BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2025-2026 Völkl Blaze 104
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Völkl Blaze 104.
Gearing Up for the Famous Chamonix-to-Zermatt Haute Route (Ep.347)
Jonathan talks to BLISTER members, Bobak Farzin and Lukas Friedli, who teamed up to take on the famous Haute Route. We talk about their trip; the gear they used; what worked well for them; what worked less well; and, they offer some great advice for anyone thinking about doing any multi-day ski touring trip.
Win Hiking Shoes From La Sportiva
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will both get the women’s or men’s Prodigio Hike GTX shoe from La Sportiva!
Reviewer Reports: Tons of Suspension, Long Travel Enduro Bikes, Trickstuff Brakes, & More (Ep.274)
David and Zack discuss a ton of new gear they’ve been testing, including a whole lot of suspension from Fox, Trickstuff’s Maxima brakes, and more; compare their experiences converting their Enduro bikes to ultra-long-travel setups; chat about both of Pivot’s Trailcat variants, & more.
Flash Review: 24/25 Salomon MTN 96 Carbon
Several of us have been skinning and skiing on Salomon’s MTN 96 Carbon, which is the successor of one of our all-time favorite touring skis, the MTN Explore 95. Here’s what Luke Koppa has learned so far.
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2024-2025 Salomon MTN 96 Carbon
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Salomon MTN 96 Carbon.
2025 Nicolai / Geometron G1
Geometron arguably did more than anyone else to spur on the geometry revolution that mountain bikes underwent over the last decade or so. Their second-generation G1 doesn’t appear to be as radical as the original one in some respects, but it’s a more refined, modern take on an aggressive, ultra-adjustable Enduro bike.
Deep Dive: Nicolai / Geometron G1
We compare the Nicolai / Geometron G1 to first-generation G1, RAAW Madonna V3, Privateer 161 V2, Chromag Lowdown, and Contra MC.
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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‘Jeremiah Johnson’ w/ Mike Rogge & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.37)
‘Jeremiah Johnson’ stars one of the most famous actors of all time, Robert Redford. But why did Mike Rogge want to discuss this film that came out 53 years ago? Why was it so important to Robert Redford? And how did it inspire one of the most popular GIFs / memes today??
SRAM GX Transmission Upgrade Kit
SRAM just launched the new 70 and 90-series mechanical versions of their T-Type groupsets. Now there’s a cheaper way to convert a mechanical Transmission setup to the GX wireless version.
2024-2025 ON3P Woodsman 92
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the ON3P Woodsman 92.
Flash Review: Öhlins RXF36 m.3
The changes Öhlins made to the latest m.3 generation RXF36 look more like subtle refinements than a major overhaul on paper, but small tweaks can make a big difference when it comes to suspension performance. Check out how our time with the RXF36 m.3 is going so far.
Craig ‘Weazy’ Murray on Winning Natural Selections’ 1st SKI Comp; GRITT; & More (Ep.356)
We go behind the scenes of Natural Selection’s first ski comp with Craig ‘Weazy’ Murray, winner of the men’s division. We also talk about Weazy’s other passions, including riding mtn bikes at an increasingly high level, and why his work with GRITT means so much to him.
Flash Review: 25/26 Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition
Elan’s “Black Edition” skis are meant to serve as higher-end versions of their existing models, and we’ve been spending time on the latest blacked-out version of the Ripstick 102. Here are our 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.
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2025-2026 Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Specialized Gravity Racing & Brembo Announce Partnership
The speculation about the prototype brakes that Specialized Gravity Racing has been racing on can be put to rest: they’re from Brembo. Here’s what we know so far.
‘Forrest Gump’ w/ Brendan Leonard & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.41)
Forrest Gump premiered on June 23, 1994, and Tom Hanks won the Oscar for Best Actor. But according to Brendan Leonard (semi-rad.com), the real story is that Gump introduced millions of people to ultrarunning. Brendan and Jonathan discuss that and a whole lot more.
Jib League & the Future of Freeskiing with Woodsy (Ep.361)
We talk with James Woods (aka Woodsy) about how he and fellow pro skiers, Ferdinand Dahl and Oystein Braaten, created Jib League to fill voids that they were noticing in the freeskiing world. The unique event series they created has been loved by athletes and viewers alike, and the story of how it came to be is just as interesting as all the absurd tricks put down by the riders at each stop.
Aenomaly Switchgrade 2.0 Evo Seat Angle Adjuster
The Aenomaly Switchgrade is a clever way to allow on-the-fly seat angle adjustment, but how beneficial is it in practice? We’ve been testing the updated Switchgrade Evo 2.0, and are ready to weigh in.
Flash Review: 24/25 ON3P Woodsman 92
Update 6.13.25: Jonathan Ellsworth adds his thoughts on the Woodsman 92, where it excels, and what sort of skiers ought to consider it.
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 Alpaca Apparel from Arms of Andes
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a $200 gift card from Arms of Andes!
The New Rules of Apparel: PFAS, What’s Changed, & What It Means for You (Ep.351)
In this panel discussion from Blister Summit 2025, we asked apparel designers from Patagonia, Flylow, Ortovox, and Rab to discuss what you should expect from the new generation of PFAS-free apparel; how it compares to what you’ve used in the past; and what you can do to make the most of it.
Deep Dive: Santa Cruz Bronson 5
We compare the Santa Cruz Bronson 5 to the Santa Cruz Bronson 4, Santa Cruz Hightower 4, Santa Cruz Nomad, Yeti SB165, Ibis Ripmo, Specialized Stumpjumper 15, Spot Mayhem 140, Esker Woodsy, Propain Tyee, Norco Sight, Transition Sentinel V3, and Kona Process 153.
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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Santa Cruz Bronson 5
The Santa Cruz Bronson has evolved a lot over the years, and while the updates to the latest Bronson 5 look relatively subtle on paper, it’s a very different bike from the Bronson 4. We’ve had multiple editors in different locations spend time on the Bronson and have a comprehensive Full Review to share.
Chris McCaffrey on Riding His Bike Around the World (Ep.278)
The day after he submitted his final college paper, Chris McCaffrey set off to ride his bike around the world. He made it back to his hometown of Boulder, CO, seventeen months later. The story of the trip is a wild, inspiring, beautiful one, and you don’t want to miss it.
Steve Matthiasson on Wine, Punk Rock, Bikes, & Fireworks (Ep.73)
Steve is one of the most respected winemakers in Napa Valley, and he produces wines that buck some of the most fashionable trends in the valley. Steve is also a passionate mountain biker and snowboarder, a teacher, and a wine consultant; today, we dive into all of these aspects.
Flash Review: Revel ReRun
Revel Bikes is back in action after being reacquired by its founder, and that means their new bikes, like the ReRun, are hitting the market. Check out how we’re getting along with Revel’s first eMTB 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.
(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.)