In the latest installment of our “Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting” series, Kara Williard is joined by Master Bootfitter & Instructor — and Founder of Boot Mechanics, a Blister Recommended Shop  — Jeremy Johnston. This one is all about you, the audience, as we make our way through a bunch of your questions. We discuss the process of stance alignment; what’s happening on both ends of the spectrum when it comes to low-volume and high-volume boot design; the process of downsizing; forward lean and ramp angle; and a bunch of other bootfitting mysteries and complexities. 

RELATED LINKS:

1: Blister Rec Shop: Boot Mechanics 

2: GetCarv.com, use code: BLISTER32

3: OpenSnow.com/buy, use code: blister50

4: Blister Summit 2025: Learn More

5: Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+

TOPICS & TIMES:

Boot Mechanics Background (3:44)

Stance Alignment Process (8:38)

Adjusting Flex & Forward Lean / 1-Boot Quivers (17:54)

Are Boots Getting Roomier? (23:50)

Performance Boots (28:22)

Performance Boots for HV Feet (30:30)

How Long do Insoles Last? (39:16)

Downsizing / Cuff Height (42:34)

Forward Lean & Ramp Angle (47:55)

Junior Boots (56:46)

Bootfitting Complexities (1:01:56)

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This week, DPS introduced a new product that represents quite a departure for the company: the DPS Carbon Pisteworks 79. And today, you’re going to hear one of the deepest dives we’ve ever done on GEAR:30 about the design and development of a new ski; how Blister Labs was involved; and the lengthy process of developing a ‘metal ski without the metal.’

RELATED LINKS:

Blister Rec. Shop: Powder Hound

Submit your Bootfitting Questions

Blister Summit 2025

Blister Pod: Jonathan on this DPS Prototype

Blister Pod: Ted Ligety on this New Ski

TOPICS & TIMES:

Powder Hound Updates (2:39)

Next GEAR:30: Submit Your Questions (4:30)

DPS’s 20th Anniversary, News, & New Release (5:30)

Weight & Suspension (11:47)

Ted Ligety's Involvement (19:27)

Dr. Sean Humbert (22:19)

Goals for the Project

Numerical Simulation (38:36)

Modal Testing (48:21)

Lab Tests & Field Measurements (49:51)

Building a Metal Ski Without the Metal (51:18)

Locating the DPS Pisteworks 79 (53:09)

Where to Get the Pisteworks 79 (57:06)

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Today, Olin Glenne, the owner of Sturtevants bike & ski shop is back on GEAR:30 to talk about the state of the bike industry and ski industry; the World Cup Finals that are being held in Sun Valley in March of 2025; Sun Valley’s impressive ski race programs and some things those programs are doing that might be good ideas for race programs elsewhere to consider. Olin and Jonathan also talk a lot about ski tuning and ski finishing; ski base flatness (and who should obsess the most about it); and more.

RELATED LINKS

1: 5850 Fest

2: Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+

3: Get Our Winter Buyer’s Guide

4: Blister Summit 2025: Learn More

TOPICS & TIMES

5850 Fest (1:11)

Status of the Bike industry (4:16)

Status of the Ski Industry (6:16)

Ski Season Readiness (9:04)

WC Finals in Sun Valley (13:03)

Sun Valley’s Racing Program (18:43)

Ski Tuning & Ski Finishing (30:27)

What’s New at Sturtevants (53:13)

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Luke and Jonathan offer their early-season reviewer reports, then Jonathan talks to Bangtail Bike & Ski’s new owner about why he did something that no other shop in the world has done — but why others might want to.

RELATED LINKS

1: Blister Rec Shop: Powder7.com

2: GetCarv.com, use code: BLISTER32

3: Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+

4: Get Our Winter Buyer’s Guide

5: Blister Summit 2025: Learn More

TOPICS & TIMES

Powder 7 (1:44)

Carv Update (3:04)

JE’s Updates (5:01)

Powder / Chop Skis Episode (5:46)

James Bond, Babysitter (6:59)

Opening Day in CB (9:43)

Luke’s Report (15:00)

- RMU Apostle 106

- Rossignol Sender Soul 102

- Fischer Curv GT 85

- Ferreol Explo 86

- Black Crows Octo vs Mirus Cor

- Line Blade

- Rossignol Arcade 88

JE's Skis (26:41)

- Armada Declivity 108

- Armada Declivity 102

Shop Talk: Bangtail’s 1st (32:08)

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CARV is a slick and sophisticated system that aims to help skiers improve their skiing and have more fun on snow. And this winter, Blister is partnering with CARV to do 2 things: (1) see how — and how well — CARV accomplishes this for our team of Blister reviewers; and (2) see if the analysis we get from CARV provides insights that will enhance our ski reviews. So if you’re a fan of new tech, high edge angles, and / or getting better at skiing, listen up.

RELATED LINKS

1: Blister Rec Shop: Pulse Boot Lab & Ski Co

2: Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+

3: Get Our Winter Buyer’s Guide

4: Blister Summit 2025: Learn More

TOPICS & TIMES:

Pulse Boot Lab & Ski Co (1:56)

Blister Summit Update (3:15)

What is CARV? (9:13)

The Ski Coaching Paradox (11:46)

Confirmation Bias in Skiing (19:05)

Origin Story, Duct Tape, & University (20:57)

Tech & its Evolution (23:43)

Data & Data Interpretation (31:16)

Edging & Transitions (38:21)

Ski IQ (41:20)

CARV Off Piste? (43:07)

CARV 2 & Blister Reviews (52:47)

Summary & Final Thoughts (1:00:55)

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Recently, Austin Smith created a stir when he posted a video of a prototype of a snowboard binding … that rotates. So Jonathan talks with Austin about the idea, his prototyping process, the testing process, and his predictions for whether we’ll see a development like this come to market.

