BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2025-2026 Ellis Kanso 106
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Kanso 106 by Ellis Skis.
Founder Stories: Creating a Company in the Outdoor Industry (Venture Snowboards, CARV, Spark R&D, & AlpenFlow Design) (Ep.357)
We talk to Klem Branner, Venture Snowboards; Will Ritter, Spark R&D; Jamie Grant, CARV; and Cobey Nash, AlpenFlow Design about the highs, the lows, and the breakthroughs that come with starting a company — and the even more challenging work of keeping a company going.
Flash Review: OneUp Wave Flat Pedals
The OneUp Wave pedals aren’t shaped like any other flat pedals we’ve seen, and their performance is proving equally unique so far. Check out our impressions from the first few rides.
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Flash Review: 25/26 Völkl Blaze 104
The original Völkl Blaze 106 was an impressively adaptable 50/50 ski for lift-accessed and human-powered skiing, but Völkl recently replaced it with the new Blaze 104. So, how similar or different are they?
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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2025-2026 Völkl Blaze 104
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Völkl Blaze 104.
Gearing Up for the Famous Chamonix-to-Zermatt Haute Route (Ep.347)
Jonathan talks to BLISTER members, Bobak Farzin and Lukas Friedli, who teamed up to take on the famous Haute Route. We talk about their trip; the gear they used; what worked well for them; what worked less well; and, they offer some great advice for anyone thinking about doing any multi-day ski touring trip.
Win Hiking Shoes From La Sportiva
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will both get the women’s or men’s Prodigio Hike GTX shoe from La Sportiva!
Reviewer Reports: Tons of Suspension, Long Travel Enduro Bikes, Trickstuff Brakes, & More (Ep.274)
David and Zack discuss a ton of new gear they’ve been testing, including a whole lot of suspension from Fox, Trickstuff’s Maxima brakes, and more; compare their experiences converting their Enduro bikes to ultra-long-travel setups; chat about both of Pivot’s Trailcat variants, & more.
Flash Review: 24/25 Salomon MTN 96 Carbon
Several of us have been skinning and skiing on Salomon’s MTN 96 Carbon, which is the successor of one of our all-time favorite touring skis, the MTN Explore 95. Here’s what Luke Koppa has learned so far.
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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2024-2025 Salomon MTN 96 Carbon
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Salomon MTN 96 Carbon.
2025 Nicolai / Geometron G1
Geometron arguably did more than anyone else to spur on the geometry revolution that mountain bikes underwent over the last decade or so. Their second-generation G1 doesn’t appear to be as radical as the original one in some respects, but it’s a more refined, modern take on an aggressive, ultra-adjustable Enduro bike.
Deep Dive: Nicolai / Geometron G1
We compare the Nicolai / Geometron G1 to first-generation G1, RAAW Madonna V3, Privateer 161 V2, Chromag Lowdown, and Contra MC.
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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‘Jeremiah Johnson’ w/ Mike Rogge & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.37)
‘Jeremiah Johnson’ stars one of the most famous actors of all time, Robert Redford. But why did Mike Rogge want to discuss this film that came out 53 years ago? Why was it so important to Robert Redford? And how did it inspire one of the most popular GIFs / memes today??
SRAM GX Transmission Upgrade Kit
SRAM just launched the new 70 and 90-series mechanical versions of their T-Type groupsets. Now there’s a cheaper way to convert a mechanical Transmission setup to the GX wireless version.
2024-2025 ON3P Woodsman 92
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the ON3P Woodsman 92.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review: Salsa Spearfish
Salsa has jumped right into the modern XC bike mix with the new Spearfish. Check out our Flash Review to see how we’re getting along with it after a few rides.
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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Flash Review: 25/26 Salomon QST 106
We’re rounding out our Flash Reviews of the updated Salomon QST series with the longest-standing model, the QST 106 — check out our initial thoughts on how it compares to the prior-gen version and other QST models.
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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2025-2026 Salomon QST 106
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for Salomon’s updated QST 106.
Blister Book Club: ‘Everest, Inc.’ w/ author, Will Cockrell (Ep.360)
Jonathan talks with Will Cockrell about his excellent book, Everest, Inc. They discuss the fascinating history of guiding on Everest, the evolution of that industry, and the broader topic of the ethics, principles, and parameters of guiding in general, anywhere.
TRP Evo Pro Brakes
TRP’s Evo Pro brakes take over from the popular DH-R Evo as their flagship gravity offering, and TRP says the new stoppers offer better ergonomics, more power, and greater adjustability. We’ve spent the last seven months putting those claims to the test. See how the Evo Pro brakes stack up.
Ski vs Bike Industry, Part 2: State of Shops; Gear Wins & Fails; & the Future of Each (Ep.350)
Today, we take a look at the state of ski shops vs bike shops; what each industry is doing to grow participation and engagement in their sport; gear wins and fails; and our reviewers weigh in on which industry has the brighter future.
Ibis Oso 1.1
The Ibis Oso 1.1 got a few construction tweaks and a smaller price tag, but it’s still a very unique-looking offering on the eMTB market. It comes with a unique ride, too, but one that should appeal quite a bit to the right buyer. Read on to find out who the Oso might be for.
Win Apparel From SPC/LST
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Sapien Quilted Crew, Omega E-Waist Active 5.5” Short, and Range Beanie from SPC/LST!
Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, May 2025 (Ep. 277)
Mike and Simon discuss the exciting start to mountain bike World Cup DH racing, the fantastic Giro d’Italia, Christopher Blevins’ domination, Mathieu van der Poel’s rough day on a mountain bike, some good industry news, and a whole lot more.
2026 Orbea Occam SL & Occam LT
Orbea has updated the Occam SL and Occam LT Trail bikes, and while the changes aren’t massive, there are a couple of nice tweaks — including the option to forgo headset cable routing.
America’s Founding Spirit & the Most Important Distillery You’ve Never Heard Of (Ep.72)
Brandy doesn’t get the love that it deserves, given that it was America’s founding spirit, and no category has a bigger folk hero tied to it (Johnny Appleseed, anyone?). Today, we’re talking about all things brandy with Clear Creek Distillery.
Shimano XTR M9200 & M9220 Brakes
Alongside their new XTR Di2 drivetrain, Shimano also updated their longstanding and very popular XTR brakes, and we’ve been testing the Trail / Enduro version for the past few months. Here’s the design rundown on both of the new XTR stoppers, and our take on how the four-piston option has performed.