BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Blister Brand Guide: Scott Running Shoe Lineup, 2023
Scott has quietly been making a wide range of performance footwear for both roads and trails since 2006, when they contracted a research and development lab in Portland, Oregon to help them design a lineup of shoes to meet the diverse demands of their athletes. Now over 15 years old, Scott’s trail and road running lines continue to offer innovative options for all sorts of runners. Check out our Brand Guide to learn more.
Deep Dives w/ Angel (Hot Mess Edition), June 2023 (Ep.265)
Angel Collinson has some big news to share: she’s back on land, and she’s considering a return to skiing. Then Angel and Jonathan dive deep into the topic of forgiveness; reflect on Mary McIntyre’s excellent Open Mic piece; and also discuss hot sauce, twerking, and John Collinson’s important question for his sister.
Win a Blister Membership
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a free year-long Blister Membership!
2023 Revel Ranger
Blurring the line between World Cup Cross-Country race rigs and short-travel Trail bikes, the Ranger brings a mix of efficiency and capability to the table that we think could work for a lot of riders.
Kästle Ski Boots: Origins, Design, & 23/24 Lineup (Ep.250)
For decades, Kästle has been making high-end skis for everything from racing to Nordic and skimo. But what sparked their recent launch into the ski boot category? It’s far from a simple process, so we talked to Alessandro Speranzoni, Kästle’s global ski boot product engineer, and Alex Pritzlaff, their U.S. product manager, to get all the details on the backstory and latest collection of Kästle ski boots.
Scott Ultra Carbon RC
The Ultra Carbon RC feels like the end product of a meticulously conceived concept. Scott pours an indulgent amount of resources into the shoe, but it’s headlined by an innovative carbon plate designed to prevent the stability issues that have sunk plated trail models in the past. Check out our full review to learn more.
Wyn Masters on his Privateer Program, the 2023 DH Race Landscape, & More (Ep.174)
Wyn Masters’ updated Privateer Program is an outstanding effort from a well-established racer to support up-and-comers, so we sat down to chat with him about that; how the rule updates for the 2023 season change things for racers trying to make it at the highest level, and more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Salomon QST Echo 106
UPDATE 6.14.23: Luke Koppa adds his thoughts on the QST Echo 106, including comparisons to several other touring skis from 4FRNT, WNDR Alpine, Moment, Volkl, & Line.
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Rum Rules: Montanya Distillers’ Karen Hoskin (Ep.28)
Today we’re discussing the rules of rum with Karen Hoskin, founder of Montanya Distillers, which produces some of the best rum in the country.
2023 Rocky Mountain Slayer
“Freeride” bikes are having a bit of a moment again after the term fell out of the conversation for a while, and Rocky Mountain’s longstanding take on the genre, the Slayer, just got a big update.
Olivia Amber on Endless Summers; Her Huemul Circuit FKT; & Fastpacking 101 (Ep.176)
The North Face athlete Olivia Amber spent the first few months of 2023 road tripping through South America, running, climbing (and occasionally fly fishing) along the way. We caught up with her to hear all about it before launching into a discussion about summer fastpacking best practices, gear tips, and more.
The State of Startups in the Outdoor Industry (Ep.264)
Ever dreamed of starting your own business in the outdoor industry? We discuss the state of startups in the outdoor industry with Moosejaw CEO, Eoin Comerford. And as the CEO of an outdoor retail company — as well as his work with the Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator, where Eoin works closely with new companies and founders — Eoin is extremely well positioned to talk about the startup landscape today, and he provides numerous thoughts, tips, and bits of advice about funding, what success looks like; and more.
Flash Review — Manitou Mattoc Pro
We’ve been big fans of the Manitou Mezzer Pro for a while now, so is the new Mattoc Pro a mini-Mezzer or something else entirely? We’ve been logging time on the Mattoc and are ready to weigh in with 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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Marker’s 23/24 Touring & Freeride Bindings | Blister Summit 2023 Video
At Blister Summit 2023, we sat down with Marker’s Chris McKenna to discuss their 2023-2024 binding lineup, including the brand-new Cruise touring binding; how it compares to the Marker Alpinist; the updates they’ve made to the Duke PT collection; and more.
New Binding Tech: Tyrolia Protector Bindings with Full Heel Release (Ep.249)
Tyrolia’s Protector bindings with “Full Heel Release” is something that every skier ought to know about. Tyrolia calls it “the safest binding we have ever made,” and exactly how it works and how it’s supposed to reduce knee injuries is the topic of this conversation.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Outbound Lighting on Night Riding, Light Design, & More (Ep.205)
Night riding is a lot of fun, and often the only way for many folks to find time to get out in the darker winter months. We sat down with Outbound Lighting’s Tom Place to chat about light design, how they go about it, how to choose the right lights for your needs, and much more.
2023-2024 Armada Locator 104
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Armada Locator 104.
Fischer Announces New 24/25 Curv Ski Collection
Fischer recently announced new changes to their piste-oriented Curv skis, including four new models — one of which features a construction that reportedly drops its carbon footprint by 36%. Here are the details.
Contra MC
The steel-framed, high-virtual-pivot Contra MC doesn’t look like much else out there, and its on-trail performance stands out, too. Check out our full review.
Deep Dive: Contra MC
We compare the Contra MC to the Trek Slash, Norco Range, Kavenz VHP 16, Cannondale Jekyll, Forbidden Dreadnought, Cotic RocketMAX, Yeti SB160, Pivot Firebird, & Nicolai G1.
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 Kästle K130P LV
We’ve been testing the stiffest boot in Kästle’s line of “performance” ski boots — here are 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: 24/25 Nordica Enforcer 99
Nordica is updating all their Enforcer skis for 24/25, and we’ve been skiing the replacement for the Enforcer 100, the new Enforcer 99. 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
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Flash Review: 24/25 Nordica Santa Ana 92
Nordica is updating all their Santa Ana skis for 24/25, and we’ve been skiing the replacement for the Santa Ana 93, the new Santa Ana 92. 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
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WNDR Alpine founder, Matt Sterbenz, on the Benefits, Culture, & Craft of Saunas (Ep.40)
WNDR Alpine founder, Matt Sterbenz, aka, the ‘Sauna Shaman’ talks about how Hoji kicked off his obsession with saunas; their numerous benefits; and he lays out what it takes (and costs) to build your own sauna.
2023-2024 DPS Kaizen 105
The recently launched DPS Kaizen skis feature a new construction, new shapes, and are the latest in a long line of the brand’s do-it-all, carbon-construction skis. The Kaizen 105 sits in the middle of the new collection, and we’ve had two reviewers testing two different lengths of it — check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: DPS Kaizen 105
We compare the DPS Kaizen 105 to the DPS Pagoda 106 C2, DPS Koala 103, Peak 104 by Bode, Peak 104 by Dav, Salomon Stance 102, Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, Fischer Ranger 102, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, ZAG Slap 104, Salomon QST 106, RMU Apostle 106, K2 Mindbender 106C, Wagner Summit 106, Volkl Blaze 106, Volkl Mantra 102, WNDR Alpine Intention 108, HEAD Kore 105, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105, Elan Ripstick 106, J Skis Hotshot, Blizzard Rustler 10, Black Crows Atris, Line Blade Optic 104, & Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free.
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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2023-2024 J Skis Allplay
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the J Skis Allplay.