BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
The Other 99%
Kicking off our Open Mic series is Angel Collinson, who shares some of her thoughts on purpose, mindfulness, and leaning into 100% of life — not just the peak experiences.
Reviewer Reports: On Running vs. Skiing, Go-to Gear, & Ramen Bombs (Ep.133)
Matt Mitchell and Drew Kelly sat down to compare notes on how their summer mountain runnings seasons have played out, including the ways Drew sees his skiing translate to the trails, gear picks for all-day epics, the (in)famous “Ramen Bomb,” and more.
LoamLab Components Grips and Counterpunch
A lot of mountain bikers have probably crashed by clipping a tree with the outside of their bar. LoamLab’s Counterpunch is meant to save folks from some of those crashes (and potential broken pinkies) with a subtle aluminum guard that replaces the outer clamp of a lock-on grip — and having gone and punched some trees with them, they work.
Protect Our Winters’ Mario Molina on the New Climate Bill (Ep.222)
The United States Congress just passed a historic climate bill, so we spoke with the executive director of POW, Mario Molina, to discuss the backstory and details of the bill, and what needs to happen now.
Blister Brand Guide: Scarpa Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
Scarpa, often known for their mountaineering and skiing equipment, has turned out numerous trail running shoes over the past few years. In 2022, they’ve expanded their tidy lineup to include niche options for technical terrain, racing, road-to-trail, and more. Check out our Brand Guide to get the rundown on all of the different models from Scarpa this year.
Reviewing the Reviewer: Kara Williard (Ep.209)
Our resident ski reviewer, bike tester, boot fitter, and sustainable farmer, Kara Williard, is in the hot seat to cover everything from ski and bike gear preferences to scorpion-eating chickens; her stint as a Tall-Tee-clad park rat; whether goalie gloves smell worse than sweaty ski boots; and much more.
Win Running Vests from Naked Sports Innovations
This week TWO lucky winners will each get Naked Sports Innovations’ High Capacity Running Vest + their Drink Tube Kit!
2022 Rocky Mountain Element
The Rocky Mountain Element has long been a traditional XC race bike, but the new one very much is not. It’s got a bunch more suspension travel and wildly more aggressive geometry than the bike it replaced, but still maintains a fair bit of XC influence, too. So how does that all add up, and who is it going to work best for?
Trail Running Glossary of Terms: Shoe Anatomy
Trail running shoes come in all different shapes and sizes, and finding the appropriate pair to suit your needs can be difficult if you’re unfamiliar with the technical terms commonly used to describe them. So, in the first installment of our Trail Running Glossary of Terms, we’ll break down each of the features routinely found on trail shoes to help you get a better sense of what to look for.
Speed & Style on Dirt & Snow with Dillon Flinders (Ep.130)
We sat down with aspiring World Cup Downhiller and Freeride World Tour skier Dillon Flinders to talk about his goal of competing on both circuits simultaneously and his roadmap for getting there. We also get into the mental aspects of racing, injury recovery & motivation; mentorship; & much more.
Women’s MTB Jersey Roundup — 2022
In our Women’s MTB jersey roundup, we’ve got nine options across a range of sleeve lengths and levels of warmth, from full-on technical pieces to ones that look great off the bike, too.
2022-2023 Rossignol Pure Elite 120 GW
Here are our measured specs, photos, and a quick rundown on Rossignol’s new women’s alpine boot, the Pure Elite 120 GW.
New Image Brewing on Constant Experimentation, Inspiration, & Evolution (Ep.1)
For our first episode of CRAFTED, we’re talking with Brandon Capps, the founder and owner of New Image Brewing. Brandon is exceptionally good at — and passionate about — discussing the intricacies of brewing, growing a business, and doing things differently, so we cover all of that; what other breweries inspire him; coming up with 600+ beer recipes over the years; New Image’s constant production of new one-off beers vs. year-round options; and what truly makes a “Craft” company.
Men’s MTB Jersey Roundup — 2022
We’ve been testing a ton of mountain bike jerseys across a huge range of styles and intended use cases, and in our men’s roundup, we’ve got 13 options to compare.
