55 years ago today, the movie ‘Downhill Racer’ came out, and it starred two legendary actors, Robert Redford and Gene Hackman. The film critic Roger Ebert calls this “the greatest sports movie ever made,” and today, Jonathan discusses ‘Downhill Racer’ with one of the greatest American downhillers of all time, Daron Rahlves. Now normally, our advice is that you should watch the film before listening to our conversation about it, but in the case of ‘Downhill Racer,’ we think that listening to...

Jonathan talks with our great friend and longtime Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, about a beautiful new series of three short films about Paul, called The Hard Way. It is presented by Sitka Films, and it delves into Paul’s lifelong passion for traditional bow hunting, and the ethics that guide Paul’s practice. Paul and Jonathan have talked about some of these topics on various Blister podcasts, and we’ll include a link to those conversations in the show notes of this episode. But today, Paul...

Today, Simon Stewart is joined by former pro cyclist Joe Park to revisit the 1977 documentary, A Sunday in Hell, often regarded as the greatest bike racing film of all time. Having raced the 1988 Paris-Roubaix, Joe brings a perspective only someone who has suffered on the infamous cobbles of  “The Hell of the North” can offer. Director Jørgen Leth’s gritty documentary style puts you right there on the famed cobbles of northern France to witness the 1976 edition of the Paris-Rounbaix road...

Jeremy Jones & Jonathan Ellsworth revisit the 2010 film, Deeper, that Jeremy calls the most important movie of his snowboarding career —  which is saying something, coming from a guy who was named snowboarder of the year 10 times, and a guy who’s starred in over 100 films. But there is no question that DEEPER represents a watershed moment in snowsports films, when riders like Jeremy, Travis Rice, and Xavier De Le Rue are here pushing the limits of what is possible on the steepest slopes....

One of the best (and unique) things about snowsports is that, every fall, we get to meet up as a community, go to some theater, and watch together the season’s new ski and snowboard films. So on this episode, we celebrate the start of Ski Movie Season with Drew Petersen. Drew talks about the major impact that ski movie screenings made on him; he names some of his all-time favorite ski movies, he talks about his role today in running the Salomon Quality Ski Time Film Tour, and we offer a sneak...

20 years ago, ‘Yearbook,’ one of the most star-studded ski movies of all time, was released. So last week on Blister Cinematic, we talked with Matchstick’s Murray Wais and Scott Gaffney about the making of the film, and today, we’re talking with three of the stars of the film, Hugo Harrisson, Ingrid Backstrom, and Mark Abma. RELATED LINKS:  BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered Read Now: Our 24/25 Digital Winter Buyer’s Guide Order Now: Our 24/25 Winter Buyer’s Guide CHECK OUT OUR OTHER...

20 years ago this week, ‘Yearbook,’ one of the most star-studded ski movies of all time, was released. So today we talk with Matchstick’s Murray Wais and Scott Gaffney about the behind-the-scenes insanity; the in-front-of-the-camera surprises; the incredible soundtrack; the styles of Seth Morrison & Hugo Harrisson; and more. And tune in next week where some of the stars of the film (Ingrid Backstrom, Hugo Harrisson, & Mark Abma) will be sharing their ‘Yearbook’ stories. RELATED...

There’s no denying that the film Rad is a cult classic. Released in 1986 at the height of BMX popularity, it artfully combines BMX freestyle and BMX racing, with a classic underdog story based on the life of BMX freestyle legend, Eddie Fiola.  Today, Eddie joins Simon Stewart, along with BMX Hall of Famer Jen Zeuner, in a fun conversation about this iconic bike film where we discuss how Eddie got the call to be in the movie; director Hal Needham being a badass; getting knocked out; the...

Brendan and Jonathan discuss the 1976 movie, Rocky, because Brendan has made the bold claim that Rocky is the greatest running movie of all-time. See if you agree, but even if you don’t, this is a fantastic movie and we think you’ll enjoy this conversation. RELATED LINKS:  BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Podcast Bikes & Big Ideas GEAR:30 CRAFTED Off The Couch TOPICS & TIMES: Brendan’s Upcoming 50k (3:12) Background on ‘Rocky’ (5:09) Brendan’s Hot...

Kevin Costner, bike racer? Yep. American Flyers was released 39 years ago this week, and Costner would go on to make some of the best sports films of all time, including Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, and Tin Cup. So how well does this bike film hold up? How does it compare to the other bike film written by Steve Tesich, Breaking Away? Jonathan and Simon discuss — and also come up with might be their best idea ever for a prequel. RELATED LINKS:  BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered CHECK OUT OUR...

Whether he’s gutting out an ultramarathon, getting himself focused to ski a very techy line, or whether he’s starting conversations about topics that we often avoid, Drew Petersen has gotten very good at going deep. And in his latest film, Feel It All, Drew proves this once again. I sat down with Drew last week to have a very real, very raw conversation about some of the topics raised in ‘Feel It All’: why each of us ought to evaluate our relationships to running and skiing and other outdoor...

Breaking Away features one of the biggest and coolest bike races out there (the Little 500, which is still held every year at Indiana University) while also doubling as a fantastic coming-of-age film. So in honor of the 45th anniversary of its release, Jonathan & Simon, debate what’s aged the best; discuss the most rewatchable scenes; and Simon drops the hottest of Hot Takes. Enjoy! RELATED LINKS:  BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Podcast Bikes & Big...

What outdoor sports film has the most star-studded cast of all time? Probably the 2017 mockumentary, ‘Tour de Pharmacy.’ And with the Tour de France starting this Saturday, we thought it was the perfect time to watch and discuss this hilarious, kinda disturbing, completely ludicrous, and very NSFW film. RELATED LINKS:  BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Podcast Bikes & Big Ideas GEAR:30 CRAFTED Off The Couch TOPICS & TIMES: This Film: WTF??...

