BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Karhu Ikoni Trail 1.0
The Karhu Ikoni Trail 1.0 comes from a heritage brand with over a century of experience crafting performance footwear for long distance running. As a trail take on an already established model, its myriad features seem smartly positioned to meet the demands of varied off-road terrain. Check out our full review for a better idea of what to expect from Karhu’s latest trail shoe.
Win 4FRNT Skis
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week can pick any non-4-Lock ski they want from 4FRNT’s diverse lineup!
Matt Manser on Atomic’s 22/23 Ski Boot Lineup & More (Ep.225)
Matt Manser is back to discuss the current lineup of Atomic ski boots and what’s new for this season; running through airports in ski boots; Tom Cruise; the Atomic Redster CS vs. the Hawx Ultra Professional; and more.
Manitou Jack Dropper Post
Manitou’s latest iteration of their Jack dropper post takes one of the best options out there — the Bike Yoke Revive — and keeps the core of what makes it great, but tries to refine a few of the details. So have they succeeded?
Flash Review: 22/23 Head Supershape e-Titan
Here are our thoughts so far on the widest ski in Head’s Supershape lineup.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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A Very Deep Dive on Suspension with EXT’s Franco Fratton, Pt. 2 (Ep. 146)
EXT founder Franco Fratton is back on Bikes & Big Ideas to continue our deep dive on suspension design and technology, and he’s got a ton to teach all of us about damper design, performance, and some of the common misconceptions about them in the mountain bike world.
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
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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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.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
23/24 Dalbello Cabrio & Cabrio Free Boots | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We sat down with Dalbello’s Riccardo Bonaiti to discuss their 2023-2024 ski boot lineup. We cover the brand-new Cabrio LV line of boots; how they compare to the Krypton & Chakra series they replace; the Cabrio LV Free boots that replace the Lupo series, and more.
Brendan Leonard (@semi_rad) on Fatherhood; Creative Work; & the Nuts-&-Bolts of Making Just about Anything (Ep.263)
Brendan Leonard (@semi_rad) is back to talk about fatherhood; creative work and the nuts-and-bolts of creating; and his new book, MAKE IT, which is an easily digestible guide to making just about anything, actually.
Flash Review — Commencal T.E.M.P.O.
The Commencal T.E.M.P.O. is both their shortest travel full-suspension bike, and a big departure from their design norms in other ways — and we’ve started spending time on it. Check out our early on-trail 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.)
Ferreol Skis: Reenvisioning Ski Construction (Ep.248)
We talk with Ferreol co-founder, Jonathan Audet, about how they created their own “Innovation Lab” to test new skis and materials; the development of their own alternative to titanal alloy; fully replacing fiberglass with natural flax fibers; their 23/24 ski lineup, and more.
Dynastar’s New M-Cross Skis & 23/24 Freeride Collection | Blister Summit 2023 Video
At Blister Summit 2023, we sat down with Dynastar’s Matt Farness to discuss the evolution of their “M” line of freeride and all-mountain skis, including the brand-new M-Cross series. We cover the newest iteration of their wood / polyurethane “Hybrid Core 2.0” construction; the differences between the M-Cross, M-Pro, and M-Free skis; and more.
Win Summer Gear from Kaenon and Chums
The three winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will get an awesome summer prize package from Chums and Kaenon!
Nike Pegasus Trail 4
The Pegasus Trail 4 feels like Nike is bringing one of their most popular off-road models full circle. Updates introduce new technology to a shoe that’s reverted to its original identity as a fairly lightweight road-to-trail hybrid after spending a few iterations masquerading as a burly ultra-distance option. Check out our full review to learn more.
Forge+Bond on Envisioning, Designing, Testing, & Refining a Carbon Fiber Wheel Design (Ep.172)
Forge+Bond just launched as a new high-end wheel brand, and we sat down with folks from their product and engineering teams, plus F+B athlete Jill Kintner, to talk about the whole process of designing, testing, and refining a new wheelset — from conception to prototyping to athlete feedback and more.
2022-2023 Fischer RC One 82 GT
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Fischer RC One 82 GT.
Bravus Brewing Company: Elevating NA Beer (Ep.27)
Not all beer is created equal, and that certainly goes for NA beer, too. So what’s the secret? We talk with Bravus Brewing Company founder, Philip Brandes, to learn more.
23/24 Faction Skis Collection | Blister Summit 2023 Video
At Blister Summit 2023, we sat down with Faction’s Henrik Lampert, to discuss the brand’s 2023-2024 lineup of skis. From dual-metal-laminate, flat-tailed models to playful twin-tips and multiple touring series, it covers a bit of everything.
Order & Read Now: Our 23/24 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide
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