BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Available Now: Blister x John Fellows Collab
For the inaugural piece in our Blister Artist Series, we’re kicking things off with our friend, artist, illustrator, and Crested Butte local, John Fellows.
Machina Bikes on Building a Dream Bike (Ep.145)
Lots of people have dreamed of building their ideal bike; few have actually done it, and fewer have made something as impressive as the Machina Bikes prototypes. So we sat down with founders Tom and Sion to get the whole story.
3-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (22/23)
We’re continuing to narrow down our quivers, this time from 4 skis to 3. Check out Part Two of our reviewers’ personal picks, with additions from Paul Forward, Kristin Sinnott, Drew Kelly, Luke Koppa, and Jonathan Ellsworth.
Gelato: Alberto & Julia Bati of My Sugar Gelato Artigianale, Firenze, Italia (Ep.14)
This past June, Jonathan Ellsworth stumbled across a gelateria in Firenze (Florence) Italy, that basically changed his life. Because after going there every day — usually twice a day — he knew that he would have to come back to Florence and sit down for a CRAFTED conversation with Alberto and Julia Bati, owners of My Sugar Gelato Artigianale, to talk about the craft (and the hard work) of making some of the best gelato in the world. Here is that conversation, fresh from Florence.
Altra Mont Blanc BOA
Despite its seemingly niche design, the Altra Mont Blanc BOA does a lot of things really, really well. The incorporation of BOA’s Fit System and PerformFit Wrap correct some of the issues we felt hampered the standard version of the shoe, adding a level of precision and efficiency to a model primed for performance on just about every type of trail. Check out our full review to hear why we think the Mont Blanc BOA is a shoe worth getting excited about.
Joe DeMoor on the Sub-Ultra Trail Scene, His Colorado Running Roots, and Riding the Red Line (Ep.147)
Joe DeMoor is about as Colorado as they come; running up mountains is in his blood. The Buena Vista native and La Sportiva athlete has had a breakout year of racing thus far, so we sat down with him to talk about growing up on Colorado trails; the ins-and-outs of sub-ultra-distance racing; graveyard shifts; pain caves; and a whole lot more.
Flash Review: 22/23 Black Crows Atris
This past weekend one of our reviewers got his first turns of the season aboard the redesigned Atris — check out his initial thoughts on what’s changed and what hasn’t.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Benji Alexander on Life after the Olympics & the Future of Snowsports (Ep.236)
Since becoming Jamaica’s first Olympic alpine ski racer, nothing has slowed down for Benji Alexander. So we caught up with Benji to talk about post-Olympics life; opening doors for other athletes; ensuring the future of snowsports; and more.
Flash Review — Hope Evo 155 mm Cranks
Mountain bike crank length hasn’t been widely examined in a long time. That seems to be changing, with a number of brands touting the benefits of shorter options, and we’ve started spending time on Hope’s 155 mm option — one of the shortest on the market. 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.
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Win Zag Skis
The winner of our gear giveaway this week will get either the Slap 98 or Slap 98 Lady from Zag Skis out of Chamonix, France!
Blizzard-Tecnica’s Women2Women Program with Leslie Baker-Brown (Ep.223)
Kristin Sinnott and Kara Williard talk with Blizzard-Tecnica’s Women2Women program founder and ski legend, Leslie Baker-Brown, about her background in ski racing; her 32 years of work for Blizzard-Tecnica; their design process for women’s gear (including designing the #1 selling ski in the world); what gives her hope and inspiration for the future; and where we can still work to improve the industry.
Renoun: the Non-Newtonian Ski Company | Blister Summit Brand Lineup
We sat down with Renoun founder & engineer, Cyrus Schenck, to get a rundown on what makes Renoun skis unique — and we do not use that term lightly — and the skis that constitute their current lineup. Other topics include what blood and Renoun skis have in common (?); how Renoun’s approach to ski weight has evolved over the years; the interesting backstory of their women-specific Earhart 88; and a whole lot more.
