BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Johnny Collinson, Wendy Fisher, Sander Hadley, & Drew Petersen on The Mental Game (Ep.212)
Professional skiers are often asked about the mental preparation it takes to ski big lines and perform at a high level. But in this conversation (recorded at our Blister Summit), John Collinson, Wendy Fisher, Sander Hadley, and Drew Petersen offer a much broader perspective on ‘the mental game’ as it relates to dealing with injury and adversity; self identity; mental health; and much more.
2023 K2 Dispatch, FL3X, & Recon Team Boots | Blister Summit Brand Lineup
We talk with K2 Boots’ Product Line Manager, Tom Pietrowski, about all the new boots they’re launching for the 2022-2023 season, including the brand-new Dispatch series of touring boots, Recon Team alpine boot, and the rebranding of Full Tilt as “K2 FL3X” boots.
Flash Review: 22/23 Dynastar E-Pro 99
Here are some of our initial on-snow impressions of the women’s Dynastar E-Pro 99, after skiing two lengths.
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2022-2023 Majesty Vadera Carbon
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Majesty Vadera Carbon.
2022-2023 Stereo Piste V3
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Stereo Piste V3.
Dynafit Alpine
The Dynafit Alpine is designed to be a do-everything shoe that fits well, provides enough cushioning for long days out on the trails, and holds up regardless of where you take it. After testing, this statement checks out, and then some. The Dynafit Alpine is not only a great mountain running shoe, but one of the best all-around trail running models we’ve tested this year.
Stuff We Like: May 2022
In the May edition of our “Stuff We Like” series, we’ve got some puffy layers ideal for camping, bike accessories, casual apparel, and more. Check it out to see the latest gear our reviewers have been digging.
2022-2023 Wagner Summit 109
The Summit 109 is the newest addition to Wagner’s “Factory Series” of skis, and it’s a very well-rounded all-mountain ski that two of our reviewers — with quite different skiing styles — both really enjoyed. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons for more.
Deep Dive: Wagner Summit 109
We compare the Summit 109 to the Wagner Summit 106, Wagner Summit 107, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Line Blade Optic 104, Nordica Enforcer 110, J Skis Hotshot, RMU YLE 110, WNDR Alpine Intention 110, Head Kore 111, Atomic Bent 110, Moment Commander 108, Salomon QST Blank, 4FRNT Hoji, Icelantic Nomad 105, Volkl Katana 108, Blizzard Cochise 106, Sego Comp 110, Dynastar M-Free 108, Black Crows Corvus, Prior Husume, 4FRNT MSP 107, Moment Wildcat 108, Fischer Ranger 108, Moment Deathwish, & Rossignol Sender Ti.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Win Ride Concepts MTB Shoes
This week two winners will each get a pair of Ride Concepts’ flat-pedal or clipless Hellion Shoes!
Reviewer Reports: Touring Setups, Resort Skis, & Jelly Bean Bribery (Ep.197)
Kristin Sinnott, Dylan Wood, Kara Williard, Drew Kelly, and Luke Koppa cover everything from the setups Drew used while touring for several weeks in Alaska this spring, to a whole bunch of skis, boots, and bindings from Faction, Blizzard, K2, Nordica, Salomon, and more. We also touch on some new Strafe outerwear, get an update from Kara on some heated socks, and discuss some unique gear and tricks that Kristin’s been using to ski with her son.
Flash Review — 2022 Orbea Rallon
We’ve started spending time on the new Orbea Rallon Enduro bike, and our early impressions are quite positive. Check out our Flash Review for our initial thoughts.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2022-2023 DPS Pagoda Tour 106 C2
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the DPS Pagoda Tour 106 C2.
Contra Bikes on Building a Bike From Scratch (Ep.118)
Designing a bike frame is hard enough. Taking it to production is an even bigger challenge, but that hasn’t stopped Evan Turpen, and his Contra Bikes high-pivot prototype is extremely impressive. So this week on Bikes & Big Ideas, we sat down with Evan to chat about why he decided to start a bike company, and what he hopes to achieve with the bike; learn all about designing and fabricating frames from scratch (and how he learned to do it), and a whole lot more.
