BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flash Review: 22/23 Line Blade Optic 104
We’ve had multiple reviewers on two different lengths of Line’s new Blade Optic 104 — check out Kara Williard & Luke Koppa’s thoughts on the 178 cm and 185 cm models.
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Ignorance is Bliss, Sometimes
Dropper posts keep getting longer — with OneUp’s new 240 mm version leading the charge — and our Bike Editor reflects on a decade-plus of dropper post evolution.
2022-2023 Moment Commander 108
We’ve had several reviewers on the latest iteration of Moment’s burly, metal-laminate, all-mountain charger — check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons of the Commander 108.
Deep Dive: Moment Commander 108
We compare the Commander 108 to the Moment Commander 98, previous Commander 108, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Volkl Katana 108, Blizzard Cochise 106, Fischer Ranger 102, Moment Wildcat 108, Wagner Summit 107, J Skis Hotshot, Folsom Blister Pro 104, Sego Comp 110, Black Crows Corvus, Prior Husume, 4FRNT MSP 107, Faction Dictator 3.0, & Rossignol Blackops Sender Ti.
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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Win Majesty Skis
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get one of our all-time favorite touring skis, the Majesty Superwolf!
Gear Myths & More w/ Cody Townsend (Ep.187)
Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth review some news, then talk about 5 gear myths; cookware; coffeemakers; & more.
Flash Review: 22/23 Kästle ZX108
Here are Dylan Wood and Jonathan Ellsworth’s initial impressions of the ZX108 and how it compares to the ZX115 and ZX100.
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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Yoann Barelli on Progression, Coaching, & Career Shifts (Ep.108)
Yoann Barelli is back on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about his new, very unique Into The Gnar Progression Team — and Yoann teases some very big news, too.
2022-2023 Head Formula RS 130 and Head Formula 130
This season Head overhauled their line of “Performance” alpine boots, and the new Formula boots are very different from the boots they replace.
Check out all the details in our First Look.
2022 Santa Cruz Bronson / Juliana Roubion
The Santa Cruz Bronson has grown a mullet, but it’s still a super versatile Trail bike that we think will work for a ton of different riders. Check out our full review for the complete rundown.
Jason Hardrath on FKTs & What Makes Him Tick (Ep.110)
Jason Hardrath holds more “Fastest Known Times” than anyone in the world. We talk to him about his upbringing; how a nearly fatal car accident introduced him to the world of FKTs; and his upcoming film, “Journey to 100,” which chronicles Jason’s attempt to climb the 100 tallest peaks in the state of Washington over 50 days; and more.
Flash Review: 22/23 Kästle ZX 115
The Kästle ZX115 was one of the most surprising skis we got on at the 2022 Blister Summit — and very much in a good way. Check out Jonathan Ellsworth’s 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.)
2022-2023 Salomon Stance 88 W
The women’s Stance 88 W is a versatile all-mountain ski that blurs the lines between stable chargers and more accessible, maneuverable alternatives. Check out our full review for more.
Jason Blevins & Chris Davenport (Ep.204)
We talk to Colorado Sun journalist, Jason Blevins, about this ski season & his predictions for next year’s, then we’re joined by Chris Davenport to talk about the 30th anniversary of the US Extreme Championships in Mt. Crested Butte; the Winter Olympics in Beijing; and more.
What We’re Watching — March 2022
March’s chapter of What We’re Watching has a bunch of ski, bike, and running videos for your entertainment — plus a sneak preview of our Bikes & Big Ideas guest for next week.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (October 2022) (Ep.234)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the latest 50 Project episode (The Sphinx); the US Alpine Team’s new name & sponsor; Cotopaxi closing its San Francisco store after repeated break-ins; NFL Talk; Mountain Town Advice; what we’re reading & watching; and more.
Blister Speaker Series Video: Jeremy Jones
Check out the full video from Jeremy Jones’ talk for the Blister Speaker Series at Western Colorado University, where he discussed filming, snowboarding, founding POW, the ‘outdoor state,’ POW’s ongoing and evolving efforts to address climate change, and more.
Flash Review — Ibis Ripmo V2S
Is the Ibis Ripmo V2S a more versatile take on an Enduro bike, or a more game-on Trail one? We’re not quite sure yet, but we’ve been spending time on the updated Ripmo and have some early thoughts on how it stacks up.
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.)
Bootfitting 101: Aftermarket Liners & Power Straps
In this next installment of our Bootiftting 101 series, we build on the many steps to achieving a great fitting pair of ski boots by exploring some of the aftermarket liners and other upgrades you can invest in to potentially further improve your setup.
Win Glade Goggles & a Helmet
This week the winner of our weekly Gear Giveaway will get Glade’s brand new Adapt 2 Goggles and Boundary Helmet!
A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 4: Big-Mountain Freeride Bootfitting with Fasa (Ep.221)
For the fourth installment of our Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, we talked with Fasa, who not only works at the Moment Ski Factory, but also happens to run one of the best bootfitting shops in the Reno area. Fasa runs us through what a “big-mountain freeride” approach to bootfitting looks like; how his background in running informs his understanding of feet and biomechanics; some weirdness about what athletes can tolerate, and much more.
Altra Outroad
The Outroad is Altra’s first true hybrid running shoe designed to transition between roads and trails with ease — here are our thoughts on how well it blurs those lines.
The Orogenesis Collective on Building the World’s Longest MTB Trail (Ep.142)
What if there was a Pacific Crest Trail, but for mountain bikes? The Orogenesis Collective is making it happen, with the planned route covering over 5,000 miles and spanning three countries. So we sat down to chat about the route, the story behind its founding, what you can do to help, & much more.
The Art & Science of Whiskey, with Liz Rhoades, WhistlePig (Ep.12)
We sat down with the head of whiskey development at WhistlePig, Liz Rhoades, to dive deep into the art and science of distilling, sourcing, yeast strains, specific types of rye, non-alcoholic whiskey, and … WhistlePig’s new bourbon.
e*thirteen Grappler Tire
e*thirteen calls the Grappler their most aggressive tire ever, meant for steep terrain across a range of conditions. Check out our full review to see how it stacks up against some other tires that claim the same.
Next Level Mtn Bike Wheel Testing | Blister Labs
In this video we provide a behind-the-scenes look at our latest testing of various mountain bike wheels’ performance characteristics — check it out to see what we’ve been up to!
What Does it Mean to be an ‘Outdoors’ Person?
There are 50 million “outdoors people” in the U.S., and Sander provides his thoughts on some of the interests — and responsibilities — that link pretty much all of them.