BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
McKenna Peterson & Jed Yeiser on Developing Skis; the Blister Alpine Binding Test; & More (Ep.189)
Jonathan was in the Cascade mountains of Washington this week with K2 skier, McKenna Peterson, and K2 ski designer, Jed Yeiser, and after a great day of skiing, we sat down to talk about ski developing and prototyping; ski testing; our ski-binding shootout; biathlons; flip flips; & books.
Win Zag Skis
This week the winner of our Gear Giveaway will get Zag’s playful freeride ski, the Slap 104!
2022-2023 Head Kore 111
The newest member of Head’s Kore line, the Kore 111 is a ski that’s both very agile and very supportive, making it a very appealing soft-snow option for aggressive, dynamic skiers. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons for more.
Deep Dive: Head Kore 111
We compare the Kore 111 to the Head Kore 105, Head Kore 117, Atomic Bent 110, 4FRNT Hoji, Salomon QST Blank, Line Vision 118, Black Crows Anima, J Skis Friend, RMU North Shore YLE 110, K2 Reckoner 112, Moment Deathwish, Blizzard Rustler 11, Sego Comp 110, Dynastar M-Free 108, Icelantic Nomad 105, Nordica Enforcer 110, J Skis Slacker, and WNDR Alpine Intention 110.
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2022-2023 Elan Ripstick Tour 104
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the new Elan Ripstick Tour 104.
EXT Founder Franco Fratton on a Lifetime in Suspension (Ep.110)
EXT founder Franco Fratton might be the most interesting man in the suspension world, and we sat down to talk about his career, working in Formula One, entering the bike market, suspension design philosophy, and a whole lot more.
Flash Review: 22/23 K2 Mindbender 99Ti W
Here are our initial impressions of the revised version of K2’s metal-laminate women’s all-mountain ski, the 22/23 Mindbender 99Ti W.
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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Stuff We Like: March 2022
Our latest Stuff We Like roundup features everything from boots to baselayers, jackets, mittens, bike shoes, and much more. Check it out here.
Flash Review: 22/23 Head Kore 105
Head is making some tweaks to their freeride skis for 22/23, and we’ve been A/B testing the current and new Kore 105. Check out our thoughts.
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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2022 Cannondale Jekyll
Cannondale calls their new high-pivot Jekyll a game-on Enduro race bike, and it is a good one. But it’s also a bit more versatile than that label might suggest. Check out our full review for our take.
Running Through the News (Mar 2022) (Ep.112)
Blister running editor, Matt Mitchell, is joined by Blister reviewer, Gordon Gianniny, to discuss current events in the running world. The two dish on race results from the month of March, including the Way Too Cool 50k, Chuckanut 50k, and the Barkley Marathons; talk through the significance of Broken Arrow Skyrace’s prize purse announcement; look forward to the North American Golden Trail Series; and speculate about what Kilian Jornet is up to after leaving his longtime sponsor.
2022-2023 Black Crows Anima
After two seasons on it, the latest version of the Black Crows Anima has proven to be a pretty versatile, wider ski for a broad range of skiers. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons for more info.
Deep Dive: Black Crows Anima
We compare the Anima to the DPS Foundation Koala 118, Moment Wildcat, Salomon QST Blank, Rossignol Blackops 118, Dynastar M-Free 118, J Skis Friend, 4FRNT Inthayne, Volkl Revolt 121, 4FRNT Renegade, Line Vision 118, Atomic Bent Chetler 120, Line Outline, Elan Ripstick 116, Head Kore 117, Icelantic Nomad 115, Prior Northwest 116, Nordica Enforcer 115 Free, Season Forma, & K2 Reckoner 112.
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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Ski Binding Design | BLISTER Summit ’22 Panel Discussion
At our 2022 Blister Summit, we brought together a wide-ranging group of panelists to discuss alpine ski bindings; their features and how they affect on-snow performance; the real-world considerations anyone might want to take into account when thinking about alpine bindings; Amer’s brand-new Strive binding; and much more. Watch the video here
2022 Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol
We’ve now used the same exact front triangle to review four different Guerrilla Gravity bikes, and the latest one, the revised Trail Pistol, has proven to be a nice update to the brand’s short-travel Trail bike. Check out our full review for more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review — Hope Evo 155 mm Cranks
Mountain bike crank length hasn’t been widely examined in a long time. That seems to be changing, with a number of brands touting the benefits of shorter options, and we’ve started spending time on Hope’s 155 mm option — one of the shortest on the market. 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.
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 Zag Skis
The winner of our gear giveaway this week will get either the Slap 98 or Slap 98 Lady from Zag Skis out of Chamonix, France!
Blizzard-Tecnica’s Women2Women Program with Leslie Baker-Brown (Ep.223)
Kristin Sinnott and Kara Williard talk with Blizzard-Tecnica’s Women2Women program founder and ski legend, Leslie Baker-Brown, about her background in ski racing; her 32 years of work for Blizzard-Tecnica; their design process for women’s gear (including designing the #1 selling ski in the world); what gives her hope and inspiration for the future; and where we can still work to improve the industry.
Renoun: the Non-Newtonian Ski Company | Blister Summit Brand Lineup
We sat down with Renoun founder & engineer, Cyrus Schenck, to get a rundown on what makes Renoun skis unique — and we do not use that term lightly — and the skis that constitute their current lineup. Other topics include what blood and Renoun skis have in common (?); how Renoun’s approach to ski weight has evolved over the years; the interesting backstory of their women-specific Earhart 88; and a whole lot more.
Black Diamond Rhythm T
As a mainstay of Black Diamond’s Distance Line, the Rhythm T is intended to be a do-it-all layer for everything from casual day hikes to long pushes above treeline. After over 2000 total miles of testing, we think the shirt is likely a worthwhile addition to many runners’ wardrobes. Check out our full review to learn why the Rhythm T might be the only one you need.
Trinity MTB’s Gearbox & V3 Prototype (Ep.144)
The development of the Trinity MTB has been one of the coolest ongoing projects in the bike world, and Mic Williams is back on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about the latest — including their exciting and now-operational gearbox, which is poised to pick up where Honda left off with their famous RN-01.
4-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (22/23)
We started with huge 5-ski quivers, and now our reviewers have to narrow it down from there — check out Part Two of their personal picks, with additions from Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, & David Golay.
Trail Running 101: How to Run With Poles
While plenty of runners never break out a pair of poles, they can be a big help when it comes to navigating efficiently up and down steep terrain. When used properly, they can increase propulsion going uphill, more evenly distribute the impact from running downhill, and keep you steady on tricky, off-camber surfaces. So in part nine of our Trail Running 101 series, we offer some tips on how (and when) to wield them like a pro.
Lily Pads
For the latest installment of our Open Mic series, Angel Collinson discusses transitions, leaps, pushing through and pulling back.
Leah Yingling on Chiang Mai Trails, World Champs, and Running Long for Team USA (Ep.146)
Off The Couch’s reporter-at-large, Leah Yingling, returns to the show to catch us up on how she rounded out her summer season, including her experience taking in the scene at UTMB this year; a recap of her run for Team USA at the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand a couple of weeks ago; and a whole lot more.
2022 Fezzari La Sal Peak
The Fezzari La Sal Peak is billed as a “versatile” Enduro bike and is a great deal in terms of the parts spec. But are there tradeoffs? We’ve spent a lot of time on the La Sal in a ton of different terrain and are ready to weigh in.
2022-2023 Scarpa 4-Quattro XT
Here are our measured specs, images, and initial impressions of Scarpa’s new 4-Quattro XT, a “50/50” boot that looks very different from its direct competitors.