BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2024 Transition TransAM
Earlier this year, Transition brought back their Smuggler after a lengthy hiatus. Now, they’re reaching even deeper into the vault to bring back the TransAM, their do-everything aggressive hardtail that was last offered back in 2016, but now in a version that feels like a worthy modernization of a classic.
Tectonic Altar V2 Pedals
It’s hard to make a flat-pedal design truly stand out from the vast sea of options out there, but Tectonic has pulled it off with their made-in-Colorado Altar V2, and the on-trail results are quite good, too.
What We’re Wearing, Skiing 23/24: Kara Williard
Next up in our new “What We’re Wearing” series — where our reviewers run us through their head-to-toe kits for resort skiing / riding and touring — is senior editor, bootfitter, and veteran outdoor retail worker, Kara Williard.
Which Skis Would You Bring Back from the Dead?
Here at Blister, we hate to see good gear get discontinued. But what if you could resurrect one of your favorites? That’s what we asked several of our reviewers — what would YOU pick?
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, October 2023 (Ep.284)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the latest FIFTY film, Comstock, and the conflict that lies at the heart of the FIFTY Project; FIS vs POW; a new division of Blister: Blister Cinematic; bigfoot & aliens; the Most Canadian News; and more.
Giray Dadali on the new Daymaker Touring TEKDAPTERS (Ep.269)
A very intriguing — and extremely affordable — new piece of ski-touring gear has just been released, the TEKDAPTERS, so we dive into all the details with designer and pro skier, Giray Dadali.
Win Skis from ZAG
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Slap 104 from ZAG!
Men’s Mountain Bike Shorts Roundup – 2023
Our latest roundup of baggy MTB shorts has nine new options from ultralight to insulated(!?!) ones across a range of styles.
Enve AM30 Wheels
Enve was one of the first really big players in the carbon-fiber MTB wheel game and built a reputation for high-end, high-priced wheels. But their AM30 wheels are a lot more affordable than you might expect — and ride pretty differently from the Enves of old, too.
Contra Bikes on Making the MC a Reality (Ep.193)
Designing and prototyping a bike is hard work, but bringing one to production adds a whole new set of challenges, and we sat down with Evan Turpen of Contra Bikes to hear all about getting his US-made steel high-pivot Enduro bike, the MC, out into the world.
Cotic Jeht Gen2
The new Cotic Jeht may not look very different from the original, but Cotic’s engineers have by no means been taking it easy — there are lots of subtle tweaks that add up to a compelling-looking end result. Check out our First Look for the rundown on their updated do-it-all Trail bike.
Stuff We Like: October 2023
October’s edition of our Stuff We Like series includes a bunch of great gear, including our bike editor’s current favorite rain shell and high-volume hip pack, as well as some excellent pain-relieving ointment, boat-friendly apparel and packs, and more. Check it out to see all the latest stuff our reviewers have been digging.
Mountain Ops
Based in Stowe, Vermont, Mountain Ops has become well-known for its welcoming atmosphere, excellent customer service, and dedication to human-powered pursuits.
What We’re Wearing, Skiing 23/24: Luke Koppa
Most of our reviews and conversations have the goal of helping you, our audience, figure out what gear might work best for you and your particular preferences, circumstances, etc. However, it can be fun (and sometimes, maybe, even illuminating) to occasionally shrug off the cloak of objectivity and just talk about what we personally use and enjoy. In our new “What We’re Wearing” series, we’re doing just that, having several of our reviewers run us through their head-to-toe kits for this winter. First up, our managing editor and self-diagnosed apparel obsessive, Luke Koppa.
Ski Areas, Sustainability, & Getting Ready for Opening Day with Taos Ski Valley COO, John Kelly (Ep.283)
What goes into getting a ski area ready for opening day? We discuss snow making, maintaining & operating chairlifts, and ski area culture and sustainability with Taos Ski Valley’s chief operations officer, John Kelly.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Moment & Icelantic Skis on Ski Design & U.S. Ski Manufacturing (Ep.291)
What’s in and what’s out in ski design? And how have U.S. ski companies been doing over the past few years? We discuss this and much more with Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, and Icelantic Skis founder, Ben Anderson.
