BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

Armada Launches New AntiMatter Freeride Ski Collection
Armada has revealed their newest collection of freeride skis, developed in collaboration with the likes of Max Palm, Anne Hjorleifson, & Todd Ligare. Here are the details on what they’ve come up with.

Flash Review: 26/27 Armada AntiMatter 114
Our managing editor recently got his first deep pow turns of the season aboard Armada’s new AntiMatter 114. Here’s what stood out during his first day with this playful freeride ski.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
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2025-2026 4FRNT Sinister
Stinius Skjøtskift’s skiing style blends aspects of freestyle, modern freeride, and traditional directional charging — and so does his first promodel ski. Here’s the full story of how the new 4FRNT Sinister came to be.

Flash Review: 25/26 4FRNT Sinister
The 113mm-wide, twin-tipped, metal-laminate Sinister isn’t your typical freeride ski, but it’s shaping up to be an interesting one. Here are our initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
If you’re already an active member, please log in.
(If you’re already logged in and a member in good standing and seeing this message in error, please refresh this page in your browser.)

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, December ‘25 & January ‘26 (Ep.391)
Cody & Jonathan discuss the seasons Lyndsey Vonn & Mikaela Shiffrin are having; the return of Bode Miller & Peak Skis; Alex Honnold’s upcoming live free solo on Netflix; whether ski areas fudge their snowfall and conditions reports; & Jonathan makes good on the bet he lost to Cody.

TLD Stage Pro and Speed Pro Knee Pads
Troy Lee Designs updated their Stage Pro and Speed Pro knee pads with D3O’s latest “Diablo” pad material — and they have become new favorites. Here’s why they’re standouts.

Flash Review: 26/27 Atomic Redster Q9.8 Revoshock S & Redster Q7.8 Revoshock C
Jonathan recently spent time A/B/C testing a few of Atomic’s latest carving skis — with the help of Daron Rahlves — over at Deer Valley. Here are his initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
If you’re already an active member, please log in.
(If you’re already logged in and a member in good standing and seeing this message in error, please refresh this page in your browser.)

Win Fully Custom Skis From Wagner
Fully custom skis from Wagner are way too good a giveaway for just one week, so we’re extending it for another one! Enter before January 23rd for your chance to win.

Peak Skis is Back; New Gear Reveals; Current Product Reviews; & Best Snowboard Gear of the Century w/ Powder Hound AK’s Eric Helmbrecht (Ep.378)
Jonathan reacts to the stated return of Peak Skis, then Powder Hound AK’s Eric Helmbrecht joins to discuss several big new product announcements; review some current ski & snowboard gear; and then Eric shares his top 10 list of the most important developments in snowboard gear of the century.

Flash Review: 26/27 Nordica Promachine 3 130
What’s actually new with Nordica’s revised low-volume alpine boot? Here’s what we’ve found so far in our initial testing.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
To get our comprehensive Deep Dives and our initial, unfiltered reports on new gear, become a member and receive many other services, deals, and discounts.
If you’re already an active member, please log in.
(If you’re already logged in and a member in good standing and seeing this message in error, please refresh this page in your browser.)
2026-2027 Nordica Promachine 3 130 S
The Promachine series has been a staple in Nordica’s alpine ski boot lineup for many years now. Today, Nordica revealed the latest generation of this low-volume boot collection, and they’re calling it a “ground-up evolution.” Here are the details.

Reviewer Reports: Chain Dampers, Gearboxes, High-Pivots & More (Ep.309)
Is pedal kickback real? How does the efficiency of conventional drivetrains stack up against gearboxes — and how do belt vs. chain drives factor in? How lively and responsive can you really make a high-pivot bike? We’ve got updates on a whole bunch of bikes we’ve been testing, and wade into those questions and more along the way.

Atomic & Salomon Announce New 16-DIN Shift2 Hybrid Ski Binding
Today, Atomic & Salomon revealed the newest version of the Shift2 hybrid binding, aimed at aggressive all-mountain and big-mountain skiers. Here’s what we know so far about the new Shift2 16 MN.