Hoka Tecton X
Hoka has a reputation for taking risks, and their first carbon-plated trail shoe, the Tecton X, benefits from the brand’s willingness to experiment with design and forgo the conventional. While the shoe has some drawbacks that limit its versatility, it’s nonetheless a worthy entrant into the hyper-performance trail shoe category and a model we expect to see on plenty of start lines this summer. Check out our full review for more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review: 22/23 Armada ARV 116 JJ UL
Reviewer Kara Williard is currently in Japan, and the lightweight and playful ARV 116 JJ UL is the ski she decided to bring with her. Check out her Flash Review to see her thoughts on it 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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Year of the BOA? Atomic’s Matt Manser on New Ski Boots, Liners, & BOA Systems (Ep.232)
Matt Manser is back to go deep on the new 23/24 Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD (and XTD BOA GW); the new Hawx Ultra XTD Mimic Professional liner; the all-new Atomic Backland XTD; and why we’re seeing the proliferation of the BOA system on ski boots.
2023-2024 Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA GW
Today, Atomic announced an overhauled Hawx Ultra XTD lineup of boots. Within this new lineup is a freeride touring boot that uses a BOA closure system in the place of the two lower shell buckles. Check out our First Look for details on the new Hawx XTD lineup and on the new Hawx Ultra XTD 130 BOA GW in particular.
2023-2024 Atomic Backland XTD 120
Atomic has launched a new collection of touring boots under their Backland umbrella — check out our First Look for all the info about the new Backland XTD boots.
Win Any WNDR Alpine Ski or Snowboard
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get to pick any ski or board from WNDR Alpine’s lineup!
Pivot Factory Racing’s Newest Member, Jakob Jewett (Ep.153)
Jakob Jewett’s World Cup DH career is off to a great start, so it’s wild to imagine that he was once on track to be a professional skier instead. We caught up with Jakob to hear all about his 2022 season, his approach to racing, his ongoing love of skiing, and a whole lot more.
Magura MT7 HC3 Brakes
There are a lot of good brakes on the market these days — way more than just a few years ago — and Magura’s MT7 HC3 brakes do a lot of things differently from most of their competitors. So how do they stack up in the increasingly crowded market, and who are they going to work best for?
Deep Dive: Folsom Cash 106
We compare the Cash 106 to the Folsom Primary 104, Salomon QST 106, Black Crows Atris, Line Blade Optic 104, Black Crows Corvus, Elan Ripstick 106, DPS Pagoda 106 C2, RMU Apostle 106, DPS Koala 103, Moment Deathwish 104, Rossignol Sender 104 Ti, Blizzard Rustler 10, 4FRNT Devastator, Whitedot Altum 104, 4FRNT MSP 107, Sego Big Horn 106, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105, J Skis Hotshot, Armada ARW 106 UL, & 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.
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2022-2023 Folsom Cash 106
We’ve had two reviewers spending time on multiple versions of Folsom’s Cash 106 shape — check out their thoughts in our Full Review and Deep Dive comparisons.
Saucony Xodus Ultra
The Xodus Ultra debuts as a marked improvement on previous iterations of Saucony’s Xodus line. The shoe drops some much-needed weight without undermining its intended use as a maximal option for a wide variety of trail types and conditions. While it’s not without its flaws, we still think it shapes up as a great choice for beginner trail runners still getting their footing, or for folks looking to add a capable everyday trainer to their shoe quiver. Check out our full review for the whole story.
Flash Review: 23/24 Blizzard Rustler 11
Blizzard recently announced that they’re updating their longstanding Rustler series, and we just got our first day on the new Rustler 11. 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.
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2023 Manitou Dorado
There aren’t many inverted forks left on the market, so how does one of the most famous holdouts — the Manitou Dorado — stack up against its more conventional competitors? We’ve spent a lot of time on both the Expert and Pro versions, and are ready to weigh in.