BLISTER Podcast

Angel Collinson on Her Retirement from Skiing, Processing Change, & More

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is one of our all-time favorite skiers, and one of our all-time favorite people: Angel Collinson. Angel recently announced her retirem...

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Oct 2021)

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cody and Jonathan discuss ‘fast pass’ programs at ski areas; Angel Collinson’s retirement announcement; the recent climate change / energy bill;...

Jackie Paaso on her Arctic 12 Expedition

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to the American skier who now calls Sweden home, Jackie Paaso, about her very raw, very real new film, The Arctic 12. We discuss her backgroun...

Blister Summit Artist Panel: Art & the Outdoor Industry

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are airing one of the panel sessions we held this past February at the Blister Summit, and this is a great conversation. We brought together ...

McKenna Peterson on Ski Movies, Boats, & Hemingway’s Typewriter

11 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last Friday, we published a GEAR:30 episode with McKenna Peterson, where we discuss her ski gear preferences; what piece of gear she’s still searchi...

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Sep 2021)

04 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cody and Jonathan discuss some of the outdoor-industry-related news of the past month, including the NFL(?); the massive increase in Epic Pass sales; ...

From G.N.A.R. Star to Mayor? Why Spencer Cordovano is Running for Office

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How does a ski bum go from starring in the beloved movie G.N.A.R. to running for mayor? And why? We talked to Spencer Cordovano to get some answers, a...

Season Co-Founder, Austin Smith, on Snowboarding, Telemarking, Comfy Boots, & Fire Truck Customization

20 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Austin Smith is the co-founder of Season Eqpt and the man in charge of the snowboard side of Season, while his co-founder, Eric Pollard, oversees the ...

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (August 2021)

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cody and Jonathan discuss wildfire management; athlete sponsorships and why the current model needs to be fixed; emerging technologies designed to cap...

Mountain Town Economics, Pt 3: Developing Housing, Addressing Climate Change, & Mitigating Megafires

30 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As of this morning, massive fires are drawing closer and closer to South Lake Tahoe. So while we have been talking about the crisis of affordable hous...

Mountain Town Economics, Pt 2: Housing, Community, & Core Values

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we are talking again about a number of the logistics facing most mountain town communities — and discussing a number of potential solution...

Benji Alexander’s Bid to Become Jamaica’s 1st Olympic Alpine Ski Racer

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Benji Alexander is a passionate ski racer and backcountry skier with a stranger-than-fiction backstory. So we talk about how Burning Man got him into ...

Mountain Town Economics, Pt 1: Affordable Housing, Short-Term Rentals, & More

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, Cody Townsend and I talked about the profusion of short term rentals that have become increasingly common in mountain towns. This week, our...

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (July 2021)

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cody and Jonathan discuss athletes & mental health; the affordable housing issues facing mountain towns; Pit Viper vs. far-right extremists (??); ...

Revelshine founder, Jake Bilbro, on Skiing & Wine Culture, and the Joys of Getting Out but Going Easy

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Ellsworth has been in Ketchum, Idaho, this past week hanging out and riding bikes with Blister member, Jake Bilbro, who is the founder of Rev...

Dr. Rami Hashish on Optimizing Athletic Performance, Aging Well, & Rethinking Work

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re talking with Dr. Rami Hashish about high-level human performance, injury prevention, and how to age well. Dr. Hashish is the founder of ...

Doug Chadwick on Our Need for a New Understanding of Nature

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we discuss grizzlies, whales, microbes, humankind, & the future of the world with the wildlife biologist & author, Doug Chadwick. Al...

Your Insurance Probably Sucks. Spot Can Change That.

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re reading this, then you definitely need to listen to this episode. Because many of us in the outdoor community either don’t have insuranc...

Reviewing the News with Cody Townsend (May / June 2021)

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about Cody’s recent adventure in AK; surges in National Park visits; ski patrol unionization; UFOs … and...

Skiing Indoors? Alpine-X & the Future of Snowsports

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to the CEO of Alpine-X about his vision of developing indoor snowsports destinations in North American metropolitan markets. Could this have a...

Matthias Giraud & Chase Ogden on ‘Super Frenchie’, Ski Base Jumping, & More

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk with Matthias Giraud and Chase Ogden about their excellent new film, Super Frenchie, which documents Matthias’ exploits as a skier, base jum...

