BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Geoff McFetridge on Telemark vs. Alpine Skiing; Graphics; & Broadening Outdoor Media (Ep.249)
Our friend (and wildly accomplished artist & designer), Geoff McFetridge, came to CB to pay us a visit, and after two great days of skiing, Geoff and Jonathan sat down in Blister HQ to talk telemark vs alpine skiing; ski graphics (and Geoff’s favorite graphic on a ski in Blister HQ); broadening outdoor media; Blister swag; and more.
Stuff We Like: February 2023
The February Edition of our “Stuff We Like” series features a variety of items, including organized travel solutions, baselayers and cozy sweats, backpacks, ski poles, drink mix and snacks, blister care, and much more. Check it out to see the latest gear our reviewers have been digging.
Flash Review: 22/23 Coalition Snow Rafiki
We’ve been spending time on Coalition Snow’s widest ski, the Rafiki. Check out our initial impressions.
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2022-2023 Atomic Hawx Ultra 130 S and Professional GW
Atomic’s new BOA-equipped boots may be getting all the attention right now, but their fixed-cuff, standard-buckle Hawx Ultra 130 deserves to be on the radar of a whole lot of skiers out there. Check out our full review of the standard Hawx Ultra 130 + the Hawx Ultra Professional to see our reviewers’ thoughts on these boots after spending more than 100 days in them.
New Gear from Blister Summit 2023 (Ep.235)
Luke Koppa, Justin Bobb, Kara Williard, Dylan Wood, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the standout gear they were able to test at last week’s Blister Summit, from skis to snowboards, ski boots, bindings, and even snow blades.
Win Picture Outerwear
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get Picture Organic Clothing’s Broader 3L or Sylva 3L jacket!
Flash Review: 22/23 Deviation Works Ellipse v2.3
We spent time on the Deviation Works Ellipse v2.3 at the 2023 Blister Summit. Check out our initial impressions of this all-mountain ski.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Nordica Announces New 23/24 Unlimited A/T Boots
Today Nordica announced their brand-new line of alpine-touring boots, the Unlimited series. Check out the details here.
Transition Smuggler, Starling Murmur, Pivot Shuttle LT, & More (Ep.158)
David Golay sat down with the newest member of the Blister bike review team, Simon Stewart, to talk about a ton of the new bikes they’ve been testing — including some interesting takeaways about the wildly-varied class of ~140mm-travel Trail bikes.
Blister Summit 2023: New Gear Recap
With over 30 brands at Blister Summit 2023, there was a whole lot of new 23/24 gear to test. Check out the new-gear highlights from each brand here.
Flash Review: 23/24 Nordica Unleashed 108 W
We just spent time at the recent Blister Summit on one of the 23/24 additions to the Nordica Unleashed series, the Unleashed 108 W. 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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Rod Farvard on The North Face’s Athlete Development Program (Ep.160)
The North Face Athlete, Rod Farvard, returns to the show to talk about his sponsor’s unique Athlete Development Program, an initiative that provides 17 young athletes from a multitude of sports, including trail running, with resources to accelerate their careers and serve as activists in the outdoor space.
Flash Review: 23/24 Moment Countach 110
We’ve started spending time on Moment’s newest ski, the Countach 110. 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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Quick Thoughts on our Blister Summit + Summit 2024 Dates (Ep.248)
Jonathan shares a few words about our Blister Summit that just wrapped up; announces the dates for our 2024 Blister Summit, and offers a few thoughts about what the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb described as “the time of my life — literally one of the best weeks ever.”
Win ZipFit Liners and a Delaine Ski Sweater
The winner of this week’s gear giveaway will get a ski sweater from Delaine, plus any ZipFit ski boot liner!
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Lone Pine Gear Exchange
Lone Pine Gear Exchange is far from your average ski shop – In addition to their extensive collection of new gear, they have a large consignment program, a gear repair program, a commitment to sustainability, plus a knowledgeable staff and full-service ski and snowboard shop.
Reviewer Reports: Chromag Darco, Pivot Shuttle AM, Commencal Supreme, & More (Ep.183)
The gang is back together to give a rundown on a bunch of the bikes we’ve been testing, from short-travel steel full-suspension ones to a bunch of mid-travel eMTBs and full-on DH race bikes.
2024 RockShox Vivid
The RockShox Vivid had taken a hiatus from the market but now it’s back as RockShox’s biggest, most gravity-oriented air shock — with a bunch of interesting new features.
Michele Graglia on the Tahoe 200, Walking Away from Racing, & Next Steps (Ep.179)
At the Tahoe 200, Michele Graglia found himself in first place with an hour lead. Then he decided to stop running. So today we discuss why the former winner of the Moab 240 and Badwater 135 decided to do that; why, shortly thereafter, he announced he would be walking away from racing; and what’s next.
Deep Dives with Angel, August 2023 (Ep.273)
Angel Collinson and Jonathan discuss jealousy; imposter syndrome; her Open Mic piece on “steeping”; and more of your ‘Ask Angel’ questions.
Flash Review — Chromag Darco
Update: after making some tweaks to Chromag’s aggressive short-travel Trail bike, the Darco, it’s shaping up to be one of the more interesting bikes we’ve spent time on this year. Check out what changes we’ve made and what makes the Darco stand out.
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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Outside Sports
Outside Sports is a premier ski, bike, and outdoor retailer with multiple locations in the Southern Lakes region in the South Island of New Zealand, and they have all your outdoor gear needs covered no matter the season.
Win a Summer Stash Prize Pack from BCA
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a Stash 20L or 30L backpack and BC Link 1.0 radio from BCA — plus tons of gear to put in them!
G3’s Recyclable R3 Skis & Boards with G3 Founder, Oliver Steffen (Ep.258)
We talk with Oliver Steffen, founder and president of G3, about their new line of “R3” ski and snowboards, which G3 says are 100% recyclable. We discuss how they accomplished this; the recycling process; how it can be more widely applied to the outdoor industry; why Oliver’s passion for innovation and problem-solving led him down this path, and more.
Knee Pad Roundup — 2023
We’ve been testing a ton of mountain bike knee pads, and our updated 2023 roundup includes 19 different options — from super lightweight, breathable options to burly, DH-ready ones.
Story Time With Ryan “R-Dog” Howard (Ep.182)
Ryan “R-Dog” Howard is one of the most stylish mountain bikers of all time, and it turns out he’s quite the storyteller, too. We sat down with Ryan to chat about everything from his four appearances at Red Bull Rampage; his absurd new “company vehicle;” and what Ryan describes as “the best trip of his life — even though it ended with a broken leg; and a whole lot more.
Flash Review — Commencal Supreme V5
We’ve started spending time on Commencal’s latest iteration of the Supreme DH race bike. 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.)