BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Jesse Melamed on His 2022 EWS Title, “Near Death” Save, Moving to Canyon, & More (Ep.171)
Reigning EWS Overall Champ Jesse Melamed joins us on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about his 2022 season, his approach to bike setup, his battles with Richie Rude, moving to Canyon from Rocky Mountain, and a whole lot more.
New Tech / Safety Gear in the Backcountry | Blister Summit 2023 Video
Alexander Cernichiari (Ortovox) and Paul Forward (heli-ski guide, physician, & Blister reviewer) provide a state of the union on technology’s role in the backcountry and the related safety gear, and answer questions regarding avalanche airbags, interference between avalanche beacons and other electronics, apps that aim to identify avalanche terrain, the capabilities — and limits — of smartphones, and more.
Adventures in HomeBrewing, Distilling, & Coffee Roasting + the Launch of Calibration Coffee Lab (Ep.26)
Before Alex LeBlanc started Calibration Coffee Lab in Greenville, South Carolina, he was a mechanical engineer, a home brewer, home distiller, and a home coffee roaster. So what led him to leave the world of engineering to start a coffee company, and how did he go about doing it?
2022-2023 Meier BNK
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Meier BNK.
Andrea Sansone and Andrew Hamilton on Tackling Colorado’s Most Coveted FKTs (Ep.173)
Andrea Sansone and Andrew Hamilton hold some of Colorado’s signature FKTs, including Nolan’s 14 and the Colorado Fourteeners, respectively. So, Matt Mitchell sat down with the couple to talk about the partnership they’ve formed by doing hard stuff in the mountains together; the endurance mindset; Wim Hof; and much more.
Mary McIntyre: How to Have X without X
In our latest Open Mic piece, Mary McIntyre writes about love, loss, and how to get to the bottom of what we really want.
Pivot Mach 4 SL V3
Pivot has dropped the new third-generation Mach 4 SL — their lightest, XC-race-oriented full-suspension bike — and while they’re talking about speed and race results first and foremost, words like “fun” pop up a bunch, too. And with a big range of builds covering both hardcore XC racing and more general-purpose lightweight Trail use, they just might be on to something there.
Icelantic Skis Founder, Ben Anderson, on the Lucky Breaks, Tough Beats, & Key Moments in Building Icelantic (Ep.261)
We talk to Ben Anderson about the lucky breaks and tough beats he experienced along the way; where the name and their logo came from; working with Never Summer; prototyping & developing skis; how Icelantic got into the music business; and more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Salomon Stance 90
The Stance 90 is the narrowest option in Salomon’s updated metal-laminate Stance collection — check out our initial thoughts.
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.)
Adaptable Skis: 23/24 Renoun Collection | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We sat down with Cyrus Schenck, founder of Renoun Skis, to discuss how they’ve implemented and adapted their unique non-Newtonian “VibeStop” material; how VibeStop has made its way into pro basketball courts, flooring, & boat hulls; their 23/24 ski lineup, and more.
Hope F22 Flat Pedals
The UK-based CNC wizards at Hope have refreshed their longstanding F20 pedal via the new F22. While the shape of the new pedals may be a bit less distinctive, the F22 stands out in other ways. Check out our full review to see how they perform on the trail.
Nike Wildhorse 8
Less of an update and more of a complete remodel, the all-new Wildhorse 8 represents a promising return to form for Nike’s marquee long-distance trail shoe. Check out our full review to learn more.
Win MTB Gear from 7iDP
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a pair of knee pads, a helmet, and a hat from 7iDP!
Ski Binding Design with Hoji, Lars Chickering-Ayers, & Giray Dadali (Ep.246)
Hoji (Dynafit), Lars Chickering-Ayers (CAST Touring), and Giray Dadali (Daymaker Touring) discuss the past, present, and future of ski bindings; “acceptable use”; the “Age of Confusion” surrounding different binding designs; being “handcuffed by standards”; and more.