Book Club: Andrew Alexander King on the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We’re firing back up the Blister Book Club with mountaineer, climber, and big-wave surfer, Andrew Alexander King. Andrew and Jonathan discuss the Me...

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Apr 2021)

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time once again to review the outdoor-industry news, and this time around Cody Townsend and I discuss some recent criticism of REI; spraying vs...

Report: The 20/21 Ski Season in Europe

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We’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 Blackshe...

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Mar 2021)

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cody and Jonathan discuss the introduction of criminal charges for triggering avalanches; the case against straightlining; ski area news; our media re...

Adventure Photographer, Adam Clark

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We 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 ...

Cam Smith on The Grand Traverse; State of Skimo; & Training for Skiing, Running, & Mtn Biking

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last 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 a...

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Feb 2021)

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cody and Jonathan discuss the new rule changes re: filming in National Parks; lift-line etiquette; the future of freeride comps; the record number of ...

Backcountry Travel, Snow Science, & the Art of Avalanche Forecasting

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re talking about the science of snow, the art of avalanche forecasting, and what every backcountry traveler can be sending in to their loca...

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Jan 2021)

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the first Winter Summit of K2 by the Sherpa and Nepali team, including Nirmal Purja; TNF x Gucci collab; ...

Andrew Alexander King & The Between Worlds Project

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Alexander King is an explorer, alpinist, climber, and surfer who was born in Detroit, Michigan. Andrew has climbed over 50 different mountains ...

Sam Anthamatten on Steep Skiing, La Liste 2, the FWT, & Gear Choices

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sam 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 ...

Reviewers’ 2020 Highlights & 2021 Resolutions

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For 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 forwa...

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Dec 2020)

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Cody Towsend and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about chess & The Queen’s Gambit; savants & skier savants; ski media; political appointees; avalanc...

Snowboarder Elena Hight on Competition, Transitions, & Blank Canvas

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Elena 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 tal...

Bode Miller on Education, Mental Preparation, Technology, Ski Design, & More

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bode 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-ra...

Inclusivity & Innovation in the Outdoor Industry: Moosejaw CEO, Eoin Comerford

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We talk with Moosejaw CEO, Eoin Comerford, about how to increase diversity and inclusivity in the outdoor industry; the Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator —...

On Guidebooks & Decision Making in the Backcountry

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sales of backcountry guide books are up, and more and more people are venturing out. So we talked with Beacon Guidebooks founder, Andy Sovick (who Cod...

Athletic Brewing Company founder, Bill Shufelt

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Athletic 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 ...

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Nov 2020)

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are launching a new segment on the Blister Podcast. Each month, Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth will discuss some of the biggest stories...

Adaptive Sports & Recreation: Past, Present, & Future

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Did 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 a...

Mali Noyes & Lani Bruntz ski The Wurl

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The 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...

Hunt to Eat founder, Mahting Putelis

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This 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...

Blister Speaker Series 3.1: Cody Townsend

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Last week Cody Townsend came to Western Colorado University for our Blister Speaker Series and spoke about why his education has been so beneficial to...

Stan Rey & Alexi Godbout on Skiing Pillows; Spit Cups; & Their New Film

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We’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 fea...

Black Crows Skis co-founder, Camille Jaccoux

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Our 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 ...

Will Gadd on The Last Ascent + Doing all the Sports

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Will Gadd has established a number of the hardest mixed ice climbing lines in the world; set the world distance record for paragliding (twice); kayake...

Jeremy Jones on His New Film, Purple Mountains

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to snowboarder & Protect Our Winters founder, Jeremy Jones, about his new film, Purple Mountains; the importance of reviving a lost art; a...

Paul Forward on Hunting, Climate Advocacy, & Conservation

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, is a lifelong hunter. Jonathan Ellsworth has been a vegetarian for over 20 years. So how much common ground do they sh...

Adventures of a Hemophiliac: Chris Bombardier on Climbing Mount Everest

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On January 6, 2018, Chris Bombardier became the first person with hemophilia to complete all Seven Summits, and tomorrow, a film comes out called Bomb...

Current State of the Camping Industry

10 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“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...

Jeremy Bloom on Winning, Happiness, & The Weight of Gold

03 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jeremy 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 w...

