The Blast Report

01/14/2026

🎙️ EP45 - Jack Eloranta Part 1: Large blastholes, larger challenges.
Past president of ISEE comes on the show and shares his start to the unique and difficult challenges of blasting Taconite in America’s Iron mines.

🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺:
⏯ : https://open.spotify.com/episode/3sbmu0KUFRYZGrlU33nxw0?si=ZSeKIQXIQ_KbqdWFQVjVEg
⏯ : youtube.com/watch?v=hSWaMoNdW8c&feature=youtu.be
⏯ : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep45-jack-eloranta-part-1-large-blastholes-larger-challenges/id1669925989?i=1000745143159

This Episode of the Blast Report Podcast is brought to you by WipWare! Since 1986 WipWare Photoanalysis Systems has provided solutions for fragmentation optimization!
WipWare is a global company with influence in any industry where fragmentation is key to success. They not only measure and monitor materials, they create ACTIONABLE data.
Mine to Mill can be fully refined with the hardware and software options. Whether you use drones for photos or intatl on of their industry leading camera along the haulage process, WipWare creates solid analysis to confirm your blast design is the most effective it can be.
This small business has a big impact! Because you can't manage what you can't measure!
🎧 Tune in!

12/02/2025

Baron and continue their conversation as Fidler shares his experiences in growing bulk emulsions and the challenges he faced over the years.

🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺:
⏯ : https://open.spotify.com/episode/1wcnX2NMlxkOcdA08SxgxT?si=ZG-6QZT3Rxu3cdMBIHdbng

⏯ : https://youtu.be/H2nJQ93MiKs

⏯ : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep44-baron-fidler-part-2-a-desire-to-be-part/id1669925989?i=1000739305158


‼️ This Episode of the Blast Report Podcast is brought to you by Dyno Nobel!
For over 150 years, Dyno Nobel has been a global leader in the commercial explosives industry. With origins dating back to Alfred Nobel himself, Dyno Nobel provides historic leadership in explosives, serving the mining, quarrying, civil, and construction industries.
As one of the largest players in the industrial explosives business, Dyno Nobel’s vital role in helping customers is highlighted across the world. From Safety initiatives, developments in bulk explosive technology, and meeting KPI’s, Dyno Nobel understands the needs of their customers today and into the future.
Their full line of products and services challenges the status quo and delivers on their promises. So, when you need groundbreaking performance. You trust Dyno Nobel.

🎧 Tune in!

11/18/2025

🎙️ 𝗘𝗣𝟰𝟯 - 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗱𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟭: "𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱"

Interviewing one of the first ever recipients of the Best In The West Scholarships and how this kicked off his long and successful career! Baron Fidler and Evan talk about his career and how working with a powder company sent him to diverse applications of blasting.

🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺:
⏯ : https://open.spotify.com/episode/3xxy8Ob0wPGbYCSohDcN5e?si=jOUPNyfuRjWPxPmLd_gxPA

⏯ : https://youtu.be/asLf3WYJKPE

⏯ : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep43-baron-fidler-part-1-more-than-i-realized/id1669925989?i=1000737244838

‼️ This Episode of the Blast Report Podcast is brought to you by Dyno Nobel!

For over 150 years, Dyno Nobel has been a global leader in the commercial explosives industry. With origins dating back to Alfred Nobel himself, Dyno Nobel provides historic leadership in explosives, serving the mining, quarrying, civil, and construction industries.

As one of the largest players in the industrial explosives business, Dyno Nobel’s vital role in helping customers is highlighted across the world. From Safety initiatives, developments in bulk explosive technology, and meeting KPI’s, Dyno Nobel understands the needs of their customers today and into the future.

Their full line of products and services challenges the status quo and delivers on their promises. So, when you need groundbreaking performance. You trust Dyno Nobel.

🎧 Tune in!

11/04/2025

Announcement!

The Blast Report team is heading to the Pennsylvania Drilling and Blasting Conference.

