BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flash Review: 23/24 ZAG Harfang 106
The Harfang 106 is ZAG’s widest directional freeride model — check out our initial thoughts on how it’s been comparing to the competition.
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Endura MT500 MIPS Helmet
We have been spending the last several months in Endura’s updated MT500 MIPS helmet and have been impressed by its comfort and versatility. Check out our full review to learn more about this high-end Trail helmet.
Deep Dives w/ Angel, July 2023 (Ep.269)
Angel Collinson is back to talk about her recent reunion with Sage Cattabriga-Alosa & Ian McIntosh, then she & Jonathan dive deep into some crucial relationship dynamics; vampire erotica; your ‘Ask Angel’ questions; our Open Mic Series; & more.
Flash Review — Vitus Escarpe
The Vitus Escarpe is a great value and looks well sorted on paper, but does it all come together on the trail? We’ve started spending time on one to find out — check out our early impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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SCARPA CEO, Kim Miller, on Their ‘Green Manifesto’ & B Corp Status (Ep.254)
Kim Miller, Scarpa North America’s CEO, is back on GEAR:30 to discuss Scarpa’s Green Manifesto and their pathway to B Corp certification, plus we talk about the life cycle of certain products; some of Scarpa’s gear that exemplifies this commitment to sustainability; what some of the challenges and takeaways have been; and much more.
Win MTB Shoes from Ride Concepts
The TWO winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the new men’s or women’s Accomplice or Accomplice Clip shoes from Ride Concepts!
Gear of the Year (So Far) (Ep.178)
We’ve been testing a huge range of bikes and gear this summer, so we sat down to chat about some of the things that have impressed us most so far, including bikes across the travel spectrum, SRAM’s new GX Transmission, and a whole lot more.
Assessing Greatness: The Art & Craft of Tennis, Great Sports Writing, & Top 5 Lists (Ep.31)
Today’s conversation explores the broader question of how to assess greatness? To get there, Jonathan and Troy Russ discuss the art & craft of tennis (and whether it is the greatest of all sports?); the art & craft of great sports writing (and whether David Foster Wallace’s essay, Roger Federer as Religious Experience is the pinnacle of the form). Then we discuss Troy’s Top 5 all-time tennis players, which serves to help us assess greatness in any sport.
Five Ten Kestrel Boa
Five Ten cut its teeth in the bike world by making gravity-oriented shoes, and they’re still best known for those offerings. But the new Kestrel Boa is a much more XC-oriented shoe than we’ve seen from Five Ten before, and it’s meant to add a little bit of their gravity shoe know-how to an XC shoe form factor.
Flash Review — SRAM GX Eagle Transmission
We’ve been spending time on the new SRAM GX Transmission. Check out our impressions so far.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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SRAM GX Transmission & Bronze Stealth Brakes
SRAM’s new T-Type groupsets launched just a few months ago with high-end XX SL, XX, and X0 tiers, and now there’s a new, more affordable GX version. While the high-level details closely mirror those of the higher-end variants, SRAM has done a lot more than just make a less-expensive, heavier version of the Transmission. Check out our First Look for all the details.
OpenSnow’s Joel Gratz on Smoke Forecasting, Wildfire Tracking, Common Mistakes, & Best Practices for Adventuring Outdoors (Ep.268)
Before you head out to bike, hike, run, camp, or climb, wildfire, lightning, and smoke exposure are factors that need to be well understood. OpenSnow founder and meteorologist, Joel Gratz explains the science of smoke forecasting and wildfire tracking, and shares some of the most common mistakes and best practices for adventuring outdoors.
23/24 WNDR Alpine Skis & Snowboards | Blister Summit 2023 Brand Lineup Video
At Blister Summit 2023, we sat down with WNDR Alpine founder, Matt Sterbenz, to get a state of the union on the brand and discuss their 2023-2024 ski and snowboard lineup. We cover the brand-new Nocturne 88 skis; Shepherd snowboard and splitboard; revised Vital 98; the evolution of their “Algal Tech” and “Spiral Made” construction techniques; and much more.
