BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
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.
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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.
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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.
2023-2024 Rossignol Sender Free 110
We now have had a handful of our reviewers on two lengths of the new Rossignol Sender Free 110, and there’s no question, it’s already getting a lot of buzz going into the 23/24 season. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to find out why.
Deep Dive: Rossignol Sender Free 110
We compare the Sender Free 110 to the Rossignol Blackops 118, Rossignol Sender Squad, Rossignol Sender 106 Ti+, Dynastar M-Free 108, Moment Wildcat, Salomon QST Blank, Volkl Katana 108, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Blizzard Cochise 106, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, Black Crows Corvus, Nordica Unleashed 108, Black Crows Atris, Icelantic Nomad 105, Faction Dancer 3, Blizzard Rustler 11, Fischer Ranger 108, Line Blade Optic 114, K2 Reckoner 112, 4FRNT MSP 107, & J Skis Hotshot.
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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Beer Collabs: A Love Story (Ep.22)
Why are there so many collabs in the craft beer world? We talk to Offset Bier co-founder, Conor Brown, and New Image Brewing founder, Brandon Capps, for answers, and also about the new collabs they’ve just released; “New World” or “West Coast” pilsners; snooty bike shops; skiing pow; barley wine; & more.
Blister Brand Guide: Adidas Terrex Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2023
Adidas continues to expand their off-road-oriented Terrex line of running shoes, with everything from high-cushion, long-distance shoes to minimal, lightweight options. Check out our Brand Guide to get the rundown on all of their 2023 shoes.
Courtney Dauwalter on Building Her Pain Cave, Nacho Connoisseurship, & Running By Feel (Ep.166)
As far as superlatives go, there’s little hand wringing about Salomon Athlete Courtney Dauwalter’s standing as one of the best ultrarunners in the world, period. We caught up with her shortly after her 15th win in a row to talk about the virtues of keeping things simple; her fabled pain cave; what does and does not belong on top of nachos; and more.
Dynafit’s Brand-New Freeride Collection | Blister Summit 2023 Brand Lineup
We sat down with Ross Herr from Dynafit to discuss their new Tigard 130 and Tigard 110 boots; how they compare to Dynafit’s Radical & Hoji Free boots; the origins and design of the Tigard 114 ski; how it slots into the rest of Dynafit’s ski lineup, and more
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (March 2023) (Ep.254)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial; Yakama Nation & hydro-electric energy development; the proposal to ban fixed bolts in wilderness areas; wieners in the wild; the most Canadian news; mountain town advice; and more.
Lazer Coyote Kineticore
The Lazer Coyote is the newer, less-expensive addition to their line of Kineticore helmets (after the Jackal that we reviewed last year) and it’s an especially impressive offering for the price — at exactly half the cost of the top-tier Jackal.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
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.
Reviewer Reports: Contra MC vs. Trek Slash, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, REEB Steezl, & More (Ep.190)
This week on Bikes & Big Ideas we’re chatting about a bunch of the bikes we’re currently testing across the travel spectrum, including Santa Cruz’s new Heckler SL, a battle of high-pivot Enduro bikes, the Propain Tyee, and more.
Flash Review — 2024 Orbea Occam LT
Orbea is talking about the new Occam LT as being quite different from the bike it replaces, and we’ve started spending time on it to find out how accurate that is. Check out our early 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.)
2024 Orbea Occam SL and Occam LT
Orbea is giving their Occam line of Trail bikes a big overhaul, and while the new Occam SL and Occam LT may look a lot like the bikes they’re replacing, they’ve changed substantially once you dig a little deeper.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, September 2023 (Ep.280)
This week, Cody and I pay tribute to Robb Gaffney, then discuss the growth in snowsports and who is more passionate: alpine skiers, cross country skiers, or snowboarders; the sale of Silverton Mountain; the Most Canadian News; Cody’s latest FIFTY film, ‘Split’; & more.
Vitus Escarpe
Vitus is making a return to the US mountain bike market, and their Escarpe looks like an especially good value for an all-rounder Trail bike. But is there a catch?