BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
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.
Win Elan Ripstick Skis
This week the winner of our Gear Giveaway will get to pick any pair of skis from Elan’s lightweight Ripstick collection!
12 New Skis from the Blister Summit (Ep.186)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth give a quick recap of the Blister Summit, then discuss a dozen of the skis we spent time on at the event.
2022-2023 Faction La Machine Max
Faction’s 126mm-wide La Machine Max turned heads when it first came out, and our reviewer / heli-guide / pow-expert has become a very big fan of it after two seasons. Apparently, he’s not the only one, since Faction is also creating a whole new collection of La Machine skis for 22/23. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons for more on the widest La Machine and the rest of the new series.
Deep Dive: Faction La Machine Max
We compare the Faction La Machine Max to several other wide powder skis, including the 4FRNT Renegade, Folsom Rapture, Moment Chipotle Banana, Moment Wildcat Tour, Head Kore 117, DPS Lotus 124, and Moonlight Cruiser.
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.)
Flash Review — Antidote Carbonjack 29
We’ve started spending time on the Antidote Carbonjack. 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.)
Push Industries’ Darren Murphy on Product Development, Suspension Tuning, & Local Manufacturing (Ep.107)
We’ve got Darren Murphy from Push Industries on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about suspension design and tuning, the Eleven Six shock, how to set up your suspension, and much more.
Jason Koop on Recent Research, Training Myths, & Bad Science (Ep.109)
CTS coach Jason Koop makes his return to talk about the increase in ultramarathon-specific research; myths around running economy; the art of pairing coaches with athletes; how to sift through all the bad science on social media; and his time with Timothy Olson on the PCT.
Blister Summit ’22 — Recap & Photo Story
And just like that, our 2022 Blister Summit has wrapped up. Summit B was an absolute blast, with bluebird skies, soft snow, fantastic panel discussions, and more. Check out our recap and stay tuned for tons of videos and reviews in the coming weeks.
K2 Announces New 22/23 Mindbender Ti Skis
Today K2 announced that they’re making several updates to their Mindbender Ti freeride skis, and we’ve got some in for long-term testing. Check out all the details here.
Flash Review: 22/23 Renoun Endurance 98
We’ve been spending time on the revised version of Renoun’s original all-mountain ski — check out some initial impressions from Kara Williard.
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.)
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Shop Talk: Celebrating 10 Years of Powder Hound in Girdwood, AK (Ep.222)
Our Blister Recommended Shop, Powder Hound, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, so we caught up with one of the owners, Eric Helmbrecht, to go over some of the major trends, takeaways, and reflections he has after a decade of running a local, year-round shop in Girdwood, AK.
Blister Brand Guide: Nnormal Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
Nnormal, which launched earlier this year, is a collaboration between one of trail running’s most accomplished figures, Kilian Jornet, and Camper, the Spanish footwear giant. As a brand whose core values are largely environmentally focused, Nnormal shoes are intended to be replaced less often and versatile enough to perform many different roles within a runner’s quiver. Take a look at our Brand Guide to learn more about each one of their 2022 trail shoes.
Hannah Otto on Setting the Whole Enchilada FKT (Ep.143)
Hannah Otto just demolished the FKT for the Whole Enchilada trail in Moab — including the road climb to the top — and we sat down with her to get the whole story.
Amateur Hour: ON3P Skis founder, Scott Andrus, on Knives (Ep.13)
ON3P Skis founder, Scott Andrus, is known for being maniacal about the craft of building skis. But today, we talk about his other obsession: knives — how he got into them; knife quivers; patina chasing; price ranges; cutting boards; and more.
Maxxis Shorty
It’s turning to wet-weather riding season in a lot of places, and the Maxxis Shorty is a great option for a soft-conditions tire that still maintains some versatility when things firm up. Check out our review to see where it excels and how it compares to the competition.
Chef Soraya Smith & CEO Duane Primozich on the Future of Backpacker’s Pantry & Making Adventure Food Sustainably (Ep.145)
Backpacker’s Pantry recently welcomed a new leader to take the company into its exciting next chapter. As CEO, Duane Primozich will prioritize Backpacker’s Pantry’s role as environmental stewards, a commitment to sustainability that goes above and beyond. We recently sat down with Duane and Backpacker’s Pantry owner and head chef, Soraya Smith, to hear all about where the company is headed; climate change’s adverse effects on the food industry; what Backpacker’s Pantry is doing to reverse them; and much more.
2023 WNDR Alpine Skis & Snowboards | Blister Summit Brand Lineup
We talk with WNDR Alpine founder, Matt Sterbenz, about all the wide-ranging projects the brand has been working on over the past year, including their first-ever snowboards and splitboards; new “Spiral Plate” and how it’s helping them make their production more circular; the revised Intention 108 ski; the future plans for their bio-based Algal Tech (including WNDR Alpine french fries?); and much more.
2023 Scott Genius & Genius ST
Scott just launched a new version of their Genius Trail bike, and it’s got wild levels of cockpit integration, unusual suspension tech, and out-there looks to go with it.
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.