We'll be on-site conducting exclusive interviews with professionals from across the industry, sharing stories, insights, and lessons that shaped the world of drilling and blasting.

We’re also looking for guest recommendations!
Do you know someone attending the event who has a great story to share or unique experience in the field? Let us know in the comments or send us a message!

Let’s make this another unforgettable chapter in our mission to document the voices of our industry.

🔗 Follow The Blast Report and stay tuned for updates!

10/24/2025

🎙️ 𝗘𝗣𝟰𝟮 - 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮: 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱

In part two, with Shashi's story, he shares how he got the opportunity to work with students and how that impacted his future and the futures of so many students through collaborations with industry support.

🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺:
⏯ :
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1RfU6rTgUPbUaaoPG8g6Rw?si=xXonAHdWSz23c6vG9Ep6mQ
⏯ :
https://youtu.be/tpuiU3HDhzI
⏯ :
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep42-shashi-kanth-part-2-blasting-forward/id1669925989?i=1000733301497

‼️ Special thanks to our Best in the West Conference. For over 20 years, they’ve raised more than $150,000 in scholarships, bringing together miners, drill & blast suppliers, and government agencies.
📅 See you at the next Best in the West Conference April 22nd 2026.

🎧 Tune in and keep blasting forward with us!

10/16/2025

🎙️ 𝗘𝗣𝟰𝟭 - 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟭: 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲

In this interview of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, Evan Thibaud hears Shashi’s story on how he started in India and, with a bit of luck, how he signed up for an amazing program from Ensign Bickford that brought him back to India and how that formed his basis in the explosives industry.

🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺:
⏯ :
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6pSlt3DrqHDLe0JvgZVU2A?si=qObXoZ2sRNG5ZYx9R3NZ0w
⏯ :
https://youtu.be/ptKw7s6wZ6k
⏯ :
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep41-shashi-kanth-part-1-blasting-back-home/id1669925989?i=1000732133246

‼️ Special thanks to our Best in the West Conference. For over 20 years, they’ve raised more than $150,000 in scholarships, bringing together miners, drill & blast suppliers, and government agencies.
📅 See you at the next Best in the West Conference in 2026.

🎧 Tune in and blast into Shashi’s journey — Part 1 is live now!

09/17/2025

🎙️ 𝗘𝗣𝟰𝟬 - 𝗧𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮: "𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁"

In this episode of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, our interview with Tom continues as we dive more into his career and some of the incidents he was part of. We hear some of goals for passing on knowledge to the people who follow in his footsteps in explosive related investigations.

🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺:
⏯ :
https://open.spotify.com/episode/24U2tQafZ7lHtxxUzvaWML?si=Tt9BGVdxRRyovqJ10IH7EQ
⏯ :
https://youtu.be/7nBPpqLhinM
⏯ :
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep40-tom-thurman-part-2-next-to-the-worst/id1669925989?i=1000727185065

‼️ Special thanks to our International Society of Explosives Engineers - ISEE. For over 50 years, ISEE has been dedicated to enhancing the safety, science, skill, and benefits of explosives engineering worldwide. From training and certifications to world-class networking, they continue shaping the future of our industry.
📅 Don’t miss ISEE’s 52nd Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique in Reno, Nevada, January 20–25, 2026. Learn more at isee.org.

🎧 Tune in and hear how lessons from the field become a legacy for the next generation of explosives professionals.

09/12/2025

🎙️ 𝗘𝗣𝟯𝟵 – 𝗧𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 “𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀”

In this episode of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, Tom Thurman comes on the show with our host Evan Thibaud and shares a different entrance into the explosives industry.
While most of our guests come from the rock fragmentation or powder supplier business, Tom shares his beginning from the military and how he changed his plans to EOD and how it landed him in the USA Capitol.

🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺:
⏯ :
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7jaLTRwy4R0WYqHLhnRmNa?si=HOFTvO3sQ4yGXR5smqZwOw
⏯ :
https://youtu.be/m04YWw8yInU
⏯ :
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep39-tom-thurman-clearing-rooms/id1669925989?i=1000726517405

‼️ Special thanks to our International Society of Explosives Engineers - ISEE. For over 50 years, ISEE has been dedicated to enhancing the safety, science, skill, and benefits of explosives engineering worldwide. From training and certifications to world-class networking, they continue shaping the future of our industry.
📅 Don’t miss ISEE’s 52nd Annual Conference on Explosives and Blasting Technique in Reno, Nevada, January 20–25, 2026. Learn more at isee.org.

🎧 Tune in and discover how one man’s path from EOD to the Capitol tells a story of service, change, and the power of explosives expertise.

08/14/2025

🎙️ 𝗘𝗣𝟯𝟴 – 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲: 𝗚𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟯 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗱!

In this episode of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, Walt Partridge’s interview with host Evan Thibaud continues with more stories of his amazing life and how blasting with Dupont took him all over the world!

🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺:
⏯ :
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2QgiaOpZ0A2i9djCoC7ja4?si=Aimsnpv8QY6l2oLpTjqCyw
⏯ :
https://youtu.be/svHMrsomzBI
⏯ :
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep38-walt-partridge-part-2-going-3-times-sold/id1669925989?i=1000721975063

‼️ Special thanks to our Best in the West Conference. For over 20 years, they’ve raised more than $150,000 in scholarships, bringing together miners, drill & blast suppliers, and government agencies.
And of course, a big thank you to Walt Partridge, the voice behind the auction and the cause.
📅 See you at the next Best in the West Conference in 2026.

🎧 Tune in and travel the globe with Walt. One blast, one bid, and one unforgettable story at a time.

08/01/2025

🎙️ 𝗘𝗣𝟯𝟳 – 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲: 𝗚𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗚𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗲!

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 is back! And this time, Evan Thibaud has the privilege of sitting down with Walt Partridge for some interesting stories! Now, known for his role as an auctioneer at International Society of Explosives Engineers - ISEE events to raise money for scholarships, Walt shares some amazing stories of his start in the blasting business and the intricacies of business by boat in Alaska.

🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺:
⏯ : https://open.spotify.com/episode/5w8j7Ea8uHlLyZ3ZBGsh7s?si=yogn0Rq6SmS2YhH2MxnBaQ

⏯ : https://youtu.be/sxn47bY8duY

⏯ : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep37-walt-partridges-part-1-going-once-going-twice/id1669925989?i=1000720239572

‼️ Special thanks to our Best in the West Conference. For over 20 years, they’ve raised more than $150,000 in scholarships, bringing together miners, drill & blast suppliers, and government agencies.
And of course, a big thank you to Walt Partridge, the voice behind the auction and the cause.
📅 See you at the next Best in the West Conference in 2026.

🎧 Tune in and hear how a life in blasting gets told one laugh, one bid, and one blast at a time.

06/23/2025

05/14/2025

🎙️ 𝗘𝗣𝟯𝟲 - 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟯: 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲!
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 is back with the final of the conversation between host Evan Thibaud and special guest Bill Youngs!
In this third and final part of our interview, Bill shares his perspective on navigating industry shifts, how and adapt when moving from one or to another.

🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺:
⏯ :
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7cb0gHY0yVs7FLxX0ukqlG?si=uhjBKq0sTLaMYkJ1mGg8fg

⏯ :
https://youtu.be/T4DwOc_hCVk

⏯ :
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep36-bill-youngs-parte-3-dealing-with-change/id1669925989?i=1000708470105

‼️ Special thanks to our FEEM – Federation of European Explosives Manufacturers. Celebrating 50 years in 2025, FEEM represents ’s civil , promoting safety, technical excellence, and responsible practices. Learn more and become a member at https://www.feem-europe.net/

Tune in and hear how gets handled when the blast dust settles.