BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Amateur Hour: Atomic’s Matt Manser on Scotch, Part 3 (Ep.33)
How do you define “consistency” — the ability to produce the exact same thing time & time again, or producing a product that is never exactly the same, but is always of high quality? That question underlies our talk of official offerings vs independent bottlings, and we also talk about Scotch and spit buckets, Matt’s current top-3 ‘hottest’ Scotch brands, and more.
Flash Review — Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre Drive
The Lal Bikes Supre Drive is one of the most intriguing developments in mountain bike drivetrains to come around in a while, and we got a first ride on the Nicolai Nucleon 16 that’s equipped with it.
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Bjarne Salén on The Fifty Project, Adventure Vans, & Tiny Homes (Ep.272)
Today we’re talking with Bjarne Salén about his adventures & exploits with Cody Townsend for The Fifty Project, then we turn to his other big project: getting people to rethink how and where we live, and creating solutions to make that possible (see bjarnebuilds.com).
Revel RW30 Gen 2 Wheels
Revel just released the second version of their RW30 Trail/Enduro wheelset, claiming some improvements to their US-made, recyclable carbon fiber rims.
Blister Labs: Blister Community Reviews Update (Ep.257)
Too often, the consumer reviews you find online are incomplete and unhelpful. But through our Blister Labs partnership with Western Colorado University & the University of Colorado Boulder, we’re working to change that.
Cotic RocketMAX Gen4
Steel full-suspension bikes are popping up with increasing frequency, but Cotic has been on that trend longer than most, and their latest Gen4 RocketMAX is a big Enduro bike with some seriously impressive ride characteristics.
Ski Connexions
Ski Connexions is a unique one-man bootfitting operation by the highly skilled Barry Allison, and is the place to go for bootfitting in Whistler, CA to ensure the best possible experience out on the hill.
Win a Helmet and Glasses from POC
The five winners (!) of our Gear Giveaway this week will get an Axion Race MIPS Helmet and Define Glasses from POC!
Prevelo founder Jacob Rheuban on Designing a Better Kid’s Bike (Ep.181)
Kids’ bikes aren’t (or shouldn’t be) just scaled-down adult ones, and Prevelo founder Jacob Rheuban has a lot of great insights to share on what goes into making a good one.
Flash Review — Propain Ekano 2
Propain describes the Ekano 2 as a more nimble, playful sort of long-travel eMTB, but is it? Check out our initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Propain Ekano 2 AL
Propain’s Ekano eMTB stood out from the rest of their line, with a different suspension layout and geometry that was starting to look a bit dated. That all changes today, with the new Ekano 2 getting a major overhaul. Propain is talking a big game about the Ekano 2 being an especially nimble, “fun” bike, despite its big travel numbers and modern geometry.
Amateur Hour: Atomic’s Matt Manser on Scotch, Part 2 (Ep.32)
Matt Manser (Atomic Ski Boots), is back to dive into the world of independent bottlings. We compare a Bunnahabhain independent bottling against their official 12-year offering; discuss a single cask that cost $19M; debate whether you should add water to your Scotch; and more.
Steeping / What Are We Even Doing, Anyways??
In her latest Open Mic piece, Angel reflects on ‘normal’ life, moving at warp speed, and the art of steeping.
Forge+Bond 25 XC and 30 AM Wheels
Forge+Bond’s wheel lineup is growing with the addition of new XC and AM options — and a price drop while they’re at it.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (July 2023) (Ep.271)
Cody and Jonathan discuss a potential pay cut for wildland firefighters; a robotic exoskeleton that provides “unprecedented experiences for everyone with an outdoor lifestyle”; a skier’s ‘embarrassing’ checklist of life goals; whether sex before skiing enhances or detracts from performance; and much more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Salomon Announces New 24/25 QST X Ski
Salomon is adding a brand-new ski to their lineup, and while the QST X is their widest model for the 24/25 season, it’s definitely not the heaviest. Here are the details on the new Salomon QST X.
