BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Andrew Alexander King’s Denali Expedition & the Gear He Used (Ep.156)
Andrew Alexander King tells us about his experience on Denali and some of the most important gear he used.
Win Women’s & Men’s Kits from Club Ride
This week TWO people will get a shirt, short, & chamois from Club Ride!
2021-2022 Sego Comp 110
The Sego Comp 110 seems like a pretty niche ski — it was designed for freeride skiers who need to ski fast and go big, and also throw tricks. But after a season on it, we think its rare blend of traits could be appealing to many skiers — not just those on the competition circuit. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Sego Comp 110
We compare the Comp 110 to the Sego Big Horn 106, Dynastar M-Free 108, J Skis Hotshot, Volkl Katana 108, Moment Commander 108, Blizzard Cochise 106, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Prior Northwest 110, ON3P Woodsman 108, Folsom Blister Pro 104, Black Crows Corvus, Prior Husume, Icelantic Nomad 105, Black Crows Atris, 4FRNT MSP 107, Moment Wildcat 108, & Faction Dictator 3.0.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Little Bellas / Sabra Davison (Ep.76)
Sabra Davison grew up ski racing and running, but when she got into mountain biking, she saw girls participating at far lower rates — so she decided to do something about it. Sabra (along with her sister, World Cup XC racer and two-time Olympian, Lea) founded Little Bellas to get girls into riding bikes, and develop the confidence to keep with it. We sat down with Sabra to talk about Little Bellas; how to make skill building fun; removing barriers to participation in what is an expensive sport; and a whole lot more.
Nobl TR37 Wheels
Carbon wheels have become fairly commonplace but Nobl’s TR37s are quite different from most of the market, with front- and rear-specific rims and an unusual “Sine Wave” rim profile. That’s well and good, but how do they compare to the competition on the trail? Check out our full review to find out.
Flat Pedal Roundup — 2021
It’s certainly possible to spend a whole lot of money on a pair of flat pedals, but should you? Flat pedals cover a huge range from basic composite options through super-blingy machined aluminum wonders, and we’ve been testing nine different options across the whole spectrum. Check out our roundup to find out how they all stack up.
2021-2022 DPS Foundation Koala 103
Two of our reviewers spent time on DPS’s new, playful all-mountain ski and both really enjoyed their time on it. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons of the Koala 103 for more on this versatile ski.
Deep Dive: DPS Foundation Koala 103
We compare the Koala 103 to the DPS Foundation Koala 118, DPS Pagoda 106 C2, Moment Wildcat 108, Dynastar M-Free 108, Line Sir Francis Bacon, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Liberty Origin 106, Black Crows Atris, Icelantic Nomad 105, Blizzard Rustler 10, Prior Northwest 110, ON3P Woodsman 108, Moment Meridian, J Skis Hotshot, Elan Ripstick 106, Line Sick Day 104, Head Kore 105, Whitedot Altum 104, 4FRNT Devastator, K2 Reckoner 102, Volkl Revolt 104, & Season Nexus.
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.)
Revelshine founder, Jake Bilbro, on Skiing & Wine Culture, and the Joys of Getting Out but Going Easy (Ep.175)
Jonathan Ellsworth was in Ketchum, Idaho, this past week hanging out and riding bikes with Blister member, Jake Bilbro, who is the founder of Revelshine. In this conversation, they talk about Jake’s unique background; skiing and wine culture; the joys of getting out but going easy; and more.
2021-2022 Head Kore 87
Head’s updated 21/22 Kore lineup includes everything from fat pow skis to much narrower options for more typical conditions. Today we’re talking about the latter end of that spectrum — check out our First Look of the new Kore 87.
Sam Shaheen’s Denali Expedition & the Gear He Used (Ep.155)
This spring, Sam Shaheen and friends took on the very big challenge of a Denali expedition. So on GEAR:30 we get the debrief from Sam, discuss what he and his crew learned in the process, and go over some of the most important gear he used (including a homemade unicorn nose guard), and of that gear, what worked well and what didn’t.