Mountain Town Economics | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We brought together reporter Jason Blevins (Colorado Sun & resident of Eagle County, CO), Dara McDonald (Crested Butte Town Manager), Jonathan Houck (Gunnison County Commissioner), Pete Wagner (Wagner Custom Skis & resident of Telluride, CO), and Paul Forward (Blister reviewer & resident of Girdwood, AK) for a wide-ranging conversation on the current challenges facing mountain towns and a number of potential solutions.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2023-2024 Nordica Santa Ana 88
The Santa Ana 88 brings many of the wider Santa Ana skis’ signature traits to a narrower, more firm-snow-oriented package, but with a few tweaks that make it stand out within the collection. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons for the whole story.
Deep Dive: Nordica Santa Ana 88
We compare the Nordica Santa Ana 88 to the Nordica Santa Ana 93, Nordica Santa Ana 98, Blizzard Black Pearl 88, Meier Skis BNK, Line Pandora 84, Head Kore 85 W, Salomon Stance 88 W, Armada Reliance 92 Ti, Blizzard Sheeva 9, Fischer Ranger 90, & Atomic Maven 93 C.
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.)
Shaking Up the Wine World: Revelshine founder, Jake Bilbro (Ep.38)
Today we’re talking about why we need to move away from ‘business as usual’ in the wine world, with Revelshine founder Jake Bilbro, who lays out some rarely discussed facts about the impacts of the wine industry; his mission to change that; and why the likes of Jeremy Jones, Shane Dorian, Selema Masakala, Michelle Parker, and others have all signed up to push this mission forward.
‘Yearbook’ with Cody Townsend & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.6)
Cody and Jonathan dissect MSP’s iconic 2004 film, Yearbook, and discuss its most memorable segments, its impact on the sport, who won the movie, and more.
2023-2024 Kästle K130P LV
Kästle is new to the alpine boot market, and we have the K130P LV in for long-term testing. Check out our First Look for all the initial details.
2023-2024 Wagner Summit 91
The Summit 91 is the newest and narrowest addition to Wagner’s line of semi-custom skis, and we’ve spent the past two seasons testing against the rest of the ~90mm-wide all-mountain category. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see the results.
Deep Dive: Wagner Summit 91
We compare the Wagner Summit 91 to the Wagner Summit 97, Salomon Stance 90, Folsom Cash 93, Shaggy’s Brockway 90, Stereo Piste V3, Peak 88 by Bode, Nordica Enforcer 88, Parlor Cardinal 90, Romp Zorro 89, Black Crows Serpo, Salomon QST 92, Line Blade Optic 92, J Skis Fastforward, K2 Mindbender 89Ti, 4FRNT MSP 91, Folsom Spar 88, Blizzard Brahma 88, Head Kore 93, Atomic Maverick 95 Ti, Armada Declivity 92 Ti, & Volkl M6 Mantra.
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.)
Deep Dives with Angel, December 2023 (Ep.291)
What things should you consider when you’re wondering about turning a passion into a career? Should you pursue your passions at the cost of relationships? How do you say No to someone if they aren’t the right fit for a project? Angel Collinson is back on the show to discuss.
Flash Review: 23/24 Folsom Spar 78
We’ve started spending time on Folsom’s narrowest ski, the Spar 78 — check out our initial on-snow 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.)
Skiing with Your Eyes Closed, Shop Pizza, Egg Beaters, & Ski Boots with Greg Klein (Ep.276)
Shane McConkey’s college roommate is back, and Jonathan talks to Greg (president of Willi’s Ski & Snowboard Shops) about all the stuff in the episode title, plus the $10,000 bet made at our Blister Summit that it looks like he’s won?
2023-2024 Tecnica Zero G Peak Carbon
Despite it being Tecnica’s first foray into the 1-kg class of touring boots, the Zero G Peak Carbon is an extremely impressive product. Check out our full review to learn more, including how it compares to several other boots in its class.
Win Any Renoun Ski
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get to pick any unique, “VibeStop”-equipped Renoun ski they want!