BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Continental Kryptotal Tires
Continental gave their entire gravity tire lineup a major overhaul last year, and having now spent most of the season on their all-rounder Kryptotal pair, we think they’re extremely good tires for a lot of conditions, but are just a couple of tweaks away from being perfect. Check out our full review to find out where they work best and what sets them apart, including comparisons to the Maxxis Assegai, Minion DHF and DHR II, Schwalbe Magic Mary, and more.
Flash Review: 22/23 Volkl Mantra 102
Update 1.9.23: We’ve been spending more time on the redesigned Mantra 102 and the results so far have been very promising — check out Luke Koppa & Jonathan Ellsworth’s initial impressions.
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Bill McKibben: Skier, Environmentalist, Activist, Author (Ep.243)
When trying to gain clarity on issues of climate change (where we are, where we’ve been, and where we should go from here) it is a good idea to talk to Bill McKibben.
Blizzard Launches New 23/24 Rustler & Sheeva Skis
Today Blizzard announced the latest generation of their freeride Rustler and Sheeva skis — check out our writeup for all the details.
Flash Review: 22/23 New Outerwear Update: 686, Beringia, & Trew
We’ve been testing a few very interesting new ski / snowboard kits from 686, Beringia, and Trew — check out Luke Koppa’s initial impressions and apparel nerdery.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Jeremy Jones on the Evolution of Snowboard Design (Ep.230)
Today we’ve got for you a masterclass on the history and evolution of snowboard design with Jeremy Jones, as well as Jeremy’s own philosophy behind product creation and refinement at Jones Snowboards.
Win Any J Ski
The winner of this week’s gear giveaway will get to choose any J Ski they want!
Volkl 22/23 Skis | Blister Summit Brand Lineup Video
We sat down with Volkl’s Ivar Dahl and Chris McKenna to discuss all the latest updates to the brand’s 2022-2023 ski lineup; Volkl’s 100-year anniversary; some of their latest ski technologies, including Tailored Titanal Frame, 3D Radius, & Tailored Carbon Tip; the new Kendo 88 & Mantra 102; Volkl’s approach to adapting ski construction depending on each length; and more.
2022-2023 Black Crows Atris
Black Crows gave one of their most popular skis an update this year, though the changes looked subtle on paper. How about on snow? Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see how the latest Atris compares to its predecessors, and the rest of the market.
Deep Dive: Black Crows Atris
We compare the Atris to the previous Atris, Black Crows Camox, Black Crows Corvus, Salomon QST 106, Line Blade Optic 104, Elan Ripstick 106, ZAG Slap 104, DPS Koala 103, RMU Apostle 106, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Moment Deathwish 104, Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, Blizzard Rustler 10, Volkl Revolt 104, 4FRNT Devastator, K2 Reckoner 102, Whitedot Altum 104, 4FRNT MSP 107, Sego Big Horn 106, Armada ARW 106 UL, Line Sir Francis Bacon, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105, & J Skis Hotshot.
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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TRP DH-R Evo Brakes
There are more DH-worthy brakes on the market than ever before (and good ones, at that), and TRP’s DH-R Evos are a strong contender for folks with the right preferences.
Gear of the Year, 2022
We reviewed more mountain bikes and gear than ever before in 2022, and so David Golay, Dylan Wood, and Luke Koppa sat down to recount a bunch of their favorites.
2022-2023 Zag Slap 104
We’ve now had a few reviewers (female & male) on the ZAG Slap 104 — the mid-fat model in their “freestyle backcountry” series, and it’s time to weigh in on this lightweight, maneuverable ski. Check out our Full Review and Deep Dive for all the info.
Deep Dive: ZAG Slap 104
We compare the Slap 104 to eighteen other men’s & women’s all-mountain skis, including the DPS Foundation Koala 103, Black Crows Atris, Blizzard Rustler 10, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Salomon QST 106, Armada ARW 106 UL, Line Blade Optic 104, 4FRNT Devastator, RMU Apostle 106, Sego Big Horn 106, Volkl Revolt 104, K2 Reckoner 102, Line Sir Francis Bacon, Moment Deathwish 104, Whitedot Altum 104, 4FRNT MSP 107, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105, and J Skis Hotshot.
