BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
The Many, Many Big Ideas of Williams Racing Products (Ep.93)
Few people have as many big ideas for the bike world as Mic Williams of Williams Racing Products, and even fewer have started their own companies to make them a reality. So we sat down with Mic to hear all about it, privateer racing at the top level, and more.
Flash Review: 21/22 J Skis Fastforward
We just got our first day on J’s new 92mm-wide, metal-laminate, all-mountain ski.
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5-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (21/22)
Check out Part Two of our reviewers’ 5-ski quiver picks, with additions from Jonathan Ellsworth, Kristin Sinnott, Paul Forward, & David Golay.
A Life Lived Wild: Rick Ridgeway (Ep.191)
Rick Ridgeway has lived right at the center of the modern outdoor recreation movement. He was a part of the first American ascent of K2; he has gone on numerous adventures with his friends, Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard and The North Face founder, Doug Tompkins, and filmmaker, Jimmy Chin; and he has been right there working to protect wild places with them, Kristine Tompkins, and others.
Would You Rather: Early Season or Late Season Ski Conditions?
Which of the sub-par snow-sliding times of the year do you prefer?
Our 21/22 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide (Ep.171)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss our 21/22 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide and some corresponding industry trends and category highlights. They also talk snowblades, clarify our Buyer’s Guide ‘Best Of’ Awards, and go on a rant or two.
Win a Helmet, Goggles, Glasses, & Jacket from POC
Enter for your chance to win a sweet winter prize pack from POC!
Fox’s Jordi Cortes on Suspension, Tuning, & the Mental Side of Racing (Ep.92)
We talk to Jordi Cortes about setting up suspension for Fox’s top racers, the mental battle of World Cup racing, and a whole lot more.
Flash Review: 2022 Cannondale Jekyll
How does the new Cannondale Jekyll stack up against several other high-pivot Enduro bikes? 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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2021-2022 DPS Pagoda Tour 100 RP
The Pagoda Tour 100 RP is an easy, intuitive touring ski that we think would work very well for the backcountry skiing that most people do. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: DPS Pagoda Tour 100 RP
We compare the Pagoda Tour 100 RP to the DPS Pagoda 100 RP, Line Vision 98, Salomon MTN Explore 95, Movement Alp Tracks 106, 4FRNT Raven, Fauna Pioneer, Blizzard Zero G 105, Scott Superguide Freetour, K2 Wayback 96, K2 Wayback 106, Nordica Enforcer Unlimited 104, Weston Summit, Armada Tracer 98, WNDR Alpine Vital 100, G3 FINDr 102, Wagner Summit 105, & Renoun Citadel 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.
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Flash Review: 22/23 Nordica Enforcer Unlimited 104
We just spent a day skiing the new Enforcer Unlimited 104 — check out our initial impressions of this new touring 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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Ski Patroller & Surprise Ski-Movie Star, Adrien Grabinski (Ep.190)
Adrien Grabinski lives to ski, and Mark Abma calls him, “the most responsible 21-year-old I have ever met.” Adrien is the ski patrol director (plus a lot of other things) at Shames Mountain in BC, and he’s a surprise star of Matchstick Productions’ film, The Stomping Grounds.
Debatable: Make Daylight Savings Permanent
Our bike editor is fed up with changing the clocks in the spring and fall, and makes his case for why we should stop doing it.
Win Wagner Skis, Glade Goggles & Helmet, & Minus33 Kit
Enter this special Gear Giveaway for a chance to win skis, goggles, a helmet, and a full head-to-toe baselayer kit!
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Rod Farvard on UTMB, “Hobby Jogging,” & Making the Transition from Triathlon to the Trails (Ep.136)
On this week’s episode of Off The Couch, we sat down with ultrarunner Rod Farvard a week removed from finishing 5th American at this year’s Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc to talk about his first time racing on an international stage; how he made the jump from triathlon to trail running; “hobby jogging”; and a whole lot more.
2022 Pivot Firebird
Pivot talks a big game about the Firebird being a hardcore Enduro race bike first and foremost, and having spent several months on the bike, they’re right to — it’s a good one.
Blister Brand Guide: Scott Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
Scott has quietly been making a wide range of performance footwear for both roads and trails since 2006, when they contracted a research and development lab in Portland, Oregon to help them design a lineup of shoes to meet the diverse demands of their athletes. Now over 15 years old, Scott’s trail and road running lines continue to offer innovative options for all sorts of runners. Check out our Brand Guide to learn more.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (August 2022) (Ep.225)
Cody and Jonathan discuss what’s going on at the National Ski Patrol; the proposed Little Cottonwood Canyon Gondola; “pigloos”; mountain-town advice; what we’re reading & watching; and more.
Hickory & Tweed
This family-owned-and-operated ski shop provides excellent customer service, with a major focus on quality in-store experiences for every customer.
Blister Brand Guide: Craft Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
Craft is perhaps better known for making moisture-wicking technical layers than shoes, but since breaking into the footwear space a few years ago, they’ve already turned out an impressive lineup of innovative shoes for roads, trails, and everything in between. Check out our 2022 Brand Guide to see what’s new from Craft this year and which of their models might make the most sense for you.
A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt 1: The Basics (Ep.212)
Few things in the world of ski gear are as complex, important, or misunderstood as bootfitting. So in this 1st episode of our new series on bootfitting, we dive into the basics with Sam Tischendorf, Masterfit University instructor, former clinical podiatrist, and lead bootfitter.
Flash Review — Pivot Shadowcat
Update 9.2.22: Luke Koppa is now the third reviewer we’ve had on Pivot’s new lightweight, 27.5″ Trail bike, and he’s a fan — check out 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.
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.)
9point8 Fall Line Dropper Post
The 9point8 Fall Line is a lightweight dropper post with a bunch of unusual features that set it apart from many of its competitors.
Win a Sleep System from Zenbivy
This week’s lucky winner will get Zenbivy’s MotoBed — one of our favorite sleep systems for comfortable year-round car camping!
Dillon Osleger on Historic Trails, Changing Climates, & Evolving Communities (Ep.133)
On this week’s episode of Bikes & Big Ideas, we chatted with professional mountain biker, trail builder, and climate scientist, Dillon Osleger, about Rezduro; the Protect Our Winters Bike Alliance; trail building and advocacy; the development of mountain biking as both a sport and a community; and much more.
What is Natural Wine? Danielle & Katie Nichols of CORK, Stowe, VT (Ep.4)
To find out, we talked with Danielle and Katie Nichols, the two amazing sisters behind CORK Restaurant & Natural Wine Shop. Danielle and Katie provide a fantastic introduction and overview of natural wine, explain how they got into it; and they tell us about “Twinkie Wines,” too.