BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2023 Santa Cruz Heckler
Santa Cruz’s Heckler e-bike just got a big update — including more suspension travel, bigger wheels, and more. Check out our First Look for all the details.
On Our Blister ‘Crash Course’ Telemark Video & Future Crash Course Videos (Ep.201)
Last week, we released our Blister ‘Crash Course’ Telemark video, and today, Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, and Dylan Wood talk about their experience tele’ing for the first time. We’re also joined by the star of the video, Kristin Sinnott, to learn why she was a million times better than the rest of us. Then we discuss ideas for future Blister Crash Course videos, so check the conversation, then let us know what you think we ought to do for our next Crash Course videos.
Stuff We Like: January 2022
Our latest Stuff We Like roundup features everything from shovels to boots, jackets, MTB shoes, and more. Check it out to see all the miscellaneous products our reviewers have been digging.
Flash Review — Öhlins RXF38 m.2
We’ve just started testing the new Ohlins RXF38 — their competitor to the Fox 38 and RockShox ZEB. 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
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Topic of the Week: Get Lights, Go Night Riding
Our Bike Editor has been re-discovering the joy of night riding recently and thinks you should, too.
New 2022/2023 Ski Gear (Ep.182)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss a ton of next season’s new products, and some of the most intriguing product categories.
2022-2023 Wagner Summit 107
The Summit 107 may look like a pretty conventional, directional, ~107mm-wide ski. But its versatility and capabilities are not conventional. Check out our full review.
Deep Dive: Wagner Summit 107
We compare the Summit 107 to the Wagner Summit 106, Blizzard Cochise 106, Volkl Katana 108, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, J Skis Hotshot, Folsom Blister Pro 104, Sego Comp 110, Black Crows Corvus, Prior Husume, Dynastar M-Free 108, Icelantic Nomad 105, Black Crows Atris, 4FRNT MSP 107, Moment Commander 108, Moment Wildcat 108, Faction Dictator 3.0, & Salomon QST 106.
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.
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Win La Sportiva Ski Boots
Enter for a chance to win the men’s or women’s version of La Sportiva’s new freeride touring boot, the Vanguard!
Flash Review: 21/22 Moment Commander 108
Check out our thoughts so far on Moment’s metal-laminate, all-mountain charger, the Commander 108.
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.
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RockShox’s New Flight Attendant Electronic Suspension (Ep.102)
RockShox launched their long-awaited take on an electronically-controlled suspension system, Flight Attendant, late last year. And so we brought RockShox’s Chris Mandell back on Bikes & Big Ideas to tell us all about it.
Hoka Ultrarunner, Sabrina Little, on Teaching Philosophy; Running; & Writing about Both (Ep.104)
Sabrina Little is an ultra runner (she has held the American record in the 200K and the 24-hour American record), a writer, & philosophy professor. So we talk about all of the above, why she values all of the above, and also toothpaste and Harry Potter.
Blister Crash Course Video: Tele Skiing
Well, here it is. Watch us struggle to learn how to tele ski, get all sorts of conflicting advice, and maybe(?) make a bit of progress.
SCARPA Announces New 4-Quattro Boot Collection
SCARPA is launching their first “alpine-oriented” series of GripWalk boots, but these aren’t your typical alpine boots. Learn more about the new 4-Quattro boots here.
Sample Flash Review: Atomic Bent 110
Update 2.22.22: We just got back on the Bent 110 at the Blister Summit, this time with 8″ of new snow. Check out some of our additional impressions.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Ted Hesser on “Chains of Habit” & Destigmatizing the Conversation Around Mental Health (Ep.142)
We spoke to adventure photographer and videographer, Ted Hesser, about his latest project, Chains of Habit, a short film focused on his lifelong battle with depression and the ways trail running has helped fend off its symptoms. We also talk about ways to destigmatize conversations around mental health; steps to take if you’re struggling; and much more.
Flash Review — Canyon Spectral 125
There are a lot of good ~120mm-travel Trail bikes out there, but the Canyon Spectral 125 offers a very different take on the category than most — and we’re having a lot of fun on it. 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.
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Trail Running 101: How to Choose a Headlamp
For many runners, headlamps are no mere accessory; they’re as indispensable to trail running at night as properly fitting trail shoes are to running during the day. Yet much like footwear, finding a lamp that best suits your needs can be a process cloaked in difficult jargon, numbers, and minutia. So in part eight of our Trail Running 101 series, we help explain some of the main things to look for when choosing a headlamp that will best suit your needs.
Blister Speaker Series: Jeremy Jones (Ep.231)
Jeremy Jones came to Western Colorado University for another installment of our Blister Speaker Series to discuss filming, snowboarding, founding POW, the ‘outdoor state,’ POW’s ongoing and evolving efforts to address climate change, and more.
Our 22/23 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide Recap (Ep.218)
A bunch of our reviewers discuss why our 22/23 Winter Buyer’s Guide is still unique and still the best resource for your winter gear; what’s new & different this year; some of our personal favorite gear of the season; some industry trends and speculation; and why pumpkin-flavored pastries make Drew Kelly sweat.
Win Norse Skis
This week the winner of our Gear Giveaway will get to pick from Norse’s 100mm-wide Enduro or 110mm-wide Freeride!
Flash Review — 2022 Manitou Dorado
The Manitou Dorado is one of the few inverted forks left in the MTB market, and we’ve been spending time on multiple versions of the new one.
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.)
Petzl Bindi
The best pieces of gear are often those you forget about, products that integrate so seamlessly into your experience that they become, quite literally, afterthoughts. With the Bindi, an ultralight, ultra-compact headlamp that doesn’t compromise on features despite its size, Petzl offers a capable lighting option for daily use that does exactly that. Functional, intelligent, and smartly designed, the Bindi will benefit just about every type of runner.
2022-2023 Head Kore 120
Here are our initial impressions, images, and specs for the new Head Kore 120 GW.
Matthew Fairbrother’s Outrageous EWS Tour (Ep.139)
Racing a full EWS season is hard. Bikepacking between all the races makes it a lot harder. But that didn’t stop Matthew Fairbrother from doing just that, and on this week’s episode of Bikes & Big Ideas we sat down with him to get the whole crazy, hilarious, remarkable story.
Blue Collar Fine Art: Rob Dickinson of Precise Painting (Ep.9)
In addition to being one of our favorite people and favorite skiers, Rob Dickinson is the owner of Precise Painting, an interior and exterior paint and finishing company that does extremely fine work, and employs 25+ people in the Gunnison Valley of Colorado. We talk to Rob about the craft of painting and finishing homes; what anyone thinking about building, purchasing, or maintaining a home in mountain towns ought to know about exteriors; how to think about aesthetics vs. price v.s durability; and more.
Ride Concepts Tallac BOA
The Ride Concepts Tallac BOA is a high-end bike shoe for flat-pedal riders, with several useful features for improved on- and off-bike performance. Here’s our full review.