GEAR:30

For some years now, we’ve wrestled with some big ideas about how we could change our annual Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide. So today, Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa and Kristin Sinnott discuss those potential changes — as well as what definitely won’t be changing. Give it a listen, then please let us know what you think.Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.comRELATED LINKS:Get Covered: BLISTER+Enter Our Weekly Gear GiveawaySee Our Blister Recommended ShopsCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:How We Operate / What Won’t Change (3:55)Changes We’re Considering (21:25)A Third Way? (34:58)SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE TO OUR BUYER'S GUIDE POLLCHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast

At our Blister Summit, we asked our Blister Summit attendees to pose their questions about ski design to Max Smith (vice president & ski designer at Moment Skis); Stu Gleason (senior designer at DPS Skis); and Mike McCabe (senior designer & owner at Folsom Custom Skis).Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.comRELATED LINKS:Get Covered: BLISTER+Enter Our Weekly Gear GiveawaySee Our Blister Recommended ShopsCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:Blister Plus Members (1:00)What Needs To Be Cleared Up With Customer Questions (5:24)What's A Problem You Wish You Could Solve (8:00)Trend To Ski Design:  Do it All or Specifics (10:35)Balancing Ski Design With Conditions and Geography (13:46)Torsional Stiffness (16:20)Prototype Fails (23:06)Taper Angles and Reverse Sidecut (27:06)What will define the next decade of ski design Which Modern Day Material Has Had The Most Impact (35:51)Feedback Sources (37:30)No One Layer Skis (41:54)Exothermic Epoxy Accidents (45:03)What Hasn't Been Asked Yet? (46:30)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast

There’s no shortage of skis on the market these days, yet we’re still seeing new brands pop up. So what does it take to start your own ski company, and why do it in the first place?In this episode, Luke Koppa gets the story behind one of the newest brands out there, Ellis Skis, from their founder and engineer, Kevin Schaefer. We discuss why he started Ellis; how he went about prototyping the skis he thought could fill gaps in the market; what he has planned for the future; some misconceptions about ski design, and more.Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email those to us here.RELATED LINKS:Get Covered: BLISTER+Enter Our Weekly Gear GiveawaySee Our Blister Recommended ShopsEllis SkisCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:From Longboards to Skis (6:27)Why Create Your Own Ski Company? (8:26)Origins of the “Ellis” Name (11:06)Prototyping Process (11:30)Feedback From Testers & Customers (12:30)Ellis Sabr 100 (26:27)Ellis Meraki 112 (34:10)Ellis Kanso 106 (40:52)What’s Next? (48:46)Clearing Up Ski Design Misconceptions (54:04)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast

Jonathan talks to our patron saint of GEAR:30, Hoji; Jeff Colt (ZipFit); Shane Chappell (Burton); and Will Ritter (Spark R&D) to get their sense of the most interesting trends and product developments across the ski and snowboard world.Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.comRELATED LINKS:Get Covered: BLISTER+Enter Our Weekly Gear GiveawaySee Our Blister Recommended ShopsBlister Podcast (ep 404): Stories from the FieldCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:Shoutout: New BLISTER+ Members (2:33)Our Responses to the Previous Panel: Blister Podcast #404 (3:27)ZipFit’s Jeff Colt (15:51)Shane Chappell: Biggest Trends at Burton: Step On (20:06)Burton, Nitro, and Union: Joining Forces (23:31)Hoji on the Hoji Hole, etc. (29:57)Will Ritter: Emerging Trends (33:00)Emerging Trends from ZipFit (37:43)Hoji & 90-Flex Ski Boots (40:43)Snowboard Boot Design (46:21)Spark’s Tech Toe Collab with ATK (50:29)Audience Questions:Booster Straps, Insoles, & Aftermarket Liners (53:24)Boot Pivot Points (1:00:09)Ski Technology Trends (1:03:27)Burton’s ‘Family Tree’ Project (1:05:37)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast

Often on GEAR:30, we zoom way in on the particular design details of a product. But today, we zoom way out, and take a look at how some of the biggest, global, ski and outdoor gear manufacturers actually operate, with Jake Stevens (Rossignol); Jesse Ambrogi-Yanson (Armada); Joe Johnson (Salomon); and Sean Kennedy (Atomic).Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.comRELATED LINKS:Get Covered: BLISTER+Enter Our Weekly Gear GiveawaySee Our Blister Recommended ShopsCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.comTOPICS & TIMES:Shoutout: New BLISTER+ Members (1:55)Introductions (3:34)From Europe to the USA & Beyond (6:44)Armada: from the USA  to Europe & Beyond (16:33)Marketing Products: Domestic vs Global (18:12)Global Campaigns (29:54)Importance of Athletes for Brands Today? (37:08)Audience Questions:Customer Retention: Best Practices? (48:48)Importance of User-Generated Content? (56:17)Is Total Consumer Domination The Goal? (59:20)The Importance of Top Sheets? (1:05:58)Is Carving Becoming Cool Again? (1:09:55)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast

