BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flash Review: 23/24 Blizzard Sheeva 9 & Sheeva 10
Update 2.4.23: We’ve been spending some more time on the redesigned Sheeva 10, after Kristin Sinnott the Sheeva 9 & 10 this Fall in Austria — check out Kara Williard’s initial impressions.
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2022-2023 Fischer Ranger 102
We’ve had six of our female and male reviewers on two different lengths of the overhauled Ranger 102 — check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see how it stacks up to the previous Ranger 102 FR and the rest of the market.
Deep Dive: Fischer Ranger 102
We compare the Ranger 102 to the Ranger 102 FR, Ranger 108, Ranger 96, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Black Crows Justis, Blizzard Bonafide, Zag Slap 104, Blizzard Rustler 10, Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, Moment Commander 98, Line Blade Optic 104, Black Crows Atris, Elan Ripstick 106, Faction Dancer 2, Atomic Maverick 100 Ti, Dynastar M-Pro 99, Nordica Enforcer 100, Salomon QST 98, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Volkl Mantra 102, Salomon Stance 102, J Skis Masterblaster, & 4FRNT MSP 99.
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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Win Any Liberty Ski
The winner of this week’s gear giveaway will get to pick any ski they want from Liberty’s diverse lineup!
Shop Talk: 3D Printing & Bootfitting w/ Pulse Boot Lab (Ep.234)
We are back with Kai Palkeinen, founder of Pulse Boot Lab, to hear what Kai and the team at Pulse have been up to, including 3D printing, fitting race boots, and his thoughts on some other recent boot technology, including the rise of BOA dials.
In Search of the ‘Best’ Coffee Gear, Pt 1 (Ep.19)
What’s the best way to make coffee? Strong opinions abound, and our editor-in-chief is currently trying to figure it all out. So we are launching this CRAFTED mini series on coffee gear to try to gain some clarity on the topic. See what you think, and let us know what you recommend!
Trail Running 101: How to Recover from a Trail Run
How well you recover from a run is one of the largest factors dictating your potential for progress. Yet knowing exactly how to handle post-workout recovery can be confusing, with different approaches at times offering conflicting information. So in part ten of our Trail Running 101 series, we provide some basic and easy to follow tips for how to get started.
Braydon Bringhurst on Climbing the Whole Enchilada (Ep.155)
A few months ago, Braydon Bringhurst pulled off the incredible accomplishment of climbing the Whole Enchilada trail in Moab, Utah in a single day — and *rode* every inch of it. So we sat down with Braydon to get the whole story.
Flash Review: New Outerwear Update: Women’s Flylow & Trew
We’ve been testing some updated and interesting kits from Trew and Flylow this season — check out Kara Williard’s 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: 22/23 Faction Mana 3
Here are our thoughts so far on the 112mm-wide Faction Mana 3, which replaces the Faction Candide 3.0.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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MTB Brake Shootout
What’s the most important component on a mountain bike? A strong argument could be made for brakes, and there are now a greater number of good, powerful brakes than ever before. But how do they actually stack up against each other? We’ve spent the past year-plus directly comparing eight of the top options from Shimano, SRAM, TRP, Hayes, Hope, Magura, & Cascade Components — in this in-depth roundup, we explain how they all compare, what each does best, and which ones might be ideal for you.
The Most Me
In our latest Open Mic, Hadley Hammer talks about “sameness,” freedom, and the ski industry.
Transition Relay
Transition’s second e-bike, the Relay, is here — and among other things, it isn’t *always* an e-bike. Check out our First Look for the rundown.
John Kelly on Barkley Marathons Lore, Being Uncomfortable Being Comfortable, & Rebuilding Speed (Ep.157)
We recently sat down with La Sportiva Athlete John Kelly to talk about being only the 15th person to ever finish the infamous Barkley Marathons; the mindset required to run for several days straight; how he rebuilt his speed to run a sub-2:30 marathon; and much more.
Ski Manufacturing, Sustainability, & Atomic’s New Impact Statement (Ep.245)
Today we’re talking about the ski industry, ski manufacturing, and sustainability in general, and Atomic’s own historical and quite recent initiatives, including their new, annual Impact Statement.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
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
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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
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Amateur Hour: Atomic’s Matt Manser on Scotch, Part 3 (Ep.33)
How do you define “consistency” — the ability to produce the exact same thing time & time again, or producing a product that is never exactly the same, but is always of high quality? That question underlies our talk of official offerings vs independent bottlings, and we also talk about Scotch and spit buckets, Matt’s current top-3 ‘hottest’ Scotch brands, and more.
Flash Review — Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre Drive
The Lal Bikes Supre Drive is one of the most intriguing developments in mountain bike drivetrains to come around in a while, and we got a first ride on the Nicolai Nucleon 16 that’s equipped with it.
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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