BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Crestline Bikes on Adaptability, Collaboration, & Founding a Bike Brand (Ep.128)
We sat down with Troydon and Jimmy from Crestline Bikes to talk about their upcoming high-pivot VPP DH bike & VPP e-bike; getting advice from Greg Minnaar and Neko Mulally; starting a bike company during the pandemic; and a whole lot more.
Stuff We Like: July 2022
In the July edition of our “Stuff We Like” series, we’ve got everything from tents to bike racks, backpacks to sandals, and several summer accessories. Check it out to see the latest gear our reviewers have been digging.
Vorsprung Smashpot Coil Spring Fork Conversion Kit
There aren’t many coil-sprung forks left on the market, but Vorsprung’s Smashpot conversion kit opens up a lot of options for riders who miss that option. And having now spent a lot of time testing the Smashpot, it makes a compelling case for why certain riders might want to ditch their air springs. But who is it going to work best for, and what are the downsides? Check out our full review for the rundown.
Tailwind Nutrition Co-founder Jeff Vierling on Gut Bombs, Kitchen Chemistry, & Creating His Own Endurance Fuel (Ep.130)
Tailwind Nutrion’s products are some of the most popular fueling options for trail runners and mountain bikers alike, so we had their Co-founder, Jeff Vierling, on the show to hear all about how losing his breakfast after a mountain bike race inspired him to design his own endurance drink mix.
2022-2023 Norse Enduro
The Enduro is Norse’s do-everything all-mountain ski, for both resort and backcountry use, and it goes about accomplishing that in a pretty different way than many of its competitors. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons for more.
Deep Dive: Norse Enduro
We compare the Norse Enduro to the Atomic Bent 100, Line Sick Day 104, Fischer Ranger 102, WNDR Alpine Vital 100, 4FRNT Raven, J Skis Masterblaster, Line Blade Optic 96, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Wagner Summit 97, Blizzard Bonafide 97, Liberty Origin 101, DPS Pagoda 100 RP, Salomon Stance 96, Moment Commander 98, Salomon QST 98, Atomic Maverick 100 Ti, Renoun Endurance 98, Faction Dancer 2, Dynastar M-Pro 99, Faction Agent 3, Dynastar M-Free 99, Black Crows Camox, Volkl M6 Mantra, Nordica Unleashed 98, & 4FRNT MSP 99.
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How to Produce More Olympic Skiers & Snowboarders, Grow Participation, & Support Rural Mtn Town Communities (Ep.219)
How do we grow participation in snowsports, support rural mountain communities, and produce more Olympic skiers and snowboarders? We sat down with Will Brandenburg of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation to discuss all of the above.
Blister Brand Guide: Inov-8 Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
Spanning more than a dozen models that range from road trainers to mud-specific racers, Inov-8’s 2022 lineup has a bit of everything, but it can be a bit confusing to sort through it all. Check out our Brand Guide to see what sets each shoe apart from the others, and figure out which ones might make sense for you.
Sunglasses Roundup 2022 — Part 2: Lifestyle
In Part 2 of our sunglasses roundup, we cover several of the pairs our reviewers have been using just about every day for everything from running errands to the occasional bike ride.
2022-2023 Faction Dancer 3X
The Dancer 3X is a wider, metal-laminate women’s all-mountain ski, and it offers something a bit different from most of the other options in that category. Check out our Full Review for more.
Win a Head-to-Toe MTB Kit from Giro
This week one lucky winner will get a head-to-toe mountain bike kit (men’s or women’s) from Giro’s latest lineup!
The Design Principle of “Simplexity” (Ep.206)
We talk to Naked Sports Innovations’ president and co-founder, Lindsay Dakota, about how the concept of “simplexity” drives Naked’s design process; growing a small brand sustainably; the future of footwear; and how ski racing influenced the design of their new trail shoe.
