BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Magnus Manson is Back (Ep.159)
Magnus Manson had to put his burgeoning World Cup DH career on hold while he battled cancer, and now he’s gearing back up for the upcoming season. So we sat down with Magnus to talk about his treatment & recovery; staying motivated; filming and racing throughout his treatment; and a whole lot more.
Canyon Spectral 125
The Canyon Spectral 125 is about as aggressive as ~120mm-travel Trail bikes get, and the results are pretty interesting. Check out our full review for the whole story, including comparisons to six other bikes in this rapidly growing class.
Artist Geoff McFetridge on ‘Return to Stoner Forest,’ Bigfoot, Collabs, & More (Ep.21)
The artist & designer, Geoff McFetridge came to CB to pay us a visit, and in this conversation, he & Jonathan discuss his current show in LA, Return to Stoner Forest; culture & commerce; Geoff’s approach to collaborations; the new film, ‘Geoff McFetridge: Drawing a Life,’ & more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Line Bacon 115
For the 2023-2024 season, Line has opted to replace the previous Outline with the brand-new Bacon 115 — check out our initial impressions.
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2023-2024 Blizzard Sheeva 10
Blizzard opted to update one of their most popular and most versatile skis, the Sheeva 10, and we’ve been A/B testing the new and old versions to see how they compare. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see what we’ve found.
Deep Dive: Blizzard Sheeva 10
We compare the recently redesigned 23/24 Blizzard Sheeva 10 to the previous Sheeva 10, new Blizzard Sheeva 9, Blizzard Sheeva 11, Nordica Unleashed 98 W, Salomon QST Stella 106, Armada ARW 106 UL, Blizzard Black Pearl 97, Faction Dancer 3X, Fischer Ranger 102, K2 Mindbender 106C, Line Blade Optic 104, Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free, ZAG Slap 104, Head Kore 103 W, & Volkl Secret 102.
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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Inov-8 TrailFly G 270 V2
The recently released TrailFly G 270 V2 serves as an updated version of Inov-8’s celebrated zero-drop trail running shoe — a highly capable option for tackling long distances at speed. While the changes the brand made are subtle in nature, we think they help elevate the shoe’s performance without subtracting from what already works. Check out our full review for the full story.
Francesco Puppi on the Pro Trail Runners Association and the Future of the Sport (Ep.161)
Nike Athlete Francesco Puppi co-founded the Pro Trail Runners Association (PTRA) in 2022 to enable an international body of elite trail runners to share concerns about the sport’s present and future. So, we sat down with him to learn more about the association’s specific areas of focus, how they plan on making an impact, and much more.
Crank Brothers Mallet Trail Pedals
Crank Brothers just launched a new clipless pedal, the Mallet Trail, meant to slot in between the Candy and the Mallet E — and we’ve been testing it all winter. Check out our full review for the rundown on the design and how it performs on the trail.
Moosejaw Announces 2023 Outdoor Accelerator Program Finalists | Vote For Your Favorites
Moosejaw’s Outdoor Accelerator program helps early-stage outdoor startups move their companies forward via mentoring programs at the ICELab; work sessions with Moosejaw’s marketing and commerce teams; legal resources provided by Holland & Hart LLP; potential product launches on Moosejaw.com; and consultations with our BLISTER editors and reviewers. Now in its fourth year, the 2023 finalists have just been announced, and you can have a say in which companies make it all the way through to the Accelerator. Click here to learn about each finalist, and then vote for your favorites.
Deep Dive: Season Kin Ski
We compare the Season Kin ski to the Season Aero ski, Season Nexus ski, Black Crows Mirus COR, Line Sir Francis Bacon, K2 Reckoner 102, Line Blade, Line Blade Optic 96, Faction Mana 2, DPS Koala 103, Whitedot Altum 104, Volkl Revolt 104, Majesty Dirty Bear XL, Nordica Unleashed 98, Black Crows Camox, Dynastar M-Free 99, Salomon QST 98, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Norse Enduro, Atomic Bent 100, J Skis Masterblaster, and 4FRNT Switch.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Season Kin Ski
The Season Kin is a 98mm-wide ski that’s part tight-radius carver and part freestyle jibber — check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to learn more about this nontraditional model.
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.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Specialized Turbo Levo
Having logged more than 600 miles on the Specialized Turbo Levo (and burned through a couple of sets of brake pads and tires in the process) we’re well acquainted with the bike and ready to chime in — check out our full review of one of the most popular eMTBs on the market.
Blister Labs: Technical Apparel Testing Update (Ep.261)
Apparel testing, show pigs, & the underrated importance of ballpoint pens. Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss these things with our Blister Labs colleague, Melanie Peddle.
Extended: Win a Carbon Wheelset from Forge+Bond
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a new carbon fiber wheelset from Forge+Bond!
MRP AMg Chain Guide
MRP is one of the biggest names out there when it comes to products that keep your drivetrain protected and operating as it should; the latest iteration of their AMg chain guide brings some nice refinements to their upper guide and bash guard style offering, with an eye to ease of setup and adjustability.
D3O On The Past, Present, and Future of MTB Armor (Ep.185)
The mountain bike armor market has evolved a lot in recent years, and D30’s non-Newtonian materials have had a big hand in shaping those changes. So we sat down with them to chat about the ways MTB armor has changed; where they see it going in the future; the tradeoffs inherent to designing protective gear; testing standards + their pros and cons; kids’ armor; and a whole lot more.
Flash Review — 2024 RockShox BoXXer
We’ve started spending time on the long-awaited 38 mm version of the RockShox BoXXer. 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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2023-2024 Armada Reliance 102 Ti
Here are our measured specs and rocker profile pictures for the Armada Reliance 102 Ti.
Boone Mountain Sports
Boone Mountain Sports is a family-owned and operated ski and snowboard shop in Evergreen, Colorado, and they offer a whole lot more than just amazing gear, including an unforgettable customer experience, word-class bootfitting and ski services, a brewery and coffee shop, and a place to connect with community and appreciate the outdoors.
2024 Fox Float
Fox says their new Float rear shock is meant to bring a lot of the performance of the Float X to a smaller, lighter package, but have they succeeded, and what are the tradeoffs? We’ve been logging a lot of time on the two back-to-back, and we’ve got some answers.
Stuff We Like: August 2023
For August’s edition of Stuff We Like, we’ve got everything from lightweight rain jackets to duffels and daypacks, trail running shoes, coolers, bike pumps, & more. Check it out to see all the latest stuff our reviewers have been digging.
Zack Giffin on Skiing, Tiny Houses, & Big Solutions (Ep.275)
Skier Zack Giffin (host of the TV series, Tiny House Nation & co-host of the podcast, Tiny House Tales) makes a compelling case for how smaller living spaces can be a significant part of the solution to affordable housing; homelessness; climate issues, energy consumption, and creating more real, actual, healthy communities.
A Guide to Skiing in New Zealand with Outside Sports (Ep.260)
Have you ever dreamt about skiing in New Zealand? We talk with local Kiwi experts from our Blister Recommended Shop, Outside Sports, to give us the rundown on what skiing in this Southern Hemisphere destination entails and how to make the most of it.