BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (22/23)
We’re continuing to have our reviewers trim down their personal ski quivers for the 22/23 season, and things are finally starting to get tricky — check out Part Two of our reviewers’ picks for their personal 2-ski quivers, with additions from Kristin Sinnott, Paul Forward, Luke Koppa, & Jonathan Ellsworth.
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2022 — Stocking Stuffers
Struggling to find the perfect gift for someone in your life? Our reviewers are here to help — check out some of their top stocking stuffer ideas for this year, with several new suggestions here in Part Two.
Flash Review: 22/23 Line Blade Optic 92
Update 11.29.22: Here are some more of our thoughts on the narrowest, cheapest, and lightest ski in Line’s new Blade Optic lineup.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Matt Seidel on Racing the Oldest Ultramarathon in the US & His Rookie Year Reflections (Ep.148)
Matt Seidel has finished in the top 6 at every trail race he’s entered this year, a successful rookie campaign he recently capped off by taking 4th place at the historic JFK 50 Mile a week ago. We caught up with the former D1 runner to talk about what he’s learned from his first season racing as an elite and a whole lot more.
Modern Weather Forecasting with OpenSnow Founder & Meteorologist, Joel Gratz (Ep.237)
We talk to OpenSnow founder, Joel Gratz, about the science of weather forecasting; the many weather models being used today; his love of skiing and snow; what led him to start a weather forecasting company; and more.
Starling Cycles Murmur, Swoop, and Twist V3
Starling has given their “Core” bikes (the Murmur, Twist, and Swoop) a major update, and while the new frames don’t look too different from the prior generation ones — and continue their steel single-pivot lineage — there’s a lot that has changed. Check out our First Look for the rundown.
Win SPY Goggles
The THREE winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a snow goggle of their choice from SPY!
Shop Talk: Willi’s Ski & Board on Ski Shops as Conduits and Founding Winter Divas (Ep.224)
Kristin Sinnott and Kara Williard caught up with Kjerstin Klein, co-owner of Willi’s Ski and Board, to talk about Kjerstin’s amazingly diverse background; what it means to stay innovative and adaptable as a local, family-run business; the vital role that local ski shops play in the ski industry; why Kjerstin founded the Winter Divas women’s focus group to help guide the industry, and more.
Cascade Components North Fork Brake Calipers & Cams
We’ve been logging more time on the Cascade Components North Fork brake calipers — and have now tried their North Fork Cams to go with them — and the big brakes have continued to impress.
Available Now: Blister x John Fellows Collab
For the inaugural piece in our Blister Artist Series, we’re kicking things off with our friend, artist, illustrator, and Crested Butte local, John Fellows.
Machina Bikes on Building a Dream Bike (Ep.145)
Lots of people have dreamed of building their ideal bike; few have actually done it, and fewer have made something as impressive as the Machina Bikes prototypes. So we sat down with founders Tom and Sion to get the whole story.
3-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (22/23)
We’re continuing to narrow down our quivers, this time from 4 skis to 3. Check out Part Two of our reviewers’ personal picks, with additions from Paul Forward, Kristin Sinnott, Drew Kelly, Luke Koppa, and Jonathan Ellsworth.
Gelato: Alberto & Julia Bati of My Sugar Gelato Artigianale, Firenze, Italia (Ep.14)
This past June, Jonathan Ellsworth stumbled across a gelateria in Firenze (Florence) Italy, that basically changed his life. Because after going there every day — usually twice a day — he knew that he would have to come back to Florence and sit down for a CRAFTED conversation with Alberto and Julia Bati, owners of My Sugar Gelato Artigianale, to talk about the craft (and the hard work) of making some of the best gelato in the world. Here is that conversation, fresh from Florence.
Altra Mont Blanc BOA
Despite its seemingly niche design, the Altra Mont Blanc BOA does a lot of things really, really well. The incorporation of BOA’s Fit System and PerformFit Wrap correct some of the issues we felt hampered the standard version of the shoe, adding a level of precision and efficiency to a model primed for performance on just about every type of trail. Check out our full review to hear why we think the Mont Blanc BOA is a shoe worth getting excited about.
Joe DeMoor on the Sub-Ultra Trail Scene, His Colorado Running Roots, and Riding the Red Line (Ep.147)
Joe DeMoor is about as Colorado as they come; running up mountains is in his blood. The Buena Vista native and La Sportiva athlete has had a breakout year of racing thus far, so we sat down with him to talk about growing up on Colorado trails; the ins-and-outs of sub-ultra-distance racing; graveyard shifts; pain caves; and a whole lot more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Nike Wildhorse 8
Less of an update and more of a complete remodel, the all-new Wildhorse 8 represents a promising return to form for Nike’s marquee long-distance trail shoe. Check out our full review to learn more.
Win MTB Gear from 7iDP
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a pair of knee pads, a helmet, and a hat from 7iDP!
Ski Binding Design with Hoji, Lars Chickering-Ayers, & Giray Dadali (Ep.246)
Hoji (Dynafit), Lars Chickering-Ayers (CAST Touring), and Giray Dadali (Daymaker Touring) discuss the past, present, and future of ski bindings; “acceptable use”; the “Age of Confusion” surrounding different binding designs; being “handcuffed by standards”; and more.
Mountain Town Economics | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We brought together reporter Jason Blevins (Colorado Sun & resident of Eagle County, CO), Dara McDonald (Crested Butte Town Manager), Jonathan Houck (Gunnison County Commissioner), Pete Wagner (Wagner Custom Skis & resident of Telluride, CO), and Paul Forward (Blister reviewer & resident of Girdwood, AK) for a wide-ranging conversation on the current challenges facing mountain towns and a number of potential solutions.
Flash Review: 23/24 Head Oblivion 94
This season we spent time on Head’s Oblivion 94, which is designed to handle the park and the rest of the mountain. Here are our initial thoughts.
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 Declivity 102 Ti
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Armada Declivity 102 Ti.
Chris King MTN30 Wheels
Chris King is one of the first and biggest names in high-end hubs, and now they’re offering complete wheelsets under their own brand — and in keeping with King’s ethos, they’re high-end carbon fiber wheels, with US-made, recyclable rims.
Bikes vs. Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 2 (Ep.170)
Which ski brand is that sport’s equivalent of Santa Cruz Bikes? Are gravel bikes more analogous to skimo skis or frontside carvers? Which bike company compares most directly to ON3P skis? We’re tackling the most important questions in the outdoor industry in our latest Bikes vs. Skis episode.
Blister Brand Guide: Nike Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2023
Nike continues to expand their trail-running options, and in our Brand Guide we cover every shoe in their 2023 Trail lineup to help you figure out how each shoe differs and which might make the most sense for you.
Drinking Gold: Coffee Gear, Pt. 3, with ON3P Skis’ founder, Scott Andrus (Ep.25)
Scott Andrus is back on CRAFTED to go deep into the weeds about the various gear options out there to make gold you can drink. We discuss the very inexpensive options; $1000 coffee grinders; Scott’s mind-blowing “Coffee Checklist for Jonathan”; and more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Armada ARV 106
This season we spent time on the latest version of Armada’s mid-fat, freestyle-oriented ski, the ARV 106. Check out our initial thoughts.
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.)
1000-Day Liners: 23/24 ZipFit Collection | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We sat down with Chris Dominick, Managing Director of ZipFit, to cover the origins and legacy of the brand, as well as all the new models and updates they’ve been rolling out lately.