BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
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.
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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
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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.
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Stuff We Like: February 2022
This month’s edition of Stuff We Like features ski boot liners, sunglasses at a big range of price points, outerwear, and a lot more.
On Race Broadcasting & Going Mainstream
The UCI just announced that Discovery will be taking over World Cup race broadcasting from Red Bull, starting in 2023. Our Bike Editor has some thoughts.
Flash Review: 22/23 Line Blade Optic 114
We’ve been skiing the Blade Optic 114 at the 2022 Blister Summit — check out our initial impressions of this playful freeride ski.
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 a Flylow Outerwear Kit
This week our winner will get a full men’s or women’s Flylow outerwear kit!
Cascade Components on Making Bikes Better (Ep.106)
We sit down with Cascade Components to talk about suspension design; their aftermarket links & the goals behind them; plus brakes, chain guides, and a whole lot more.
Flash Review: 22/23 Icelantic Saba Pro 117
We just spent a day on Icelantic’s reverse-camber pow ski, the Saba Pro 117 — check out our initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Trinity MTB’s Gearbox & V3 Prototype (Ep.144)
The development of the Trinity MTB has been one of the coolest ongoing projects in the bike world, and Mic Williams is back on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about the latest — including their exciting and now-operational gearbox, which is poised to pick up where Honda left off with their famous RN-01.
4-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (22/23)
We started with huge 5-ski quivers, and now our reviewers have to narrow it down from there — check out Part Two of their personal picks, with additions from Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, & David Golay.
Trail Running 101: How to Run With Poles
While plenty of runners never break out a pair of poles, they can be a big help when it comes to navigating efficiently up and down steep terrain. When used properly, they can increase propulsion going uphill, more evenly distribute the impact from running downhill, and keep you steady on tricky, off-camber surfaces. So in part nine of our Trail Running 101 series, we offer some tips on how (and when) to wield them like a pro.
Lily Pads
For the latest installment of our Open Mic series, Angel Collinson discusses transitions, leaps, pushing through and pulling back.
Leah Yingling on Chiang Mai Trails, World Champs, and Running Long for Team USA (Ep.146)
Off The Couch’s reporter-at-large, Leah Yingling, returns to the show to catch us up on how she rounded out her summer season, including her experience taking in the scene at UTMB this year; a recap of her run for Team USA at the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand a couple of weeks ago; and a whole lot more.
2022 Fezzari La Sal Peak
The Fezzari La Sal Peak is billed as a “versatile” Enduro bike and is a great deal in terms of the parts spec. But are there tradeoffs? We’ve spent a lot of time on the La Sal in a ton of different terrain and are ready to weigh in.
2022-2023 Scarpa 4-Quattro XT
Here are our measured specs, images, and initial impressions of Scarpa’s new 4-Quattro XT, a “50/50” boot that looks very different from its direct competitors.
Connor Ryan & Drew Petersen on Skiing, Running, & the Salomon QST Film Tour (Ep.235)
Connor Ryan and Drew Petersen were in CB for the Salomon Quality Ski Time Film Tour, so we sat down with them to talk about the tour, their friendship, Hilaree Nelson, the act of celebrating others, skiing, running, and a whole lot more.
2023 Marin Rift Zone
Marin’s new Rift Zone is proof that good geometry doesn’t have to be expensive, and looks like an extremely promising option for an affordable mid-travel Trail bike. Check out our First Look for the rundown.
Win Wagner Skis
The winner of our gear giveaway this week will get to pick a ski from Wagner’s excellent Factory lineup!
5-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (22/23)
With ski season kicking off soon (or already) in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s once again time to think about ski quivers. We’re starting by asking our reviewers what they’d pick if they were putting together a 5-ski quiver — check out Part 2 of their selections.
2022 Pivot Shadowcat
We’ve had three reviewers spending time on the Pivot Shadowcat, and while it’s a bit of an unusual offering in 2022 — a very light, efficient 27.5’’ Trail bike — it’s proven to be a ton of fun, and a great example of why 27.5’’ wheels should stick around.