BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2020 — Stocking Stuffers
It’s that time of year again, where many of us are thinking about gifts for our family and friends. Our reviewers are chiming in with their gift ideas, and we’re kicking things off with stocking stuffers.
2021 Canfield Tilt & Lithium
Canfield recently added two new 29ers to their lineup, the Tilt & Lithium, and we’re very excited about both. Check out our First Look to see why.
Win 4FRNT Skis
The winner this week will get a pair of skis from 4FRNT’s 20/21 collection!
Buttered Noodles; Opening Day; & Ski Quivers (Ep.124)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the opening day of the ski season; approaches to building ski quivers; our specific selections; Luke’s latest rant; What we’re Celebrating; & more.
3-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (20/21)
In Part Two of our reviewers’ 3-ski quiver selections, reviewers Paul Forward, Sascha Anastas, Kristin Sinnott, & Jonathan Ellsworth add their picks.
Matt Hart on Nike, The Oregon Project, & PEDs in Sports (Ep.74)
We talk to Matt Hart about his book, Win at All Costs: Inside Nike Running and its Culture of Deception, which is is an important book that everyone interested in competitive athletics should read. We discuss how Matt got interested in and involved with this story; whether we should just make all performance-enhancing drugs legal in all sports; who is most to blame for PED use in sports; what Nike’s response to the book has been; and Alberto Salazar’s upcoming trial.
Athletic Brewing Company founder, Bill Shufelt (Ep.151)
Athletic Brewing Company is a fast-growing brand in an emerging category that is about to blow up: non-alcoholic craft beer. So we talked to Athletic Brewing’s founder about why he started the company; the stigma of not drinking; why “near beer” has been so bad; why there’s such a need for products like this in the outdoors community; Athletic’s brewing process; how he feels about the emerging competition in the space; and more.
ON Cloudventure Peak
ON’s shoes immediately stand out due to their unique midsole “pods,” and we’ve been testing their recently revised, lightweight trail racer, the Cloudventure Peak. Check out our review to see where we think it excels, where it falls short, and how it compares to the competition.
Shop Talk: Tyson Stellrecht, Boise Gear Collective (Ep.123)
We sat down with Tyson Stellrecht, the founder of Boise Gear Collective, to talk about the selling of both used gear and brand new gear; how it’s going with backcountry.com one year later; why Tyson isn’t moving into e-commerce; gear snobs; predictions for the upcoming season; and more.
Win Wagner Skis + Glade Goggles & Helmet + James Niehues Book
The winner this week will get a really cool collection of gear from Wagner Custom Skis, Glade, & James Niehues!
4-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (20/21)
In Part Two of our reviewers’ 4-ski quiver selections, Jonathan Ellsworth & Kristin Sinnott add their picks for the 20/21 season.
Anneke Beerten on Her Accident; Recovery; Pastranaland, & More (Ep.44)
Anneke Beerten (the 2 x world champion BMX rider, 3-time Four Cross world champion, and Queen of Crankworx) was in an accident and suffered a serious concussion, so we check in with her to hear more about what happened; get a firsthand report of her recovery; and present a public service announcement that we all need to hear. Then we shift gears to talk about participating in the amazing Pastranaland Pit Bike Championships, so this is both a serious and super fun conversation.
Hoka Founder & Deckers Group VP of Innovation, Jean-Luc Diard (Ep.73)
If you are interested in product design and the process of innovation, then you need to listen to this conversation. Jean-Luc Diard started as an intern at Salomon, developed the first shaped ski, became the CEO at Salomon, played a major role in the development of Salomon’s running shoes, moved on to found Hoka One One, and is currently the VP of Innovation for the Deckers Group, where he currently heads up the Deckers X Lab.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Nov 2020) (Ep.150)
Today we are launching a new segment on the Blister Podcast. Each month, Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the biggest stories and most interesting news headlines from the world of outdoor sports, and on occasion, the broader world, too. We also share some of the best things we’ve watched, read, or listened to.
Blister Brand Guide: Nike Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2020
Nike continues to expand their trail-running lineup, and in our Brand Guide we cover every shoe in their 2020 Trail lineup to help you figure out how each shoe differs and which might make the most sense for you.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Salomon’s Mike Ambrose on Shoe Design; Trail Culture(s); & How He Got to Where He Is (Ep.105)
We talk to Salomon’s Mike Ambrose about running shoe design; taking a shoe from concept to production; his life in running and the running industry; European vs. North American markets; & what’s next in running shoes.
Nordica Announces New 22/23 Unleashed Skis
Today Nordica announced their new Unleashed collection skis — the more playful, off-piste-oriented counterparts to the Enforcer & Santa Ana skis. Learn more about the new line here.
Flash Review: 22/23 Line Blade Optic 96
We’ve been spending time on Line’s new freeride skis and our initial impressions have been very interesting. Check out our thoughts on the Blade Optic 96.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Blister Summit 2022: What, When, & How to Join
Our Blister Summit is coming back in February 2022, and registration is currently open for Blister Members. Learn all about it here.
2023 Santa Cruz Heckler
Santa Cruz’s Heckler e-bike just got a big update — including more suspension travel, bigger wheels, and more. Check out our First Look for all the details.
On Our Blister ‘Crash Course’ Telemark Video & Future Crash Course Videos (Ep.201)
Last week, we released our Blister ‘Crash Course’ Telemark video, and today, Jonathan Ellsworth, Luke Koppa, and Dylan Wood talk about their experience tele’ing for the first time. We’re also joined by the star of the video, Kristin Sinnott, to learn why she was a million times better than the rest of us. Then we discuss ideas for future Blister Crash Course videos, so check the conversation, then let us know what you think we ought to do for our next Crash Course videos.
Stuff We Like: January 2022
Our latest Stuff We Like roundup features everything from shovels to boots, jackets, MTB shoes, and more. Check it out to see all the miscellaneous products our reviewers have been digging.
Flash Review — Öhlins RXF38 m.2
We’ve just started testing the new Ohlins RXF38 — their competitor to the Fox 38 and RockShox ZEB. 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.
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.)
Topic of the Week: Get Lights, Go Night Riding
Our Bike Editor has been re-discovering the joy of night riding recently and thinks you should, too.
New 2022/2023 Ski Gear (Ep.182)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss a ton of next season’s new products, and some of the most intriguing product categories.
2022-2023 Wagner Summit 107
The Summit 107 may look like a pretty conventional, directional, ~107mm-wide ski. But its versatility and capabilities are not conventional. Check out our full review.
Deep Dive: Wagner Summit 107
We compare the Summit 107 to the Wagner Summit 106, Blizzard Cochise 106, Volkl Katana 108, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, J Skis Hotshot, Folsom Blister Pro 104, Sego Comp 110, Black Crows Corvus, Prior Husume, Dynastar M-Free 108, Icelantic Nomad 105, Black Crows Atris, 4FRNT MSP 107, Moment Commander 108, Moment Wildcat 108, Faction Dictator 3.0, & Salomon QST 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.
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.)