BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2022-2023 Line Blade Optic 104
We got three reviewers on two different lengths of Line’s new playful, metal-laminate freeride ski — check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Line Blade Optic 104
We compare the Blade Optic 104 to the Line Blade Optic 96, Line Blade Optic 114, Line Sick Day 104, Line Sir Francis Bacon, J Skis Hotshot, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Salomon QST 106, Wagner Summit 107, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105, DPS Koala 103, Dynastar M-Free 108, Blizzard Rustler 10, Sego Big Horn 106, Moment Deathwish 104, Black Crows Atris, Volkl Katana 108, Moment Commander 108, Blizzard Cochise 106, 4FRNT MSP 107, & Fischer Ranger 102 FR.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Lea Davison on Career Triumphs, Olympic Heartbreak, & What Comes Next (Ep.111)
Two-time Olympian and two-time World Championships medalist Lea Davison joins us to look back on her career, discuss the state of XC racing, and talk about what’s next for her after retiring from international racing — because she’s definitely not done with bikes.
2022-2023 Tecnica Mach1 MV 130 & Mach1 LV 130
We’ve spent more than 200 days skiing in the Tecnica Mach1 MV 130 & Mach1 LV 130. Check out our long-term review to hear how these all-mountain boots compare to the current market, and how they’ve held up over multiple seasons of daily use.
Flash Review: 22/23 Faction Dancer 2
Here are some of our initial on-snow impressions of Faction’s 96mm-wide, metal-laminate all-mountain ski, the Dancer 2.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2022-2023 Moment Sierra
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Moment Sierra.
2022-2023 Black Crows Mirus Cor
The Black Crows Mirus Cor is unlike pretty much any ski we’ve tested, and it offers a uniquely fun ride for the right skiers in the right scenarios. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to learn more about this slalom-radius, twin-tipped, fish-tailed, 87mm-wide ski.
Deep Dive: Black Crows Mirus Cor
We compare the Mirus Cor to the Season Kin, Line Blade, Black Crows Serpo, Elan Wingman 86 CTi, Armada Declivity 92 Ti, Volkl M6 Mantra, Blizzard Rustler 9, Renoun Endurance 88, Blizzard Brahma 88, Folsom Spar 88, Salomon Stance 90, and DPS Pagoda 90 RP.
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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Pro Skiers on The Mental Game | BLISTER Summit ’22 Panel Discussion
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, 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 more.
Women Who FKT, with Marta Fisher (Ep.113)
We talk to Marta Fisher about how her experience at Hardrock 100 led her to the creation of Women Who FKT; what the near-term goals of the group are; how to get involved; and more.
Flash Review: 21/22 Moment Sierra
Here are some of our initial thoughts on the latest version of Moment’s Triple Camber women’s all-mountain ski.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Let’s Go Racing
The 2022 World Cup Downhill season kicks off this weekend, and our Bike Editor is pretty fired up about it.
Women in the Ski Industry | BLISTER Summit ’22 Panel Discussion
At our Blister Summit in Mt. Crested Butte, we talked with Kjerstin Klein (Winter Divas founder & co-owner of Willi’s Ski Shops); Louise Lintilhac (skier, writer, brand manager, & public relations); Andrea Charest (Mammut athlete, guide, & owner of Petra Cliffs); and Kara Williard (boot fitter & Blister reviewer) about the current state of women in the ski industry; where progress has been made; where the most work still needs to be done; the concept of “shrink it and pink it”; gender-specific vs. unisex products; mentorship; and more.
McKenna Peterson & Jed Yeiser on Developing Skis; the Blister Alpine Binding Test; & More (Ep.189)
Jonathan was in the Cascade mountains of Washington this week with K2 skier, McKenna Peterson, and K2 ski designer, Jed Yeiser, and after a great day of skiing, we sat down to talk about ski developing and prototyping; ski testing; our ski-binding shootout; biathlons; flip flips; & books.
Win Zag Skis
This week the winner of our Gear Giveaway will get Zag’s playful freeride ski, the Slap 104!
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Chromag Darco and Lowdown
There might not be another brand on earth as well-known for aggressive hardtails as Chromag, but today they’ve launched their first (adult) full suspension bikes — the Darco and Lowdown — and they look to keep a lot of Chromag’s identity intact, just in a squishier package.
An Exchange: Cody Townsend & Jonathan Ellsworth on The Bear
For this edition of our Open Mic series, Jonathan Ellsworth and Cody Townsend exchange their takes on the FX show The Bear, discussing the plot, the cinematography, and the (controversial?) ending.
BLISTER+: Real-World Testimonials — Luke Koppa
Luke Koppa shares his injury experience and why BLISTER+ is not only useful for catastrophic injuries, but also “minor” ones — especially when you might forgo medical attention altogether, purely due to the cost.
Flash Review: 22/23 Zag Harfang 96
Our male and female reviewers have been testing two lengths of Zag’s directional all-mountain ski — here are their 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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Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (November 2022) (Ep.239)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the FWT x FIS merger; the most Canadian news; our least favorite QBs; our big disagreement about the ending of The Bear (with spoilers); and more.
Heritage Lab Skis, with Marshal Olson (Ep.226)
Too often, we have to mourn the discontinuation of our all-time favorite ski designs. So Marshal Olson started Heritage Lab Skis to fix that.
Win Elan Skis
This winner of our Gear Giveaway this week can pick any non-Black Edition Ripstick or Ripstick Tour ski they want from Elan!
Canyon Spectral 125, Trek Fuel EX, Santa Cruz Nomad, & More (Ep.147)
We’re still hard at work testing bikes and have updates on a lot of the new ones we’ve been spending time on, including the new Trek Fuel EX, the mulleted Santa Cruz Nomad, and much more.
Flash Review: 22/23 Scarpa 4-Quattro XT
We’ve been touring in Scarpa’s brand-new crossover boot, the 4-Quattro XT, and our impressions so far have been very interesting. Check out our initial takeaways.
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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Art, Gear, & Beer: Blister Artist Series w/ John Fellows & Brandon Capps (Ep.15)
Artist, John Fellows, and New Image Brewing founder Brandon Capps, discuss our Blister Artist Series collab: the inspiration & production of the artwork; starting with the artwork to create the beer; how Jonathan came up with the name of the beer; the difference between an IPA & Double IPA; wabi sabi & kintsugi; and more.
Flash Review: 22/23 Faction La Machine Mega
Paul Forward has been spending time on Faction’s new 109mm-wide touring ski, La Machine Mega — here are his 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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Vitus Mythique
Vitus has just launched US-based distribution for their consumer direct bike sales, and along with it they’ve got a new version of the Mythique Trail bike — and it’s an outstanding value for money. Check out our First Look for all the info.