BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

Athletes & Entrepreneurship | BLISTER Summit ’22 Panel Discussion
We talk with pro skiers & entrepreneurs, Chris Davenport, McKenna Peterson, and Julian Carr about how being a professional athlete has evolved; how they balance their skiing careers with starting and managing other businesses; and more.

Bode Miller Launches New Ski Brand, Peak Ski Company
Bode Miller has launched a new direct-to-consumer ski brand, Peak Ski Company. Check out our writeup for all the details on the brand and its first six ski models.

Aenomaly Switchgrade Seat Angle Adjuster
Most mountain bikers just set their seat angle to a comfortable position to pedal on flat ground and forget about it. But Aenomaly thinks there’s a better way, so they made the Switchgrade to let you change your seat angle on the fly. And having spent a few months on one, they’re definitely on to something. Check out our full review for more.

2022-2023 Atomic Redster CS 130
Atomic’s Redster CS series combines race-boot features with extensive fit-customization features more typical of all-mountain boots, with the goal of bringing race-level performance to a more versatile overall package. Check out our First Look & Flash Review for more info.

Flash Review: 22/23 Atomic Redster CS 130
Jonathan Ellsworth has been spending a whole lot of time skiing Atomic’s “race-inspired” Redster CS 130 — check out his thoughts.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Backcountry Safety & Backcountry Safety Equipment | BLISTER Summit ’22 Panel Discussion
We cover a number of important backcountry-safety topics with Backcountry Access (BCA) co-founder, Bruce Edgerly; Salomon skier & filmmaker, Drew Petersen; lead guide, snow safety director, & former ski patroller, Megan Paden; & lead avalanche forecaster, Zach Guy.

Flash Review: 22/23 Faction Dancer 2X
Here are our initial on-snow impressions of the women’s version of Faction’s 96mm-wide, metal-laminate all-mountain ski.
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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Broken Arrow Skyrace, Prize Purses, & the Current Race Landscape (Ep.114)
We talk to Brendan Madigan, race director of the Broken Arrow Skyrace, about the current state of races; prize purses; the economics of putting on a race; and why Brendan sees independent races as such a critical part of the race landscape.

2022-2023 RMU North Shore YLE 110
The RMU YLE 110 blurs the lines between fat powder skis and more versatile all-mountain skis, and it’s proven to be a blast in the right conditions and terrain. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see if it’d be right for you.

Deep Dive: RMU North Shore YLE 110
We compare the YLE 110 to the RMU Apostle 106, Atomic Bent 110, WNDR Alpine Intention 110, Head Kore 111, 4FRNT Hoji, Salomon QST Blank, K2 Reckoner 112, Moment Deathwish, Dynastar M-Free 108, Prior Northwest 110, Kye Shapes Metamorph, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, Icelantic Nomad 105, Blizzard Rustler 11, & J Skis Slacker.
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 — 2022 YT Capra
We’ve got a few rides on the new YT Capra Uncaged 6, with RockShox’s Flight Attendant electronic suspension. And while that system has been the biggest storyline about the bike so far, it’s shaping up to be an impressive offering in other respects, too. Check out our Flash Review for our early 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.
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Mountain Gazette editor, Mike Rogge (Ep.206)
Jonathan talks with Mountain Gazette editor, Mike Rogge, about the current state of outdoor media; the revival and future of Mountain Gazette; which non-outdoor publications inspire him; and more.

Five Ten Trailcross GTX
Five Ten calls the Trailcross GTX “the ultimate wet weather riding shoe” and it is, by far, the best option our Bike Editor has tried to date. But it’s not quite perfect — so check out our full review for the full rundown.

BLISTER Labs: Projects & Personnel | BLISTER Summit ’22 Panel Session
We discuss our new BLISTER Labs initiative with some of the key players involved (Jeni Blacklock, Sean Humbert, Greg Vanderbeek, and Lauren Cooper); our current and upcoming BLISTER Labs projects; and how the blend of quantitative and qualitative testing will help us learn more about product performance and help consumers make more informed buying decisions.

Gear West on Current Trends + New Ski & Snowboard Gear (Ep.190)
We’re talking new gear and gear trends with Lucas Evans and Jeff Perry of Gear West, our Blister Recommended Shop in Long Lake, Minnesota.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

Flash Review — 2023 Trek Fuel EX
We’ve started spending time on the radically-updated (and wildly adjustable) Trek Fuel EX — check out our Flash Review for our early 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.
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Flash Review: 22/23 Head Kore RS 130
Here are our initial impressions of Head’s completely updated 22/23 touring boot, the Kore RS 130.
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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Major Announcement: new BLISTER+ Membership Has You Covered
Every skier, snowboarder, mtn biker, cyclist, runner, etc., needs this. Check it out now.

Karhu Ikoni Trail 1.0
The Karhu Ikoni Trail 1.0 comes from a heritage brand with over a century of experience crafting performance footwear for long distance running. As a trail take on an already established model, its myriad features seem smartly positioned to meet the demands of varied off-road terrain. Check out our full review for a better idea of what to expect from Karhu’s latest trail shoe.

Win 4FRNT Skis
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week can pick any non-4-Lock ski they want from 4FRNT’s diverse lineup!

Matt Manser on Atomic’s 22/23 Ski Boot Lineup & More (Ep.225)
Matt Manser is back to discuss the current lineup of Atomic ski boots and what’s new for this season; running through airports in ski boots; Tom Cruise; the Atomic Redster CS vs. the Hawx Ultra Professional; and more.

Manitou Jack Dropper Post
Manitou’s latest iteration of their Jack dropper post takes one of the best options out there — the Bike Yoke Revive — and keeps the core of what makes it great, but tries to refine a few of the details. So have they succeeded?

Flash Review: 22/23 Head Supershape e-Titan
Here are our thoughts so far on the widest ski in Head’s Supershape 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.
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A Very Deep Dive on Suspension with EXT’s Franco Fratton, Pt. 2 (Ep. 146)
EXT founder Franco Fratton is back on Bikes & Big Ideas to continue our deep dive on suspension design and technology, and he’s got a ton to teach all of us about damper design, performance, and some of the common misconceptions about them in the mountain bike world.

2-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (22/23)
We’re continuing to have our reviewers trim down their personal ski quivers for the 22/23 season, and things are finally starting to get tricky — check out Part Two of our reviewers’ picks for their personal 2-ski quivers, with additions from Kristin Sinnott, Paul Forward, Luke Koppa, & Jonathan Ellsworth.

Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2022 — Stocking Stuffers
Struggling to find the perfect gift for someone in your life? Our reviewers are here to help — check out some of their top stocking stuffer ideas for this year, with several new suggestions here in Part Two.

Flash Review: 22/23 Line Blade Optic 92
Update 11.29.22: Here are some more of our thoughts on the narrowest, cheapest, and lightest ski in Line’s new Blade Optic 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.
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