BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

23/24 Majesty Skis | Blister Summit 2023 Video
At Blister Summit 2023, we sat down with Majesty Skis founder, Janusz Borowiec, to discuss the origins, evolution, and future of the Polish brand; new models in their 2023-2024 collection; their “4Radius sidecut x 4Radius rocker” design; making skis in Poland; launching Majesty Skis America, and more.

2023-2024 Scarpa 4-Quattro XT W
Here are our measured specs, photos, and a quick rundown of Scarpa’s 50/50 boot, the women’s version of the 4-Quattro XT.

Flash Review: 23/24 Salomon Stance 96
Salomon updated all their metal-laminate Stance skis for 23/24 — check out our initial thoughts on the ski in the middle of the range, the Stance 96.
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.)

Flash Review — Revel Ranger
We’ve been spending time on Revel’s newest bike, the Ranger, which is so far proving to be a nice mix of XC efficiency and Trail bike capability. 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.)

Win a BCA Spring Touring Prize Package
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a late-season spring touring prize package from BCA!

Safeback SBX: A New Avalanche Survival System (Ep.244)
If you spend any time — inbounds or in the backcountry — skiing or riding in avalanche terrain or near tree wells, then you need to listen to this episode.

Flash Review: 23/24 Ferreol Surfeur 112
Quebec ski manufacturer Ferreol is launching a brand-new, powder-oriented touring ski for 23/24, and we’ve been testing it. 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.)

Fischer’s 23/24 Ski Boots | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We sat down with Fischer’s Christoph Lentz to discuss all the new ski boots they’re releasing for the 2023-2024 season. We cover their all-new line of RC4 boots, including their use of the BOA Fit System & stock ZipFit liners; how they used 3D foot scans to come up with their new boot lasts, and more.

2023-2024 Nordica Unleashed 114
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the new Nordica Unleashed 114.

2023 Transition Smuggler
The Transition Smuggler is back in their lineup after a lengthy hiatus, and it’s one of the most well-rounded, aggressive, short(ish)-travel Trail bikes we’ve ridden. Check out our full review for the whole story, including how it compares to several other bikes in its class.

Payson McElveen on “Crossing Tasmania” & Finding Joy Beyond Racing (Ep.168)
Payson McElveen is best known for his exploits as a racer, but his upcoming short film “Crossing Tasmania” documents a very different side of his on-bike persona, an absolutely bonkers physical effort, and the ways that old habits die hard. We sat down with Payson to get the whole story, which he tells in beautiful detail.

COROS Vertix 2
The updated Vertix 2 is the most feature-laden (and expensive) watch in COROS’ lineup. As the brand’s flagship model, it’s intended to support an exhaustive list of activities for an exhausting amount of time with one of the longest estimated battery lives we’ve tested. But at what point does taking the idea of “do-it-all” begin to subtract from a watch’s functionality? Check out our full review to learn more.

Flash Review: 22/23 Shaggy’s Mohawk 98
One of the new models Shaggy’s released this past season, the Mohawk 98 mixes traits from a wide range of all-mountain skis — 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.)

Athletes & Product Design | Blister Summit 2023 Video
When it comes to gear, how do you balance the specific needs of world-class athletes with those of average skiers and riders? McKenna Petersen (K2 athlete), Drew Peterson (Salomon athlete), Tyler Curle (Moment athlete & ski builder), and Jed Yeiser (K2 engineer) discuss that balancing act; the weirdest prototypes they’ve tried; what “evolutionary” and “revolutionary” changes we should expect in the future; which discontinued products they’d like to bring back, and more.

2022-2023 Peak 104SC
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Peak 104SC.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

A Message to Our Blister Members
Jonathan Ellsworth discusses some important changes to our Blister Membership that are happening in 2024 — and a special offer for all current Blister Members.

Win a Pack from Hyperlite Mountain Gear
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Crux 40 ski mountaineering pack from Hyperlite Mountain Gear!

Flash Review: 23/24 RMU Apostle 96 Pro
We just got our first day on the metal-laminate version of RMU’s narrower all-mountain ski — here are some 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.)

Reviewer Reports: Early-Season Ski Gear Testing, Mtn Biking in Nepal, & More (Ep.274)
Luke, Kara, and Jonathan discuss getting back on snow, ski boots, frontside skis, mountain biking in Nepal, engagement taco parties, and new apparel.

Dynafit Releases New Ridge Ski-Touring Binding
Today, Dynafit announced a limited-edition release of their newest binding, the Ridge, which they’re calling “the most comfortable ski touring binding on the market.” Here are the details.

Albatross Bikes on the Super-Adaptable Apogee Module (Ep.198)
There are lots of custom hardtail builders out there, but the constraints of pivot locations, maintaining frame alignment, and the tooling needed to make it all work means that fully-customizable full-suspension bikes are a lot rarer. Albatross Bikes has taken a very creative approach to offering customizable full-suspension bikes with their Apogee Module, and we brought them on to hear all about it.

The Blister Speaker Series at Western
NEXT GUEST: On Tuesday, December 5th, Courtney Dauwalter, Salomon athlete and one of the greatest ultrarunners of all time, is coming to Western Colorado University for another installment of our Blister Speaker Series.

Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2023 – Stocking Stuffers
‘Tis the season for giving, and our reviewers are here to help. We are kicking off our annual Holiday Gift Guides with some top stocking stuffer ideas for the bikers, skiers, snowboarders, campers, hikers, travelers, and just about any other type of person on your list.

‘Apocalypse Snow’ with Mike Rogge, Justin Bobb, & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.3)
We discuss the craziest and probably the greatest snowboard / ski / monoski / snowblade film of all time. The film was seen by millions of people when it came out, and nearly 40 years later, it still feels wildly innovative and fresh.

Flash Review — SCOR 2030
With their short-travel 2030, SCOR claims that “shredability meets pedalability.” Testing that claim has been our focus during our time with it so far — 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.)

Flash Review: 23/24 K2 Mindbender 90C
Here are some of our initial impressions after skiing the updated K2 Mindbender 90C, both on groomers and off piste.
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.)

3-Board Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (23/24)
Over the past weeks, we’ve been rolling out our reviewers’ picks for their personal ski quivers, and now it’s time for our snowboard reviewers to chime in — starting with their ideal 3-snowboard quivers.