BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Deep Dive: 4FRNT Hoji
We compare the Hoji to the 4FRNT Renegade, 4FRNT Raven, 4FRNT Devastator, WNDR Alpine Intention 110, Black Crows Corvus, Salomon QST Blank, 4FRNT Inthayne, Black Crows Anima, Line Vision 118, K2 Reckoner 112, Moment Deathwish, J Skis Friend, Wagner Summit 106, Head Kore 111, RMU YLE 110, Sego Comp 110, Icelantic Nomad 105, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, and J Skis Slacker.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Win Kästle Skis
This week the winner of our Gear Giveaway will get a pair of the Kästle ZX100, their all-round, playful freeride ski.
Starling Cycles on Simplicity, Design, & Building Bikes in a Shed (Ep.105)
Starling Cycles have made a name for themselves building simple, elegant steel single-pivot bikes, and we sat down with founder Joe McEwan to talk about going from working on aerospace composites to building metal bikes, his thoughts on bike design — including why simpler is often better — and a whole lot more.
On the Creation of a “Hyper-Performance” Trail Shoe Company: Speedland (Ep.107)
Why would two friends who’d been working at the highest levels of product design at Nike and Under Armour leave to create a hyper-specific, hyper-performance trail running shoe company? We talk to Speedland co-founders, Dave Dombrow and Kevin fallon to get the answers; to learn about their journeys into and through the design world; and to discuss the design elements of what a “hyper-performance” trail shoe looks like to them.
Flash Review: 22/23 Head Formula RS 130 & Formula 130
We’ve been spending time in two of Head’s new “Performance” alpine boots, and so far, the results have been quite promising.
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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2022-2023 Salomon QST 106
For the 22/23 season, Salomon is updating one of their most popular skis, and we’ve been spending a lot of time on the new QST 106. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Salomon QST 106
We compare the new QST 106 to the previous QST 106, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Blizzard Rustler 10, 4FRNT MSP 107, Moment Deathwish 104, Dynastar M-Free 108, Moment Wildcat 108, Black Crows Atris, DPS Koala 103, Season Nexus, RMU Apostle 106, Head Kore 105, and J Skis Hotshot.
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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2021 Canyon Spectral 29
Canyon’s Spectral 29 Trail bike got a major overhaul last year, and then the 27.5 version followed suit for 2022, with a Mullet version added for good measure. We’ve been testing the 29er version, and think it’s a very versatile bike that’ll work well for a lot of people — and it’s a killer value, too.
Search And Rescue: What You Need to Know, and How / Why You Should Get Involved (Ep.203)
When things go wrong in the backcountry, your local Search And Rescue organization becomes crucial. But what do you know about how Search And Rescue actually works? We talk with our friend, Cy Whitling, about how and why he got involved in Search And Rescue, why we all need to understand how SAR units operate, and why you should consider getting involved.
Debatable: You Should Try Flat Pedals (Again)
Flat pedals have essentially disappeared from the upper echelons of bike racing, but there’s a lot more to life than just going fast, and our Bike Editor makes the case why even the most staunch clipless acolytes should learn to ride flat pedals, too.
Reviewer Reports: Custom Insoles, Skis Boots, & Skis (Ep.184)
Kara Williard spells out the case for custom insoles in your ski boots, and we discuss everything from the Volkl Secret 96, Salomon Stance 88W, WNDR Alpine Reason 120, 4FRNT Renegade, the Lange RX 130 LV, Salomon Shift Pro 130, the new Line Blade Optic 96, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 95, and Moment Deathwish 104 with Kara, Luke Koppa, and Eric Freson.
Win Men’s & Women’s Picture Organic Jackets
This week the TWO winners will each get one of Picture Organic’s ski / snowboard jackets!
2022-2023 Volkl Secret 96
The Secret 96 is a particularly impressive women’s all-mountain ski for those who prioritize stability, suspension, and precision. Check out our full review for more.
Flash Review: 21/22 Stereo Lynx MK 4
We’ve been spending time on Stereo’s do-everything 100mm-wide ski, the Lynx, and there have been lots of surprises so far.
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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Rossignol Announces 22/23 Sender & Rallybird Skis & HI-SPEED Boots
Rossignol is tweaking several of their freeride skis for 22/23, as well as launching an entirely new collection of alpine boots. Check out the details here.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
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.
Win Glade Goggles & a Helmet
This week the winner of our weekly Gear Giveaway will get Glade’s brand new Adapt 2 Goggles and Boundary Helmet!
A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 4: Big-Mountain Freeride Bootfitting with Fasa (Ep.221)
For the fourth installment of our Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, we talked with Fasa, who not only works at the Moment Ski Factory, but also happens to run one of the best bootfitting shops in the Reno area. Fasa runs us through what a “big-mountain freeride” approach to bootfitting looks like; how his background in running informs his understanding of feet and biomechanics; some weirdness about what athletes can tolerate, and much more.
Altra Outroad
The Outroad is Altra’s first true hybrid running shoe designed to transition between roads and trails with ease — here are our thoughts on how well it blurs those lines.
The Orogenesis Collective on Building the World’s Longest MTB Trail (Ep.142)
What if there was a Pacific Crest Trail, but for mountain bikes? The Orogenesis Collective is making it happen, with the planned route covering over 5,000 miles and spanning three countries. So we sat down to chat about the route, the story behind its founding, what you can do to help, & much more.
The Art & Science of Whiskey, with Liz Rhoades, WhistlePig (Ep.12)
We sat down with the head of whiskey development at WhistlePig, Liz Rhoades, to dive deep into the art and science of distilling, sourcing, yeast strains, specific types of rye, non-alcoholic whiskey, and … WhistlePig’s new bourbon.
e*thirteen Grappler Tire
e*thirteen calls the Grappler their most aggressive tire ever, meant for steep terrain across a range of conditions. Check out our full review to see how it stacks up against some other tires that claim the same.
Next Level Mtn Bike Wheel Testing | Blister Labs
In this video we provide a behind-the-scenes look at our latest testing of various mountain bike wheels’ performance characteristics — check it out to see what we’ve been up to!
What Does it Mean to be an ‘Outdoors’ Person?
There are 50 million “outdoors people” in the U.S., and Sander provides his thoughts on some of the interests — and responsibilities — that link pretty much all of them.