Runways, Race Courses, & Riding Gear: Curious Creatures’ Unique Origin Story

Sean Fearon is a ski development engineer at LINE & K2, and he’s been busy — between the two sister brands’ 24/25 collections, Sean helped design over a dozen of the new skis. So Luke Koppa sat down with Sean to get the details on LINE’s new Pandora, Vision, and Optic skis (and how they all relate to each other); the overhauled K2 Reckoner and Omen series; working with Karl Fostvedt to create his unique pro model, the Reckoner KF, and more. He also peels back the curtain on what it actually means to be a ski designer / engineer, why his job is often very similar to what we do at Blister, and how others might pursue a similar career.RELATED LINKS:Bag Balm: use code BLISTER to get 20% offBLISTER+: Become a MemberBlister Summit 2025: register before July 1st to save $150 Reviews: Line Pandoras, K2 Reckoners, K2 OmensTOPICS & TIMES:Sean’s Background (3:55)Being a Ski Engineer / Designer (7:25)24/25 LINE Skis Overview (13:20)LINE Pandora, Vision, & Optic Skis (17:02)K2 Omen Skis (41:47)K2 Reckoner Collection (51:05)Karl Fostvedt & The Reckoner KF (53:38)Advice For Future Ski Designers (1:09:43)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since Jonathan missed our GEAR:30 ‘travel gear’ conversation a few weeks ago, he wanted to weigh in. So he and Kristin Sinnott open by discussing their recent trips; they discuss the question of ‘why we travel?’; and then, they dive into some of their favorite travel gear.RELATED LINKS:Bag Balm: 20% Off w/ Code: BLISTERGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Blister Summit 2025: Early-Bird RegistrationTOPICS & TIMES:Recap of our Recent Trips (6:28)Snake Bite Black story (12:46)Italy (18:01)Why Do We Travel? (28:40)Florence, Italy (32:25)Gear Talk: Headphones (37:10)Roller Bags (42:15)Backpack (47:40)Walking shoes (51:04)Mechanical Watches (56:27)Work Out Gear (59:02)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Launching your own outdoor apparel company is no small feat, especially if it’s a one-woman operation. But with Curious Creatures, that’s exactly what Tasha Woodworth has done, and Kara Williard sat down with Tasha to hear all about her unique path to where she is today, as well as the ups, downs, and key takeaways from the journey. We discuss how Tasha’s background in both the fashion industry and ski racing helped her along the way; what it means to be a “curious creature”; how the ski racing “beat down” prepared her for building a small business, and more.RELATED LINKS:Blister Summit 2025: Early-Bird RegistrationGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastOff The CouchTOPICS & TIMESHigh Fashion (2:46)Working at Patagonia (5:27)NCAA / Middlebury & US Ski Team (9:12)Why start a new business? (11:27)First Steps (13:55)Products & Problem Solving (16:16)Curious Creatures (19:49)Men’s vs. Women’s vs. Unisex (29:17)Business Ethos (30:17)What’s Next? (33:35) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taylor Ahearn has been photographing skiing, snowboarding, biking, and day-to-day life in the Gunnison / Crested Butte Valley for many years now, and in this conversation, Luke Koppa chats with him about how he turned that into a career; their favorite camera-related gear; tips to help *you* capture better photos next time you’re outside; the most rewarding, frustrating, and unusual parts of getting these shots; and more. If you’re curious about how people like Taylor create such inspiring photos, or are looking to better capture your own time outside, you’ll definitely want to stick around.RELATED LINKS:Our Blister Recommended ShopsGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastTOPICS & TIMES:Taylor’s Photo Background (3:57)Most Rewarding Aspects? (10:37)Challenges (16:04)Photo Myths (22:22)Shooting Biking vs Skiing (26:02)Current Setups (30:10)Camera Accessories (38:43)Photography Advice (47:20)Editing & Settings (1:01:08)Favorite Photos & Photographers (1:11:39) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode, Luke Koppa sat down with Kristin Sinnott to go over some of the products they’ve found useful, surprising, or otherwise noteworthy while on the road or hurtling through the sky. They also discuss extremely relevant things like camcorder storage solutions and dinosaur podcasts, the fact that Luke doesn’t actually like traveling, and more.RELATED LINKS:Bag Balm: 20% Off w/ Code: BLISTERBlister Summit 2025: Early-Bird RegistrationGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Kristin & Luke’s Recent Trips (6:29)Travel Essentials (9:14)Camcorder Gear (20:09)Headphones & Dino Podcasts (23:58)Apparel (29:26)Surprisingly Useful Gear (45:05)Products We Wished Existed (47:30)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In part 2 of this GEAR THERAPY mini-saga, Justin Bobb lays out his specific recommendations for boots, bindings, boards, & more to get Jonathan started on his snowboarding journey. They also discuss how many days on a board JE will need before he’s ready to head up to the Headwall at Crested Butte.RELATED LINKS:Blister Rec Shop: Boone Mtn SportsGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Listen to Part OneCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastOff The CouchTOPICS & TIMES:Next Blister Cinematic episodeSnowboard Boots (8:46)Snowboard Bindings (22:07)Snowboards (29:01)Camber Profiles (30:32)Length / Sizing (36:21)Protective Gear (39:36)Common Injuries (43:12)Summary (45:52)Headwall Challenge (47:03)Crashes & Close Calls (53:57) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much does knowing how to ski help when learning how to snowboard? How do you slam as little as possible while learning to ride? Why don’t snowboards have releasable bindings? These are a few of our Blister founder's questions as he learns to ‘think sideways.’RELATED LINKS:Blister Rec Shop: Powder HoundGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Hot Dog…The Movie (4:56)Snowboarding Status Update (8:33)Slam Reduction Program (12:08)Releasable Bindings? (14:32)JE’s Snowboarding Goals (19:38)Stance (21:21)Visualization / “Think Sideways” (23:54)Best Terrain to Begin On? (29:34)Types of Slams (33:25)Speed (35:51)Running Flat Bases? (36:30)Heel vs Toe, Part 1 (38:34)Tips on Crashing (41:36)Timeline (44:22)Heel vs Toe, Part 2 (45:00)Edges (51:31)How to Stop?? (53:05)Speed Scrubbing (1:01:30)JE’s Latest Crashes & Close Calls (1:05:21)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At Blister Summit 2024, we got a state of the union on the present and future of ski boot design from 3 people with a wealth of experience in this world: Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson, Matt Manser, and Greg Klein. They cover everything from the reception and performance of BOA boots to Hoji’s new Dynafit Ridge Pro boot; cold feet (literal & metaphorical…), and much more.RELATED LINKS:Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Blister YouTube ChannelBlister Recommended ShopsTOPICS:Intro 4:12BOA Ski Boots: How’s It Gone So Far? 5:36Weight: Still a Big Factor?13:27Hoji’s New Dynafit Ridge Pro Boot 25:20“Welcome Fit” 39:06Footbeds & Boot Shell Plastic 45:31Upper-Cuff BOAs? 54:09Selling Shells w/o Liners? 56:34Solutions for Cold Feet? 1:02:40“True” size-22 Shells 1:04:57Throat / Instep Fit 1:06:47Canting & Cuff Alignment 1:09:11“Custom” Boots 1:11:20CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re back with Eric Helmbrecht, co-owner of Powder Hound in Girdwood, AK, to discuss Alaska’s banner El Niño season; the gear he enjoyed most; the gear Kara Williard brought to Girdwood; what’s changed at Alyeska Resort since joining the Ikon pass; the reliability of various AT & alpine bindings, and more.RELATED LINKS:Shop Talk: Powder Hound, Girdwood, AK (Ep.133)Shop Talk: Celebrating 10 Years of Powder Hound in Girdwood, AK (Ep.222)Trends, Favorite Gear, and Most / Least Durable Products, with Eric Helmbrecht of Powder Hound AK (Ep.41) Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Blister Recommended ShopsTOPICS & TIMESAlaska’s Epic El Niño (3:07)Eric’s Favorite Gear (4:55)Kara’s Gear for AK (7:05)BOA Boots (10:57)Ski Tuning Upgrade (13:17)Ski Racing in AK (17:03)Alyeska on the Ikon Pass (20:03)Eric’s Trip Recommendations (25:19)Alpine Bindings (28:01)Binding Reliability & Longevity (30:56)Eric’s Preferences (40:53)AT Bindings & Trends (44:40)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the new skis they’ve been testing this springRELATED LINKS:Blister Rec Shop: Powder HoundGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMES:Intro & Updates (2:36)Blizzard Anomaly 88 (9:50)K2 Omen Team (20:00)Blizzard Anomaly 94 (23:32)Armada Declivity X 102 & Declivity X 108 (33:58)Moment Commander 102 (40:46)Line Pandora 99 & Pandora 106 (49:14)Black Crows Corvus (57:38)Rossignol Sender Free 118 (1:03:57)Crashes & Close Calls (1:10:07)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.