BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
John Fellows: Artist, Illustrator, & Graphic Designer (Ep.5)
John Fellows is one of our favorite artists, and his signature style can be found across the outdoor industry. We discuss his background in art; the business of art & graphic design; the development of his style; and we announce our new Blister Artist Series that we are launching with John.
2023 Santa Cruz 5010
The mullet-ification of Santa Cruz’s formerly-27.5’’ models continues today with the 5010, and Santa Cruz is talking a big game about the new bike, calling it “the best handling trail bike ever”.
In Praise of Cooking & Cussing
For this edition of our Open Mic series, Angel Collinson talks about the merits of cooking — greasy, messy, sweaty, cooking, while out at sea.
Rod Farvard on UTMB, “Hobby Jogging,” & Making the Transition from Triathlon to the Trails (Ep.136)
On this week’s episode of Off The Couch, we sat down with ultrarunner Rod Farvard a week removed from finishing 5th American at this year’s Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc to talk about his first time racing on an international stage; how he made the jump from triathlon to trail running; “hobby jogging”; and a whole lot more.
2022 Pivot Firebird
Pivot talks a big game about the Firebird being a hardcore Enduro race bike first and foremost, and having spent several months on the bike, they’re right to — it’s a good one.
Blister Brand Guide: Scott Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
Scott has quietly been making a wide range of performance footwear for both roads and trails since 2006, when they contracted a research and development lab in Portland, Oregon to help them design a lineup of shoes to meet the diverse demands of their athletes. Now over 15 years old, Scott’s trail and road running lines continue to offer innovative options for all sorts of runners. Check out our Brand Guide to learn more.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (August 2022) (Ep.225)
Cody and Jonathan discuss what’s going on at the National Ski Patrol; the proposed Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola; “pigloos”; mountain-town advice; what we’re reading & watching; and more.
Hickory & Tweed
This family-owned-and-operated ski shop provides excellent customer service, with a major focus on quality in-store experiences for every customer.
Blister Brand Guide: Craft Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
Craft is perhaps better known for making moisture-wicking technical layers than shoes, but since breaking into the footwear space a few years ago, they’ve already turned out an impressive lineup of innovative shoes for roads, trails, and everything in between. Check out our 2022 Brand Guide to see what’s new from Craft this year and which of their models might make the most sense for you.
A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt 1: The Basics (Ep.212)
Few things in the world of ski gear are as complex, important, or misunderstood as bootfitting. So in this 1st episode of our new series on bootfitting, we dive into the basics with Sam Tischendorf, Masterfit University instructor, former clinical podiatrist, and lead bootfitter.
Flash Review — Pivot Shadowcat
Update 9.2.22: Luke Koppa is now the third reviewer we’ve had on Pivot’s new lightweight, 27.5″ Trail bike, and he’s a fan — check out his initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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9point8 Fall Line Dropper Post
The 9point8 Fall Line is a lightweight dropper post with a bunch of unusual features that set it apart from many of its competitors.
Win a Sleep System from Zenbivy
This week’s lucky winner will get Zenbivy’s MotoBed — one of our favorite sleep systems for comfortable year-round car camping!
Dillon Osleger on Historic Trails, Changing Climates, & Evolving Communities (Ep.133)
On this week’s episode of Bikes & Big Ideas, we chatted with professional mountain biker, trail builder, and climate scientist, Dillon Osleger, about Rezduro; the Protect Our Winters Bike Alliance; trail building and advocacy; the development of mountain biking as both a sport and a community; and much more.
What is Natural Wine? Danielle & Katie Nichols of CORK, Stowe, VT (Ep.4)
To find out, we talked with Danielle and Katie Nichols, the two amazing sisters behind CORK Restaurant & Natural Wine Shop. Danielle and Katie provide a fantastic introduction and overview of natural wine, explain how they got into it; and they tell us about “Twinkie Wines,” too.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Abbey Bike Tools Founder Jason Quade (Ep.164)
Abbey Bike Tools was founded pretty much by accident — and the story is a great one — but has grown into one of the leading purveyors of high-end bike tools. So we sat down with founder Jason Quade to get the whole Abbey story.
Rossignol’s New Sender Free 110, Forza, & Essential Skis | Blister Summit 2023 Brand Lineup Video
We discuss the origins and details of the brand-new Sender Free 110; how it compares to Rossignol’s other Blackops and Sender skis; their new carving-oriented Forza collection; how they managed to create the highly recycled and recyclable Essential ski, and more.
2023-2024 Rossignol Sender Free 110
We now have had a handful of our reviewers on two lengths of the new Rossignol Sender Free 110, and there’s no question, it’s already getting a lot of buzz going into the 23/24 season. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to find out why.
Deep Dive: Rossignol Sender Free 110
We compare the Sender Free 110 to the Rossignol Blackops 118, Rossignol Sender Squad, Rossignol Sender 106 Ti+, Dynastar M-Free 108, Moment Wildcat, Salomon QST Blank, Volkl Katana 108, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Blizzard Cochise 106, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, Black Crows Corvus, Nordica Unleashed 108, Black Crows Atris, Icelantic Nomad 105, Faction Dancer 3, Blizzard Rustler 11, Fischer Ranger 108, Line Blade Optic 114, K2 Reckoner 112, 4FRNT MSP 107, & J Skis Hotshot.
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.)
Beer Collabs: A Love Story (Ep.22)
Why are there so many collabs in the craft beer world? We talk to Offset Bier co-founder, Conor Brown, and New Image Brewing founder, Brandon Capps, for answers, and also about the new collabs they’ve just released; “New World” or “West Coast” pilsners; snooty bike shops; skiing pow; barley wine; & more.
Blister Brand Guide: Adidas Terrex Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2023
Adidas continues to expand their off-road-oriented Terrex line of running shoes, with everything from high-cushion, long-distance shoes to minimal, lightweight options. Check out our Brand Guide to get the rundown on all of their 2023 shoes.
Courtney Dauwalter on Building Her Pain Cave, Nacho Connoisseurship, & Running By Feel (Ep.166)
As far as superlatives go, there’s little hand wringing about Salomon Athlete Courtney Dauwalter’s standing as one of the best ultrarunners in the world, period. We caught up with her shortly after her 15th win in a row to talk about the virtues of keeping things simple; her fabled pain cave; what does and does not belong on top of nachos; and more.
Dynafit’s Brand-New Freeride Collection | Blister Summit 2023 Brand Lineup
We sat down with Ross Herr from Dynafit to discuss their new Tigard 130 and Tigard 110 boots; how they compare to Dynafit’s Radical & Hoji Free boots; the origins and design of the Tigard 114 ski; how it slots into the rest of Dynafit’s ski lineup, and more
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (March 2023) (Ep.254)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial; Yakama Nation & hydro-electric energy development; the proposal to ban fixed bolts in wilderness areas; wieners in the wild; the most Canadian news; mountain town advice; and more.
Lazer Coyote Kineticore
The Lazer Coyote is the newer, less-expensive addition to their line of Kineticore helmets (after the Jackal that we reviewed last year) and it’s an especially impressive offering for the price — at exactly half the cost of the top-tier Jackal.
Ski / Snowboard Outerwear Mega Roundup — Women’s
In this updated mega roundup, we discuss over 30 different pieces of ski / snowboard outerwear that we’ve been testing over multiple seasons, from lightweight touring shells to insulated jackets and pants for cold resort days, including several new pieces for the upcoming 23/24 season.
Flash Review: 23/24 Fischer Ranger Pro 130
Fischer recently updated their freeride-touring boot and we’ve been testing the top-level Ranger Pro 130. 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.
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.)