2023-2024 Moment Countach 110
The new Countach 110 is one of the few skis in Moment’s lineup that doesn’t neatly fit into one of their established product series. After first testing it at last year’s Blister Summit, several of our reviewers continued to put time on it over the past year, and now it’s time for them to chime in — check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Moment Countach 110
We compare the Countach 110 to the Moment Commander 108, Moment Wildcat 108, Moment Wildcat, Moment Deathwish, Rossignol Sender Free 110, DPS Koala 111, Rossignol Sender Squad, Dynastar M-Free 108, Meier Leeper, Black Crows Anima, Blizzard Cochise 106, Volkl Katana 108, Rossignol Sender 106 Ti+, Faction Dancer 3, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, Nordica Unleashed 108, Black Crows Corvus, Icelantic Nomad 105, J Skis Hotshot, 4FRNT Hoji, Blizzard Rustler 11, Fischer Ranger 108, Head Kore 111, Line Blade Optic 114, & Salomon QST Blank.
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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‘Apollo’ w/ Marcus Caston, Cam McLeod, & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.10)
We talk with one of our favorite skiers, Marcus Caston, and one of our favorite creatives, Cam McLeod, about their beautiful short film, Apollo. This is a film to savor, to share with your friends, and to revisit for years to come.
Propain Tyee
The Propain Tyee is an especially good value for money in terms of the parts spec and looks well-thought-out on paper, but does it all come together on the trail? We’ve spent several months on one and are ready to weigh in.
Deep Dive: Propain Tyee
We compare the Propain Tyee to the Kavenz VHP 16, SCOR 4060 LT, YT Capra, Santa Cruz Nomad, Santa Cruz Bronson, We Are One Arrival 152, Trek Slash, Trek Fuel EX, Starling Murmur Enduro, Orbea Rallon, Orbea Occam LT, REEB Steezl, Yeti SB160, and Pivot Firebird.
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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Our Upcoming Blister Summit: Kristin & Jonathan Discuss Details, Highlights, & What You Need to Know (Ep.295)
Jonathan & Kristin talks discuss the most up-to-date details of the Summit, the things they’re most excited about, and more.
Flash Review: 24/25 Blizzard Anomaly 102
The new Anomaly 102 has big shoes to fill — namely, the Blizzard Bonafide & Cochise’s roles in the brand’s line. Here are our initial on-snow impressions for the new ski.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Redesigned 24/25 Shift2 Binding Announced
The Shift binding has become one of the most popular “hybrid” touring bindings since its release several years ago, and now it’s getting its first major update. Here are all the details about the new Shift2 binding.
Win Skis from Blizzard
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get their choice of the Sheeva 10 or Rustler 10 from Blizzard!
2023-2024 RMU Apostle 96 Pro
The Apostle 96 Pro takes RMU’s playful all-mountain shape and adds two sheets of metal — a combo we don’t often see. So, how well does the resulting ski blend these seemingly unusual design traits? Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Apostle 96 Pro
We compare the RMU Apostle 96 Pro to the standard RMU Apostle 96, RMU Apostle 106 Pro, Line Blade Optic 96, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, J Skis Masterblaster, Renoun Endurance 98, Blizzard Rustler 9, Salomon QST 98, Nordica Enforcer 99, Volkl M6 Mantra, Atomic Maverick 95 Ti, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Fischer Ranger 102, Black Crows Justis, Head Kore 99, Elan Ripstick 106, Faction Dancer 2, Black Crows Camox, Dynastar M-Free 99, Nordica Unleashed 98, Rossignol Blackops 98, Season Kin, K2 Reckoner 102, 4FRNT Switch, Faction Mana 2, Liberty Origin 101, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 95, Shaggy’s Mohawk 98, Season Aero, Line Blade, & K2 Mindbender 96C.
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.)