BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flash Review: 22/23 Majesty Superpatrol
Majesty’s new touring ski, the Superpatrol, has some pretty interesting design elements, and we just got our first day on it. 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.)
Revel Bikes’ Adam Miller on the new Rail 29 & the State of the Bike Industry (Ep.114)
Revel’s new Rail 29 was a long time coming, and now it’s here — so we sat down with Revel founder Adam Miller to get the story on its development; managing a bike company during the pandemic; the state of the supply chain; wheel sizes; and much more.
Antidote Woodsprite
Antidote has long been known for their Enduro and DH bikes, but today they’re launching a shorter-travel Trail bike — the Woodsprite. Check out our First Look for all the info.
2022-2023 4FRNT Switch
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the 4FRNT Switch.
Flash Review: 22/23 Blizzard Hustle 10
We’ve been skiing Blizzard’s new “lightweight freeride” skis, the Hustle series — check out our thoughts so far on the Hustle 10.
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.)
2022-2023 Majesty Superpatrol
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Majesty Superpatrol — a new 95mm-wide touring ski with some very interesting design elements.
Salomon Ultra Glide
The Ultra Glide is Salomon’s first foray into the maximal trail shoe category, and it does not disappoint. Check out our review to hear from two of our reviewers about their experience with the shoe, and how it compares to the competition.
Stacked Fields, Golden Tickets, & Thoughts From the Lead Pack (Ep.116)
In this ‘Race Edition’ of Running Through the News, Salomon athlete, Leah Yingling (who’s already been on major podiums twice this year), joins us to discuss race results from the past few weeks and to preview the stacked fields at Madeira Island Ultra Trail and Canyons 100k.
How We Test & Review Gear, Pt 1 | BLISTER Summit ’22 Panel Discussion
Blister reviewers, Paul Forward, Jonathan Ellsworth, Kara Williard, and Dylan Wood talk about how they approach testing and reviewing gear; how this applies to anyone trying something new; how to make the most of a ski demo; and more.
Flash Review: 22/23 K2 Mindbender 108Ti
Here are some of our initial thoughts on the revised Mindbender 108Ti, how it compares to the previous version, and new Mindbender 99Ti.
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.)
Deep Dive: Head Ski Boots Brand Lineup, 21/22
Next up in our Deep Dive series on ski boots is Head — check it out for a rundown on every boot in Head’s current lineup, the most comparable alternatives from other brands, and more details to help you figure out what differentiates each boot in the lineup.
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.)
Flash Review — 2023 Santa Cruz Megatower
We’ve started spending time on the brand-new Santa Cruz Megatower. Check out our first 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.)
On Our Blister ‘Crash Course’ Snow Blade Video (Ep.208)
We take you behind the scenes of our Blister ‘Crash Course’ Snow Blade video, and answer all the big questions, like: why no ski poles?; telemark vs. snowblading; & more.
New Skis, Ski Boots, & Gas-Station Food (Ep.192)
Luke and Jonathan discuss new skis, ski boots, liners, and apparel from Faction, Salomon, ZipFit, Dynastar, Renoun, Majesty, Strafe, Lange, and more. Plus gas-station food and owls.
Win Le Bent Prize Packs
This week TWO winners will each get a spring prize pack from Le Bent, including their merino wool / bamboo mountain bike socks, trail running socks, and shirt!
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Reynolds Blacklabel 329 Trail Pro Wheels
The Reynolds Blacklabel 329 Trail Pro wheels are very light and notably wide for an all-around Trail bike option, and we think that makes them an especially compelling option for the right riders. Check out our full review to see how they stack up and who they’ll work best for.
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2022 — In The Garage
Next up in our 2022 Gift Guide series are those bigger items that you might need to hide in the garage — you can now check out Part Two of our reviewers’ recommendations, with additions from Jonathan Ellsworth and Kristin Sinnott.
BLISTER+: Real-World Testimonials — Dylan Wood
Dylan Wood shares his injury story, and how BLISTER+ helped him get the care he needed — at no cost to him.
BLISTER+: Real-World Testimonials — Jonathan Ellsworth
A random crash on a very mellow section of a mtn bike ride left me in rough shape, and a friend took me to the emergency room. Even though I was paying nearly $600 a month for insurance, I still had to pay $8000 to cover my deductible.
With BLISTER+, I would have paid $0.
Ellie Smith on Racing all the Disciplines, Bike Setup, Welding, & More (Ep.148)
Ellie Smith entered the 2022 race season with few expectations and little more of a plan than to do her best and see where things went from there. Then she won the Australian National DH Championships (on an Enduro bike) — and that was just the start.
Trail Running Glossary of Terms: Trail Lingo
Trail running culture has a language all its own, full of slang terms, expressions, and phrases that add character to the sport. Here’s another update to our Trail Running Lingo glossary, in an attempt to define and explain some of the common, curious, and often-confounding vocabulary of the sport.
CORK: Holiday Edition (Ep.16)
Danielle & Katie Nichols, the sisters behind CORK in Stowe, VT, are back to talk more about “natural wine”; discuss Italy, “priest stranglers,” and Corksicles; offer advice on holiday gift buying; and tell us about the revamped CORK Wine Club.
2022-2023 Nordica Santa Ana Unlimited 93
Nordica’s Santa Ana series has gained a lot of fans over the years, and with the Santa Ana Unlimited 93, Nordica has done a good job maintaining some of the most notable qualities of the Santa Ana series while cutting out a whole lot of weight for a more uphill-friendly ski. Check out our full review for more.
Flash Review: 22/23 Fischer Ranger 96
Update 12.14.22: Luke Koppa adds his thoughts so far on the new Ranger 96.
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.)
Yeti SB120
Yeti’s been busy, launching three new bikes in just the last few weeks. Next up we’re taking a closer look at the shortest-travel one, the SB120.
Ryan Montgomery on Creating an LGBTQ+ Trail Community Through ‘Out Trails’ (Ep.150)
Ultrarunning is often admired for the strength of its community, a quality that unites runners with a sense of belonging. However, we can always do more to ensure that this feeling of acceptance extends to everyone, regardless of how they identify. So, we sat down with Altra Athlete Ryan Montgomery to talk to him about Out Trails, an initiative he started to help build safe spaces for LGBTQ+ runners.
Chromag Darco and Lowdown
There might not be another brand on earth as well-known for aggressive hardtails as Chromag, but today they’ve launched their first (adult) full suspension bikes — the Darco and Lowdown — and they look to keep a lot of Chromag’s identity intact, just in a squishier package.