BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Connor Ryan & Drew Petersen on Skiing, Running, & the Salomon QST Film Tour (Ep.235)
Connor Ryan and Drew Petersen were in CB for the Salomon Quality Ski Time Film Tour, so we sat down with them to talk about the tour, their friendship, Hilaree Nelson, the act of celebrating others, skiing, running, and a whole lot more.
2023 Marin Rift Zone
Marin’s new Rift Zone is proof that good geometry doesn’t have to be expensive, and looks like an extremely promising option for an affordable mid-travel Trail bike. Check out our First Look for the rundown.
Win Wagner Skis
The winner of our gear giveaway this week will get to pick a ski from Wagner’s excellent Factory lineup!
5-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (22/23)
With ski season kicking off soon (or already) in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s once again time to think about ski quivers. We’re starting by asking our reviewers what they’d pick if they were putting together a 5-ski quiver — check out Part 2 of their selections.
2022 Pivot Shadowcat
We’ve had three reviewers spending time on the Pivot Shadowcat, and while it’s a bit of an unusual offering in 2022 — a very light, efficient 27.5’’ Trail bike — it’s proven to be a ton of fun, and a great example of why 27.5’’ wheels should stick around.
Shop Talk: Celebrating 10 Years of Powder Hound in Girdwood, AK (Ep.222)
Our Blister Recommended Shop, Powder Hound, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, so we caught up with one of the owners, Eric Helmbrecht, to go over some of the major trends, takeaways, and reflections he has after a decade of running a local, year-round shop in Girdwood, AK.
Blister Brand Guide: Nnormal Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
Nnormal, which launched earlier this year, is a collaboration between one of trail running’s most accomplished figures, Kilian Jornet, and Camper, the Spanish footwear giant. As a brand whose core values are largely environmentally focused, Nnormal shoes are intended to be replaced less often and versatile enough to perform many different roles within a runner’s quiver. Take a look at our Brand Guide to learn more about each one of their 2022 trail shoes.
Hannah Otto on Setting the Whole Enchilada FKT (Ep.143)
Hannah Otto just demolished the FKT for the Whole Enchilada trail in Moab — including the road climb to the top — and we sat down with her to get the whole story.
Amateur Hour: ON3P Skis founder, Scott Andrus, on Knives (Ep.13)
ON3P Skis founder, Scott Andrus, is known for being maniacal about the craft of building skis. But today, we talk about his other obsession: knives — how he got into them; knife quivers; patina chasing; price ranges; cutting boards; and more.
Maxxis Shorty
It’s turning to wet-weather riding season in a lot of places, and the Maxxis Shorty is a great option for a soft-conditions tire that still maintains some versatility when things firm up. Check out our review to see where it excels and how it compares to the competition.
Chef Soraya Smith & CEO Duane Primozich on the Future of Backpacker’s Pantry & Making Adventure Food Sustainably (Ep.145)
Backpacker’s Pantry recently welcomed a new leader to take the company into its exciting next chapter. As CEO, Duane Primozich will prioritize Backpacker’s Pantry’s role as environmental stewards, a commitment to sustainability that goes above and beyond. We recently sat down with Duane and Backpacker’s Pantry owner and head chef, Soraya Smith, to hear all about where the company is headed; climate change’s adverse effects on the food industry; what Backpacker’s Pantry is doing to reverse them; and much more.
2023 WNDR Alpine Skis & Snowboards | Blister Summit Brand Lineup
We talk with WNDR Alpine founder, Matt Sterbenz, about all the wide-ranging projects the brand has been working on over the past year, including their first-ever snowboards and splitboards; new “Spiral Plate” and how it’s helping them make their production more circular; the revised Intention 108 ski; the future plans for their bio-based Algal Tech (including WNDR Alpine french fries?); and much more.
2023 Scott Genius & Genius ST
Scott just launched a new version of their Genius Trail bike, and it’s got wild levels of cockpit integration, unusual suspension tech, and out-there looks to go with it.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (October 2022) (Ep.234)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the latest 50 Project episode (The Sphinx); the US Alpine Team’s new name & sponsor; Cotopaxi closing its San Francisco store after repeated break-ins; NFL Talk; Mountain Town Advice; what we’re reading & watching; and more.
Blister Speaker Series Video: Jeremy Jones
Check out the full video from Jeremy Jones’ talk for the Blister Speaker Series at Western Colorado University, where he discussed filming, snowboarding, founding POW, the ‘outdoor state,’ POW’s ongoing and evolving efforts to address climate change, and more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Sarah Ostaszewski on Winning Round 3 at the Cocodona 250 (Ep.172)
Sarah Ostaszewski has run the Cocodona 250 all three years of its existence and each time she’s gotten faster and faster. Her latest attempt on the grueling 250-mile course took her just over three days, good enough for the win and a fourth-place overall finish. We sat down with Sarah to talk about the allure of multi-day events; why she keeps coming back to the Cocodona 250; and more.
Deep Dives with Angel (May 2023) (Ep.260)
Angel Collinson just experienced “the best two weeks of my life,” so we discuss that; the process of self discovery; our series and why writing is often wrestling; and then Angel answers a number of questions that you had for her.
Flash Review — Fox Float
We’ve started spending time on Fox’s new Float rear shock, and it’s a big departure from the Float DPS. Check out our Flash Review for 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.
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.)
Win Strafe Apparel
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get apparel packages from Strafe!
Bikes vs. Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 1 (Ep.245)
Which bike brand and which ski company is currently holding the ‘Cool Kids Belt’? Which brand do other companies secretly wish they could trade places with? We debate these questions and more in our latest edition of Bikes vs. Skis.
23/24 K2 Ski Boots | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We talk with K2’s Tom Pietrowski about all the new boots they’ve got coming for 23/24, including tons of BOA models, their 3-piece FL3X collection, & more.
Flash Review: 23/24 RMU Apostle 106 Pro
The standard Apostle 106 has been a favorite of ours, but what happens when you add 2 layers of metal to it? Check out our initial thoughts on the Apostle 106 Pro.
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.)
2023-2024 RMU Apostle 106 Pro
Here are our measured specs, flex pattern numbers, and rocker profile pictures for the RMU Apostle 106 Pro.
2022-2023 Renoun Atlas
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Renoun Atlas 80.
Canyon Strive:ON CFR
Canyon launched two new long-travel full-power e-MTBs simultaneously, and the new Strive:ON is meant to be the racing-oriented compatriot to the freeride-focused Torque:ON — but the two share nearly identical geometry and both rock a mullet, so what sets the two apart? Turns out that there’s quite a bit.
Richie Schley on Inventing Freeride MTB, Bike Evolution, Fixing Rampage, & More (Ep.169)
Richie Schley had a big hand in the formation of freeride mountain biking as we know it, and he’s still got his finger on the pulse of the sport. So we sat down with Richie to hear his (often hilarious) stories from the early days, chat about where he wants to see freeride go and grow from here, and a whole lot more — including getting the rundown on his recent bachelor party.
Brooks Catamount 2
After some wide-ranging testing, the Brooks Catamount 2 has all of the makings of a dynamic mid-distance trail shoe that draws comparisons to models we’ve been quite fond of in the past. Check out our full review to learn more.