Reviewer Reports + a Shop Talk First

For the fourth installment of our Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, we talked with Jake "Fasa" Nelson, who not only works at the Moment Ski Factory, but also happens to run one of the best bootfitting shops in the Reno area. Fasa runs us through what a “big-mountain freeride” approach to bootfitting looks like; how his background in running informs his understanding of feet and biomechanics, how to work with the unique preferences of athletes (and some of the insanity that athletes can tolerate); what it means to be a “tour guide” rather than a bootfitter; and much more.TOPICS AND TIMES Self-taught bootfitting & mentorship (1:59)Moment Factory Showroom & Store (4:58)Big-mountain freeride approach to bootfitting (8:18)Suspension and shock absorption in the system (14:03)Running vs. skiing (20:13)Feet are adaptive and can be trained (24:27)Custom Insoles (32:11)Fitting preferences for athletes (38:42)Circulation & gauging tolerance (45:42)Touring or 50/50 boots (53:06)Bootfitting is subjective (1:00:47)A tour guide, not a bootfitter (1:06:12)RELATED LINKS:A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt 1: The BasicsA Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 2: Your Questions by Sam and KaraA Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 3: Stance Balancing with Pulse Boot LabsA Very Deep Dive on Ski BootsBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & NewsletterOUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchBLISTER Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 Nov 20221h 10min

Eric Hjorleifson is back on GEAR:30 to answer questions from our Blister Members about gear; his tinkering process; coming to the Blister Summit; how he trains for an upcoming season; mental preparation, and … we get some bonus questions from Markus Eder, too. (We also announce our new “Blister After Hours” sessions — that’s our working title — so learn about that and let us know if you have better ideas for what we ought to call the new show.)TOPICS & TIMES:Catching Up / Coming to the Blister Summit (3:34)What gear is going to change most in the next 10 years? (13:03)Our Alpine Bindings Test (16:19)What gear do people obsess over that doesn’t really matter? (18:19)How has your skiing changed as you’ve gotten older? (19:46)When are you moving to Austria? (27:26)Golden Alpine Holidays lodges (30:07)Touring binding priorities? (35:45)What would you like to design from scratch? (43:04)Mental Prep for something challenging? (46:14)The Bec des Rosses (55:31)Which element of your setup gets you the most excited to tinker with? (57:10)Bode Miller & Hoji on 3-piece boots (59:29)Training to perform at a high level? (1:11:37)Dumbest thing you've seen Markus Eder do? (1:20:28)What’s your process like for gear modification? (1:29:21)Do I really get to ski with Hoji at the Blister Summit? (1:44:02)What’s up next for you? (1:44:31)What We're Celebrating (1:47:11)RELATED LINKS:Become a Blister MemberBLISTER SUMMIT INFO & REGISTRATIONSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & NewsletterOur Other Conversations with HojiBlister Summit Video: Hoji on the Updated 4FRNT HojiEp.141: Radical Pro, Hoji Hole & MoreEp.100: Skins, Michael Jordan, & Mono SkisEp.29: Hoji Free & 4FRNT RenegadeBlister Pod Ep. 75: Hoji on “HOJI”Ep.1: Hoji on the new Dynafit Hoji Boots Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 Okt 20221h 49min

We talk with Skip and Mac Beitzel, the owners — and father / son duo — from Hickory & Tweed, located in Armonk, New York. We go over the history of the shop; Skip’s background of ski ballet and hot dogging; seasonal lease programs; personal ski quivers; & more.TOPICS & TIMES Hickory & Tweed story (3:21)Ballet & hot dogging (11:12)Seasonal lease program (19:07)East Coast Skiing (30:34)Narrow and Deep (35:36)Soft Goods and Custom Top Sheets (50:57)Blow your mind guarantee (1:03:34)What We’re Celebrating (1:07:38)RELATED LINKS:Hickory and Tweed: BLISTER Recommended Shop SPECIAL OFFER: OpenSnow.com/BlisterBecome a Blister Member / Get Our Buyer’s GuideSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter2023 Blister Summit 22/23 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s GuideOUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchBLISTER Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

21 Okt 20221h 10min

A bunch of our reviewers discuss why our 22/23 Winter Buyer’s Guide is still unique and still the best resource for your winter gear; what’s new & different this year; some of our personal favorite gear of the season; some industry trends and speculation; and why pumpkin-flavored pastries make Drew Kelly sweat.TOPICS & TIMES What makes the Blister Buyer’s Guide unique? (3:36)What’s New (10:23)Our Women-Specific Sections & Unisex Skis (12:16)Gear Trends (14:40)Leveling Out (21:41)More Specified Gear (23:31)Groomer Skiing (29:47)Insulated Apparel (33:23)Specific Gear Shoutouts (35:12)Our BLISTER Spectrums & Quivers (45:50)What We’re Celebrating (52:23)RELATED LINKS:Hickory and Tweed: BLISTER Recommended Shop Become a Blister Member / Get Our Buyer’s GuideSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & Newsletter2023 Blister Summit 22/23 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s GuideOUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchBLISTER Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Okt 20221h 4min