Win a BCA Spring Touring Prize Package
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a late-season spring touring prize package from BCA, including a radio, pack, shovel, and probe!
Georgia Astle on Racing, Freeriding, & Finding Her Way to MTB (Ep.215)
Georgia Astle’s path to freeride stardom was an unconventional one — she didn’t bike much growing up, despite living in Whistler — and it’s given her an interesting perspective on the state of the sport, finding and developing talented young riders, and a whole lot more.
2024-2025 Zag Harfang 96 & Harfang 96 Lady
The ZAG Harfang 96 is a very traditional ski in some regards, and less so in others. And for certain folks, this all-mountain ski’s rare combo of traits will be a whole lot of fun. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons, where both our male and female reviewers weigh in.
Deep Dive: ZAG Harfang 96 & Harfang 96 Lady
We compare the ZAG Harfang 96 & Harfang 96 Lady to the ZAG Harfang 96, ZAG Slap 104, Dynastar M-Pro 99, Volkl M6 Mantra, Volkl Secret 96, Stöckli Stormrider 95, Salomon Stance 96, Blizzard Anomaly 94, Fischer Ranger 96, Blizzard Black Pearl 97, 4FRNT MSP CC, Nordica Enforcer 99, Nordica Santa Ana 98, Salomon QST 98, Nordica Enforcer 94, J Skis Masterblaster, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Peak 98 by Bode, Atomic Maverick 95 Ti, Nordica Santa Ana 92, Blizzard Rustler 9, Head Kore 93, Blizzard Black Pearl 94, Faction Dancer 2, Black Crows Camox, Nordica Unleashed 98, RMU Apostle 96 Pro, Line Optic 96, K2 Mindbender 96C, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, Renoun Endurance 98, Shaggy’s Mohawk 98, & Wagner Summit 97.
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Flash Review: 24/25 Nordica Enforcer 104 vs. Enforcer 104 Free
Jonathan Ellsworth just spent a day A/B testing the new Enforcer 104 vs. the original Enforcer 104 Free, Here are his thoughts. And an ill-advised drinking game.
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: 24/25 Armada ARV 106
Armada is updating several of their popular all-mountain-freestyle skis for the 24/25 season, and we’ve been spending time on (and really enjoying) the new ARV 106. Check out our initial 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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Sex & Ski Boots: Hoji, Matt Manser, & Greg Klein on the Present & Future of Ski Boot Design
At Blister Summit 2024, we got a state of the union on the present and future of ski boot design from 3 people with a wealth of experience in this world: Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson, Matt Manser, and Greg Klein. They cover everything from the reception and performance of BOA boots to Hoji’s new Dynafit Ridge Pro boot; cold feet (literal & metaphorical…), and much more.
Misplaced Guilt? Misplaced Pride? A Different Conversation about Climate Issues (Ep.302)
What should we do to most significantly & quickly improve the current climate situation? Jonathan talks with Amie Engerbretson (Atomic); Dr. Len Necefer (Founder, the Sonoran Avalanche Center); and Jake Black (Protect Our Winters) to address this and a whole lot more.
Flash Review: 24/25 ZAG Mata Ti
The new 90mm-wide Mata Ti isn’t a typical all-mountain ski, and as a result, it can be atypically fun in certain scenarios. Here are our initial thoughts on this tight-radius ski.
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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When a Non-Traditional Ski Company Makes “Traditional” Skis | Moment Commanders
Moment has been making skis in Reno — and in their own way — for over a decade now. So their directional, metal-laminate, and narrow (for Moment) Commander skis came as a bit of a surprise. In this video from Blister Summit 2024, we get all the details about the latest Moment collection from their CEO, Luke Jacobson.
Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre
The Nicolai Nucleon 16 is the first production bike on the market that comes with the Lal Bikes Supre Drive drivetrain, and even without focusing on that, the bike doesn’t look like anything else out there — but how does it ride? We’ve spent a couple of months on the Nucleon and are ready to weigh in.