National Brotherhood of Skiers co-founder & U.S. Ski Hall of Fame inductee, Art Clay

28 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Art 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 ind...

Skid Row Running Club founder, Judge Craig Mitchell

13 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Whether 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 Crai...

Olympian Dotsie Bausch on Cycling, Switch4Good, & the Dairy Industry

06 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dotsie Bausch is a 7-time USA Cycling National Champion, an Olympic medalist, a featured athlete in the film, The Game Changers, and the executive dir...

What You Need to Know - and Do - about the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA)

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You are probably familiar with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but what do you know about the arguably more important National Environmenta...

BlackAFinSTEM, Birders, & Bees

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

BlackAFinSTEM was started to encourage and support Black individuals who are working in — or who are just passionate about — the fields of Science...

Bees, Green Lawns, “Perfect” Apples, & the Reinvention of Farming

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Last week on the show we talked to Sanjay Rawal about his new film, Gather, which examines the growing food sovereignty movement among Native American...

Food Sovereignty, Indigenous Rights, & the Film, Gather

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today 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 see...

How to Recreate Responsibly in the Time of COVID

26 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As a number of locations are beginning to relax travel restrictions and are able to welcome visitors back, we wanted to discuss some important reminde...

Geoff McFetridge on The Abstract Wild by Jack Turner

19 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the latest installment of our Blister Book Club, we talk with the artist, Geoff McFetridge, about Jack Turner’s book, The Abstract Wild. We discu...

On the State of Heli Skiing: Henry Munter, Chugach Powder Guides

04 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Henry 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 dow...

X Games Real Ski 2020 Gold Medalist, Jake Mageau

20 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The 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 edi...

SKI INC. 2020: The Current State & Future of the Ski Industry

13 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The ski industry has undergone rapid changes in the past several years, and we are currently in another unprecedented moment with the COVID-19 pandemi...

Crash Course: How to Telemark Ski, Part 1

07 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Baby 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), ...

Catching Up with Caite Zeliff

30 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We 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.) Cait...

Up & Coming? FWT World Champion, Isaac Freeland

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As 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....

Without Precedent: COVID-19, Ski Area Closures, & Ski Towns

16 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This past weekend, something happened that has never happened in the history of resort skiing: in the span of 12 hours, most ski areas abruptly suspen...

Bobby Brown on Big Air & Backcountry Skiing

09 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Bobby 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 t...

Blister Speaker Series 2.5: Tommy Caldwell

03 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Last week at our monthly Blister Speaker Series at Western Colorado University, in Gunnison, Tommy Caldwell spoke in front of a packed auditorium abou...

Mtn Guide Rob Coppolillo on Backcountry Travel, Education, & Gear

17 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to IFMGA / AMGA mountain guide, Rob Coppolillo (author of The Mountain Guide Manual and the new book, The Ski Guide Manual) about how he got i...

Blister Speaker Series 2.4: Wendy Fisher

27 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Wendy Fisher is one of the all-time greats. She is a two-time World Extreme Skiing Champion; was on the U.S. Ski Team; filmed with Warren Miller and M...

Thor Verdonk: A Life in Ski & Ski Boot Design

20 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the world of ski and ski boot design, Thor Verdonk is well known and very well respected. So we talked to Thor about his background, his 25+ year c...

Geoff McFetridge: Artist, Designer, Skater, Skier

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Geoff McFetridge is an iconic designer and visual artist who’s worked with the Beastie Boys, Pharrell Williams, Spike Jonez and Rick Rubin, and comp...

Ski & Snowboard Industry Predictions for the New Decade

06 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What will the ski & snowboard industry look like 10 years from now? Will backcountry skiing and splitboarding keep growing? Will indoor ski areas ...

Our 2020 New Year’s Resolutions

30 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve been thinking and talking about New Year’s Resolutions, so in this episode, we ask a number of BLISTER reviewers what they’re pursuing in ...

New Year’s Resolutions with Brendan Leonard

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

New Year’s Resolutions — are you into them, or do you avoid them like the plague? A recent conversation with Brendan Leonard (semi-rad.com) got us...

Up & Coming: Tyler Curle

10 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We’re not sure that anyone loves skiing more than Tyler Curle, and Tyler also happens to be one very hard-charging and versatile skier who has appea...

