Reviewing the Reviewer: Zack Henderson

Today we’re talking about exploding fabrics, microwaving hotdogs, and whether the color of your jacket affects its performance. Dr. Jeni Blacklock is back to discuss all of this, and to provide an update on the Blister Labs’ testing that’s been happening at the Rady School of Computer Science & Engineering at Western Colorado University, as part of the partnership program between Blister, Western Colorado University & the University of Colorado Boulder.RELATED LINKSGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Get Our Winter Buyer’s GuideCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTEDTOPICS & TIMES:Apparel Testing Overview (1:25)Friction & UV Tests (3:53)Exploding Fabric?? (6:16)Color & Other Variables (12:23)What’s Next? (20:44) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We spend so much time reviewing the news these days on our Blister Podcast, we were officially overdue to have Cody Townsend back on GEAR:30 to talk about his current gear preferences and the specific gear he’s using most these days. So today, we remedy that.RELATED LINKSGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Get Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s GuideCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTEDTOPICS & TIMES:Cody’s Pre-Season Training (3:00)Coffee Gear Update (12:03)Skis (17:49)Ski Bindings (25:04)Ski Boots (34:57)Race Boots (42:33)Apps (48:20)Backpacks (57:24)Apparel (1:02:52)Gear Your Most Picky About? (1:12:22)Sidecut or Rocker Profile? (1:19:13)Mount Points (1:21:26)Bonus Talk for the 100 (1:25:03) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Pedorthist is someone who is trained in the assessment of lower limb anatomy, biomechanics, and, of course – feet. Heather Van Glider is not only a Pedorthist, but also an experienced ski bootfitter, making her particularly well suited for the latest installment of our Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting series.We dive into the importance of custom insoles and orthotics; why they are beneficial for not only ski boots, but other types of footwear; how Heather thinks through some of the biomechanics related to skiing; what it’s like to run a women-owned and operated bootfitting operation, Boulder Orthotics; her best bootfitting horror story; and more. RELATED LINKSGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Get Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s GuideBoulder Orthotics A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting SeriesTOPICS & TIMESCustom Insoles 101 (3:13)Insoles vs. Orthotics (5:54)Insoles for Skiing (9:40)Insoles for Other Sports (17:21)Women-specific vs. Unisex Boots (19:36)Boulder Orthotics (27:32)Mentorship (30:50)Best Bootfitting Horror Story (36:37)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Abrams from Flylow is back to talk about toxic positivity, slide gliding, burrito grease, the Palisades base vs. Alpine base of Palisades Tahoe, what’s going on at Flylow, how they’re handling the transition away from PFAS, a few of Dan’s favorite pieces, and more.Also, we’re proud to announce that Flylow is the first apparel company to commit to covering their international athletes with BLISTER+, which is another step forward in getting sponsored athletes better protected than they’ve ever been. That’s a big deal, and shout out to Dan and Flylow for stepping up.RELATED LINKSGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Get Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s GuideCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTEDTOPICS & TIMES:Dan’s Palisades Tahoe Review (9:46)Flylow & BLISTER+ (17:58)Other Flylow Updates (20:23)The Transition Away from PFAS (23:56)Washing Technical Apparel (31:45)Was the PFAS Mandate Good Legislation? (40:28)Breaking News: Hiking is Fun (45:26)Ski Apparel Vs Mtn Bike Apparel and "Hip" Packs (1:00:22)Dan's Favorite Pant (1:11:41) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Venture Snowboards announced that they will also be making Venture skis. So Jonathan talked with Venture’s Klem Branner about why skis — and why skis now; what’s harder or easier about making skis vs snowboards; and what, exactly, is this new ski of theirs, the Sultan?RELATED LINKSGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Get Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s GuideCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTEDTOPICS & TIMES:New Skis & Old Sweatshirts (5:20)Venture’s Origin Story (6:18)Building Splitboards (7:35)Why Skis & Why Now? (13:05)Skking, Riding, or Boarding (16:51)Sultan Specs (19:24)Manufacturing differences with skis (21:20)Sidecut (25:33)Sustainability (37:47)Most Outrageous Warranty Story (44:02) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since we’re releasing soon the 10th edition of our Really Big Book, Jonathan talks with Luke Koppa and Kara Williard about our latest buyer’s guide (pre-order ends on 9.01.24), what’s in it, how it’s evolved, and of course, we talk about that super sexy cover photo….RELATED LINKSGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Pre-Order: Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s GuideTOPICS & TIMES:BLISTER+ Members: Check Yo Inbox! (1:48)Mtn Town Advice w/ Cody (2:24)‘Rocky’ as Running Movie? (3:15)Big News in the Outdoor Industry (4:00)Overview of the Guide + Cover Model Luke (8:28)What's in the Guide (16:00)Women's Gear (17:20)What Else? (23:59)Photos (35:18)How to Get the Guide (40:49)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nikolai Schirmer has made quite a name for himself by sometimes sailing to — and then, almost always climbing up — very technical lines, then often flashing those lines at ridiculous speeds on relatively lightweight gear. Today, Niko and Jonathan have the great debate about pin bindings; talk about Niko’s approach to selecting gear; discuss the specific gear he’s currently using the most; when & why he prefers lightweight ski gear, and we end with Niko announcing for the first time in public the name of his new film, which is his biggest project ever.RELATED LINKSGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Pre-Order: Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s GuideTOPICS & TIMES:Niko’s StylePin Bindings (7:49)Light vs Heavy Gear (21:08)Ski Boots (38:29)Boot Quivers (46:09)Ski Quivers (48:23)Niko’s New Film (1:06:16)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’ve got another episode of our “Reviewing the Reviewer” series, where we ask our reviewers questions about their backgrounds and gear preferences to give you a more complete picture of the people behind our reviews. In the hot seat is bike reviewer, Zack Henderson, but in addition to mountain biking and gravel riding, Zack is also a snowboarder and a skier, so our conversation is almost equal parts bike, board, and ski talk. Jonathan also starts the episode by remembering our friend and fellow reviewer, Eric Freson.RELATED LINKS:Pre-Order: Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s GuideBecome a Member: BLISTER+TOPICS & TIMESZack’s background / sports did you play growing up? (7:40)Where’d You Go to School & Why? (11:12)How did you first get connected with Blister? (15:42)Zack’s bike, ski, & snowboard, gravel bike preferences (18:31)Who is your favorite reviewer at Blister? (40:12)Who is your favorite pro mtn biker, pro skier, pro snowboarder? (41:17)What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done? (51:21)What gear are you most picky about? (54:35)What gear are you least picky about? (57:21)Best Crash or Close Call Story? (59:35)Top 3 favorite books, movies, and musicians (1:02:54)Give us a random review (1:06:39)What’s the best question I haven’t asked you? (1:12:35)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicBlister PodcastBikes & Big IdeasCRAFTED Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Interested in ski design? Curious about where the next advancements in ski design might come from? Dr. Sean Humbert is back to provide an update on our Blister Labs’ ski flex project and to go over some of the results and takeaways from the on-snow ski testing and dynamic modeling from this past ski season.Blister Labs is a partnership between BLISTER and the Western Colorado University - CU Boulder Partnership Program.RELATED LINKS:The Published Paper on this ProjectBLISTER+: Get Yourself CoveredTOPICS & TIMES:Project Overview (3:23)In-Field Testing & Results (6:08)Bindings & Ski Flex Patterns (24:45)What’s Next (35:54)Published Paper (44:13)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine being in freezing temperatures on a glacier and having to remove your harness and several layers of clothing just to pee. What about scrambling around a desolate desert looking for a place to pull down your pants in private? Maybe you don’t have to imagine — maybe you’re part of half the population who have to wear pants that weren’t originally designed for your anatomy.Gnara is an apparel company that has spent the last several years working to solve this problem with the advent of their “GoFly Technology,” a patented zipper that allows you to ‘go’ anywhere while maintaining privacy. We talk to Gnara co-founder, Georgia Grace Edwards, about how this idea came to be; the brand’s growth in the last few years; the impact they’ve had on a variety of professions and applications (with more to come); how to approach a taboo topic with humor and grace; and more. RELATED LINKS:Pre-Order: Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s GuideBecome a Member: BLISTER+Gnara’s GoFly TechnologyTOPICS & TIMES:Glacier Guiding & Origin Story (4:19)Why Pee Zippers Matter (7:32)“GoFly” Technology (15:53)Product Lineup (17:22)Using Humor to Address Taboo (24:16)The Rewarding Moments (28:08)Scaling (31:32)Leggings (35:16)Crowdfunding Strategy (39:55)Rebranding (45:50)Georgia Grace’s Background (54:21)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister PodcastOff The Couch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.