Atomic’s Jossi Wells, Tonje Kvivik, & Noah Wallace on the Realities of Being a Pro Athlete & the Creation of a New Industry Standard

We just got back from week-long review trip in Bend, Oregon, and while we were in Bend, we went to pay a visit to one of the best big-mountain skiers of all time, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa. We talk about a whole bunch of topics, but it is particularly fascinating to hear Sage talk about his preparation — how cautious he claims to be in the mountains — which isn’t exactly obvious given that Sage has thrown down some of the heaviest lines anyone has skied in Alaska. For Sage, skiing is simply fun. But big-mountain skiing — the stuff you see him doing in his film segments — is all about Problem Solving. So if you think he’s out there just hucking his meat with abandon, you’ll need to think again.TOPICS & TIMES:Sage’s “Ranch” — the dream spot (1:50)How / Why Bend? (3:03)Sage’s injury & rehab (5:10)Some keys to being injury-free for so long (8:15)Approaching Alaska — taking it “ridiculously mellow”? (11:15)Sage on Intuition (and the Double Front Flip) (17:00)Sage on Preparation — Skiing as Problem Solving (19:58)Ski racing, big-mountain skiing, and practicing the fundamentals (27:36)Kids, Parenthood, & Skiing (36:01)Sage on Mt Bachelor and their Northwest Express Lift (40:00)Sage's Future (which probably involves alpacas) (42:20)Sage on the future of skiing (49:18)Parting Thoughts (59:30) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Maj 20171h 2min

We brought a bunch of next year’s skis to Mt Bachelor for a week of testing, so on this podcast, we discuss what we've been skiing, what was the most surprising, and what else stood out. Then we talk about what our 1-ski quiver and 2-ski quiver selections would be for Mt Bachelor. So here are our very fresh thoughts on a number of very high-profile skis.TOPICS & TIMES:DPS Wailer A 112 (2:30)ON3P Billy Goat (5:20)Black Crows Anima (7:00)Nordica Enforcer 110 & Enforcer Pro (8:30)Atomic Backland 109 (11:29)Question: One-Ski Quiver for Mt Bachelor? (12:50)Question: Two-Ski Quiver for Mt Bachelor? (18:30) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 Maj 201726min

We’re talking again to Blister's bike editor, Noah Bodman, about what’s interesting in the world of bikes this season, including where the most innovations are taking place, whether Noah thinks that 26” wheels will eventually make a comeback, and whether e-bikes are gaining public acceptance. Noah and I also discuss several particular bikes, including the YT Jeffsy, the Canyon Spectral, and a couple of “plus” bikes — the Scott Spark Plus and the Scott Genius LT Plus. Then Noah and I wrap up the conversation with some predictions about the World Cup downhill season that starts this week.TOPICS & TIMES:What’s interesting this season? (2:10)Are e-bikes gaining public acceptance? (4:50)Death-O-Meter: How dead are 26” wheels? (9:28)Where are we seeing the most innovations in bike stuff? (14:05)Specific Bikes: YT Jeffsy 29 (21:10) Canyon Spectral (23:10)Scott Spark Plus & Scott Genius LT Plus (24:45)The upcoming Word Cup DH Season -- who are you betting on? (29:09)29ers on the WC DH circuit (32:33) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 Apr 201737min

We talk to DPS Skis founder, Stephan Drake, about the early days of DPS, ski design, and the new DPS ski boot that aims to change skiing as we know it.TOPICS & TIMES:Where did you grow up, and when did you get into skiing? (2:25)Being a “gringo ski bum” down in Las Lenas, Argentina (7:40)Were you interested in product design in general? / Early days of DPS? (13:35)Carbon fiber & the history of DPS (18:50)The first rockered ski -- the 2002 Tabula Rasa (23:40)Low weight and the “race to zero” in ski design (26:37)DPS’s new Alchemist construction vs. their Pure3 construction (29:30)Tip Taper (where I was expecting to get into a fight with Stephan) (40:39)The new paradigm-shifting DPS ski boot (54:15) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Apr 20171h 3min

