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Blizzard-Tecnica: 10 Years of Designing Women-Specific Skis & Boots

Ep. 367

Do “women-specific” skis need to exist? What about ski boots? In our conversation today, Leslie Baker-Brown shares her thoughts after leading Blizzard-Tecnica’s Women2Women program for the past 10 years.

Few people have been as deeply involved with women’s ski gear — and the community of women in skiing — as Leslie. Today, she discusses what the landscape looked like 10 years ago; the details of how and why the Women2Women program designs truly women-specific products; the cases where a unisex approach makes more sense; why it’s so hard to find a 130-flex boot if you have small feet; how the industry has changed for the better; and more.

RELATED LINKS:

BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered

Women2Women Home Page

Blizzard Black Pearl 88 Special Edition

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Blister Studios (our new channel)

Blister Review (our original channel)

TOPICS & TIMES:

BLISTER+ Members (1:36)

Leslie’s History w/ Blizzard-Tecnica (3:15)

Formation of Women2Women Initiative (4:41)

Marketing to Women in the Early Years (8:45)

Current Trends (13:12)

Black Pearl Series (15:10)

Graphics (19:49)

Most Important Factors in Designing Women’s Gear (22:35)

Ski Boots (25:10)

Current Challenges (30:30)

Education (33:44)

Book and skis for kids, Hilaree, scholarship programs (39:21)

Community (42:30)

Unisex Gear (47:36)

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