BLISTER Podcast

Today we’ve got Joel Gratz, the founding meteorologist & CEO of OpenSnow, back on the show to talk about … snow! And snow forecasting. And what’s new in the world of weather modeling. And how AI is changing virtually everything in this space. So if you like snow and you like to know when & where the snow will fly, listen up!Note: We Want to Hear From You!We’d love for you to share with us the stories or topics you’d like us to cover next month on Reviewing the News; ask your most pressing mountain town advice questions, or offer your hot takes for us to rate. You can email those to us here.RELATED LINKS: OpenSnow.comBLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredGet Our 25/26 Winter Buyer’s GuideDiscounted Summit Registration for BLISTER+ MembersNon-Member Registration: Blister Summit 2026Get Our Newsletter & Weekly Gear GiveawaysEp. 336: Joel Gratz on AI & Weather ModelingEp. 268: Best Practices for Adventuring OutdoorsEp. 237: Founder’s Story: Joel on OpenSnowCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (new channel)Blister Review (original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:Colorado’s dry start & being back in the swing of things (3:26)Is it busy at OpenSnow these days? (5:24)What should we expect this season? (6:55)Timing trips (10:28)East Coast's amazing start to winter (13:21)AI & forecasting (18:42)What else is going on at OpenSnow? (29:41)Forecasting for the resort vs the backcountry (43:48)Current state of the ski industry (50:47)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30

Jonathan talks with Atomic athletes Daron Rahlves and Janelle Yip, and Noah Wallace, the global manager for the Atomic freeski program. We get into what Daron and Janelle are doing just before ski season kicks off; the return of a beloved event put on by Daron; and Janelle tells the story of her gnarly crash this past winter. That then segues into why Atomic decided to cover their entire global freeski team with BLISTER+, and why we all want to see companies continue to take better care of their athletes.Note: We Want to Hear From You!We’d love for you to share with us the stories or topics you’d like us to cover next month on Reviewing the News; ask your most pressing mountain town advice questions, or offer your hot takes for us to rate. You can email those to us here.RELATED LINKS: BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredGet Our 25/26 Winter Buyer’s GuideDiscounted Summit Registration for BLISTER+ MembersNon-Member Registration: Blister Summit 2026Get Our Newsletter & Weekly Gear GiveawaysCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:Intros & Snow Reports (2:06)Pre-Season Training (5:49)Upcoming Season & the Return of Bonzai (13:59)Why Atomic Covers Their Athletes w/ BLISTER+ (23:36)Industry Responses to Team Coverage (27:43)The Culture of the Ski Industry (35:56)Janelle’s Crash & Recovery Story (39:42)Eliminating “Gotcha” Clauses & Providing Coverage (48:07)Coverage For All — Not Just Pro Athletes (53:02)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30

Jonathan shares some highlights and updates from the whirlwind of a trip he’s currently on.TOPICS & TIMES:1: LA / Santa Monica: Movie Premiere (1:00)2: Climbing / Climbing Shoes (6:18)3: Snowbound Expo: Ferreol, CARV, Burton (12:25)4: Robots: Boston Dynamics (16:26)5: Walden Pond (18:33)6: Burlington: Burton, J Skis, & Snowbeast (20:16)7: Back to CB, Skiing NEXT WEEK (22:33)8: Blister Studios (23:20)9: Our Mtn Bike Buyer’s Guide (24:56)10: Best Skis of the Century (27:36)

How do you get everyone from cattle ranchers to cyclists, snowmobilers, hunters, wildlife biologists, indigenous tribes, and politicians from both sides of the aisle to agree on how to best manage, protect, and utilize our public lands? It ain’t easy.But the GORP Act took on this challenge, and its collaborative approach could serve as a blueprint for the future. So, we sat down with Jon Hare, Advocacy Director for High Country Conservation Advocates, to get the full story. We discuss why they’re trying to use federal legislation to implement local land management policies; the challenges (and rewards) of working closely with so many different public land users with different priorities; and much more.RELATED LINKS: BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredGORP Act: Learn MoreGORP Act: Interactive MapGet Our 25/26 Winter Buyer’s GuideDiscounted Summit Registration for BLISTER+ MembersNon-Member Registration: Blister Summit 2026Get Our Newsletter & Weekly Gear GiveawaysCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel) TOPICS & TIMES: New BLISTER+ Members (2:35)John’s Background (3:43)GORP Act Backstory (6:14)Who Was Involved? (10:42)‘Future-Proofing’ Public Lands (15:11)Addressing Extractive Uses (21:33)Motorized vs. Non-Motorized Recreation (25:45)Achieving Bipartisan Support (33:06)Future of the GORP Act (35:29)Federal Management vs. Local Impacts (38:55)Similar Legislation in Other Locations? (45:55)Learn More About the GORP Act (52:36)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30