Our guest today is David Mesfin, the writer, director, and producer of "Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture." The film delves into the 1000-year-old tradition of Black surfing, tracing its roots from Africa to the Americas, and highlights some of the incredible black surfers and impressive surfing organizations that are writing the next chapters of this tradition. RELATED LINKS:  wadeinthewaterproject.com BLISTER+ Get Yourself Covered CHECK OUT OUR OTHER...

‘Bicycle Thieves’ is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made, so we thought it would be a fitting way to introduce our first bike film on Blister Cinematic. Jonathan is joined by BLISTER senior bike editor, Simon Stewart, to talk about the film, why it still matters, and why they believe that everyone who loves bikes ought to watch it. RELATED LINKS:  Bag Balm: 20% Off w/ Code: BLISTER A.O. Scott on ‘Bicycle Thieves’ Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ CHECK OUT OUR OTHER...

At Blister Summit 2024, we launched our 1st Annual Blister Awards, and today we’re sharing highlights from the event, revealing the winners, and hearing from them, too. RELATED LINKS:  Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Register for Blister Summit 2025 CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Podcast Bikes & Big Ideas GEAR:30 CRAFTED Off The Couch TOPICS & TIMES: Introducing the Blister Awards (5:56) Most Innovative (6:31) Best Comedy (11:06) Best Cinematography (15:41) Best Snowboard Film...

Pro skier, Amie Engerbretson, joins us to coin new terms (“RomMan Com”? “Ski Porn Porn”?); discuss ‘Hot Dog’ vs. ‘Better Off Dead’; offer scalding-hot takes; debate whether ‘Better Off Dead’ is responsible for rockered skis; and she definitely WANTS HER TWO DOLLARS! RELATED LINKS:  Bag Balm: 20% Off w/ Code: BLISTER Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Podcast Bikes & Big Ideas GEAR:30 CRAFTED Off The Couch TOPICS & TIMES: Moguls (2:16) Is ‘Hot Dog’ a...

Blister Cinematic is back, and we’re coming in hot — hot as in, Hot Dog…The Movie. Joining Jonathan to talk about this 40-year-old cult favorite is Mountain Gazette owner, Mike Rogge, and they dive in to discuss how well this ski comedy holds up; its impact on ski films; what’s aged the best; what’s aged the worst; and more. (Also definitely worth checking out: Blister member Pete Brantley’s incredible Hot Dog PowerPoint Presentation) RELATED LINKS:  Bag Balm: 20% Off w/ Code: BLISTER Boone...

Today we’re talking with one of our favorite skiers, Marcus Caston, and one of our favorite photographers and creatives, Cam McLeod, about their beautiful short film, Apollo. This is a film to savor, to share with your friends, and to revisit for years to come. RELATED LINKS:  Watch Apollo Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Join Us! Blister Summit 2024 TOPICS & TIMES: The Idea (3:04) Lighting & Logistics (9:28) The Tone (11:53) The Music: The Proper Way (16:20) Small Ski Areas...

What is radical? In our action sports world, seeing mind-blowing feats has almost become commonplace, given how much athletic talent is out there. So what is truly radical? Jonathan talks with Connor Ryan about his new video series, “The New Radical,” which dives deep into this question. RELATED LINKS:  Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Join Us! Blister Summit 2024 TOPICS & TIMES: Introducing ‘The New Radical’ (4:06) Movement & Recalibration (11:30) Episode #1: What is Radical?...

What were the best snowboard team edits of 2023? Justin Bobb and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the contenders, and why they made the cut. RELATED LINKS:  Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Join Us! Blister Summit 2024 TOPICS & TIMES: Sequencer, Quicksilver (6:42) Neon Noir, Korua Shapes (17:32) New Fangled Phenomenons, Volcom (24:10) Honorable Mentions (31:50) Blister Summit & Natural Selection (35:10) CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS: Blister Podcast CRAFTED GEAR:30 Bikes & Big...

Mike and Jonathan discuss the 2001 cult classic, Out Cold, starring Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover); Jack London (Dazed & Confused); Flex Alexander (Snakes on a Plane); Lee Majors; snowboard legend, Todd Richards; and a number of other Hollywood staples. And we ask you: are you among the 8%? RELATED LINKS:  Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Join Us! Blister Summit 2024 TOPICS & TIMES: The Significance of Out Cold (3:15) The 8% (5:47) Official Description of the Film (10:17) The Actors...

Cody and Jonathan dissect MSP's iconic 2004 film, Yearbook, and discuss its most memorable segments, its impact on the sport, who won the movie, and more. RELATED LINKS:  Watch Yearbook Get Yourself Covered: BLISTER+ Join Us! Blister Summit & Blister Awards Show TOPICS & TIMES: The Significance of Yearbook (2:59) Star Power (8:26) Most Rewatchable Scenes (9:35) Ingrid Backstrom (14:55) What’s Aged the Best? (23:45) What’s Aged the Worst? (33:03) Best Quote (43:27) Who Needed BLISTER+...

Today Jonathan is talking with Elyse Saugstad, one of the stars of Here, Hold My Kid, about the hilarious new film she made with fellow professional skier, Jackie Paaso, and their husbands, Cody Townsend and Reine Barkered, who also happen to be professional skiers, which of course doesn’t matter, because this film is not about them. Elyse and Jonathan discuss the challenges of making comedies in 2023 and making films starring little kids; which actor is the best James Bond; and a whole lot...