Blister Labs: Wheelset Testing — Updates & Initial Results (Ep.253)
Today we’re providing some updates and discussing the implications of the initial results of our Blister Labs wheelset testing with Greg Vanderbeek and Travis Hainsworth.
Win a Pack from RMU
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Core Pack 15L from RMU!
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review: 24/25 Dynafit Ridge Binding
Dynafit’s new Ridge AT binding is not only impressive when it comes to ease of use, but also its performance. Check out our initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review: 23/24 Stöckli Stormrider 95
We just got our first day on the Stöckli Stormrider 95, and so far, it’s shaping up to be a very intriguing option in the directional all-mountain class. Check out our intiial on-snow impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Cast-Iron Cookware w/ Blister reviewer, Simon Stewart (Ep.41)
Jonathan is joined by Blister senior bike editor, Simon Stewart, who is on a quest to see if the fancier, more expensive cast-iron products coming out today are ‘better’ than their cheaper counterparts.
Head & Tyrolia Announce New 24/25 Touring Skis, Boots, Bindings, & More
In a big announcement, Head & Tyrolia have revealed their expansive 24/25 line of touring-specific gear, including brand-new collections of skis, boots, bindings, & more. Here are the details for Head’s new Crux product lineup and Tyrolia’s new Almonte bindings.
Salomon Announces New 24/25 QST X Ski
Salomon is adding a brand-new ski to their lineup, and while the QST X is their widest model for the 24/25 season, it’s definitely not the heaviest. Here are the details on the new Salomon QST X.
2023-2024 Moment Countach 110
The new Countach 110 is one of the few skis in Moment’s lineup that doesn’t neatly fit into one of their established product series. After first testing it at last year’s Blister Summit, several of our reviewers continued to put time on it over the past year, and now it’s time for them to chime in — check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Moment Countach 110
We compare the Countach 110 to the Moment Commander 108, Moment Wildcat 108, Moment Wildcat, Moment Deathwish, Rossignol Sender Free 110, DPS Koala 111, Rossignol Sender Squad, Dynastar M-Free 108, Meier Leeper, Black Crows Anima, Blizzard Cochise 106, Volkl Katana 108, Rossignol Sender 106 Ti+, Faction Dancer 3, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, Nordica Unleashed 108, Black Crows Corvus, Icelantic Nomad 105, J Skis Hotshot, 4FRNT Hoji, Blizzard Rustler 11, Fischer Ranger 108, Head Kore 111, Line Blade Optic 114, & Salomon QST Blank.
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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‘Apollo’ w/ Marcus Caston, Cam McLeod, & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.10)
We talk with one of our favorite skiers, Marcus Caston, and one of our favorite creatives, Cam McLeod, about their beautiful short film, Apollo. This is a film to savor, to share with your friends, and to revisit for years to come.
Propain Tyee
The Propain Tyee is an especially good value for money in terms of the parts spec and looks well-thought-out on paper, but does it all come together on the trail? We’ve spent several months on one and are ready to weigh in.
Deep Dive: Propain Tyee
We compare the Propain Tyee to the Kavenz VHP 16, SCOR 4060 LT, YT Capra, Santa Cruz Nomad, Santa Cruz Bronson, We Are One Arrival 152, Trek Slash, Trek Fuel EX, Starling Murmur Enduro, Orbea Rallon, Orbea Occam LT, REEB Steezl, Yeti SB160, and Pivot Firebird.
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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Our Upcoming Blister Summit: Kristin & Jonathan Discuss Details, Highlights, & What You Need to Know (Ep.295)
Jonathan & Kristin talks discuss the most up-to-date details of the Summit, the things they’re most excited about, and more.
Flash Review: 24/25 Blizzard Anomaly 102
The new Anomaly 102 has big shoes to fill — namely, the Blizzard Bonafide & Cochise’s roles in the brand’s line. Here are our initial on-snow impressions for the new ski.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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