BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Volkl Announces Updated 22/23 Kendo 88, Kenja 88, & Mantra 102
This week Volkl announced 22/23 updates to three of their all-mountain skis: the Kendo 88, Kenja 88, and Mantra 102.
Introducing: Blister Labs (Ep.180)
Today we are excited to introduce you to a very big new initiative at Blister: Blister Labs. This is a new partnership between Blister; CU Boulder’s school of engineering; and the brand-new, state-of-the-art engineering facility at Western Colorado University. Joining us to talk about why Blister Labs represents a significant new development in the outdoor industry is Dr. Jeni Blacklock, the director of the Rady Partnership Program between CU Boulder and Western.
Winter Running & The Meaning of Life (Ep.103)
Yesterday, Jonathan Ellsworth sat down with Blister reviewer, Gordon Gianniny, and our new Running Editor, Matt Mitchell, to talk about winter running. But our conversation took a much bigger and broader turn.
Tatum Monod on Passage, Passion, Her Trajectory, & More (Ep.199)
We’re talking with one of our favorite skiers, Tatum Monod, about her film, Passage; the trajectory of her career; her ski, the Rossignol Black Ops 118; music; graphics; fishing; design; and more.
Faction Skis & Candide Thovex Announce End to 10-Year Partnership
The GOAT and Faction will be parting ways in the spring of 2022, following 10 years of collaboration.
Flash Review: 22/23 Salomon QST 106 & Strive Binding
Salomon is updating the QST 106 for the 2022-2023 season and releasing a brand-new alpine binding. Check out our thoughts on both.
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Would You Rather: Light Skis vs. Light Boots
It’s not exactly a secret that we tend to like a bit of weight in our skis and boots at Blister, at least when it comes to downhill performance. But if we had to ski some very light setups, where would we be most inclined to save that weight? That’s the topic we’re tackling in this edition of Would You Rather.
Win Folsom Custom Skis
This week the winner of our Gear Giveaway will get a pair of Folsom custom skis, designed just for them!
On our Upcoming Blister Summit (Ep.179)
Jonathan Ellsworth and Blister Summit director, Kristin Sinnott, discuss the ins and outs of our upcoming Blister Summit; why we’re including free professionally guided backcountry tours; which brands will be there; when to arrive & where to stay; and more.
2021-2022 RMU Apostle 3.0 106
The revised Apostle 106 is an exceptionally maneuverable and easy ski, but certain skiers could also really like it for skiing fast and dynamically all over the mountain. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: RMU Apostle 3.0 106
We compare the Apostle 3.0 106 to the DPS Koala 103, Moment Deathwish 104, Line Sir Francis Bacon, K2 Reckoner 102, Moment Wildcat 108, Whitedot Altum 104, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Head Kore 105, Black Crows Atris, Dynastar M-Free 108, Sego Big Horn 106, Blizzard Rustler 10, Icelantic Nomad 105, Prior Northwest 110, J Skis Hotshot, Elan Ripstick 106, Line Sick Day 104, 4FRNT Devastator, Volkl Revolt 104, Season Nexus, & Fischer Ranger 102 FR.
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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Neko Mulally on Designing His Own World Cup DH Race Bike (Ep.100)
When we heard that Neko Mulally was planning on racing the 2022 World Cup season on a bike he designed himself, we had to get him on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about his plans, the bike, and everything that goes into running a team for a full race season.
Bode Miller Joins SCARPA as Ski Ambassador
Today SCARPA announced that Bode Miller has joined their athlete team — and that they will be releasing a new collection of alpine-oriented ski boots.
Flash Review: 21/22 Head Kore 85 W
Here are some of our initial impressions of how the narrowest ski in the Head Kore lineup handles on-piste terrain.
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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Atomic Announces New 2022-2023 Bent Lineup
Atomic and Chris Benchetler have just announced the new 22/23 freeski “Bent” lineup, including 3 new models. Check out the details.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2023 RockShox Super Deluxe and Super Deluxe Coil
RockShox gave their longstanding Super Deluxe and Super Deluxe Coil shocks a big overhaul earlier this year, and having now tried both on multiple bikes, we’re ready to weigh in with our full review.
Glossary – Snowsports
Death Cookies? Coral Reef? Chalk? Directional vs. Playful Style? Can a ski be maneuverable but not nimble? There are a whole lot of ways to talk about snow and the different ways to slide down it. Check out our updated Glossary learn more about the sometimes foreign-sounding language of snowsports and ski reviews.
Andrew Alexander King: On Climbing in the Alps
This time on Open Mic, Andrew Alexander King shares his thoughts on both the physical and philosophical aspects of climbing high peaks.
Jennifer Strong McConachie on “Go Far,” Dostoevsky, and the Four Corners of Endurance (Ep.138)
Beyond a genre of sport, endurance is also a fundamental part of living, so we sat down with author and athlete, Jennifer Strong McConachie, to talk about her new book, “Go Far: How Endurance Sports Help You Win At Life,” a collection of stories that encapsulate the life philosophy she’s formed from running long, climbing high, and swimming deep.
Flash Review — 2023 Santa Cruz Tallboy
Santa Cruz calls the Tallboy a “downhiller’s XC bike” and our early impressions are that it’s a good one.
Mainstreaming Outdoor Media; Seth Morrison; Media Literacy; & More with Mountain Gazette’s, Mike Rogge (Ep.227)
Mountain Gazette owner & editor, Mike Rogge, is back to discuss the outdoor industry & mainstream media; detail the fallout from the previous issue of the Mountain Gazette; and highlight several of the pieces in the next issue, including a career retrospective on Seth Morrison.
Petzl Iko Core
Trail running can be a turbulent sport, and traditional headlamps that rely on elastic bands often fail to provide a secure enough fit to stay in place over the course of an outing. With the Iko Core, a reimagined headlamp that uses rubberized plastic to form a semi-rigid frame designed to rest comfortably on top of the head, Petzl offers a versatile, ergonomic, and powerful lighting option specifically for runners.
A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt 2: Your Questions Answered by Master Bootfitters, Sam and Kara (Ep.214)
Kara and Sam dive even further into some of the mysteries and complexities of bootfitting while responding to several really interesting and important questions from the audience. We bet that you’ve had some of these questions yourself, so here are some in-depth answers to consider before spending time in your ski boots this winter.
Reserve 30|HD Wheels
We’ve been spending a lot of time on the new Reserve 30|HD wheels, and they’ve proven to be a nice update to the longstanding and super-popular Reserve 30.
Win Deuter Packs & Vests
This week TWO lucky winners will each get one of Deuter’s trail running / hiking Ascent vests or packs!
2022-2023 BLISTER Digital Winter Buyer’s Guide
270+ skis, 50 boots, and 230+ pages of honest, accurate product reviews and comparisons. Order our 22/23 Winter Buyer’s Guide or become a Blister Member to read the Digital Guide NOW.
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Blister Recommended Shop Program
BLISTER Shops are a collection of the best service–oriented shops in the world. These are the places we trust most in a given locale to work on our boots, wrench on our bikes, tune our skis, and recommend the right equipment. Here’s an update on our Recommended Shop program.