:07:28)RELATED LINKS:Episode Sponsor: OpenSnow.comBecome a BLISTER+ Member23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-OrderCRAFTED: Jason Verlinde on Guitar MakingCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Off The CouchBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastCRAFTEDHappy Hour (for Blister Members) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 Jul 20231h 10min

Two years ago, a group of pro skiers, photographers, filmmakers, and friends launched 1000 Skis. They did this because they wanted to “move the culture forward,” make skis they weren’t seeing on the market, and because they just flat-out love skiing. Magnus Graner and Pär “Peyben” Hägglund were two of those founding members, and Luke Koppa sat down with them for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from the origins of the brand to their prototyping process; how they’ve prioritized — and acted on — sustainability from the start; the challenges and rewards of the unique ways in which they’ve been filming The Bunch’s upcoming film; why they like what’s currently happening in freesking; what they hope to see from the industry in the future, and more. We also touch on why Peyben had to break into a French villa to record this conversation…As is illustrated by their wide-ranging personal careers in the snowsports world, Magnus and Peyben are thinking a LOT about all sorts of this world’s different elements and aspects, so it was really fun to get their thoughts on a whole bunch of them.TOPICS & TIMES:Intros & 1000 Skis Background (2:35)Design Philosophy & Brand Values (6:15)Making Skis for Yourselves & for Consumers (10:23)Prototyping Process (14:14)Life Cycle Analysis & Sustainability Efforts (22:28)Why the All-Red Graphics? (34:27)The 1000 Skis Lineup (42:23)Mount Points (47:50)The Bunch & Media Recs (53:30)Current State & Future of Freesking (1:05:26)Crashes & Close Calls (1:12:18)What We’re Celebrating (1:14:55)RELATED LINKS:Become a BLISTER+ Member23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-OrderCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Off The CouchBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastCRAFTEDHappy Hour (for Blister Members) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

21 Jul 20231h 16min

For this week’s edition of GEAR:30, Scarpa North America’s CEO, Kim Miller, is back to talk about Scarpa’s Green Manifesto and their pathway to B Corp certification. Kim and Kara Williard discuss what measuring and accounting for progress looks like; the tricky balance of sustainably innovating without compromising performance; the process of recycling products and materials; assessing the life cycle of various products; and some of the gear that best exemplifies Scarpa’s commitment to these values (starting with a tele boot back in 2009!).TOPICS & TIMESKim’s Career & Values (4:03)Scarpa’s Business Culture (12:14)Transparency & Accountability (13:18)Measurements & Metrics (16:59)Life Cycle Analysis of Gear (33:52)Service vs. Profit (38:23)Working Together as an Industry (44:21)Gear & the Green Manifesto (45:33)A Sense of Urgency (51:40)All Pillars of Sustainability (55:49)Scarpa as a B Corp (1:02:25)Leading with Passion (1:13:16)Kim’s Crashes & Close Calls Story (1:18:16)What We’re Celebrating (1:21:33)RELATED LINKS:GEAR:30 Ep.79: SCARPA CEO, Kim Miller, Part 1GEAR:30 Ep. 84: SCARPA CEO Kim Miller on the F1 LT & MoreScarpa’s Green Manifesto Become a BLISTER+ Member23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide Pre-OrderCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Off The CouchGEAR:30Blister PodcastCRAFTEDHappy Hour (for Blister Members) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Jul 20231h 22min