BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
The Future of Snowsports(?) | Blister Summit 2023 Panel Video
At Blister Summit 2023, we brought together Nina Waters (Blizzard-Tecnica), Dr. Len Necefer (Natives Outdoors & Sonoran Avalanche Center), Dan Abrams (Flylow), & Hanna Whirty (Icelantic) to cover a broad range of topics regarding the future of the snowsports industry. They discuss how they think about expanding the snowsports community and the resulting benefits; the role of crowding and potential solutions; how DE&I, Advocacy, & Climate Change are all linked, and more.
Deep Dives with Angel (April 2023) (Ep.255)
Angel Collinson and Jonathan discuss her life since retiring from professional skiing, our Blister Open Mic series, and her recent piece, “How to Not Burn Out.” Then Angel answers your questions about finding peace; marriage & kids; and whether she thinks she’ll ever ski again.
Flash Review: 23/24 Blizzard Rustler 10
Here are some of our initial thoughts on the revised Rustler 10, how it compares to the previous version, and the rest of the market.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Salomon Sense Ride 5
Despite what may be considered conservative updates, the Salomon Sense Ride 5 keeps with the model’s established role as a versatile option intended for everyone from experienced ultrarunners in search of a no-frills daily trainer to folks looking to venture out onto the trails for perhaps the first time. Check out our full review to learn more.
The Good Old Days
In our latest Open Mic piece, our editor-in-chief reflects on closing days, the good old days, and more.
The Past, Present, & Future of Ski Manufacturing | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We brought together ski designers and manufacturers from DPS, Folsom, Majesty, and Meier to get their take on the current state of ski design; why wood has remained the go-to choice for ski cores; what we should expect from ski cores in the future; how to identify a properly constructed and “finished” ski, and more.
Win a BCA Prize Package
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a Float E2 25 Avalanche Airbag Pack and BC Link 2.0 Radio from BCA!
2023-2024 RMU North Shore 114
One of the newest additions to RMU’s lineup, the North Shore 114 is their big-mountain ski designed for freestyle & freeriders alike. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see where it falls in the powder category.
Deep Dive: RMU North Shore 114
We compare the North Shore 114 to the RMU North Shore 110, RMU Professor 121, Moment Wildcat, Head Kore 117, 4FRNT Hoji, Salomon QST Blank, Elan Ripstick 116, Atomic Bent 110, Meier Leeper, Icelantic Nomad 115, Black Crows Anima, DPS Koala 118, Line Blade Optic 114, Line Vision 118, Dynastar M-Free 118, Rossignol Blackops 118, Line Outline, J Skis Friend, Volkl Revolt 121, 4FRNT Inthayne, K2 Reckoner 112, Nordica Enforcer 115 Free, & Prior Northwest 116.
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.
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Hayes Dominion T4 Brakes
The Hayes Dominion A4s have been one of our favorite brakes for a while now, but how about the lighter Dominion T4? Do they share the magic of the A4 or are they something else entirely? We’ve been logging a lot of time on the T4s and are ready to weigh in.
Jonathan’s Gear for AK, Luke’s Latest Crash, & More (Ep.240)
Jonathan and Luke talk about closing day at CBMR; the gear JE is bringing to AK; liners; the Rossi Sender Free 110, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, Volkl Revolt 114, Luke’s new stitches, & more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Salomon Stance 102
Salomon updated their Stance line of metal-laminate skis for 23/24, and the new Stance 102 has been very surprising so far. 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.)
La Sportiva Jackal II BOA
When La Sportiva and BOA collaborate, you can generally expect good things. With the recently released Jackal II BOA, an update to a model we crowned as La Sportiva’s best long-distance specific trail option to date at the time of writing, both brands hope to continue their track record of turning out some of the industry’s best high-performance mountain shoes. Check out our initial impressions to learn more.
Abbey Bike Tools Founder Jason Quade (Ep.164)
Abbey Bike Tools was founded pretty much by accident — and the story is a great one — but has grown into one of the leading purveyors of high-end bike tools. So we sat down with founder Jason Quade to get the whole Abbey story.
Rossignol’s New Sender Free 110, Forza, & Essential Skis | Blister Summit 2023 Brand Lineup Video
We discuss the origins and details of the brand-new Sender Free 110; how it compares to Rossignol’s other Blackops and Sender skis; their new carving-oriented Forza collection; how they managed to create the highly recycled and recyclable Essential ski, and more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
20+ Years as a Pro Skier: Mark Abma | Blister Speaker Series Video
In this video, Mark Abma discusses his lengthy professional skiing career, how big mountain skiing has evolved, his passion for alternative housing and energy, and much more.
Win Skis from RMU
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get RMU’s Apostle 96 Carbon ski!
A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 5: Debunking Bootfitting Myths & Misconceptions (Ep.267)
Kara Williard and Jake “Fasa” Nelson clear up some of the most common bootfitting myths and misconceptions out there, provide some clarity on what you should realistically expect from a ski boot and bootfitter, discuss how to go about shopping for a boot this season, and more.
Casey Brown, Vaea Verbeeck, and Hannah Bergemann on Women at Rampage (Ep.191)
We sat down with Casey Brown, Vaea Verbeeck, and Hannah Bergemann to talk about the lack of a women’s category at Red Bull Rampage; what they’ve been doing to change that; why opening up Rampage to women is important; and the trajectory of women’s freeride more broadly.
Propain Ekano 2 CF
Propain launched the Ekano 2 AL just a few months ago as a “freeride eMTB,” but the new Ekano 2 CF is substantially different from its aluminum sibling — starting but not ending with the SRAM Eagle Powertrain drive system.
Transition Repeater Powertrain
The SRAM Eagle Powertrain bikes are rolling out, and Transition’s offering, the Repeater Powertrain, isn’t just a Repeater with a motor swap. Check out our First Look for all the info.
2024 Ortovox Ski & Snowboard Gear | Blister Summit Brand Lineup Video
At Blister Summit 2023, we sat down with Ortovox’s Alexander Cernichiari to discuss the brand’s path from making avalanche transceivers to just about everything you’d wear / use in the backcountry. We cover their 2024 apparel collection; how and why they use merino wool; their wide-ranging outerwear lineup, and more.
Blister Speaker Series: Mark Abma (Ep.281)
Last Thursday, Mark Abma came to Western Colorado University for our Blister Speaker Series. He broke down his segment from the MSP film, ALL IN; discussed his part in the new MSP film, Land of Giants; and talked about his preparation for ski season; confidence; staying calm; and more.
Deuter’s 2024 Ski & Snowboard Backpacks | Blister Summit Brand Lineup Video
We sat down with Deuter’s Alexander Cernichiari to discuss their integration of the supercapacitor-based Alpride E2 avalanche airbag system; the evolution of their longstanding Freerider series; the new Updays & Freescape series, and more.
GEAR THERAPY: An Italian Skier in Switzerland (Ep.266)
Luke and Jonathan talk with Blister Member, Giovanni Saccarola (an Italian living in Switzerland), about his ski quiver, ski boots, and ski boot liner options.
Win Skis from Majesty
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get Majesty’s Vestal all-mountain freestyle ski!
Shimano GE900 Shoes
As part of their recent MTB shoe overhaul, Shimano replaced the longstanding and ultra-popular ME7 and AM9 models with a single new shoe: the GE900. But has that bold move paid off, or has Shimano messed with a good thing too much? We’ve been spending a lot of time in the new GE900 and are ready to weigh in.