BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Is This the ‘Top Gun’ for Bartenders? (Ep.66)
We’re all familiar with ‘Top Gun’ — a school that separates the best of the best. But what if we told you there is an elite certification program designed to test the best bartenders in the business? Today, we’re discussing that program — Bar 5 Day — with Steve Olson and Doug Frost.
Flash Review: Santa Cruz Bullit 4
Santa Cruz has added the 170 mm travel Bullit to thier revamped lineup of Horst Link euipped eMTBs built around the latest Bosch CX drive system.
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Flash Review: 25/26 RMU Professor 111
This season, RMU expanded their freestyle-friendly Professor collection with the Professor 111. Here’s our take on the ski so far, including comparisons to RMU’s Apostle 114 and several other skis in the same class as the Professor 111.
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Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, March / April 2025 (Ep.352)
Cody and Jonathan discuss tariff zaniness; the state of outdoor-sports comps; whether it’s good when big companies move into outdoor sports (Nike & snowboarding?); and more. They also rate your takes, talk about Cody’s trips to Norway & Utah, and share what they’ve been reading & watching.
Flash Review: 2026 Fox Float X2
Fox’s new Float X2 has dramatically different damper architecture from the prior version and some air spring tweaks to go with it. Check out our early thoughts after A-B testing the two generations of Float X2 for a few rides.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2025 Sea Otter Classic Recap
Check out a bunch of the most interesting, compelling, and just plain odd stuff we’ve seen at Sea Otter this year.
Gear Testing Tips & Tricks w/ Hoji, Ted Ligety, Anne Wangler, & Jess Tennyson (Ep.342)
How do the pros — Hoji, Ted, Anne, and Jess — go about assessing and testing ski and snowboard gear, and what advice do they have for the rest of us? Plus, you’ll hear Ted share one of his favorite (but questionable??) ways of testing skis.
Win Apparel From Le Bent, Party Shirt International, & Curious Creatures
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a sweet prize pack that includes a Men’s or Women’s Midweight Crew Base Layer from Le Bent, a Sun Hoodie from Party Shirt International, & a Cottonwood Long Sleeve Tee from Curious Creatures!
2024-2025 ON3P Woodsman 100 Tour
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the ON3P Woodsman 100 Tour.
Lal Bikes on the Supre Drive & Katana Trail Bike (Ep.269)
Rear derailleurs have been around in their current general form for many decades now, but Lal Bikes thinks there’s a better way, and the Supre Drive is their answer. Now, they’ve got their own bike to go with it: the Katana. So we sat down with Lal Founder, Cedric Eveleigh, to hear all about it.
Lal Katana
Lal Bikes turned a lot of heads when they launched the Supre Drive a few years ago, and now they’re launching their own bike built around it. Meet the Katana.
Flash Review: 25/26 Faction Dancer 79
Faction is expanding their Dancer collection of directional, metal-laminate all-mountain skis, and we’ve started getting time on the newest and narrowest ski, the Dancer 79.
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2025-2026 Faction Dancer 79
Faction is adding a narrower option to their metal-laminate Dancer collection. Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the brand-new Faction Dancer 79.
DT Swiss 350 Ratchet DEG Hubs & Pure Carbon Rims
DT Swiss is bringing their faster-engaging Ratchet DEG freehub design to their more affordable 350 hubs, along with some flashier color options than their standard black. They’re also now offering their top-tier carbon MTB rims on their own. Check out what’s new from DT Swiss.
RAAW Yalla!! V2
Revamped for 2025, the RAAW Yalla!! V2 gets a lot more than just an extra exclamation point in the name. The new frame doesn’t deviate too far from the original but gets mixed wheel compatibility, redesigned adjustable dropouts, updated tubing and protection details, and a bunch of other tweaks. Check out RAAW’s updated DH bike in our First Look.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Mali Noyes’ Incredible Feat: Skiing the Chuting Gallery in 47 Days (Ep.355)
Mali Noyes just pulled off a mind-blowing feat: skiing the Chuting Gallery in 47 days. So how did she do it? And what led her to try? Jonathan talks with Mali about all of it, including some of the best advice she received from Greg Hill, Cody Townsend, Janelle Smiley, and Sam Smoothy.
Flash Review: 25/26 Rossignol Arcade 94
Update 5.5.25: We’ve added some more thoughts on Rossignol’s new piste-oriented ski, including how the Arcade 94 handles the very variable conditions of the spring, and its off-piste capabilities.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2025-2026 Rossignol Arcade 94
Rossignol is making big changes to their all-mountain lineup for 25/26, including eight new models in their Arcade series. Here are the details on the new collection, as well as our measured specs and rocker profile pictures for the new Arcade 94.
Flash Review: Santa Cruz Hightower 4
We had some questions when Santa Cruz updated their popular Hightower, which sits right in the middle of their MTB lineup, and now we have some answers. Check out our first impressions of this new Trail bike.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review: 25/26 Salomon S/Lab QST Blank
Part of Salomon’s overhaul of the QST series, the new 112mm-wide S/Lab QST Blank was reportedly designed with input from lots of Salomon’s younger “Mountain Collective” athletes. So, what’s changed vs. the original Blank? Based on our initial testing, you could argue that the answer is both “not much” and “a lot.” Here’s why.
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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2025-2026 Salomon S/Lab QST Blank
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the updated Salomon S/Lab QST Blank.
What’s New in Ski & Snowboard Bindings (Burton, Spark R&D, ATK Bindings, AlpenFlow Design) (Ep.345)
What new ideas emerge when you bring together makers of hybrid ski bindings and AT bindings and snowboard bindings and splitboard bindings? At the Blister Summit, we brought together Will Ritter of Spark R&D; Royal White, from Burton; Andy Merriman, from ATK Bindings; and Cobey Nash, from the new company, AlpenFlow Design. Enjoy.
Flash Review: Trickstuff Maxima Brakes
The name of the Trickstuff Maxima brakes gives a good idea of what they’re about, at least on paper: big power, big bling, and a pricetag to match. We’ve started spending time on Trickstuff’s most powerful, gravity-oriented brake to see if they deliver.
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 Packs & Radios From BCA
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a Stash Pro 40-UL or Stash 20-S pack and BC Link 2.0 Radio from Backcountry Access!
Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, April 2025 (Ep. 272)
Mike and Simon discuss the sad news about Revel Bikes closing shop, the exciting start to mountain bike World Cup XC racing, Tadej Pogačar’s incredible Spring Classics campaign, Specialized’s polarizing eMTB speed limit decision, some of their favorite new products, and a whole lot more.
Stuff We Like: April 2025
In this month’s edition of Stuff We Like, our reviewers discuss a wide array of gear they’ve been digging, from burly bike stands to shoulder-season layers, ultra-breathable touring kits, mesh duffels, and lots of multifunctional summer apparel for the hot months to come.
Viticulture, Wine Making, & Karaoke w/ Field Recordings’ Andrew Jones (Ep.68)
Andrew Jones has spent decades planting vines for other people — some of the biggest names in California. But then his side project turned into Field Recordings, and that has grown into one of the most talked-about labels in the country. Here, Andrew talks with us about nursery hustle, breaking the rules, and why wine should be fun, not fussy.