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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Sweet Turns: Tele May Save Us All
Blister reader, podcast listener, and ‘Crash Course’ video watcher, Scott Conarroe, has been paying close attention to our talk about telemark skiing around here, and it led him to send this piece that he hoped we’d share with you. It’s a compelling (and fun) defense of telemark, and it’s definitely worth your time. Enjoy.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review: 23/24 ZAG Harfang 106
The Harfang 106 is ZAG’s widest directional freeride model — check out our initial thoughts on how it’s been comparing to the competition.
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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Endura MT500 MIPS Helmet
We have been spending the last several months in Endura’s updated MT500 MIPS helmet and have been impressed by its comfort and versatility. Check out our full review to learn more about this high-end Trail helmet.
Deep Dives w/ Angel, July 2023 (Ep.269)
Angel Collinson is back to talk about her recent reunion with Sage Cattabriga-Alosa & Ian McIntosh, then she & Jonathan dive deep into some crucial relationship dynamics; vampire erotica; your ‘Ask Angel’ questions; our Open Mic Series; & more.
Flash Review — Vitus Escarpe
The Vitus Escarpe is a great value and looks well sorted on paper, but does it all come together on the trail? We’ve started spending time on one to find out — check out our early 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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SCARPA CEO, Kim Miller, on Their ‘Green Manifesto’ & B Corp Status (Ep.254)
Kim Miller, Scarpa North America’s CEO, is back on GEAR:30 to discuss Scarpa’s Green Manifesto and their pathway to B Corp certification, plus we talk about the life cycle of certain products; some of Scarpa’s gear that exemplifies this commitment to sustainability; what some of the challenges and takeaways have been; and much more.
Win MTB Shoes from Ride Concepts
The TWO winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the new men’s or women’s Accomplice or Accomplice Clip shoes from Ride Concepts!
Gear of the Year (So Far) (Ep.178)
We’ve been testing a huge range of bikes and gear this summer, so we sat down to chat about some of the things that have impressed us most so far, including bikes across the travel spectrum, SRAM’s new GX Transmission, and a whole lot more.
Assessing Greatness: The Art & Craft of Tennis, Great Sports Writing, & Top 5 Lists (Ep.31)
Today’s conversation explores the broader question of how to assess greatness? To get there, Jonathan and Troy Russ discuss the art & craft of tennis (and whether it is the greatest of all sports?); the art & craft of great sports writing (and whether David Foster Wallace’s essay, Roger Federer as Religious Experience is the pinnacle of the form). Then we discuss Troy’s Top 5 all-time tennis players, which serves to help us assess greatness in any sport.
Five Ten Kestrel Boa
Five Ten cut its teeth in the bike world by making gravity-oriented shoes, and they’re still best known for those offerings. But the new Kestrel Boa is a much more XC-oriented shoe than we’ve seen from Five Ten before, and it’s meant to add a little bit of their gravity shoe know-how to an XC shoe form factor.
Flash Review — SRAM GX Eagle Transmission
We’ve been spending time on the new SRAM GX Transmission. Check out our impressions so far.
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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SRAM GX Transmission & Bronze Stealth Brakes
SRAM’s new T-Type groupsets launched just a few months ago with high-end XX SL, XX, and X0 tiers, and now there’s a new, more affordable GX version. While the high-level details closely mirror those of the higher-end variants, SRAM has done a lot more than just make a less-expensive, heavier version of the Transmission. Check out our First Look for all the details.
OpenSnow’s Joel Gratz on Smoke Forecasting, Wildfire Tracking, Common Mistakes, & Best Practices for Adventuring Outdoors (Ep.268)
Before you head out to bike, hike, run, camp, or climb, wildfire, lightning, and smoke exposure are factors that need to be well understood. OpenSnow founder and meteorologist, Joel Gratz explains the science of smoke forecasting and wildfire tracking, and shares some of the most common mistakes and best practices for adventuring outdoors.