GEAR:30 BLISTER

Sean Fearon is a ski development engineer at LINE & K2, and he’s been busy — between the two sister brands’ 24/25 collections, Sean helped design over a dozen of the new skis. So Luke Koppa sat down with Sean to get the details on LINE’s new Pandora, Vision, and Optic skis (and how they all relate to each other); the overhauled K2 Reckoner and Omen series; working with Karl Fostvedt to create his unique pro model, the Reckoner KF, and more. He also peels back the curtain on what it actually means to be a ski designer / engineer, why his job is often very similar to what we do at Blister, and how others might pursue a similar career.
RELATED LINKS:
Bag Balm: use code BLISTER to get 20% off
BLISTER+: Become a Member
Blister Summit 2025: register before July 1st to save $150 
Reviews: Line Pandoras, K2 Reckoners, K2 Omens
TOPICS & TIMES:
Sean’s Background (3:55)
Being a Ski Engineer / Designer (7:25)
24/25 LINE Skis Overview (13:20)
LINE Pandora, Vision, & Optic Skis (17:02)
K2 Omen Skis (41:47)
K2 Reckoner Collection (51:05)
Karl Fostvedt & The Reckoner KF (53:38)
Advice For Future Ski Designers (1:09:43)
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Blister Cinematic
CRAFTED
Bikes & Big Ideas
Blister Podcast
Off The Couch

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Since Jonathan missed our GEAR:30 ‘travel gear’ conversation a few weeks ago, he wanted to weigh in. So he and Kristin Sinnott open by discussing their recent trips; they discuss the question of ‘why we travel?’; and then, they dive into some of their favorite travel gear.
RELATED LINKS:
Bag Balm: 20% Off w/ Code: BLISTER
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Blister Summit 2025: Early-Bird Registration
TOPICS & TIMES:
Recap of our Recent Trips (6:28)
Snake Bite Black story (12:46)
Italy (18:01)
Why Do We Travel? (28:40)
Florence, Italy (32:25)
Gear Talk: Headphones (37:10)
Roller Bags (42:15)
Backpack (47:40)
Walking shoes (51:04)
Mechanical Watches (56:27)
Work Out Gear (59:02)
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Blister Cinematic
CRAFTED
Bikes & Big Ideas
Blister Podcast
Off The Couch

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Launching your own outdoor apparel company is no small feat, especially if it’s a one-woman operation. But with Curious Creatures, that’s exactly what Tasha Woodworth has done, and Kara Williard sat down with Tasha to hear all about her unique path to where she is today, as well as the ups, downs, and key takeaways from the journey. 
We discuss how Tasha’s background in both the fashion industry and ski racing helped her along the way; what it means to be a “curious creature”; how the ski racing “beat down” prepared her for building a small business, and more.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Summit 2025: Early-Bird Registration
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Blister Cinematic
CRAFTED
Bikes & Big Ideas
Blister Podcast
Off The Couch
TOPICS & TIMES
High Fashion (2:46)
Working at Patagonia (5:27)
NCAA / Middlebury & US Ski Team (9:12)
Why start a new business? (11:27)
First Steps (13:55)
Products & Problem Solving (16:16)
Curious Creatures (19:49)
Men’s vs. Women’s vs. Unisex (29:17)
Business Ethos (30:17)
What’s Next? (33:35)

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Taylor Ahearn has been photographing skiing, snowboarding, biking, and day-to-day life in the Gunnison / Crested Butte Valley for many years now, and in this conversation, Luke Koppa chats with him about how he turned that into a career; their favorite camera-related gear; tips to help *you* capture better photos next time you’re outside; the most rewarding, frustrating, and unusual parts of getting these shots; and more. If you’re curious about how people like Taylor create such inspiring photos, or are looking to better capture your own time outside, you’ll definitely want to stick around.
RELATED LINKS:
Our Blister Recommended Shops
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Blister Cinematic
CRAFTED
Bikes & Big Ideas
Blister Podcast
TOPICS & TIMES:
Taylor’s Photo Background (3:57)
Most Rewarding Aspects? (10:37)
Challenges (16:04)
Photo Myths (22:22)
Shooting Biking vs Skiing (26:02)
Current Setups (30:10)
Camera Accessories (38:43)
Photography Advice (47:20)
Editing & Settings (1:01:08)
Favorite Photos & Photographers (1:11:39)

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For this episode, Luke Koppa sat down with Kristin Sinnott to go over some of the products they’ve found useful, surprising, or otherwise noteworthy while on the road or hurtling through the sky. They also discuss extremely relevant things like camcorder storage solutions and dinosaur podcasts, the fact that Luke doesn’t actually like traveling, and more.
RELATED LINKS:
Bag Balm: 20% Off w/ Code: BLISTER
Blister Summit 2025: Early-Bird Registration
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
TOPICS & TIMES:
Kristin & Luke’s Recent Trips (6:29)
Travel Essentials (9:14)
Camcorder Gear (20:09)
Headphones & Dino Podcasts (23:58)
Apparel (29:26)
Surprisingly Useful Gear (45:05)
Products We Wished Existed (47:30)
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Blister Cinematic
CRAFTED
Bikes & Big Ideas
Blister Podcast
Off The Couch


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In part 2 of this GEAR THERAPY mini-saga, Justin Bobb lays out his specific recommendations for boots, bindings, boards, & more to get Jonathan started on his snowboarding journey. They also discuss how many days on a board JE will need before he’s ready to head up to the Headwall at Crested Butte.
RELATED LINKS:
Blister Rec Shop: Boone Mtn Sports
Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+
Listen to Part One
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:
Blister Cinematic
CRAFTED
Bikes & Big Ideas
Blister Podcast
Off The Couch
TOPICS & TIMES:
Next Blister Cinematic episode
Snowboard Boots (8:46)
Snowboard Bindings (22:07)
Snowboards (29:01)
Camber Profiles (30:32)
Length / Sizing (36:21)
Protective Gear (39:36)
Common Injuries (43:12)
Summary (45:52)
Headwall Challenge (47:03)
Crashes & Close Calls (53:57)

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