BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
‘LISTERS: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching’ w/ Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, & Eli Brown (Ep.55)
‘LISTERS: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching’ is the hilarious — and surprisingly heartfelt — documentary you didn’t know you needed in your life. But you do. And today, Luke, Eli, and I make an impassioned case for why you do.
Trickstuff Maxima Brakes
Trickstuff’s brakes have long been the stuff of legend — and legendarily hard to come by, even if you’re willing to throw down their steep asking price. But now they’re becoming more widely distributed and more readily available under DT Swiss’ ownership, and we’ve put a massive amount of vert on their flagship Maxima gravity brake to see how it stacks up.
Hashing Things Out: Lincoln Knowles, Cody Townsend & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.379)
Cody and Jonathan have been talking about Lincoln Knowles, the climber, free soloist, and content creator who has been making waves in the climbing world. And today, Lincoln joins them to hash things out and discuss some big topics that have implications for the entire outdoor industry.
Pivot Firebird V5
The latest 5th-generation version of the Pivot Firebird is still an impressive take on a go-fast Enduro race bike, but pigeonholing it into that one role would sell it short. Here’s our take on what makes the new Firebird a compelling option for a surprisingly wide array of riders.
Deep Dive: Pivot Firebird V5
We compare the Pivot Firebird V5 to the Pivot Firebird V4, Yeti SB160, Yeti SB165, Rocky Mountain Altitude, Propain Tyee, Santa Cruz Megatower, Santa Cruz Nomad, and Ibis HD6.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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5 Years of Prototypes: AlpenFlow Ski Bindings Origins & Overview
In the first of our videos from Blister Summit 2025, we sit down with AlpenFlow Designs to get the whole story on how and why they decided to make a ski-touring binding; how their prototypes of the AlpenFlow 89 have evolved over the first 5 years of development; what they believe sets it apart from the rest of the market; how it actually works; and more.
Win a Helmet & Goggles from Pret
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Pret Fury or Vision Helmet, as well as a pair of Pret Effect Goggles!
Best Skis of the Century from Each Brand, Part 2 (Ep.365)
In Part 2 of our series on the Best Skis of the Century, Luke Koppa and Sascha Anastas join Jonathan Ellsworth to dive into the best skis from 23 more brands, and we also discuss some of the best and most notable women-specific skis of the past 25 years.
Propain Sresh SL
Propain’s lightweight Sresh SL eMTB has proven to be an option that’s hard to define, but easy to get along with in a wide variety of settings. Check out our Full Review for our takeaways after 3 months aboard this mid-travel eMTB.
Deep Dive: Propain Sresh SL
We compare the Propain Sresh SL to the Yeti MTe, Pivot Shuttle SL/AM, Pivot Shuttle SL, Norco Fluid VLT 130, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, Trek Fuel EXe, and Mondraker Dune XR.
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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Rocket Ramps on Building Trails, Ramps, and Action Sports Infrastructure (Ep. 296)
Simon catches up with Henry Lanman of Rocket Ramps about the crazy big lines they built for the bike park in Picuris Pueblo, the sustainability of their ramps, their passion for building action sports infrastructure, and more.
Giro Chamber III Shoes
Giro’s new Chamber III went on a bit of a diet, but remains a fairly aggressive, gravity-focused clip shoe. We’re ready with a Full Review after five months of trail time.
‘Pressure Drop’ + 30 Years of TGR w/ Todd Jones & Nick McNutt (Ep.54)
Jonathan talks with TGR co-founder, Todd Jones, then pro skier, Nick McNutt, about the past, present, & future of Teton Gravity Research, and their excellent new 30th-anniversary film, Pressure Drop.
Inside the Minds of Pro Skiers: Competition, Careers, & Close Calls w/ Dane Tudor, Todd Ligare, Amy Jane David, & Stinius Skjøtskift (Ep.378)
Dane Tudor, Todd Ligare, Amy Jane David, and Stinius Skjøtskift joined us for a wide-ranging conversation on skiing, competition, and career-defining moments — recorded live at the Blister Summit 2025.
EXT Vecta
The EXT Vecta brings most of the features of their flagship Storia V4 coil shock to a much more affordable package, but how does its performance stack up? We’ve spent the summer finding out. Here’s what we found.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Can We Future-Proof Public Lands? Working Together & the GORP Act (Ep.382)
How do you get everyone from cattle ranchers to cyclists, snowmobilers, hunters, wildlife biologists, indigenous tribes, and politicians from both sides of the aisle to agree on protecting public lands? The GORP Act took on this challenge, and its collaborative approach could serve as a blueprint for the future.
Propain Hugene 3 CF
Propain’s third-generation Hugene has less travel than the prior one, but its performance is a reminder that geometry matters at least as much as travel numbers. Check out how the Propain Hugene 3 CF stacks up as a unique take on a modern short-travel Trail bike.
Deep Dive: Propain Hugene 3
We compare the Propain Hugene 3 CF to the Propain Hugene 2, Revel Rascal V2, Kona Process 134, Rocky Mountain Instinct, Trek Top Fuel, Transition Smuggler, Pivot Trailcat LT, Chromag Reazon, Canyon Spectral 125, Knolly Fugitive 140, Forbidden Druid, and Norco Optic.
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.)
Win OpenSnow Premium Weather Forecasting
The three winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a 1-year OpenSnow Premium subscription!
Best Skis of the Century, Part 4 (Ep.368)
What are the Top 10 skis of the century? Top 3? #1 Ski? Today, Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, reveals his very personal picks, plus we share a story from the Blister archives that involves New Zealand farmers and helicopters.
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide: eMTBs
Our Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide chapters on eMTBs are here, covering everything from quick-handling light-assist Trail bikes to full-power Enduro sleds.
The Future of Rampage & How to Fix It (Ep. 299)
With four helicopter evacuations, the 2025 Red Bull Rampage was one of the most injury-plagued Rampages ever. It’s been weighing heavily on our minds and left us questioning the safety of the event and what should be done.
Travel Coffee Gear, Hand Grinders, & Coffee Roasting with Calibration Coffee Lab’s Alex LeBlanc (Ep.87)
How do you make great coffee on the road? Jonathan talks with Alex LeBlanc of Calibration Coffee Lab about our recent attempts at this. Then, we discuss Alex’s own approach to roasting, and how to achieve things like consistency, versatility, and uniqueness in the process.
Scott Ransom
The Scott Ransom might look more like a hardtail eMTB than a full-suspension Enduro bike at first glance, but its wild hidden shock aesthetic belies surprisingly well-rounded on-trail performance.
Phil Casabon on ‘ORNADA,’ Armada’s New Team Film (Ep.57)
BDog, aka, Phil Casabon, is one of the most creative skiers to ever do it, and today, we talk with him about this banger of a film, ORNADA, the first team film put out by Armada in over a decade. Plus, in this conversation, Phil lays out his Top-5 movies & Top-5 ski films of all time.
WTB Peacekeeper Tires
WTB might not be the first name you think of in tires, but their new Peacekeeper tire presents a very strong case for itself as an especially high-performing XC/Trail tire. Check out our review to find out why we’re excited about WTB’s latest offering.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, October 2025 (Ep.381)
Cody and Jonathan discuss CT’s most recent travel horror story; ski industry cartels?; Jim Morrison’s Everest ski descent; Kilian Jornet’s ‘States of Elevation’; Red Bull Rampage; Balin Miller; the extreme insurance hikes at Timberline Lodge; and what we’re reading & watching.