The Science – and Politics – of ‘Functional Beverages’ w/ Fabric founder, Tom Eddleston (Ep. 97)
Functional beverages (specifically THC-infused drinks) have experienced a meteoric rise, yet the category is still shrouded in misinformation. So Eli talks with Fabric founder, Tom Eddleston, about what goes into crafting functional THC-beverages with real intention.

Chain Damper Roundup: Ochain, Rimpact, and DT DEG DF
Chain damper devices are a popular — and pricey — upgrade, but with several options now on the market, how’s a person to choose? We’ve been testing Ochain, Rimpact, and DT Swiss’ offerings and have answers.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

Armada Launches New AntiMatter Freeride Ski Collection
Armada has revealed their newest collection of freeride skis, developed in collaboration with the likes of Max Palm, Anne Hjorleifson, & Todd Ligare. Here are the details on what they’ve come up with.

Flash Review: 26/27 Armada AntiMatter 114
Our managing editor recently got his first deep pow turns of the season aboard Armada’s new AntiMatter 114. Here’s what stood out during his first day with this playful freeride ski.
2025-2026 4FRNT Sinister
Stinius Skjøtskift’s skiing style blends aspects of freestyle, modern freeride, and traditional directional charging — and so does his first promodel ski. Here’s the full story of how the new 4FRNT Sinister came to be.

Flash Review: 25/26 4FRNT Sinister
The 113mm-wide, twin-tipped, metal-laminate Sinister isn’t your typical freeride ski, but it’s shaping up to be an interesting one. Here are our initial impressions.

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, December ‘25 & January ‘26 (Ep.391)
Cody & Jonathan discuss the seasons Lyndsey Vonn & Mikaela Shiffrin are having; the return of Bode Miller & Peak Skis; Alex Honnold’s upcoming live free solo on Netflix; whether ski areas fudge their snowfall and conditions reports; & Jonathan makes good on the bet he lost to Cody.

TLD Stage Pro and Speed Pro Knee Pads
Troy Lee Designs updated their Stage Pro and Speed Pro knee pads with D3O’s latest “Diablo” pad material — and they have become new favorites. Here’s why they’re standouts.

Flash Review: 26/27 Atomic Redster Q9.8 Revoshock S & Redster Q7.8 Revoshock C
Jonathan recently spent time A/B/C testing a few of Atomic’s latest carving skis — with the help of Daron Rahlves — over at Deer Valley. Here are his initial impressions.

Win Fully Custom Skis From Wagner
Fully custom skis from Wagner are way too good a giveaway for just one week, so we’re extending it for another one! Enter before January 23rd for your chance to win.

Peak Skis is Back; New Gear Reveals; Current Product Reviews; & Best Snowboard Gear of the Century w/ Powder Hound AK’s Eric Helmbrecht (Ep.378)
Jonathan reacts to the stated return of Peak Skis, then Powder Hound AK’s Eric Helmbrecht joins to discuss several big new product announcements; review some current ski & snowboard gear; and then Eric shares his top 10 list of the most important developments in snowboard gear of the century.

Flash Review: 26/27 Nordica Promachine 3 130
What’s actually new with Nordica’s revised low-volume alpine boot? Here’s what we’ve found so far in our initial testing.
2026-2027 Nordica Promachine 3 130 S
The Promachine series has been a staple in Nordica’s alpine ski boot lineup for many years now. Today, Nordica revealed the latest generation of this low-volume boot collection, and they’re calling it a “ground-up evolution.” Here are the details.

Reviewer Reports: Chain Dampers, Gearboxes, High-Pivots & More (Ep.309)
Is pedal kickback real? How does the efficiency of conventional drivetrains stack up against gearboxes — and how do belt vs. chain drives factor in? How lively and responsive can you really make a high-pivot bike? We’ve got updates on a whole bunch of bikes we’ve been testing, and wade into those questions and more along the way.