We're talking again with Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, the Alaskan heli guide who we spoke with a couple of podcasts back (Ep. 34). This has shaped up to be a very good winter in the Chugach, so Paul has been getting a lot of time in on some fat skis, and I wanted to talk to him about a number of them.TOPICS & TIMES:DPS Lotus 124 Alchemist (3:30)16/17 Blizzard Spur (10:48)New HEAD Kore 117 (22:23)On the trend of pow skis getting narrower (24:44)Liberty Genome (27:55)Salomon QST 118 (29:33)4FRNT Renegade, w/ comparisons to the 4FRNT Raven (35:48) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 Apr 201746min

Magnus Granér is different. Funky. We talk to him about his Real Ski win, SLVSH, The Bunch, growing up in Sweden, attending the real Hogwarts School, skiing on Mars, and more...TOPICS & TIMES:Magnus in Zermatt (1:45)Andorra & SLVSH CUP (3:45)Growing up in Hörnefors, Sweden — and growing up snowboarding (13:10)Playing soccer, "floorball", and husky racing (16:05)Thinking / Not Thinking (19:22)How you got from just starting to ski to where you are right now? (22:31)True Story: Magnus attends the weirdest / coolest school ever (24:45)The Formation of The Bunch (31:15)Creation Nation (33:58)X Games Real Ski — from getting invited to winning the Gold (37:55)Battling fear & scaring yourself vs. making urban more fun & accessible (44:30)Magnus on Henrik Harlaut (48:37)Re: the peanut butter 450 on (54:35)On the closing shot of Magnus’ real ski edit (56:45)LJ Strenio’s crash reel (59:27)The Bunch: How would you describe it? (01:03:00)Dancing (01:07:35)India, Russia, China: the state of skiing internationally (01:10:23)Your pro model / working with ON3P Skis (01:15:00)What’s next? (01:18:35) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 Mars 20171h 22min

What is the least understood but arguably most important piece of ski equipment? Ski boot liners. So we talk to ski boot pioneer, Sven Coomer, about why boot liners don’t receive the attention they deserve, what makes Zipfit liners different, and why Sven believes that liners are the single most important piece of ski equipment.TOPICS & TIMES:Why "Liners" should be called "Inner Boots," and what a good inner boot should do (0:00)Why Sven thinks that liners are the most important piece of equipment (5:00)What is someone failing to understand if they are failing to consider the inner boot? (13:00)Why liners and boots are more complex than skis; Why Zipfit liners don’t pack out (22:50)What is it about the construction of a Zipfit liner that's different? (24:45)What are the top issues / problems that a Zipfit liner might solve? (29:00)Alpine-Touring boots & liners — and the touring inner boot that Sven is working on (39:20)Final thoughts on the difference that the right liner can make (49:30) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 Mars 201758min

Paul Forward is a lead heli guide for Chugach Powder Guides in Girdwood, Alaska. He is also a physician who works a lot in the arctic village of Kotzebue, just north of the Arctic Circle. And in addition to that, Paul is one of our senior reviewers here at Blister — as well as being a bow hunter, a fly fisherman, an absolute gear whore, a lover of big missions, a good friend of mine, and (as a lot of people around the world will attest) a really fun person to venture out into the mountains with.In this conversation, we talk about Paul’s background; how he and I met and how he got involved with Blister; the life and logistics of a heli guide; and the new program on advanced wilderness medical care that Paul is starting this spring. And of course, Paul and I talk a bit about some of the new gear that he and I are currently reviewing, including the 4FRNT Devastator, Salomon QST 106, and Volkl 100Eight.TOPICS & TIMES:How Paul and I met, and how he almost killed me (3:20)How he became a Blister reviewer (5:20)Paul’s background (11:40)How he became a heli guide (18:25)How it works to be both a physician and a heli guide (22:38)What does a typical day in the life of a heli guide actually look like? (29:45)What are the most common mistakes that first-timers make? (35:09)What it's like guiding pro skiers / filming AK lines for movies (42:35)Paul’s new “venture,” offering advanced wilderness life support courses (52:05)Ski boots; 194 4FRNT Devastator vs. 184 Devastator; Salomon QST 106 vs. Volkl 100Eight (57:55) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Mars 20171h 14min