Flash Reviews

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Kara Williard reviews the Volkl Secret 96 for Blister

Flash Review: 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.

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Flash Review: 24/25 RMU Apostle 114

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The Apostle 114 is RMU’s new “directional big-mountain ski” that replaces the previous North Shore 114 — here are our initial impressions and thoughts on how the new ski compares.

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Blister reviews the Line Optic 88

Flash Review: 24/25 Line Optic 88

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For 24/25, Line is rebranding their Blade Optic collection as simply “Optic,” and the Optic 88 is a brand-new model that effectively replaces the previous Blade Optic 92 as the narrowest option in the series. Here are some of our initial thoughts on the new ski.

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Kara Williard reviews the Salomon QST Lumen 98 for BLISTER.

Flash Review: 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.

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Zack Henderson and David Golay review the RAAW Madonna V3 for Blister

Flash Review — RAAW Madonna V3

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Update, 6/5/2024: We've had more reviewers on the RAAW Madonna V3, logged a lot more time on it, and made a bunch of setup changes. Check out how our impressions have evolved.

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

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Luke Koppa reviews the Kästle MX88 for Blister

Flash Review: 24/25 Kästle MX88 & MX84

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We’ve been testing two of Kästle's redesigned all-mountain skis — here are our initial thoughts on how the new MX88 and MX84 compare to each other and their respective competition.

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Blister reviews the Armada Declivity X 102

Flash Review: 24/25 Armada Declivity X 102

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Armada updated a lot of their directional freeride skis for the 24/25 season, including a favorite of our managing editor, the Declivity 102. Here are his initial thoughts on how the new Declivity X 102 compares.

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David Golay reviews the Formula Belva for Blister

Flash Review — Formula Belva

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Update 5/28/2024: We've spent a lot more time on the Formula Belva dual-crown Enduro fork, and have been experimenting with its swappable compression valves. Check out how our thoughts on the Belva have evolved.

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Luke Koppa reviews the Icelantic Nomad 112 for Blister

Flash Review: 24/25 Icelantic Nomad 112

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The Nomad 112 is the widest option in Icelantic’s overhauled freeride collection — here are our thoughts on where it slots into the powder-ski class and how it compares to the rest of the Nomad series.

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Simon Stewart reviews the Pivot Shuttle SL for Blister

Flash Review — Pivot Shuttle SL

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How does one of the original lightweight eMTBs stack up in an increasingly crowded market? Check out our early impressions.

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Luke Koppa reviews the Rossignol Arcade 88 for Blister

Flash Review: 24/25 Rossignol Arcade 88

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This spring we got time on one of Rossignol’s brand-new piste-oriented skis — here are our thoughts on the Arcade 88 and where it falls in the frontside class.

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David Golay reviews the new Michelin Enduro and DH tires for Blister

Flash Review — Michelin Wild Enduro MH & Wild Enduro MS

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Michelin’s new Wild Enduro tires look a lot more aggressive than the prior-generation versions that they replaced, but how do they perform on the trail? We’ve started spending time on the Wild Enduro MH and Wild Enduro MS, and are ready to weigh in with some early thoughts.

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

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Flash Review: 24/25 Salomon / Atomic Shift2 Binding

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The original Shift binding was a big advancement in the touring binding category when it was first released, but it wasn’t without its flaws. The new Shift2 binding is meant to address those downsides while still letting you skin uphill in pins and get alpine-binding performance on the way down. We’ve been testing multiple pairs of the Shift2 to test those claims — here are our thoughts so far.

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 K2 Mindbender 89Ti W for BLISTER.

Flash Review: 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

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Noah Bodman reviews the 2024 Pivot Switchblade for Blister

Flash Review — 2024 Pivot Switchblade

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The Pivot Switchblade has long been a super-popular do-it-all Trail bike, but how does the new one perform? We’ve got some early impressions.

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

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Jonathan Ellsworth reviews the Atomic Backland 109 for Blister

Flash Review: 24/25 Atomic Backland 109

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Jonathan Ellsworth has now logged several days on the new Backland 109 — mounted with the new Shift2 binding — and here he chimes in with his most notable takeaways so far.

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David Golay and Zack Henderson review the Deviate Highlander II for Blister

Flash Review — Deviate Highlander II

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The Deviate Highlander II combines “Trail bike” geometry numbers with a high-pivot suspension layout, and so far, that seems to make for a very interesting combination of ride characteristics. Check out our thoughts on the Highlander II after our first few rides.

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

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Blister reviews the Line Pandora 106

Flash Review: 24/25 Line Pandora 106

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Line is overhauling their longstanding Pandora collection for 24/25, with the new unisex skis being offered in a huge range of lengths and featuring an all-new design. Here are our initial thoughts on the Pandora 106.

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Blister reviews the Liberty Scope 104

Flash Review: 24/25 Liberty Scope 104

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Liberty is tweaking just about every ski in their lineup for 24/25, and we got on the brand-new Scope 104 this season. Here are our initial thoughts.

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Simon Stewart reviews the Canyon Neuron:ONfly for Blister

Flash Review — Canyon Neuron:ONfly

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We got a first ride on the new Canyon Neuron:ONfly a little while back. Check out our early impressions.

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

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