Cody and Jonathan discuss CT’s most recent travel horror story; ski industry cartels?; Jim Morrison’s Everest ski descent; Kilian Jornet’s ‘States of Elevation’ project; Red Bull Rampage; Balin Miller; the extreme insurance premium hikes at Timberline Lodge; and what we’re reading & watching.Note: We Want to Hear From You!We’d love for you to share with us the stories or topics you’d like us to cover next month on Reviewing the News; ask your most pressing mountain town advice questions, or offer your hot takes for us to rate. You can email those to us here.RELATED LINKS: BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredGet Our 25/26 Winter Buyer’s GuideDiscounted Summit Registration for BLISTER+ MembersNon-Member Registration: Blister Summit 2026Get Our Newsletter & Weekly Gear GiveawaysCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:Cody’s Latest Travel Nightmare (3:10)More on Suffering & Baseball & the NFL (14:18)Ski Industry Cartels? (20:16)Jim Morrison’s Mt. Everest Achievement (27:28)Kilian Jornet’s ‘States of Elevation’ Project (36:57)Red Bull Rampage (42:25)Balin Miller (1:00:31)Timeline Lodge & Premium Increases (1:16:20)What We’re Reading & Watching (1:20:41)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30

On our last two ‘Reviewing the News’ episodes, Cody and Jonathan talked about Lincoln Knowles, a young climber, free soloist, and content creator who has been making waves in the climbing world. Today, Lincoln joins them to hash things out and discuss some big topics that have implications for the entire outdoor industry.Note: We Want to Hear From You!We’d love for you to share with us the stories or topics you’d like us to cover next month on Reviewing the News; ask your most pressing mountain town advice questions, or offer your hot takes for us to rate. You can email those to us here.RELATED LINKS: BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredGet Our 25/26 Winter Buyer’s GuideDiscounted Summit Registration for BLISTER+ MembersNon-Member Registration: Blister Summit 2026Get Our Newsletter & Weekly Gear GiveawaysLincoln’s YouTube: Knowles and CompanyLincoln’s ‘Cody is Talking Sh*t about Me’ VideoTOPICS & TIMES:New BLISTER+ Members (3:45)Lincoln in Yosemite (7:23)Talk about the Responses to Your Videos (8:14)Lincoln’s Background (10:06)Climbing Culture (16:20)Do You Consider Yourself an Influencer or Athlete First? (23:20)“Climbing Harder Routes Until I Fall” (29:13)Risk (36:53)What Would a Successful Career Look Like to You? (37:27)The ‘Athlete Economy’ (41:14)Initial Impressions of Yosemite? (51:45)Climbing the Nose (54:39)Sponsorships (57:38)Influence & Responsibility (1:05:37)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30

At Blister Summit 2025, we brought together pro skiers Dane Tudor, Todd Ligare, Amy Jane David, and Stinius Skjøtskift for a wide-ranging and very candid conversation. These snowsports legends dove into everything from the current state of ski competitions to the moments that helped their skiing technique “click.” They share industry insights, career advice, and some hilarious personal stories — including how one of them nearly joined the military instead of becoming a pro skier.Note: We Want to Hear From You!We’d love for you to share with us the stories or topics you’d like us to cover next month on Reviewing the News; ask your most pressing mountain town advice questions, or offer your hot takes for us to rate. You can email those to us here.RELATED LINKS: Discounted Summit Registration for BLISTER+ MembersNon-Member Registration: Blister Summit 2026BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredGet Our Newsletter & Weekly Gear GiveawaysTOPICS & TIMES: Pick One: No Poles or No Goggles? (2:21)Tip that Helped Your Skiing “Click” (4:26)The Current State of Competition (11:31)Hot Takes (23:12)Biggest Break in Your Career? (28:50)Advice for Making a Career in the Industry (40:02)Audience Question: What Do You Want to Be Remembered For? (45:17)Audience Question: Storytelling in Skiing (52:35)Audience Question: Wild Animals in the Mountains (59:15)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30

Cody and Jonathan discuss Andrzej Bargiel’s ski descent of Everest; the return of the FIFTY+ project; the life of Jane Goodall; Outside Inc’s firing of Wes Siler; and Lincoln Knowles’ response to our last RTN conversation. Plus, they rate your takes and share what they’ve been reading & watching.Note: We Want to Hear From You!We’d love for you to share with us the stories or topics you’d like us to cover next month on Reviewing the News; ask your most pressing mountain town advice questions, or offer your hot takes for us to rate. You can email those to us here.RELATED LINKS: BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredGet Our 25/26 Winter Buyer’s GuideDiscounted Summit Registration for BLISTER+ MembersNon-Member Registration: Blister Summit 2026Get Our Newsletter & Weekly Gear GiveawaysHomegrown: The Flylow StoryTOPICS & TIMES: New BLISTER+ Members (0:24)The FIFTY+ is Back (1:40)Fantasy Football updates (9:30)Jane Goodall (11:24)Andrzej Bargiel Skis Everest (16:53)Fear in Media / Outside Fires Wes Siler (30:33)Lincoln Knowles Calls Out Cody (45:19)Rate My Take: On Reinhold Messner (59:50)What We’re Reading & Watching (1:13:55)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasGEAR:30