Luke and Jonathan compare notes on a number of skis they got on at the Blister Summit; confess some crimes; and offer one public service announcement.Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.comRELATED LINKS:Parallel Mountain Sports, PalisadesGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Enter Our Weekly Gear GiveawaySee Our Blister Recommended ShopsCRAFTED Trip Report: Blister Summit & SLCCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:Parallel Mountain Sports, Palisades (1:05)Hoji & Marcus Goguen: New BLISTER+ Members (3:10)Nordica Unleashed 106 (6:00)Dynastar M-Free 100 (11:46)Ellis Kanso 106 & Meraki 112 (18:51)Kastle Sublime 93 & Transcend 104 (26:15)Armada AntiMatter 100 & 114 (35:39)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast

We’re still buzzing from Blister Summit 2026, which we held last week at Snowbird, Utah. And in this conversation, a number of our reviewers got together to recap their favorite moments, runs, and gear. We also cover what it’s like to ride with the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb (whether he’s on a board, skis, or blades); one of the aspects of ski reviewing that Sascha Anastas does better than Jonathan and Luke; CRAFTED podcast co-host Eli Brown’s perspective as a newcomer to the Summit; and more.Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email us at info@blisterreview.comRELATED LINKS:Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Enter Our Weekly Gear GiveawaySee Our Blister Recommended ShopsCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:Jonathan’s Driving Advice (2:40)Sascha's Summit Record (6:40)Eli's First Summit (8:15)Conditions & Favorite Terrain (11:05)Sascha & Eli’s Standout Gear (24:39)Upcoming Summit CRAFTED Episode (42:14)JBobb’s Eventful Last Day (45:02)Hard Boot Snowboarding (1:00:29)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast

Luke’s a dad! Our patron saint of GEAR:30, Hoji, will be back at the Blister Summit! You can win custom skis at our Summit Dinner! Plus, you’ll hear lots of talk from Luke and Jonathan about the skis they tested to close out the year at CBMR! (So many exclamation points!!!)Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email those to us here.RELATED LINKS:Join Us @ Blister Summit 2026Win Custom Skis @ Summit DinnerGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Enter Our Weekly Gear GiveawaySee Our Blister Recommended ShopsTOPICS & TIMES:Blister Summit Dinner — Win SkisLuke’s a Dad! (3:08)Closing Day (5:38)Blister Summit Snow & Forecast (9:45)Hoji (12:16)Win Folsom Custom Skis @ Summit Dinner (13:40)Panel Sessions & Athlete Guests (16:46)Armada ARV 106 Ti (22:57)Kastle Sublime 93 (25:51)Kastle at Summit (32:45)Doberman Multi Pista (33:17)Heritage Lab RC95 (36:48)Line Poisson (40:13)Moment Deathwish 112 (50:25)Moment Wildcat 108 (54:14)M-Free 108 (1st Gen) at Snowbird (56:26)Most Surprising Ski of the Season? (59:22)Skis We Want to Check Out @ the Summit (1:01:51)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast

Do narrower skis actually make you carve better on piste? What about in moguls? And what sorts of skis are the best skiers actually using? For less-experienced folks, do certain skis make it easier to progress? Luke Koppa dives into these questions and more with the folks at Carv and Stomp It Tutorials. Carv’s Jamie Salter brings a bunch of fascinating data to the conversation, and Stomp It Tutorials’ Jens Nyström adds his perspective as an instructor who’s been helping skiers of all backgrounds for years. Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on GEAR:30. You can email those to us here.RELATED LINKS:Blister Recommended Shop: The Ledge BoardshopEp. 386: The Ledge Boardshop w/ SugeJoin Us @ Blister Summit 2026Carv Digital Ski CoachStomp It Tutorials & Stomp It CampsGet Yourself Covered: BLISTER+Enter Our Weekly Gear GiveawaySee Our Blister Recommended ShopsCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:The Ledge Boardshop (2:14)Blister Summit 2026 (3:10)Introducing Jamie & Jens (4:43)Scoring Differences w/ Different Skis (15:24)On-Piste Carving Data (17:21)Mogul-Skiing Data (26:42)Highest-Scoring Skis (36:03)“Training Skis” (and Boots) (44:35)Carv’s Freestyle Experience w/ Jens (54:56)Carv at Blister Summit 2026 (1:06:00)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast