BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Blister Recommended Shop Program
BLISTER Shops are a collection of the best service–oriented shops in the world. These are the places we trust most in a given locale to work on our boots, wrench on our bikes, tune our skis, and recommend the right equipment. Here’s an update on our Recommended Shop program.
La Sportiva Mutant
The La Sportiva Mutant is aptly named — it’s a shoe designed to shape-shift between a comfy trail cruiser and a sturdy, bombproof option for technical scrambling. There are plenty of reasons why it’s the first choice serious mountain runners reach for, and in our full review, we’ll explain each of them.
Emilie Siegenthaler on the New Downhill Rider’s Association (Ep.135)
We sat down with Emilie Siegenthaler to chat about the newly formed World Cup DH rider’s association and her role as a rider representative, what we can expect for the upcoming season, and a whole lot more.
The Alchemist co-founder & brewer, John Kimmich, Part 1 (Ep.6)
With Heady Topper, John Kimmich created one of the most sought-after beers in the world, and effectively created the profile of the modern IPA. Here in Part 1, we talk to John about his path to opening The Alchemist with his wife, Jen, in 2003; the business — and current landscape — of craft beer; what distinguishes great beer from mediocre beer; and more.
Rossignol Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon LV
Here are our measured specs, images, and initial impressions of the new Rossignol Hi-Speed Elite 130 Carbon LV boot.
Flash Review — Intense Tracer 279
Update 9.13.22: Dylan Wood adds his initial impressions of the Intense Tracer 279.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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High Above Nova Hip Pack
We’ve been impressed with a number of High Above’s hip packs over the years, and their new, less-expensive Nova model is also excellent.
Davy Crockett on the History of 100-Milers, Ultrarunning in the 1800s, and the G.O.A.T. Debate (Ep.137)
On this week’s episode of Off The Couch, we trace the development of the 100-mile footrace in America with ultrarunning historian, Davy Crockett, before busting some myths about the Western States 100, debating the greatest ultrarunner of all time, and much more.
Blister Brand Guide: Dynafit Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
Since debuting their first line of technical footwear for mountain running in 2011, Dynafit has expanded into everything from ultra-distance models to those specific to shorter efforts in technical terrain. Check out our 2022 Brand Guide to see what’s new from them this year.
Mountain Towns & Local Food Systems, Pt. 3: Chris Rubens on Skiing & Farming in Revelstoke (Ep.226)
Why did one of the best freeride skiers of the past 20 years become a farmer? We talk to Chris Rubens about starting First Light Farm with his partner, Jesse, in Revelstoke, BC; the parallels between skiing & farming; and why Chris finds farming to be so meaningful.
Pro Ski & Mountain Service
With a knowledgeable and extremely qualified staff dedicated to customer service, Pro Ski and Mountain Service is our top choice of ski shop in the North Bend area.
Win POC Helmets & Eyewear
This week our lucky winner will get to pick between POC’s Enduro-oriented Otocon helmet + Ora goggle combo or their Trail-oriented Kortal helmet + Devour sunglasses!
Blister Labs: Product Manufacturers vs. Researchers & Reviewers (Ep.213)
Can engineering actually help us discover real-world characteristics about products that will be meaningful to end users? Or, when we incorporate quantitative data, do we mostly run the risk of having that data leading people astray? We discuss with Thomas Laakso, the vice president of product and operations at DPS Skis, and Dr. Sean Humbert of Blister Labs.
Deep Dive: Santa Cruz Hightower 3
We compare the Santa Cruz Hightower 3 to the Hightower 2, Guerrilla Gravity Smash, Santa Cruz Bronson, Yeti SB130, We Are One Arrival, Antidote Carbonjack, Orbea and Occam LT.
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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2023 Santa Cruz Hightower
The Santa Cruz Hightower has long been a very versatile, well-rounded Trail bike, and with the new V3 bike, Santa Cruz hasn’t messed with a good thing too much. But they’ve still found things to refine and improve, and the Hightower remains a very good all-rounder.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
The Future of Snowsports(?) | Blister Summit 2023 Panel Video
At Blister Summit 2023, we brought together Nina Waters (Blizzard-Tecnica), Dr. Len Necefer (Natives Outdoors & Sonoran Avalanche Center), Dan Abrams (Flylow), & Hanna Whirty (Icelantic) to cover a broad range of topics regarding the future of the snowsports industry. They discuss how they think about expanding the snowsports community and the resulting benefits; the role of crowding and potential solutions; how DE&I, Advocacy, & Climate Change are all linked, and more.
Deep Dives with Angel (April 2023) (Ep.255)
Angel Collinson and Jonathan discuss her life since retiring from professional skiing, our Blister Open Mic series, and her recent piece, “How to Not Burn Out.” Then Angel answers your questions about finding peace; marriage & kids; and whether she thinks she’ll ever ski again.
Flash Review: 23/24 Blizzard Rustler 10
Here are some of our initial thoughts on the revised Rustler 10, how it compares to the previous version, and the rest of the market.
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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Salomon Sense Ride 5
Despite what may be considered conservative updates, the Salomon Sense Ride 5 keeps with the model’s established role as a versatile option intended for everyone from experienced ultrarunners in search of a no-frills daily trainer to folks looking to venture out onto the trails for perhaps the first time. Check out our full review to learn more.
The Good Old Days
In our latest Open Mic piece, our editor-in-chief reflects on closing days, the good old days, and more.
The Past, Present, & Future of Ski Manufacturing | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We brought together ski designers and manufacturers from DPS, Folsom, Majesty, and Meier to get their take on the current state of ski design; why wood has remained the go-to choice for ski cores; what we should expect from ski cores in the future; how to identify a properly constructed and “finished” ski, and more.
Win a BCA Prize Package
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a Float E2 25 Avalanche Airbag Pack and BC Link 2.0 Radio from BCA!
2023-2024 RMU North Shore 114
One of the newest additions to RMU’s lineup, the North Shore 114 is their big-mountain ski designed for freestyle & freeriders alike. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see where it falls in the powder category.
Deep Dive: RMU North Shore 114
We compare the North Shore 114 to the RMU North Shore 110, RMU Professor 121, Moment Wildcat, Head Kore 117, 4FRNT Hoji, Salomon QST Blank, Elan Ripstick 116, Atomic Bent 110, Meier Leeper, Icelantic Nomad 115, Black Crows Anima, DPS Koala 118, Line Blade Optic 114, Line Vision 118, Dynastar M-Free 118, Rossignol Blackops 118, Line Outline, J Skis Friend, Volkl Revolt 121, 4FRNT Inthayne, K2 Reckoner 112, Nordica Enforcer 115 Free, & Prior Northwest 116.
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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Hayes Dominion T4 Brakes
The Hayes Dominion A4s have been one of our favorite brakes for a while now, but how about the lighter Dominion T4? Do they share the magic of the A4 or are they something else entirely? We’ve been logging a lot of time on the T4s and are ready to weigh in.
Jonathan’s Gear for AK, Luke’s Latest Crash, & More (Ep.240)
Jonathan and Luke talk about closing day at CBMR; the gear JE is bringing to AK; liners; the Rossi Sender Free 110, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, Volkl Revolt 114, Luke’s new stitches, & more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Salomon Stance 102
Salomon updated their Stance line of metal-laminate skis for 23/24, and the new Stance 102 has been very surprising so far. Check out our initial on-snow 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.)