BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Forbidden Supernought
It’s been no secret that Forbidden had a DH bike in the works, but now we know all the details — and you can buy one. Check out the Supernought.
Tool on Their Radical Machined High-Pivot Bike (Ep.199)
Tool has been developing a stunning-looking made-in-Quebec machined high-pivot Trail / Enduro bike with some radical geometry and design details, and we sat down with founder and designer William Boisvert to hear all about it.
2-Board Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (23/24)
Which 2 snowboards and/or splitboards would you pick for all the riding you do in a season? We got answers from several of our snowboard reviewers — check out their selections, and let us know your own!
Flash Review: 23/24 Volkl Blaze 114
Following a surprise early-season storm, we got back on Volkl’s new lightweight freeride ski, the Blaze 114. Here are some initial takeaways from Jonathan Ellsworth.
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Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2023 – Under The Tree
Next up in our 2023 Gift Guide series are the items that our reviewers think will make for awesome additions beneath the tree this holiday season. If you’re looking for a gift for the skier, biker, hiker, traveler, or just about any other type of person in your life, check them out!
‘Apocalypse Snow’ with Régis Rolland (Ep.4)
We follow up last week’s conversation about one of the greatest ski & snowboard movies of all time, with the star of Apocalypse Snow, the snowboarding legend and pioneer, Régis Rolland. Régis and Jonathan discuss the making of the film; what interested him in getting on a snowboard in the first place, and Régis kindly answers some of the burning questions we raised about the film in last week’s conversation.
Flash Review: 23/24 Fischer RC4 Pro LV
We’ve been spending time in Fischer’s new 140-flex boot — check out our initial impressions, including comparisons to the Lange Shadow, Tecnica Mach1, and the RC4 Pro MV BOA.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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1-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (23/24)
After weeks of ski-quiver discussions, we’ve finally arrived at the hardest question of all: what single ski would you use for all the skiing you do? In the last update, we get to hear from Jonathan Ellsworth & Paul Forward. Check out their selections and a bunch of our other reviewers’ personal picks.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, November 2023 (Ep.289)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the *trillion* dollar outdoor industry; e-bike bans?; the business of retro sneakers / retro skis; Cody snowboarding; mtn town relationship advice; & more.
A Message to Our Blister Members
Jonathan Ellsworth discusses some important changes to our Blister Membership that are happening in 2024 — and a special offer for all current Blister Members.
Win a Pack from Hyperlite Mountain Gear
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Crux 40 ski mountaineering pack from Hyperlite Mountain Gear!
Flash Review: 23/24 RMU Apostle 96 Pro
We just got our first day on the metal-laminate version of RMU’s narrower all-mountain ski — here are some initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Reviewer Reports: Early-Season Ski Gear Testing, Mtn Biking in Nepal, & More (Ep.274)
Luke, Kara, and Jonathan discuss getting back on snow, ski boots, frontside skis, mountain biking in Nepal, engagement taco parties, and new apparel.
Dynafit Releases New Ridge Ski-Touring Binding
Today, Dynafit announced a limited-edition release of their newest binding, the Ridge, which they’re calling “the most comfortable ski touring binding on the market.” Here are the details.
Albatross Bikes on the Super-Adaptable Apogee Module (Ep.198)
There are lots of custom hardtail builders out there, but the constraints of pivot locations, maintaining frame alignment, and the tooling needed to make it all work means that fully-customizable full-suspension bikes are a lot rarer. Albatross Bikes has taken a very creative approach to offering customizable full-suspension bikes with their Apogee Module, and we brought them on to hear all about it.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Deep Dive: Folsom Completo 100
We compare the Completo 100 to the Folsom Cash 106, Salomon QST 98, Salomon QST Lumen 98, RMU Apostle 96 Ti, RMU Valhalla 107, Line Optic 96, Renoun Endurance 98, Shaggy’s Mohawk 98, ZAG Slap 104, ZAG Slap 104 Lady, DPS Wailer 100, DPS Kaizen 105, Romp Zorro 100, Blizzard Rustler 10, Blizzard Sheeva 10, Black Crows Atris, Black Crows Camox, Nordica Unleashed 98, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, Armada Reliance 102 Ti, J Skis Masterblaster, Salomon Stance 102, Fischer Ranger 102, Fischer Nightstick 97, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Volkl M6 Mantra, Volkl Secret 96, Nordica Enforcer 99, Nordica Santa Ana 98, & Majesty Havoc 100 Ti.
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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Mountain Gazette owner, Mike Rogge on Feuds, Media Coverage, Movies, & More (Ep.305)
Mountain Gazette owner, Mike Rogge, is back to talk with Jonathan about their ongoing feud; media coverage of the eclipse; two stories from the soon-to-be-released MG #201; what they’re reading and watching; and more.
New Glade Goggles, Sunglasses, & Helmets | Blister Summit Video
Glade quickly made a name for themselves in the goggle market, offering versatile photochromic options that could be functional across a huge range of light conditions — and did so without eye-watering price tags. Since then, they’ve continued to refine their lenses, add new models, and expand into helmets and sunglasses. In this video from Blister Summit 2024, we got all the details on Glade’s newest collection of goggles, helmets, and sunglasses.
Flash Review: 24/25 Tecnica Zero G Tour Pro
We’ve been A/B testing the original and updated versions of Tecnica’s venerable Zero G Tour Pro — here are our thoughts so far on how the new boot 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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Flash Review — Norco Fluid VLT
The 2024 Norco Fluid VLT gets a thorough redesign including Bosch’s potent new Performance Line SX motor, and our early impressions have us rethinking the lightweight vs. full-power eMTB argument.
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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Ski / Snowboard Outerwear Roundup — Women’s (2023-2024)
This year we got in a whole lot of outerwear, from cozy insulated kits to burly shells — and a lot of those pieces are now on sale! In this roundup, we compare and contrast nearly a dozen of the latest women’s ski / snowboard jackets, pants, and bibs we’ve been testing.
2024-2025 Armada Locator 112
Our reviewer, Paul Forward, has been testing all sorts of touring skis for years, especially light and fat ones, and he says the Armada Locator 112 has “quickly become one of my favorite all-round skis for any of my human-powered skiing endeavors.” Check out our Full Review to see why.
Whiskey, Murder, and a Bunch of New Skis (Ep.293)
Luke and Jonathan discuss some of the new skis they’ve been testing this spring
Win MTB Gear from Crankbrothers
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a bunch of mountain bike gear from Crankbrothers, including their Mallet Trail Clip-In shoes, any pair of their pedals, and an S.O.S. tool kit of the winner’s choice!
Reviewing the News w/ Ryan Palmer, March 2024 (Ep.217)
In their third installment of Reviewing The News, Ryan and Simon get into: the slopestyle strike; Scott’s apparent management instability; riding in Tuscany; some reflections on how we ever rode without dropper posts; and some new lightweight eMTBs running the hotrod Bosch SX motor — including the 39 lb Norco Fluid VLT.
Giant Trance X
Giant has updated their longstanding Trance platform with the new Trance X and Trance X SX. Both the Trance X and Trance X SX get a lot more adjustability, more aggressive geometry, and some other refinements. Dig into our First Look to get all of the details on what Giant has cooked up.
Flash Review — Yeti SB165
The new Yeti SB165 has grown a mullet, but it sticks with (mostly) very similar geometry to the outgoing 27.5’’-wheeled version. Check out our initial impressions of how it all comes together.
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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