BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Hayes Dominion A4 Brakes
After 6 months of testing, the Hayes Dominion A4 has become one of our all-time favorite brakes for aggressive trail and DH riding.
5-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (20/21)
It’s once again that time of year where we spend way too much time thinking about ski quivers, so we’re kicking off our reviewers’ personal quiver selections with the big ones: 5-ski quivers.
Billy Yang on Running, Filmmaking, Media, Moving (??), & More (Ep.72)
Billy Yang is (among other things) a runner, filmmaker (Billy Yang Films), podcast host (Billy Yang Podcast), and someone who has been chronicling the sport of running in a fashion that is often beautiful, and always inspiring. So Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked to Billy about everything from cigarette brands to the need for more compassionate critical thinking in our world.
Adaptive Sports & Recreation: Past, Present, & Future (Ep.149)
Did you know that 1 out of 5 people in the United States have a disability? That is just one reason why you ought to know about the world of adaptive sports. So to get an overview of the past, present, and future of adaptive sports and recreation, we sat down with Chris Read and Betty Philbin of the Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte.
20/21 Blister Buyer’s Guide + Your Questions (Ep.121)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the highlights and big takeaways from our new Winter Buyer’s Guide; our Best Of award winners; whether or not the 20/21 crop of ski gear represents a step forward; and we then answer a lot of the questions you submitted.
Win any Liberty Ski
The winner this week will get to pick any pair of skis they want from Liberty’s 20/21 lineup!
Smith Forefront 2 Helmet & Attack MAG MTB Glasses
Smith recently updated their highest-end Trail helmet, the Forefront 2, and we’ve been testing the new version along with their Attack MAG MTB Glasses to see how the two work together and how they compare to the competition.
How to Care for Your Waterproof Outerwear & Down Jackets
Ok, people, our outwear nerds / gurus want you to start properly taking care of and cleaning your waterproof jackets & pants, down jackets & mid layers, and other technical apparel to keep them performing at their best. So they’ll tell you how, and recommend several products to use.
Altra Superior 4.5
The Superior remains Altra’s most minimally cushioned, all-round trail shoe, but how different is the latest Superior 4.5 compared to prior iterations, and who should be considering the new shoe? Check out our review.
2020 Guerrilla Gravity Gnarvana
Enduro racer? Long-legged Trail bike? Both? After 3 months of riding, we’ve updated our full review of Guerrilla Gravity’s longest-travel bike, the Gnarvana, and provide our take on where it slots into the market.
Mali Noyes & Lani Bruntz ski The Wurl (Ep.148)
The Wurl — The Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup — has gained a lot of attention in the trail running and climbing worlds, but it had never been done in the winter, and Mali Noyes and Lani Bruntz set out to ski it. So we talked with Mali and Lani about the origins of this idea to ski The Wurl, and the planning, logistics, and scouting that happened behind the scenes.
In Defense of Indoor Trainers (Ep.42)
Trainers? Trainers?? Roadies have been using them forever, but many mountain bikers dismiss them (like we did). But Simon Stewart (aka, Mr. Tank Driver / co-owner of BV Bike Company) lays out a compelling case for why all cyclists — including mountain bikers — should reconsider their stance on the modern, indoor trainer.
Shop Talk: John Weir, Bentgate (Ep.120)
We talk to John Weir from Bentgate in Golden, Colorado, about fitting AT boots; the rise of splitboarding; John’s predictions for this upcoming season; some of the precautions and protocols that Bentgate is taking and putting in place this winter; a lasting (positive) effect that COVID may have on the bootfitting process; and more.
2021-2022 Sego Condor 108
Sego’s Condor 108 was one of the more surprising skis we got on last season, and we think it is a reliable, predictable, and versatile tool that will work for a lot of skiers – whether you take a more directional or more playful approach to the mountain. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive Comparisons.
Deep Dive: Sego Condor 108
We compare the Condor 108 to the 4FRNT Raven, Volkl Blaze 106, Volkl BMT 109, Line Sick Day 104, Armada Tracer 108, Faction Agent 3.0, Folsom Cash 106 Carbon, Elan Ripstick 106, RMU North Shore 108, J Skis Slacker, Moment Wildcat Tour 108, Moment Wildcat 108, Moment Deathwish Tour, G3 ROAMr 108, WNDR Alpine Intention 110, Atomic Backland 107, Blizzard Zero G 105, & Line Vision 108.
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:
Blister Labs: Advancing the State of Gear Testing
Blister Labs is a new partnership between BLISTER, the University of Colorado at Boulder’s School of Engineering, and the brand-new, state-of-the-art engineering facility at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado.
Volkl Announces Updated 22/23 Kendo 88, Kenja 88, & Mantra 102
This week Volkl announced 22/23 updates to three of their all-mountain skis: the Kendo 88, Kenja 88, and Mantra 102.
Introducing: Blister Labs (Ep.180)
Today we are excited to introduce you to a very big new initiative at Blister: Blister Labs. This is a new partnership between Blister; CU Boulder’s school of engineering; and the brand-new, state-of-the-art engineering facility at Western Colorado University. Joining us to talk about why Blister Labs represents a significant new development in the outdoor industry is Dr. Jeni Blacklock, the director of the Rady Partnership Program between CU Boulder and Western.
Winter Running & The Meaning of Life (Ep.103)
Yesterday, Jonathan Ellsworth sat down with Blister reviewer, Gordon Gianniny, and our new Running Editor, Matt Mitchell, to talk about winter running. But our conversation took a much bigger and broader turn.
Tatum Monod on Passage, Passion, Her Trajectory, & More (Ep.199)
We’re talking with one of our favorite skiers, Tatum Monod, about her film, Passage; the trajectory of her career; her ski, the Rossignol Black Ops 118; music; graphics; fishing; design; and more.
Faction Skis & Candide Thovex Announce End to 10-Year Partnership
The GOAT and Faction will be parting ways in the spring of 2022, following 10 years of collaboration.
Flash Review: 22/23 Salomon QST 106 & Strive Binding
Salomon is updating the QST 106 for the 2022-2023 season and releasing a brand-new alpine binding. Check out our thoughts on both.
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.)
Would You Rather: Light Skis vs. Light Boots
It’s not exactly a secret that we tend to like a bit of weight in our skis and boots at Blister, at least when it comes to downhill performance. But if we had to ski some very light setups, where would we be most inclined to save that weight? That’s the topic we’re tackling in this edition of Would You Rather.
Win Folsom Custom Skis
This week the winner of our Gear Giveaway will get a pair of Folsom custom skis, designed just for them!
On our Upcoming Blister Summit (Ep.179)
Jonathan Ellsworth and Blister Summit director, Kristin Sinnott, discuss the ins and outs of our upcoming Blister Summit; why we’re including free professionally guided backcountry tours; which brands will be there; when to arrive & where to stay; and more.
2021-2022 RMU Apostle 3.0 106
The revised Apostle 106 is an exceptionally maneuverable and easy ski, but certain skiers could also really like it for skiing fast and dynamically all over the mountain. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: RMU Apostle 3.0 106
We compare the Apostle 3.0 106 to the DPS Koala 103, Moment Deathwish 104, Line Sir Francis Bacon, K2 Reckoner 102, Moment Wildcat 108, Whitedot Altum 104, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Head Kore 105, Black Crows Atris, Dynastar M-Free 108, Sego Big Horn 106, Blizzard Rustler 10, Icelantic Nomad 105, Prior Northwest 110, J Skis Hotshot, Elan Ripstick 106, Line Sick Day 104, 4FRNT Devastator, Volkl Revolt 104, Season Nexus, & Fischer Ranger 102 FR.
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.)