BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Blister Brand Guide: Topo Athletic Running Shoe Lineup, 2023
Topo Athletic continues to expand their line of low-drop, wide-toebox running shoes — check out our Brand Guide for the full rundown on their 2023 lineup and which model might make the most sense for how and where you run.
Blister Labs: the Evolution of Outdoor Gear Testing | Blister Summit 2023 Video
How are we advancing the state of ski testing? At Blister Summit 2023, we brought together Jeni Blacklock, Sean Humbert, Leo Beuken, and Travis Hainsworth to discuss what we’ve been working on and why it matters, and we announce our latest initiative that we’ll be rolling out soon: Blister Community Reviews.
Flash Review: 23/24 Line Chronic 101
The Chronic name has been in Line’s collection for years, but now there’s a new, wider version. Check out our initial thoughts on the new Chronic 101.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Speedland Founders Dave Dombrow and Kevin Fallon On Their Latest Hyper-Performance Trail Shoe, the GS:TAM (Ep.169)
We sat down with Speedland co-founders Dave Dombrow and Kevin Fallon to talk about their latest shoe commission, the GS:TAM; growing a boutique hyper-performance trail running brand; future projects; and much more.
Story Time with Hoji, Rory Bushfield, McKenna Peterson, & Forrest Shearer (Ep.257)
In this hilarious conversation, Jonathan asks Hoji, Rory, McKenna, and Forrest about their favorite lines, closest calls, and craziest stories from their years of professional skiing & snowboarding.
Pivot Shuttle LT
The long-range eMTB market is heating up, with companies turning up the capability, and battery size bragging rights featuring prominently. But while the Pivot Shuttle LT’s battery isn’t the biggest out there, it might actually be a better bike for it.
Skis, Boots, Bindings, & More: Salomon 23/24 Ski Gear | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We sat down with Salomon’s Joe Johnson to cover all the new products they’re rolling out for the 2023-2024 season — and there is a LOT. We discuss the brand-new touring-oriented QST Echo 106 ski; the role that Cody Townsend & their other athletes play when developing new products; Salomon’s revamped metal-laminate Stance skis; the new S/PRO Supra BOA boot collection, and more.
2023 Sea Otter Classic Recap, Part 2
We’re onto the last day of Sea Otter, and have some more new stuff to show and tell about.
2023-2024 Salomon S/Pro Supra BOA 105 W
Here are our measured specs, photos, and a quick rundown of Salomon’s new medium-volume boot, the S/Pro Supra BOA 105 W.
2023 Sea Otter Classic Recap, Part 1
We’re at Sea Otter, and there’s a lot of new stuff to check out. Here’s some of the early stuff that caught our eye.
2023-2024 Peak 98
The Peak 98 is the do-everything model in Bode Miller’s new ski company’s lineup — check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see where it slots into the market, and whether it might work for you.
Deep Dive: Peak 98
We compare the Peak 98 to the Peak 88, Peak 98SC, Peak 104, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Blizzard Bonafide 97, Volkl M6 Mantra, Salomon Stance 96, Nordica Enforcer 100, Black Crows Justis, Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, Blizzard Rustler 9, Moment Commander 98, Fischer Ranger 102, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, Faction Dancer 2, Atomic Maverick 100 Ti, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, Dynastar M-Pro 99, Volkl Mantra 102, ZAG Harfang 96, Wagner Summit 97, Head Kore 99, J Skis Masterblaster, Salomon QST 98, & 4FRNT MSP 99.
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.)
Coalition Snow: 10 Years of Skis & Snowboards, 23/24 Lineup, & More w/ Founder & CEO, Jen Gurecki (Ep.242)
Kara Williard talks with Jen Gurecki, founder and CEO of Coalition Snow, about operating a women-owned ski and snowboard company for the past 10 years; how the vision has evolved; their brick-and-mortar storefront; inclusive trips around the world; initiatives to grow the sport and the community; their 23/24 lineup; and more.
Blizzard’s New Rustler & Sheeva Skis | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We sat down with Blizzard’s Christian Avery & Leslie Baker-Brown to go over all the new skis they’re rolling out for the 2023-2024 season. We discuss the new Rustler & Sheeva lines; how they differ from the previous iterations; Blizzard’s Women 2 Women program & how it influences their ski concepts; the purposes of their “FluxForm” & “TrueBlend” technologies, and more.
Win La Sportiva Ski Boots
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Vanguard or Vanguard Women’s ski touring boot from La Sportiva!
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Privateer Bikes on the 141 and 161 V2 (Ep.192)
Privateer has been teasing the upcoming second-generation versions of their 141 and 161 for a while now and we recently sat down with Dan Hicks, the engineer behind the project, to get all the details on the new bikes.
2023 Knolly Endorphin
The Knolly Endorphin is back after a hiatus — and Knolly says it’s a harbinger of new things to come across their entire lineup.
Women’s Mountain Bike Shorts & Pants Roundup – 2023
There are more options for mountain bike shorts and pants than ever before, and in our latest roundup of women’s ones, we’ve got eight new pairs to add to the mix after a bunch of time testing them in a ton of different conditions.
Raide LF 40L Backpack
Raide is the newest player in the ultralight snowsports category and their first product, the LF 40L backpack, is a very interesting initial offering. Check out our First Look for more on this UHMWPE (aka, Dyneema) pack and the brand behind it.
Trevor Kennison & Josh Berman on Full Circle (Ep.282)
Like Travis Rice, Candide Thovex, Courtney Dauwalter, and Alex Honnold, Trevor Kennison forces us to rethink what’s possible. Josh Berman has created a film, Full Circle, that documents Trevor’s incredible story and exploits, and the challenges — and opportunities — of life after spinal cord injury.
Five Ten Trailcross XT
Five Ten’s Trailcross line is meant to blend functionality from bike and trail running shoes into a lightweight, breathable package that works well both on and off the bike. The updated Trailcross XT now uses recycled materials extensively, in a design that’s pretty different from the original. So how does it all pan out on the trail?
Gear West
Gear West is not only one of the largest shops in the midwest, it is also one of the best.
20+ Years as a Pro Skier: Mark Abma | Blister Speaker Series Video
In this video, Mark Abma discusses his lengthy professional skiing career, how big mountain skiing has evolved, his passion for alternative housing and energy, and much more.
Win Skis from RMU
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get RMU’s Apostle 96 Carbon ski!
A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 5: Debunking Bootfitting Myths & Misconceptions (Ep.267)
Kara Williard and Jake “Fasa” Nelson clear up some of the most common bootfitting myths and misconceptions out there, provide some clarity on what you should realistically expect from a ski boot and bootfitter, discuss how to go about shopping for a boot this season, and more.
Casey Brown, Vaea Verbeeck, and Hannah Bergemann on Women at Rampage (Ep.191)
We sat down with Casey Brown, Vaea Verbeeck, and Hannah Bergemann to talk about the lack of a women’s category at Red Bull Rampage; what they’ve been doing to change that; why opening up Rampage to women is important; and the trajectory of women’s freeride more broadly.
Propain Ekano 2 CF
Propain launched the Ekano 2 AL just a few months ago as a “freeride eMTB,” but the new Ekano 2 CF is substantially different from its aluminum sibling — starting but not ending with the SRAM Eagle Powertrain drive system.