For Part 3 of our Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting series, Kara Williard and Kai Palkeinen, Founder of Pulse Boot Labs, dive into the intricate topic of stance balancing and canting ski boots. Kai explains Pulse Boots Labs’ analytical approach to getting it right, his refined methodology of “red light, green light”; the multi-step process of looking at the foot, insole, liner, shell, and then potentially cuff alignment and canting; and all the intricate variables that can play into this process, including snow surface, attitude, and communication.TOPICS & TIMESHow does this process start? (3:22)The Foundation (4:57)Red Light, Green Light (6:50)Pulse Methods (10:53)Binding Ramp Angle (17:06)Why Liners Matter (24:37)Cuff Alignment (26:14)Canting Schools of Thought (35:06)Rigid vs. Flexible (41:33)Communication and Stopping Points (47:47)Snow Surface (49:32)What We’re Celebrating (54:00)RELATED LINKS:Blister Recommended Ski Shop: Pulse Custom Boot LabEp. 35: New Innovations in Bootfitting with Pulse Boot LabA Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt 1: The BasicsA Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 2: Your Questions by Sam and KaraA Very Deep Dive on Ski BootsBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & NewsletterOUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchBLISTER Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 Okt 202255min

Folsom builds custom skis in Denver, Colorado, and they have a LOT going on these days. So we discussed it all with their head ski builder / owner / CEO, Mike McCabe, including their 22/23 lineup; new shapes; new construction materials; their very cool Junior Skis Trade-In Program; Blister Labs; and more.TOPICS & TIMES:Folsom & Fatherhood (3:25)Folsom Spar series (11:26)Completo, Cash, & Primary series (17:21)Cash family (20:12)Folsom Rapture (26:00)New Model: G-Wagon (32:15)New Model: Cash 93 (37:42)UltraLITE construction (39:00)Orders & Production Cycle (45:30)Folsom’s Aspen shop (49:32)Folsom’s Denver shop (51:36)Blister Labs (52:41)Junior Skis Trade-In Program (58:15)What We’re Celebrating (1:08:10)RELATED LINKS:Become a Blister Member / Get Our Buyer’s GuideMore on Blister LabsSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & NewsletterSEE OUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchBLISTER Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 Sep 20221h 11min

Those waterproof & breathability ratings on the tags of that rain jacket or those ski pants you’re about to buy: where did they come from? What’s the history? And how relevant are those standards? We discuss all of this and more with Dr. Lauren Cooper, who heads up our Blister Labs work on technical apparel.TOPICS & TIMES:Dr. Cooper’s background (3:37)History of standards & ratings (7:23)Current Standards (11:11)What does the ISO standard tell us? (17:08)What doesn’t the ISO standard tell us? (18:05)Next Steps (22:36)RELATED LINKS:Become a Blister Member / Get Our Buyer’s GuideMore on Blister LabsVIDEO: Blister Labs Panel SessionSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & NewsletterOUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchBLISTER Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 Sep 202229min

In the second installment of our “Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting” series, Blister reviewer (and bootfitter) Kara Williard is joined again by Master Bootiftter, Sam Tischendorf. But this time it is all about you, the audience, as we make our way through a bunch of your questions. Sam and Kara explain some of the technical mysteries — and at times, controversies — within bootfitting, such as forward lean and ramp angle; provide a deeper explanation of why custom insoles are so imperative as the foundation to a boot’s fit; the differences between rigid and flexible feet; they make a case for women-specific ski boots; and they end on some horror stories and Sam’s true feelings about DIY bootfitting. TOPICS AND TIMESCustom insoles (4:40)Socks & Shell Fit (13:12)Forward Lean / Ramp Angle (18:51)Fore / Aft Balance (30:20)Binding Delta? (32:26)“The old skinny heel” (34:11)Aftermarket Liners (41:23)Time to Upgrade? (44:32)Flat Feet and Foot Flexibility (51:47)Rigid Feet Need Love (56:33)Women-Specific Boots (57:38)Horror Stories & DIY Bootfitting and Cool Stuff and Gross Stuff (1:07:28)RELATED LINKS:Part 1: A Very Deep Dive on BootfittingA Very Deep Dive on Ski BootsBecome a Blister Member / Get our Buyer’s GuideSubscribe to our Gear Giveaways & NewsletterOUR OTHER PODCASTS:CRAFTED Bikes & Big IdeasOff The CouchBLISTER Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Sep 20221h 17min