BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
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.
Best Skis of the Century from Each Brand, Part 1 (Ep.364)
Today, we are kicking off a new series, where we will debate and try to identify the best skis of the 21st Century from over 30 ski brands. Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, Paul Forward, and our great friend, Rob Dickinson, kick off the conversation.
Win Touring Bindings and Climbing Skins from G3
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get any pair of ski touring bindings and any pair of climbing skins from G3!
Reform Tantalus Heat Moldable Saddle
Heat molding is ubiquitous for snowsports boots, but bike saddles? Not so much. The Reform Tantalus makes a strong case for its value in customizing your saddle fit.
Flash Review: Wolf Tooth CTRL Clip Pedals
Wolf Tooth just launched their first clip pedals, and we’ve started riding their unique, Trail-focused CTRL design. Our Flash Review has our initial impressions.
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Wolf Tooth CTRL, ALT, and DEL Clip Pedals
Wolf Tooth just dropped their first clip pedals — three of them — and there are some clever features to talk about. Our First Look runs through the new CTRL, ALT, and DEL pedals.
Paladin Bikes on the Wild-Looking AM1, Machining Frames & More (Ep.295)
There aren’t many companies making machined bike frames, and even compared to other machined options, the Paladin AM1 stands out for its novel construction approach. So we sat down with co-founder Stefan Klein to hear all about the AM1, why they decided to build it, and a whole lot more.
Nib Making, Engine Turning, & Hand Chasing: the Art of Pen & Pencil Making with Giles English of Yard-O-Led (Ep.86)
Since 1822, Yard-O-Led has made some of the finest pens and pencils in the world. So we discuss the 200-year history of the company, and the artistry behind engine-turning and hand-chasing; Yard-O-Led’s story of wartime survival; and what it means to carry Victorian tradition into the 21st century.
SRAM Motive Brakes
The SRAM Motive is squarely aimed at the XC and Trail market, promising near-Code power at a Level-like weight. Did SRAM succeed in hitting both marks?
Flash Review: Hope EVO GR4 Brakes
Hope’s new GR4 brakes look more like an evolution of the Tech 4 V4 that they replace than a ground-up redesign, but there are a lot of changes lurking below the surface. Here’s our take on how they’ve added up after a handful of rides.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, September 2025 (Ep.377)
Cody and Jonathan discuss Andrzej Bargiel’s ski descent of Everest; the return of the FIFTY+ project; the life of Jane Goodall; Outside Inc.’s firing of Wes Siler; and Lincoln Knowles’ response to our last RTN conversation. Plus, they rate your takes and share what they’ve been reading & watching.
Flash Review: Madrone Jab Derailleur
The Madrone Jab derailleur sounds very promising on paper (and looks great), but how does it perform compared to the big-name options on the market? Here are 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.
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Madrone Jab Derailleur
Madrone got its start offering replacement parts for SRAM derailleurs, and now they’ve made a full standalone derailleur of their own, with a design that’s focused on being fully rebuildable and adaptable to a wide array of drivetrain options. Check out the new Jab, and our early impressions of how it performs.
Stinius & Hoji on Developing the New 4FRNT Sinister (Ep.363)
Today we’re talking with Hoji and Stinius Skjøtskift about the creation of Stinius’ new pro model, the 4FRNT Sinister. There are lots of great stories in this one, plus you’ll find out why a number of us at BLISTER are extremely intrigued by this ski.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
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.
2025-2026 United Shapes Deep Reach
The United Shapes Deep Reach promises powder performance, but with versatility to keep the good times rolling when the deep stuff goes away. Check out our Full Review to see how we got along with the Deep Reach in a wide range of conditions.
Blizzard-Tecnica: 10 Years of Designing Women-Specific Skis & Boots (Ep.367)
Do “women-specific” skis need to exist? What about ski boots? In our conversation today, Leslie Baker-Brown shares her thoughts after leading Blizzard-Tecnica’s Women2Women program for the past 10 years.
Priority Bicycles on the High-Pivot, Belt-Drive, Gearbox Vanth Enduro Bike (Ep. 298)
The Priority Vanth doesn’t look like much else out there, and the story of its development is similarly unconventional.
Flash Review: Priority Vanth
The Priority Vanth is both striking and very affordable for a high-pivot gearbox Enduro bike, but how does it ride? Here’s what we’ve learned after a month-plus on board.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Priority Vanth
High-pivot, mixed-wheel, gearbox, belt-drive, and… affordable? The Priority Vanth offers a strong showing when it comes to buzzword bingo, but there are plenty of details to dig into — including how the Vanth rides.
Win Hats from Passage
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will get any hat from Passage Hat Co!
Esker Woodsy
We put a ton of miles on Esker’s Aluminum Woodsy to find out how it lives up to Esker’s claim of being “Built for the Backcountry”.
Deep Dive: Esker Woodsy
We compare the Esker Woodsy to the Santa Cruz Bronson 5, Spot Mayhem 140, Rocky Mountain Instinct, Salsa Blackthorn 145, and Knolly Fugitive 140.
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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Stuff We Like: October 2025
In this edition of ‘Stuff We Like,’ our reviewers discuss a wide variety of products that have stood out to them, from budget sunglasses to electric air pumps, gear-organization solutions, boot / glove dryers, running vests, breathable midlayers, and more.
‘Shredder’ w/ Jonathan Ellsworth & Justin Bobb (Ep.56)
In honor of Halloween, we are talking about Shredder. And this is one of the most important conversations we’ve ever had here at Blister, because we aren’t sure that anybody’s actually seen this film, and we are on a mission to change that.