BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Win Baselayers From Woolf Merino
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will both get any shirt, pants, and socks of their choosing from Woolf Merino!
2025-2026 Atomic Bent 100
The Atomic Bent 100 has been one of the best-selling skis on the market for several years now — and for good reason — but Atomic recently decided to update it. So, how far have they strayed from their winning recipe? Here’s our Full Review of the latest Bent 100.
Deep Dive: Atomic Bent 100
We compare the Atomic Bent 100 to the previous Bent 100, Atomic Bent 110, Black Crows Camox, Fischer Nightstick 97, J Skis Allplay, Head Oblivion 102, Dynastar M-Free 99, Dynastar M-Free 100, K2 Reckoner 102, Line Chronic 101, K2 Omen Team, Nordica Unleashed 98, 4FRNT Switch, Faction Studio 2, Salomon Depart, Salomon QST 100, RMU Apostle 96 Ti, Line Optic 96, Line Pandora 99, Blizzard Rustler 9, ZAG Slap 98, Icelantic Nomad 100, and Rossignol Sender Soul 102.
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1UP RackAttach and Accessory Panel System
1UP recently launched an innovative gear-carrying solution that attaches to their swing-out hitch mount, effectively dipping their toes into the overlanding scene — check out what they’ve been up to.
2025-2026 RMU Valhalla 97
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the updated RMU Valhalla 97.
Flash Review: 24/25 ON3P Woodsman 100
Update: we have a whole new batch of test skis in from ON3P, and we’ve now logged several days on both the ‘Signature’ and ‘Ripper’ versions of their Woodsman 100. Here are our main takeaways so far.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2024-2025 ON3P Woodsman 100
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the standard version of the ON3P Woodsman 100, as well as the custom “Ripper” variant.
Reviewing the News w/ Dylan Wood, March 2025 (Ep. 268)
Dylan and Simon recap the incredibly well-attended RedBull Tennessee National DH race, a range of interesting bike industry news, some exciting new products, and a whole lot more.
Flash Review: RockShox Reverb AXS B1
The new Reverb AXS B1 dropper from RockShox represents a ground-up redesign of the old one. Does it deliver a better on-trail experience? We’ve been riding the new one, and have some initial thoughts to share.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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RockShox Reverb AXS B1
The RockShox Reverb AXS has gotten a long-awaited update, with much more than just longer travel options. With up to 250 mm of drop, a revised layout, and an air-over-air design that simplifies maintenance and offers saddle compliance, it’s a very different Reverb AXS. Check out the details in our First Look.
Hunt Enduro V3 Wheels
Hunt is claiming that the rims used on their new Enduro V3 wheels are the strongest they’ve ever made. The hub is all new too, with a new star ratchet-based design — check out our First Look for a dive into the technical details.
Flash Review: 25/26 Völkl Mantra 84
Today we take a look at Völkl’s narrowest ‘Mantra’ — the redesigned Mantra 84.
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2025-2026 Völkl Mantra 84
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the brand-new Völkl Mantra 84.
Pursuing Excellence in the Service of Others: Jeff Galli, Campione Roman Kitchen (Ep.64)
Today we’re talking about the pursuit of excellence and how that can demonstrate a deep care for other people with Jeff Galli, the GM and co-owner of Campione, a roman kitchen in Livingston, Montana that was named to the New York Time’s 50 Best Restaurants in the U.S. list in 2023.
Project321 RG3 Hubs
We’ve been very impressed with Project321’s G3 mountain bike hubs, and now they’ve got a pared-down road and gravel version: the RG3. Check them out here.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review: Kona Hei Hei 10
The Kona Hei Hei has taken many forms over its 30+ year history. So, where does the most current, 10th generation of the Hei Hei sit in the market? We’ve been spending some time on it and have some initial thoughts.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Mountain Gazette’s Mike Rogge on the Natural Selection Ski Comp; Old Gear; “Outdoor” Movies; & More (Ep.353)
Mountain Gazette owner & editor, Mike Rogge, is back to talk about Travis Rice’s Natural Selection SKI comp; the virtues of crappy old gear; Jim Morrison’s trip report in the new issue of Mountain Gazette; Mike’s unorthodox picks for movies to cover on Blister Cinematic; & more.
2025-2026 Dynafit Ridge Pro Ski Boot
The Ridge Pro is the latest collab between Dynafit and Eric ‘Hoji’ Hjorleifson, and it’s proven to offer a really impressive blend of uphill efficiency and downhill capability — but there are some caveats to consider. Check out our Full Review for the whole story.
Santa Cruz Vala
The Vala brings about a couple of firsts for Santa Cruz — their first Horst Link bike and their first Bosch-powered eMTB. After several months on board the Vala, it’s left quite an impression. Find out why in our Full Review.
Deep Dive: Santa Cruz Vala
We compare the Santa Cruz Vala to the Cannondale Moterra SL, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay, Pivot Shuttle AM, Devinci E-Troy, and Orbea Wild.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review: 25/26 Völkl Mantra 88
Völkl is updating the Mantra 88 next season, and the new version has been impressive so far — here are Jonathan’s initial takeaways.
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 Mantra 88
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the updated Völkl Mantra 88.
Reviewer Reports: Closing-Day Setups, Trip Reports, Cody’s Surprise Visit, & More (Ep.343)
Luke, Kara, Jonathan, and Jbobb discuss a whole bunch of ski and snowboard gear they’ve been testing — and the very different locations and conditions where that testing has taken place.
Win PHANTOM Glide Ski / Snowboard Kits
The five winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a PHANTOM Glide Single Application Kit!
DT Swiss EXC 1200 Classic Wheels
DT Swiss’s 1700-series wheels are deservedly popular as higher-end aluminum options that come in at a reasonable price, but what about their flagship 1200-series carbon models? We’ve spent a ton of time on the Enduro-oriented EXC 1200 Classic wheelset to find out. Here’s our Full Review.
Flash Review: 25/26 La Sportiva Sender
The Sender is a new freeride-touring boot from La Sportiva, and it’s proven to be an interesting option during our initial testing. Here’s what we’ve 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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Cascade Components’ Stumpjumper High-Pivot Conversion (Ep.270)
Cascade Components is best known for making aftermarket suspension links to change the leverage curve of a wide range of bikes, but they’ve just launched something much more radical: a high-pivot conversion kit for the current Specialized Stumpjumper. So we sat down with them to discuss why, how, and what they learned from the project.