Trail Running 101: How to Run Uphill
Hills can pose a challenge to runners new to the trails. Steep and sometimes rocky inclines have a way of disrupting the rhythmic stride found on the roads, often leading to frustration, less efficient running, and the following fatigue. Confronting a climb doesn’t always have to feel like a tremendous obstacle though, and in part seven of our Trail Running 101 series, we cover a few techniques for how to navigate them with ease.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Deep Dive: K2 Mindbender 108Ti
We compare the latest Mindbender 108Ti to the previous Mindbender 108Ti, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Blizzard Cochise 106, Volkl Katana 108, Folsom Primary 104, Salomon QST 106, Black Crows Corvus, Elan Ripstick 106, 4FRNT MSP 107, J Skis Hotshot, Black Crows Atris, Line Blade Optic 104, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105, Salomon Stance 102, Dynastar M-Free 108, Faction Dancer 3, Rossignol Sender 106 Ti+, Blizzard Rustler 10, Icelantic Nomad 105, Nordica Enforcer 110, & Nordica Unleashed 108.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Win Any Renoun Ski
The winner of this week’s gear giveaway will get to pick any unique, VibeStop-equipped Renoun ski they want!
ZipFit “Inner Boots”; the Growth of ZipFit; Reviewing Ski Boots; & More with Jeff Colt (Ep.237)
We talk with Jeff Colt, Brand Director for ZipFit, about “inner boots”; first-day vs. 3rd-day fit; reviewing ski boots; the new Zipfit x Fischer Ski Boots collab; and more.
Cy Turner on 20 Years of Cotic Bikes (Ep.160)
Cotic Bikes turns 20 this year, and we took the opportunity to sit down with founder Cy Turner to chat about the history of the brand & changes to the industry over those two decades; why they use steel for full-suspension frames and hardtails alike; Cy’s philosophy on bike design; tease an upcoming Blister review; & a whole lot more.
Ibis Ripmo V2S
Ibis gave the Ripmo a light update late last year, and while the changes to the new V2S version aren’t all that dramatic, it’s still a good, well-rounded bike that blurs the line between longer-travel Trail bikes and full-on Enduro ones, in a way that we can imagine working well for a lot of folks. Check out our full review for our take, including how the Ripmo V2S stacks up against a dozen of its competitors.
2023-2024 Armada ARV 116 JJ UL
The Armada ARV 116 JJ UL is a lightweight, freestyle-friendly pow ski that we’ve been skiing in everything from Japanese pow to resort chop. Check out the Full Review and Deep Dive Comparisons to see what makes it stand out.
Deep Dive: Armada ARV 116 JJ UL
We compare the ARV 116 JJ UL to the Armada ARW 106 UL, Armada ARG II UL, Atomic Bent Chetler 120, Line Outline, Line Vision 118, Moment Wildcat, Majesty Vadera Ti, Salomon QST 106, K2 Mindbender 115C, K2 Reckoner 112, Blizzard Sheeva 11, & Head Kore 117.
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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Galfer Shark Rotors
We really like Galfer’s standard Wave rotors, but how about the fancier Shark versions that they’re launched more recently? And in general, who should think about upgrading their existing rotors? Check out our review to learn more.
Anthony Costales on Smashing Course Records, Chasing States, & Sharpening His Competitive Edge (Ep.162)
Anthony Costales just dropped the longstanding course record at the Black Canyon 100k by a dizzying 19 minutes, securing a Golden Ticket to the Western States 100 in the process. We recently caught up with him to recap his race; dish about training; explore where he gets his competitive drive from; and more.
Nnormal Kjerag
Positioned as Nnormal’s max-performance model, the Kjerag (pronounced: sche-rak) is already an early front-runner for standout shoe of the year. It offers an implausible amount of energy return and cushioning for how light it is, often feeling like it disappears on foot in the best way possible. After nearly 200 miles of testing, the Kjerag has exceeded the lofty expectations we set for it after our initial impressions. Check out our full review to learn more.
Flash Review — Esker Rowl
We’ve started spending time on the Esker Rowl, and its wild Orion suspension is an early standout. Check out our Flash Review for 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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Flash Review: 23/24 Armada Declivity 102 Ti
We’ve now spent a few days skiing (and crashing…) on Armada’s metal-laminate Declivity 102 Ti — 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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