Eric Pollard on Skiing, Creating, & Evolving

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to skiing, product design, filmmaking, and art, few people have exhibited a more distinctive style than Eric Pollard. But for someone wh...

‘Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season’ with TGR’s Steve Jones

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Think you know Lindsey Vonn’s story? Think again. Most of us know Vonn as one of the greatest ski racers of all time — and probably the toughest. ...

Reporter Jason Blevins on Backcountry.com

18 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jason Blevins of the Colorado Sun broke the story about backcountry.com’s practices around trademark issues, so we talk to Jason about how this stor...

Blister Speaker Series 2.3: Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In our latest BLISTER Speaker Series at Western Colorado University, Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, talks about managing the significant growth of th...

Rachael Burks on Skiing & Shakespeare & Sweatpants & More

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Fact: we all need to strive to be more like Rachael Burks. Rachael is known for skiing burly lines and her signature backflip, but she is also known f...

'Blink of an Eye' writer & director, Paul Taublieb

22 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

If the story told in the new film Blink of an Eye weren’t true, nobody would believe it. Friendship, brotherhood, heroes, triumph, tragedy, and rede...

Blister Speaker Series 2.2: Honnold Foundation ED, Dory Trimble

15 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When world-renowned climber, Alex Honnold, was looking for a new executive director for his Honnold Foundation, he tapped Dory Trimble. And with the m...

Dash Longe on Skiing, Ski Films, & Ski Design

08 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dash Longe is a skier who’s been doing it — and going big — for a long time. And tomorrow is the online release of Dash’s latest film, Stone’...

Adventure Photographer, Corey Rich

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Adventure photographer, Corey Rich, has spent a lot of time hanging out with and documenting some of the most interesting and amazing athletes in the ...

J Skis founder, Jason Levinthal

24 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve got J Skis founder, Jason Levinthal, back on the show, and we’re going to be doing things a bit differently than we normally do. Last week w...

Blister Speaker Series 2.1: Claudio Caluori

17 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, we kicked off season #2 of our monthly Blister Speaker Series at Western Colorado University, where we invite influential figures to come t...

Pep Fujas: from the Farm to K2 to WNDR

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pep Fujas has always been at the forefront of freeskiing, and he is now looking to move things forward once again. So we talk to Pep about growing up ...

Up & Coming: Slopestyle Mountain Biker, Ming Goetz

02 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re running the 2nd episode of our Up and Coming series, where we talk with athletes, who, if they aren’t already on your radar, they cert...

Biotech hits the Backcountry: Checkerspot & WNDR Alpine

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What does biotech have to do with backcountry skiing? What does microalgae have to do with skis? And why did the founder of 4FRNT Skis, Matt Sterbenz,...

How to Change the World with Bikes: World Bicycle Relief

20 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We published this conversation last week on our Bikes & Big Ideas podcast, but we wanted to repost it in the Blister Podcast feed to make sure non...

Up & Coming: Skier AND Mtn Biker, Dylan Siggers

05 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re launching our new Up & Coming series, where we’ll be highlighting some athletes who, if they aren’t already on your radar, they ...

Training Your Body — and Your Brain

01 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You’re probably already convinced of the importance of physical exertion, going outside, and staying physically fit and active. But what about your ...

From Skiing Park to Working for NASA: LJ Strenio

23 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, the well-known and well-loved park skier, LJ Strenio, posted a photo of a letter — from NASA — that was congratulating him on being acc...

Western States 100 Champion, Clare Gallagher

16 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Clare Gallagher just won the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Race, and she did so in spectacular fashion. And normally, that is all the introduction...

Making the 1st Electric Snowmobile: Taiga Motors

09 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

While more and more electric cars are hitting the streets, Taiga Motors is about to bring the world’s first commercial electric snowmobiles to the b...

Mark Abma’s Regimen for Skiing Well & Living Well

10 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For a long time now, Mark Abma has stood right at the center of big-mountain skiing. So we talk to him about living with JP Auclair, Julien Regnier, a...

James Buehler on Riding the Ribbon, Devil’s Castle

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Last week on social media, many of us were blown away by some pretty terrifying footage of a snowboarder negotiating the Ribbon on Devil’s Castle at...