BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

23/24 Atomic Skis & Boots | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We discuss Atomic’s updated “Bent” ski collection; Chris Benchetler’s new role as Creative Director at Atomic; how they’ve evaluated & decreased the environmental impact of their skis; implementing the BOA Fit System into their ski boots; the brand-new Backland XTD boots, and more.

Resisting the Algorithm
In our latest Open Mic piece, Brendan Leonard writes about modern life, real discoveries, and the essence of adventure.

2023 Giant Glory Advanced
The Giant Glory is back. The prior-generation version had grown long in the tooth and mostly faded out of the market, but now there’s a new one with a full carbon fiber frame, mixed wheels, tons of adjustability, and more. Check out our First Look for the rundown.

Leah Yingling on Lululemon’s FURTHER Initiative, Their New Women-Specific Road-to-Trail Shoe, & Her Western States 100 Expectations (Ep.175)
Leah Yingling returns to the show to discuss her new partnership with Lululemon and the brand’s FURTHER initiative, a first-of-its-kind ultramarathon for women intended to help close the sex and gender data gap in sports medicine that historically underrepresents female athletes.

2022-2023 Shaggy’s Mohawk 98
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Shaggy’s Mohawk 98.

23/24 Dalbello Cabrio & Cabrio Free Boots | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We sat down with Dalbello’s Riccardo Bonaiti to discuss their 2023-2024 ski boot lineup. We cover the brand-new Cabrio LV line of boots; how they compare to the Krypton & Chakra series they replace; the Cabrio LV Free boots that replace the Lupo series, and more.

Brendan Leonard (@semi_rad) on Fatherhood; Creative Work; & the Nuts-&-Bolts of Making Just about Anything (Ep.263)
Brendan Leonard (@semi_rad) is back to talk about fatherhood; creative work and the nuts-and-bolts of creating; and his new book, MAKE IT, which is an easily digestible guide to making just about anything, actually.

Flash Review — Commencal T.E.M.P.O.
The Commencal T.E.M.P.O. is both their shortest travel full-suspension bike, and a big departure from their design norms in other ways — and we’ve started spending time on it. Check out our early on-trail impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Ferreol Skis: Reenvisioning Ski Construction (Ep.248)
We talk with Ferreol co-founder, Jonathan Audet, about how they created their own “Innovation Lab” to test new skis and materials; the development of their own alternative to titanal alloy; fully replacing fiberglass with natural flax fibers; their 23/24 ski lineup, and more.

Dynastar’s New M-Cross Skis & 23/24 Freeride Collection | Blister Summit 2023 Video
At Blister Summit 2023, we sat down with Dynastar’s Matt Farness to discuss the evolution of their “M” line of freeride and all-mountain skis, including the brand-new M-Cross series. We cover the newest iteration of their wood / polyurethane “Hybrid Core 2.0” construction; the differences between the M-Cross, M-Pro, and M-Free skis; and more.

Win Summer Gear from Kaenon and Chums
The three winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will get an awesome summer prize package from Chums and Kaenon!

Nike Pegasus Trail 4
The Pegasus Trail 4 feels like Nike is bringing one of their most popular off-road models full circle. Updates introduce new technology to a shoe that’s reverted to its original identity as a fairly lightweight road-to-trail hybrid after spending a few iterations masquerading as a burly ultra-distance option. Check out our full review to learn more.

Forge+Bond on Envisioning, Designing, Testing, & Refining a Carbon Fiber Wheel Design (Ep.172)
Forge+Bond just launched as a new high-end wheel brand, and we sat down with folks from their product and engineering teams, plus F+B athlete Jill Kintner, to talk about the whole process of designing, testing, and refining a new wheelset — from conception to prototyping to athlete feedback and more.

2022-2023 Fischer RC One 82 GT
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Fischer RC One 82 GT.

