BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Mali Noyes’ Incredible Feat: Skiing the Chuting Gallery in 47 Days (Ep.355)
Mali Noyes just pulled off a mind-blowing feat: skiing the Chuting Gallery in 47 days. So how did she do it? And what led her to try? Jonathan talks with Mali about all of it, including some of the best advice she received from Greg Hill, Cody Townsend, Janelle Smiley, and Sam Smoothy.
Flash Review: 25/26 Rossignol Arcade 94
Update 5.5.25: We’ve added some more thoughts on Rossignol’s new piste-oriented ski, including how the Arcade 94 handles the very variable conditions of the spring, and its off-piste capabilities.
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2025-2026 Rossignol Arcade 94
Rossignol is making big changes to their all-mountain lineup for 25/26, including eight new models in their Arcade series. Here are the details on the new collection, as well as our measured specs and rocker profile pictures for the new Arcade 94.
Flash Review: Santa Cruz Hightower 4
We had some questions when Santa Cruz updated their popular Hightower, which sits right in the middle of their MTB lineup, and now we have some answers. Check out our first impressions of this new Trail bike.
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Flash Review: 25/26 Salomon S/Lab QST Blank
Part of Salomon’s overhaul of the QST series, the new 112mm-wide S/Lab QST Blank was reportedly designed with input from lots of Salomon’s younger “Mountain Collective” athletes. So, what’s changed vs. the original Blank? Based on our initial testing, you could argue that the answer is both “not much” and “a lot.” Here’s why.
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2025-2026 Salomon S/Lab QST Blank
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the updated Salomon S/Lab QST Blank.
What’s New in Ski & Snowboard Bindings (Burton, Spark R&D, ATK Bindings, AlpenFlow Design) (Ep.345)
What new ideas emerge when you bring together makers of hybrid ski bindings and AT bindings and snowboard bindings and splitboard bindings? At the Blister Summit, we brought together Will Ritter of Spark R&D; Royal White, from Burton; Andy Merriman, from ATK Bindings; and Cobey Nash, from the new company, AlpenFlow Design. Enjoy.
Flash Review: Trickstuff Maxima Brakes
The name of the Trickstuff Maxima brakes gives a good idea of what they’re about, at least on paper: big power, big bling, and a pricetag to match. We’ve started spending time on Trickstuff’s most powerful, gravity-oriented brake to see if they deliver.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Win Packs & Radios From BCA
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a Stash Pro 40-UL or Stash 20-S pack and BC Link 2.0 Radio from Backcountry Access!
Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, April 2025 (Ep. 272)
Mike and Simon discuss the sad news about Revel Bikes closing shop, the exciting start to mountain bike World Cup XC racing, Tadej Pogačar’s incredible Spring Classics campaign, Specialized’s polarizing eMTB speed limit decision, some of their favorite new products, and a whole lot more.
Stuff We Like: April 2025
In this month’s edition of Stuff We Like, our reviewers discuss a wide array of gear they’ve been digging, from burly bike stands to shoulder-season layers, ultra-breathable touring kits, mesh duffels, and lots of multifunctional summer apparel for the hot months to come.
Viticulture, Wine Making, & Karaoke w/ Field Recordings’ Andrew Jones (Ep.68)
Andrew Jones has spent decades planting vines for other people — some of the biggest names in California. But then his side project turned into Field Recordings, and that has grown into one of the most talked-about labels in the country. Here, Andrew talks with us about nursery hustle, breaking the rules, and why wine should be fun, not fussy.
Flash Review: 2026 Fox 36 SL Grip X
The new Fox 36 SL replaced the longstanding 34 as their shorter-travel Trail bike fork, and Fox claims it’s got a much stiffer chassis at a modest weight penalty. Let’s check how our time on the 36 SL is going so far.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review: 25/26 RMU Professor 101
We’ve been spending time on the new Professor 101, which expands the freestyle-friendly Professor collection to a more versatile and all-mountain-friendly width. Here are our initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2025-2026 RMU Professor 101
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the RMU Professor 101.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Win Apparel From SPC/LST
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Sapien Quilted Crew, Omega E-Waist Active 5.5” Short, and Range Beanie from SPC/LST!
Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, May 2025 (Ep. 277)
Mike and Simon discuss the exciting start to mountain bike World Cup DH racing, the fantastic Giro d’Italia, Christopher Blevins’ domination, Mathieu van der Poel’s rough day on a mountain bike, some good industry news, and a whole lot more.
2026 Orbea Occam SL & Occam LT
Orbea has updated the Occam SL and Occam LT Trail bikes, and while the changes aren’t massive, there are a couple of nice tweaks — including the option to forgo headset cable routing.
America’s Founding Spirit & the Most Important Distillery You’ve Never Heard Of (Ep.72)
Brandy doesn’t get the love that it deserves, given that it was America’s founding spirit, and no category has a bigger folk hero tied to it (Johnny Appleseed, anyone?). Today, we’re talking about all things brandy with Clear Creek Distillery.
Shimano XTR M9200 & M9220 Brakes
Alongside their new XTR Di2 drivetrain, Shimano also updated their longstanding and very popular XTR brakes, and we’ve been testing the Trail / Enduro version for the past few months. Here’s the design rundown on both of the new XTR stoppers, and our take on how the four-piston option has performed.
Shimano XTR M9200 Di2 Wireless Drivetrain & Wheels
Shimano’s long-awaited wireless XTR group is here. Here are all the details — and our long-term Full Review after spending several months with the new shifter, derailleur, cassette, cranks, and wheels.
Flash Review: Yeti MTe
We’ve been spending time on Yeti’s brand-new MTe, a mid-travel, light-assist eMTB that includes TQ’s new HPR60 drive system. Check out our initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, April / May 2025 (Ep.359)
Cody and Jonathan discuss Rob Katz’s return as the CEO of Vail; what’s going on with REI; the sale of Pieps; the latest way to speed up Mt. Everest; the Most Canadian News; the return of the Blister Book Club; what we’re reading & watching; and more.
Flash Review: 25/26 Atomic Hawx Prime XTD 130 BOA
Several of our reviewers have become big fans of Atomic’s low-volume Hawx boots, but what about the roomier ‘Prime’ version? Here are Luke Koppa’s initial thoughts on the freeride-touring Hawx Prime XTD 130 BOA.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review: Magura Gustav Pro
Magura’s Gustav Pro brakes promise consistency and heat management, so do they deliver? Our Flash Review has initial impressions from the first couple of rides with Magura’s latest stoppers.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Stuff We Like: May 2025
This month’s assortment of gear includes several impressive cycling components, coolers made from coconuts, some summer apparel favorites, and much more. Check it out to see what our reviewers have been liking lately.
Ski vs Bike Industry, Part 1: Similarities, Differences, Trends, & the Health of Each (Ep.349)
In past years, we’ve done a series called ‘Bikes vs Skis’ where we’ve posed the question: Which bike company is most like which ski company? But today our team is zooming out and comparing the ski vs bike industry to identify the significant similarities and differences; assess the relative health of each; and see how the trends in one might align with trends in the other.