Win $150 Gift Cards from Arms of Andes
This week TWO people will get $150 to spend on Arms of Andes’ high-end, locally sourced alpaca-wool garments!
Catching Up with Sanjay Rawal + the Importance of “Running Easy” (Ep.89)
Sanjay Rawal is back on the podcast to discuss his latest film project about the American runner, Patti Catalano Dillon; how being coached by Patti has caused him to completely overhaul how he trains; and why we all might benefit by remembering to “run easy.”
Blind Trials Rider & Bike Mechanic, Matt Gilman (Ep.75)
When he was in his 20s Matt Gilman lost his sight due to diabetes, but that hasn’t stopped him from riding trials — and maybe even more remarkably, working as a bike mechanic. His story is an incredible one, so we sat down with Matt to talk about his approach to riding; how he manages to ride by feel; his career as a bike mechanic and how he adapted to doing that blind; and a whole lot more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2021-2022 Atomic Maverick 88 Ti
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Atomic Maverick 88 Ti.
Rossignol’s Recyclable “Essential” Ski, with David Bouvier (Ep.201)
A recyclable ski? We sat down with David Bouvier to talk about Rossignol’s new “Essential” ski; discuss the origin of the project; the challenges posed by making the circular economy of a ski a priority; who this Essential ski is for; and how this project will influence other Rossignol products.
Altra Lone Peak 6
The original Altra Lone Peak debuted over 8 years ago, and after quickly gaining prominence among trail runners and thru-hikers alike, the shoe helped to further legitimize Altra’s unique approach to footwear design. Now in its 6th iteration, the latest Lone Peak received some considerable updates — check out our review to see where the latest Lone Peak slots into the running market.
Win SPY Sunglasses
The TWO winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get to pick any pair of SPY’s new Happy Boost sunglasses!
2023 La Sportiva Skorpius CR II & Vanguard Boots | Blister Summit Brand Lineup
We talk with Sean Van Horn about two of La Sportiva’s new ski boots: the lightweight Skorpius CR II, and the freeride-oriented Vanguard. We cover all the interesting design elements that La Sportiva packed into each boot; where each boot slots into the wide-ranging “touring” category; and how touring gear has evolved to reflect shifting consumer trends.
Blister Brand Guide: Adidas Terrex Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2022
Adidas continues to expand their off-road-oriented Terrex line of running shoes, with everything from high-cushion, long-distance shoes to minimal, lightweight options. Check out our Brand Guide to get the rundown on all of their 2022 shoes.
The New Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide
Last year we released the Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s guide — a different type of guide, one that doesn’t just compare this new bike to that new bike, but that would help you better understand and think about mountain bikes in general. This year, we’ve updated the guide to not only keep it up-to-date in the evolving bike industry, but have also added several new sections, including an in-depth one on how to get the most out of your suspension.
2021-2022 Liberty Origin 101
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the Liberty Origin 101.
Hope on Their New Tech 4 Brakes & Sweating the Details (Ep.122)
Hope’s new Tech 4 brakes got a big bump up in power, but there’s a whole lot more that goes into designing a brake than just turning that dial to 11. So we sat down with Hope engineer Sam Gibbs to talk about all of that; the tradeoffs that go into brake design; the new Tech 4 lineup in detail; and a whole lot more.
2022-2023 Rossignol Sender 104 Ti
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pics, and flex pattern numbers for the new Rossignol Sender 104 Ti.
David Laney on Ice Baths, Adventuring in the North Cascades, & Craft Footwear (Ep.124)
David Laney was already running 5 to 6 days a week by the time he turned 10, and has run professionally since bursting onto the trail scene in the early 2010s. He recently left his longtime sponsor and joined a relatively new player to the trail space in Craft Sportswear, and soon after doubled down with a full-time marketing job with them as well. So we talked to David about how it came about, what to expect from Craft Footwear, and much more — including, his signature ice bath routine, adventuring in the North Cascades, and running 100 miles for charity.
2022-2023 Nordica Unleashed 98 W
Nordica’s new Unleashed line offers skiers some more maneuverable, playful alternatives to their established Santa Ana & Enforcer series — check out our full review of the Unleashed 98 W to see how they compare.