Bravus Brewing Company: Elevating NA Beer (Ep.27)
Not all beer is created equal, and that certainly goes for NA beer, too. So what’s the secret? We talk with Bravus Brewing Company founder, Philip Brandes, to learn more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

2023-2024 Peak 104 by Bode
What happens when Bode Miller, one of the most interesting and unconventional ski racers of all time, designs an all-mountain ski? Check out our full review and Deep Dive Comparisons of the Peak 104 by Bode.

Deep Dive: Peak 104 by Bode
We compare the Peak 104 by Bode to the Peak 98 by Bode, Peak 104 by Dav, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, Fischer Ranger 102, Atomic Maverick 100 Ti, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, Salomon QST 106, K2 Mindbender 106C, Volkl Mantra 102, HEAD Kore 105, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105, Elan Ripstick 106, J Skis Hotshot, Blizzard Rustler 10, Black Crows Atris, Line Blade Optic 104, Volkl Secret 102, Rossignol Rallybird 104 Ti, & Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free.
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.)

Ski Boots: How to EASILY Put On & Take Off | Video
In this Blister “How To” video, Blister editor & Masterfit-Certified Bootfttter, Kara Williard, demonstrates how to effortlessly put on and take off ski boots. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned skier, learning these simple steps can save you time, spare you frustration, and improve the performance and longevity of your boots.

Our Reviewers’ 2023 Craft Obsessions & 2024 Curiosities (Ep.39)
Today we are sharing the craft categories that most captivated our reviewers in 2023, and the categories they’re most curious about heading into 2024. This is a fun one, and it fills out the picture of the people behind our reviews, videos, articles, podcasts, & Blister Summit events.

Flash Review: 23/24 Armada Reliance 92 Ti
We’ve been spending time on Armada’s women-specific, metal-laminate ski, the Reliance 92 Ti — 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.
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.)

Gear of the Year, 2023 (Ep.202)
David Golay, Simon Stewart, and Dylan Wood sat down to recap their favorite bikes and bike-related gear from 2023, argue about headset cable routing, and more.

Our Reviewers’ 2023 Highlights & 2024 Resolutions (Ep.292)
Once again, we are sharing some of our team’s highlights and new year’s resolutions. This is a fun one, and it certainly fills out the picture of the people behind all of our reviews, videos, articles, podcasts, and Blister Summit events. Happy New Year!

Flash Review Update: Blister Alpine Binding Shootout
We’ve been spending a lot of time A/B testing a whole bunch of different alpine bindings — all on the same model of ski. Check out our latest update, with new thoughts on bindings from Salomon, Marker, & Tyrolia.
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.)

2023-2024 Nitro Squash
Nitro recently updated the Squash, and say it offers “unparalleled float in the powder and a turn so nice it will make you never want to leave the groomers.” So just how well does it blend freeride inspiration with all-mountain versatility? Check out our full review.

2023-2024 Head Supershape e-Rally & Supershape e-Titan
The Supershape name is one of the most recognizable in the world of carving skis, and we’ve been testing the latest versions of the Supershape e-Rally & e-Titan to see how they compare to the current crop of piste-oriented models on the market. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.

Deep Dive: Head Supershape e-Rally & Supershape e-Titan
We compare the Supershape e-Rally & Supershape e-Titan to the Supershape i.Rally, Supershape i.Titan, K2 Disruption 78Ti, K2 Disruption 82Ti, Fischer RC One 82 GT, K2 Disruption MTi, Fischer RC4 The Curv, Elan Wingman 86 CTi, Parlor Warbird, Renoun Atlas 80, Rossignol Forza 70D V-Ti, Blizzard Brahma 88, & Head Kore 87.
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.)

Blister Community Reviews Launch; How Much Info is Too Much or Too Little?; Defining Skier Ability Levels; & Other Contentious Topics (Ep.277)
We’ve launched our new Blister Community Reviews, so Luke and Jonathan discuss where it is today; how it will evolve; & some big questions like, how to best define the difference between an intermediate, advanced, & expert skier; rating scale debates; and more.