BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2023-2024 Atomic Backland XTD 120
Atomic has launched a new collection of touring boots under their Backland umbrella — check out our First Look for all the info about the new Backland XTD boots.
Win Any WNDR Alpine Ski or Snowboard
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get to pick any ski or board from WNDR Alpine’s lineup!
Pivot Factory Racing’s Newest Member, Jakob Jewett (Ep.153)
Jakob Jewett’s World Cup DH career is off to a great start, so it’s wild to imagine that he was once on track to be a professional skier instead. We caught up with Jakob to hear all about his 2022 season, his approach to racing, his ongoing love of skiing, and a whole lot more.
Magura MT7 HC3 Brakes
There are a lot of good brakes on the market these days — way more than just a few years ago — and Magura’s MT7 HC3 brakes do a lot of things differently from most of their competitors. So how do they stack up in the increasingly crowded market, and who are they going to work best for?
Deep Dive: Folsom Cash 106
We compare the Cash 106 to the Folsom Primary 104, Salomon QST 106, Black Crows Atris, Line Blade Optic 104, Black Crows Corvus, Elan Ripstick 106, DPS Pagoda 106 C2, RMU Apostle 106, DPS Koala 103, Moment Deathwish 104, Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, Blizzard Rustler 10, 4FRNT Devastator, Whitedot Altum 104, 4FRNT MSP 107, Sego Big Horn 106, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105, J Skis Hotshot, Armada ARW 106 UL, & ZAG Slap 104.
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2022-2023 Folsom Cash 106
We’ve had two reviewers spending time on multiple versions of Folsom’s Cash 106 shape — check out their thoughts in our Full Review and Deep Dive comparisons.
Saucony Xodus Ultra
The Xodus Ultra debuts as a marked improvement on previous iterations of Saucony’s Xodus line. The shoe drops some much-needed weight without undermining its intended use as a maximal option for a wide variety of trail types and conditions. While it’s not without its flaws, we still think it shapes up as a great choice for beginner trail runners still getting their footing, or for folks looking to add a capable everyday trainer to their shoe quiver. Check out our full review for the whole story.
Flash Review: 23/24 Blizzard Rustler 11
Blizzard recently announced that they’re updating their longstanding Rustler series, and we just got our first day on the new Rustler 11. 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.
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2023 Manitou Dorado
There aren’t many inverted forks left on the market, so how does one of the most famous holdouts — the Manitou Dorado — stack up against its more conventional competitors? We’ve spent a lot of time on both the Expert and Pro versions, and are ready to weigh in.
Abby Hall on Desert Chronicles, UFO Encounters, & Going All In (Ep.155)
We talked to adidas TERREX pro, Abby Hall, about how some of the major life changes she’s made since the last time she appeared on the show back in 2020 have helped fuel her recent success on the international racing scene; the role creativity plays in her life; UFO encounters; and much more.
BLISTER+: Real-World Testimonials — David Golay
A catastrophic knee injury in 2019 cost David not only most of a mountain biking season, but also a pile of money. BLISTER+ would have saved him close to $10,000 and very likely meant that he got better physical therapy to help with the recovery.
Tales of Sailing, Skiing, & “Going Greenland” with Jess Baker & Rachael Burks (Ep.244)
We talk to Jess Baker and Rachael Burks about sailing, skiing, and what happens when you combine a renewable energy sailboat with an arctic ski expedition in Greenland for the first time ever.
Flash Review: 22/23 Fischer Ranger 108
We’ve been skiing the new Fischer Ranger 108 this season after first getting a taste at the 2022 Blister Summit. 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.
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Shop Talk: Powder7 + ‘Crashes & Close Calls’ (Ep.231)
Jonathan talks shop life, gear, the price of single-day lift passes, and more with Alex and Matt from Powder7 in Golden, Colorado. Then Blister bike editor, David Golay, jumps on to tell his “Crashes & Close Calls” story.
Win Any HEAD Kore Ski
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get to pick any Kore ski from HEAD’s expansive lineup!
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Art & the Outdoors (Ep.267)
Why do we need centers of art in mountain towns and places of great natural beauty? It’s a question that any of us who live in or visit mountain towns ought to consider, and Jonathan discusses it with Courtney Gilbert, the curator of the Sun Valley Museum of Art.
Flash Review — Canfield One.2 Super Enduro
Enduro bikes have gotten longer-travel and burlier in recent years, but the Canfield One.2 Super Enduro still stands out, with 190 mm at both ends. So is it a long-legged Enduro bike, more of a pedalable DH rig, or something else entirely? We’ve started spending time on it to find out, and Blister Members can now read our early findings.
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 Apparel from WNDR Alpine
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a complete Phase Series kit from WNDR Alpine!
Athletes & Product Design (Ep.252)
When it comes to gear, how do you balance the specific needs of world-class athletes with those of average skiers and riders? In this conversation from Blister Summit 2023, McKenna Petersen (K2 athlete), Drew Peterson (Salomon athlete), Tyler Curle (Moment athlete & ski builder), and Jed Yeiser (K2 engineer) discuss exactly that, plus a whole lot more.
EXT Aria
We’ve been very impressed by a number of EXT’s coil shocks over the years, and having now spent a lot of time on the Aria — their first air-sprung MTB rear shock — we’re ready to weigh in on how it stacks up to EXT’s own Storia, as well as the modern crop of high-volume, beefy air shocks.
Women’s Bike Bib & Chamois Roundup
If you spend any time in the saddle you’ll know that a proper chamois, butt, and saddle interface is essential for sustained comfort during rides. In this roundup, we discuss a variety of bib and chamois options that one of our female reviewers has been logging a lot of saddle time in recently.
Scott Kinabalu 2
A dependable, predictable option is an invaluable addition to any shoe quiver, especially one already loaded with terrain- and distance-specific models. After testing, the Scott Kinabalu 2 is giving strong indications of being just that. Check out our full review to learn more.
Anna Newkirk and Abby Hogie on Beyond Racing, the Contra DH Bike, & More (Ep.176)
Most of us have probably had a pipedream of starting something big with a friend, though far fewer people actually make it happen. But Anna Newkirk and Abby Hogie have done just that with their self-run Beyond Racing World Cup team, and their story is a great one.
Stuff We Like: June 2023
For June’s edition of Stuff We Like we feature everything from daypacks to heavy-duty backcountry packs, shorts, lightweight mountain bike and ski apparel, bike helmets, espresso machines for on-the-go, river shoes, & more. Check it out to see all the latest stuff our reviewers have been digging.
Paradigm Winery’s Marilyn Harris on Napa Valley & the Making of a Modern Wine Mecca (Ep.30)
Today, Napa Valley is home to some of the most respected wineries and coveted wines being produced, but not too long ago, it was a sleepy farm community. So in this conversation, Jonathan talks with Marilyn Harris, owner of Paradigm Winery, about how Napa … became Napa.
Skiing “and”
In our latest Open Mic piece, Hadley Hammer offers a very poetic yet very concrete look at what skiing means to her (and what it means to you, too).
Western States Weekend Recap; Courtney Dauwalter’s Course Record Clinic; & Golden Hour Greatness (Ep.178)
The 50th running of the Western States 100 took place over the weekend, so Matt Mitchell and Matt Seidel break down the results; talk about their experiences bouncing around the course all day; shoutout some noteworthy performances; and much more.