Blister Reviewer BadgeKara Williard

Kara Williard reviews the Liv Intrigue X for BLISTER.

Liv Intrigue X

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The Intrigue X is the latest addition to Liv’s women-specific MTB lineup, and it claims to offer tons of versatility and adjustability for those who want to ride all sorts of trails on one bike. After several months with it, we're now ready to weigh in on how accurate those claims proved to be — here's our Full Review.
Kara Williard reviews the North St. Bags Handlebar Pack for BLISTER.

Stuff We Like: August 2024

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This month’s edition of our Stuff We Like series includes everything from nifty bike tools to summer clothing essentials, running vests, bike components, and more. Check it out to see all the latest gear our reviewers have been enjoying this summer.
Helping Everyone ‘Go’ Outside w/ Gnara (Ep.306)

Helping Everyone ‘Go’ Outside w/ Gnara (Ep.306)

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Pants weren’t originally designed for female anatomy, and that creates problems for a lot of people in a lot of different scenarios – from climbing with a harness to peeing at a festival. Gnara, with their patented “GoFly Technology,” has been working to address this overlooked issue for the past several years, and we talk to their co-founder, Georgia Grace Edwards, about all the work that’s gone into solving this problem and the impact it has had.
Kara Williard reviews the Liv Intrigue X Advanced 0 for BLISTER.

Flash Review – Liv Intrigue X

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Liv recently introduced the Intrigue X as the new mid-travel option to their Trail / Enduro lineup. Check out our early impressions, and see how it compares to its big sibling, the Intrigue LT.

Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions

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Kara Williard reviews the Volkl Secret 96 for Blister

24/25 Volkl Secret 96

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The Secret 96 (and its brother ski, the Mantra) has been a reference ski for years, and Volkl tweaked both of them for the 24/25 season. Check out our Flash Review for more info and our initial thoughts on how the new ski compares.

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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Kara Williard reviews the Salomon QST Lumen 98 for BLISTER.

24/25 Salomon QST Lumen 98

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The QST Lumen 98 is situated in the middle of Salomon’s women-specific QST lineup, designed to be a versatile all-rounder. Check out our initial impressions to see how it handles a wide range of conditions.

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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Kara Williard reviews the K2 Mindbender 89Ti W for BLISTER.

24/25 K2 Mindbender 89Ti W

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This season we got on the narrowest metal-laminate ski in K2’s Mindbender series — here are our initial thoughts on the Mindbender 89Ti W, how it compares to the excellent Mindbender 99Ti W, and more.

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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Kara Williard reviews the Nordica Santa Ana 102 for BLISTER.

24/25 Nordica Santa Ana 102

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Nordica is updating their longstanding Santa Ana series of skis for the 24/25 season, and we’ve been spending time on the widest model in the series, and the replacement to the Santa Ana 104 Free, the Santa Ana 102. Check out our initial on-snow 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.

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Kara Williard reviews the Armada ARW 112 for BLISTER.

24/25 Armada ARW 112

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A few weeks ago, Kara Williard brought the 24/25 Armada ARW 112 on a trip to Alaska. Here are her initial on-snow 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.

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Kara Williard reviews the Icelantic Maiden 102 for BLISTER.

2024-2025 Icelantic Maiden 102

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Icelantic overhauled their longstanding Maiden and Nomad skis for 24/25, including longer lengths options for the women’s Maiden series, and we spent the season testing the new Maiden 102 against its competition to see where it falls in the all-mountain market. Read all about it in our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Kara Williard reviews the Icelantic Maiden 102 for BLISTER.

Deep Dive: Icelantic Maiden 102

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We compare the Icelantic Maiden 102 to the Nordica Unleashed 98 W, Moment Sierra, Blizzard Sheeva 10, Faction Dancer 3X, Zag Slap 104, Armada ARW 106 UL, Nordica Unleashed 108 W, Atomic Maven 103 CTI, Fischer Ranger 102, Nordica Santa Ana 102, K2 Mindbender 99Ti W, Volkl Secret 102, DPS Kaizen 105, Line Optic 104, K2 Mindbender 106C W, Folsom Cash 106, & Salomon QST Stella 106.

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 a 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.)

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