RELATED LINKS

OpenSnow.com/buy (use code Blister50)

Blister Rec Shop: Teton Village Sports

Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+

Get Our Winter Buyer’s Guide

TOPICS & TIMES:

OpenSnow Deal for GEAR:30 Listeners (1:30)

Blister Rec Shop: Teton Village Sports (2:17)

BLISTER+ News / Time to Get on Snow (3:16)

Austin’s Roadtrip (5:50)

Rotating Snowboard Binding (9:13)

Testing the Prototype (12:02)

Safety vs. Ride Quality (18:23)

Future Predictions for Bindings (20:51)

Realizing Dreams, Lessons Learned (23:22)

Board Preferences & Riding Styles (25:21)

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On this week’s episode, Kara Williard sits down with some of the crew from our Blister Recommended Shop, Powder7, to quiz them on gear; discuss the skis, boots, and outerwear they’re most excited about this season; gear they’re sad to see go; the best and worst topsheets; and get some of their hot takes. 

Then we dive into the topic of circular business and how Powder7 has maintained this as a key part of their business model since they were based out of a garage through their ski trade-in / ski recycling program.

RELATED LINKS

Blister Recommended Shop: Powder7

Our Full List of Blister Recommended Shops

Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+

Get Our Winter Buyer’s Guide

TOPICS & TIMES

Most Exciting Skis This Season? (4:30)

Boots (11:23)

Bindings (17:51)

Blizzard Anomaly & Black Pearl (23:01)

Gear Updates / Overhauls (28:56)

Outerwear & Apparel (31:02)

Awards: Topsheets (36:38)

Powder7 Bussiness Circularity (41:54)

Event Season & What’s Next (55:40)

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The snow’s been falling here in Crested Butte, and we’re already fantasizing about those really deep days. So today, Jonathan Ellsworth and Paul Forward are discussing pow skis. They start by making the case for wide pow skis, then, they talk about a bunch of current pow skis, old pow skis, and some design specifics that they think are good ideas when you’re building a wide ski that’s designed to float for days.

RELATED LINKS

Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+

Get Our Winter Buyer’s Guide

TOPICS & TIMES:

The Case for Wide Pow Skis (7:45)

1st Gen DPS Lotus 138 (27:56)

Line Pescado (21:09)

Heritage Labs 132 (34:18)

K2 Powabunga (43:33)

Volkl BMT 122 (54:32)

DPS Lotus 124 Tour (57:06)

K2 Hellbent (59:49)

Praxis Protest (128) (1:01:17)

Praxis Powderboards (1:04:07)

Folsom Rapture (1:06:38)

4FRNT Renegade (1:09:51)

Faction La Machine 5 (1:10:35)

Blizzard Spur (1:14:22)

Salomon Rocker2 122 (1:22:53)

Volkl Shiro (1:27:53)

K2 Reckoner 124 (1:32:30)

Paul’s Injury & Recovery (1:35:38)

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Jonathan talks with Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, about Moment’s latest skis; some former Moment skis; some other companies’ skis; Moment snowboards?; why Hoji is a traitor(!!); and more.

RELATED LINKS

Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+

Get Our Winter Buyer’s Guide

VIDEO: Luke J @ the Blister Summit

TOPICS & TIMES:

Company Overview & Mt. Rose (5:41)

Factory Updates (8:43)

Snowboards?? (17:08)

Moment’s 24/25 Lineup (22:58)

Deathwish 104 & Countach 110 (23:36)

Wildcat (29:32)

Meridian (35:18)

Countach 104 vs the old Belafonte (40:39)

Commander Series & Touring Skis (45:49)

ATK x Moment Voyager Evo Binding (50:31)

Reverse-Camber Skis (53:17)

Q’s from Tyler Curle & Scott Andrus (1:00:16)

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Kara Williard catches up with Drew and Rachel Harding of our Blister Recommended Shop, Spokane Alpine Haus, to hear all about the exciting recent developments at the shop; how this news runs counter to a lot of what you see from local retailers these days; what ski / snowboard gear they’re excited about for the 24/25 season, and more. 

RELATED LINKS

Spokane Alpine Haus

Blister Recommended Shops 

Become a BLISTER+ Member

24/25 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide

TOPICS & TIMES

Store Background (1:39)

Big Announcement & All the Details (10:52)

Bringing in Bikes (20:20)

Advice for Small Retailers (30:32)

Love What You Do (31:26)

Season Lease Program (33:00)

The Winter Ahead (35:17)

24/25 Gear (37:53)

Ski Network & Community (41:55)

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When it comes to gear, we’ve all been there: loads of questions, crippling confusion, severe analysis paralysis. You need some help! So in this edition of GEAR THERAPY, BLISTER+ member, Pete Brantley, talks about getting back into skiing and playing football for the Oregon Ducks (and Chicago Bears!). Then he poses his most-pressing gear questions, and gets Jonathan’s best recommendations.

RELATED LINKS:

Episode Sponsor: Taos Ski Valley

Become a BLISTER+ Member

24/25 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide

TOPICS & TIMES:

Pete’s Story & ‘Hot Dog… The Movie’ (4:15)

Football: Oregon Ducks & Chicago Bears (21:45)

Pete’s Crashes & Close Calls Story (30:47)

Gear Therapy Begins (35:53)

Atomic Maverick 95 (37:38)

Chamonix / New Blister Guide to Chamonix (44:28)

JE's Recommendations (47:37)

Backcountry Skiing (1:12:56)

Ski Boots & Ski Bags (1:13:53)

Custom Footbeds (1:20:34)

Our reviews & Pete’s Gear Purchases (1:27:02)

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