BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Altra Lone Peak 6
The original Altra Lone Peak debuted over 8 years ago, and after quickly gaining prominence among trail runners and thru-hikers alike, the shoe helped to further legitimize Altra’s unique approach to footwear design. Now in its 6th iteration, the latest Lone Peak received some considerable updates — check out our review to see where the latest Lone Peak slots into the running market.
Win SPY Sunglasses
The TWO winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get to pick any pair of SPY’s new Happy Boost sunglasses!
2023 La Sportiva Skorpius CR II & Vanguard Boots | Blister Summit Brand Lineup
We talk with Sean Van Horn about two of La Sportiva’s new ski boots: the lightweight Skorpius CR II, and the freeride-oriented Vanguard. We cover all the interesting design elements that La Sportiva packed into each boot; where each boot slots into the wide-ranging “touring” category; and how touring gear has evolved to reflect shifting consumer trends.
Blister Brand Guide: Adidas Terrex Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
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 2022 shoes.
The New Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
Last year we released the Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s guide — a different type of guide, one that doesn’t just compare this new bike to that new bike, but that would help you better understand and think about mountain bikes in general. This year, we’ve updated the guide to not only keep it up-to-date in the evolving bike industry, but have also added several new sections, including an in-depth one on how to get the most out of your suspension.
2021-2022 Liberty Origin 101
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Liberty Origin 101.
Hope on Their New Tech 4 Brakes & Sweating the Details (Ep.122)
Hope’s new Tech 4 brakes got a big bump up in power, but there’s a whole lot more that goes into designing a brake than just turning that dial to 11. So we sat down with Hope engineer Sam Gibbs to talk about all of that; the tradeoffs that go into brake design; the new Tech 4 lineup in detail; and a whole lot more.
2022-2023 Rossignol Sender 104 Ti
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the new Rossignol Sender 104 Ti.
David Laney on Ice Baths, Adventuring in the North Cascades, & Craft Footwear (Ep.124)
David Laney was already running 5 to 6 days a week by the time he turned 10, and has run professionally since bursting onto the trail scene in the early 2010s. He recently left his longtime sponsor and joined a relatively new player to the trail space in Craft Sportswear, and soon after doubled down with a full-time marketing job with them as well. So we talked to David about how it came about, what to expect from Craft Footwear, and much more — including, his signature ice bath routine, adventuring in the North Cascades, and running 100 miles for charity.
2022-2023 Nordica Unleashed 98 W
Nordica’s new Unleashed line offers skiers some more maneuverable, playful alternatives to their established Santa Ana & Enforcer series — check out our full review of the Unleashed 98 W to see how they compare.
Flash Review — Sage Flow Motion
We’ve started spending time on the new Sage Flow Motion, and it’s a very interesting combination of being quite playful and still fairly stable and capable in bigger terrain.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2023 Glade Goggles & Helmets | Blister Summit Brand Lineup
We talk with Glade’s Head of Product & Sustainability, Michael Barker, about the origins of the Glade brand; their product design ethos; current goggle models; their brand-new Boundary Helmet; and more.
2022-2023 Head Supershape e-Titan
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Head Supershape e-Titan.
Trail Running 101: Trail Running Etiquette
Trail running is a great way to enjoy a sense of freedom in the outdoors — but like most freedoms, it comes with a bit of responsibility. As more and more people flock to the trails, the greater the impact we’re likely to have on each other’s experience. In part four of our Trail Running 101 series, we offer nine guidelines for how to be a respectful steward to the trails and the people we share them with.
Snowboarding Pioneer, Kimmy Fasani (Ep.215)
Kimmy Fasani is a pioneer of women’s snowboarding, mother, partner of Chris Benchetler, and (among other things) someone who has been dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis. So we checked in with Kimmy to talk about how she’s doing, what she’s been learning, and what we can learn from her.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Blister Summit 2023 Recap & Photo Story: Day 1
Blister Summit 2023 is off to a great start! Check out the photos, stories, and recaps from the first day.
Drew Petersen on Skiing with College Kids, Mtn Towns & Mental Health, & More (Ep.247)
Jonathan sits down with Drew Petersen in Blister HQ to talk about skiing with Western Colorado University’s freeride team, and to dive deeper into certain topics around mountain towns and mental health that Drew explores in his film (that you can watch on YouTube), Ups & Downs.
Flash Review: 23/24 Rossignol Sender Free 110
We’ve had several reviewers spending time on two different lengths of the new Sender Free 110 — check out their thoughts 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.
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.)
Win Any Blizzard Rustler or Sheeva Ski
The winner of this week’s gear giveaway can pick any new Rustler or Sheeva ski from Blizzard!
2022-2023 WOVN Kingfisher 120
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the WOVN Kingfisher 120.
Flash Review: 22/23 Dynastar M-Pro 108
This season Dynastar updated one of their longest-standing and most “legendary” skis — here are our initial thoughts on the new M-Pro 108.
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.)
Neko Mulally’s World Cup DH Bike Development (Ep.156)
When we last caught up with Neko Mulally he had just launched his Frameworks self-designed World Cup DH race bike project, and now a year later, he’s learned a whole lot — and changed a lot of the frame design details along the way. So we sat back down to get the whole story.
2023 Santa Cruz Nomad
The newly mulleted Santa Cruz Nomad is pretty different from the bike that it replaced, but it’s still the more playful, less-demanding Enduro bike in Santa Cruz’s lineup — and it’s excellent.
Jeremy Jones: The Art of Shralpinism
In our latest installment of Open Mic, we are publishing the opening pages of Jeremy Jones’ book, The Art of Shralpinism, with an introduction by Jonathan Ellsworth that focuses on the artistry of the book itself.
2022-2023 Majesty Dirty Bear XL
This season Majesty opted to take a longstanding ski in their lineup and split it into two different models — check out our full review for more on the new, 105mm-wide Dirty Bear XL.
Deep Dive: Majesty Dirty Bear XL
We compare the Dirty Bear XL to the Black Crows Atris, Line Sir Francis Bacon, Salomon QST 106, K2 Reckoner 102, J Skis Hotshot, 4FRNT Devastator, Moment Deathwish 104, Elan Ripstick 104, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, Whitedot Altum 104, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105, Line Blade Optic 104, 4FRNT MSP 107, Sego Big Horn 106, Armada ARW 106 UL, Black Crows Camox, Volkl Revolt 104, Blizzard Rustler 10, DPS Koala 103, RMU Apostle 106, & ZAG Slap 104.
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.)
In Search of the ‘Best’ Coffee Gear (& Ski Boots), Pt. 2 (Ep.20)
Sam Higby, co-owner of First Ascent Coffee Roasters, joins Jonathan to talk pour overs, grinders, brewing at altitude, programmability, and more. Listen up, then let us know what your pick is for the best coffee-making setup out there.