Flash Review: 22/23 K2 Mindbender 89Ti
Here are our initial impressions of a ski that’s been on our mind this summer — the new K2 Mindbender 89Ti.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Shimano AM903 Shoe
The Shimano AM9 has been their top-tier gravity clipless shoe for a long time now (and a personal favorite of ours), and while the latest AM903 generation is mostly a case of leaving a good thing alone, it’s got some nice refinements over the earlier iterations.
Over The Edge on Trail Building, Travel, & Rampage (Ep.127)
We sat down with the crew from Over The Edge to talk about trail building & the development of MTB towns; traveling to ride; servicing Rampage bikes; & much more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Win the New Rossignol Sender Free 110
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get a pair of Rossignol’s new and long-awaited Sender Free 110!
Flash Review: 23/24 Fischer RC4 105 MV BOA & Buckle
We’ve been A/B testing Fischer’s 23/24 RC4 105 MV BOA against the buckled version. 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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2023-2024 Fischer RC4 105 MV W BOA & Buckle
For 23/24, Fischer redesigned their entire RC4 lineup, which includes three new lasts, and arguably the biggest overhaul was to their MV series. Check out our First Look for all the details about the new RC4 collection, the women-specific RC4 105 MV BOA, and how it compares to the traditional buckled version.
Magnus Manson is Back (Ep.159)
Magnus Manson had to put his burgeoning World Cup DH career on hold while he battled cancer, and now he’s gearing back up for the upcoming season. So we sat down with Magnus to talk about his treatment & recovery; staying motivated; filming and racing throughout his treatment; and a whole lot more.
Canyon Spectral 125
The Canyon Spectral 125 is about as aggressive as ~120mm-travel Trail bikes get, and the results are pretty interesting. Check out our full review for the whole story, including comparisons to six other bikes in this rapidly growing class.
Artist Geoff McFetridge on ‘Return to Stoner Forest,’ Bigfoot, Collabs, & More (Ep.21)
The artist & designer, Geoff McFetridge came to CB to pay us a visit, and in this conversation, he & Jonathan discuss his current show in LA, Return to Stoner Forest; culture & commerce; Geoff’s approach to collaborations; the new film, ‘Geoff McFetridge: Drawing a Life,’ & more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Line Bacon 115
For the 2023-2024 season, Line has opted to replace the previous Outline with the brand-new Bacon 115 — 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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2023-2024 Blizzard Sheeva 10
Blizzard opted to update one of their most popular and most versatile skis, the Sheeva 10, and we’ve been A/B testing the new and old versions to see how they compare. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see what we’ve found.
Deep Dive: Blizzard Sheeva 10
We compare the recently redesigned 23/24 Blizzard Sheeva 10 to the previous Sheeva 10, new Blizzard Sheeva 9, Blizzard Sheeva 11, Nordica Unleashed 98 W, Salomon QST Stella 106, Armada ARW 106 UL, Blizzard Black Pearl 97, Faction Dancer 3X, Fischer Ranger 102, K2 Mindbender 106C, Line Blade Optic 104, Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free, ZAG Slap 104, Head Kore 103 W, & Volkl Secret 102.
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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Inov-8 TrailFly G 270 V2
The recently released TrailFly G 270 V2 serves as an updated version of Inov-8’s celebrated zero-drop trail running shoe — a highly capable option for tackling long distances at speed. While the changes the brand made are subtle in nature, we think they help elevate the shoe’s performance without subtracting from what already works. Check out our full review for the full story.
Francesco Puppi on the Pro Trail Runners Association and the Future of the Sport (Ep.161)
Nike Athlete Francesco Puppi co-founded the Pro Trail Runners Association (PTRA) in 2022 to enable an international body of elite trail runners to share concerns about the sport’s present and future. So, we sat down with him to learn more about the association’s specific areas of focus, how they plan on making an impact, and much more.
Crank Brothers Mallet Trail Pedals
Crank Brothers just launched a new clipless pedal, the Mallet Trail, meant to slot in between the Candy and the Mallet E — and we’ve been testing it all winter. Check out our full review for the rundown on the design and how it performs on the trail.