Black Diamond Rhythm T
As a mainstay of Black Diamond’s Distance Line, the Rhythm T is intended to be a do-it-all layer for everything from casual day hikes to long pushes above treeline. After over 2000 total miles of testing, we think the shirt is likely a worthwhile addition to many runners’ wardrobes. Check out our full review to learn why the Rhythm T might be the only one you need.
Trinity MTB’s Gearbox & V3 Prototype (Ep.144)
The development of the Trinity MTB has been one of the coolest ongoing projects in the bike world, and Mic Williams is back on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about the latest — including their exciting and now-operational gearbox, which is poised to pick up where Honda left off with their famous RN-01.
4-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (22/23)
We started with huge 5-ski quivers, and now our reviewers have to narrow it down from there — check out Part Two of their personal picks, with additions from Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, & David Golay.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Leilani Bruntz: Crepitus — An Accident Report
When things go wrong in the mountains, we need to share these stories and see what we all can learn. In our latest Open Mic, professional guide, Leilani Bruntz, shares her recent experience of a difficult day in the mountains.
Flash Review — EXT Era V2.1 Fork
We’ve started spending time on the latest iteration of the EXT Era fork — check out our initial on-trail impressions of the Era V2.1.
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.)
Mike McKnight on His Record-Setting Cocodona 250 Comeback & Discovering His Potential (Ep.174)
Salomon athlete Mike McKnight’s comeback at this year’s Cocodona 250 was improbable, to put it mildly. After trailing the leaders by more than 30 miles, he rallied to not only win the race, but to do so in record-setting fashion. So, we sat down with Mike to recap his victory, talk about his approach to 200+ mile events, and more.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (May 2023) (Ep.262)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the case for climate optimism; this season’s record number of skier visits; Super El Nino; the Most Canadian News; mountain town advice (including a new pick-up line for mtn towns?); and of course, Succession.
Volkl Revolt 114, Blaze 114, & Secret 102 | Blister Summit 2023 Video
Volkl’s Chris McKenna runs us through the new Blaze 114, a lightweight freeride powder ski; their new big-mountain model, the Revolt 114; how the two compare; how the Revolt 114 differs from the rest of the Revolt series; the updated women’s Secret 102, and more.
Flash Review — 2023 Orbea Wild
We’ve started spending time on Orbea’s longest-travel e-bike, the Wild. Check out our initial thoughts.
Bikes vs. Skis, 4th Edition (2023): Part 3 (Ep.247)
Which ski company is most similar to which bike company? What’s the latest incendiary thing that will come out of Dylan Wood’s mouth? This final installment of our 4th edition is another fun one.
Win MTB Apparel from Flylow
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will get Flylow’s new Trailworks Jacket plus any Flylow MTB shorts and a Flylow jersey!
Flash Review: 23/24 Scarpa Gea RS
Here are our initial thoughts on Scarpa’s updated Gea RS, including comparisons to the Tecnica Zero G Tour Scout W.
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.
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HT T2 & X3 Pedals
Our bike editor has been a huge fan of HT’s clipless pedals for a long time now, and the latest iterations of their Trail and DH pedals — the T2 and X3 — bring about some subtle but welcome refinements while retaining everything that made the older T1 and X2 great in the first place.
23/24 HEAD Skis & Boots | Blister Summit 2023 Video
We sat down with HEAD’s Andrew Couperthwait to discuss how they went about expanding their freestyle-oriented Oblivion series, including 2 brand-new models; Cole Richardson and other HEAD athletes’ roles in those skis’ development; the evolution of their Kore skis; their recently overhauled Kore boots, and more.
Stuff We Like: May 2023
For May’s edition of our monthly Stuff We Like series, we have a bunch of items to kick off summer, including water shoes and sandals, sunscreen, hats, towels, shorts, bike tools and accessories, chamois butter, and more. Check it out to see the latest gear our reviewers have been digging.