BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Risk, Consequence, & an 8-Step Checklist
In this Open Mic piece, Hadley Hammer offers lots of food for thought, and an 8-Step checklist that each of us would do well to act on.
PeopleForBikes CEO, Jenn Dice, on Assessing, Advocating For, & Building Better Bike Infrastructure (Ep.249)
Getting more people on bikes more regularly is a laudable goal, and building better bike infrastructure is key to making it happen. PeopleForBikes does a whole lot to make that happen all over the US, and we sat down with their CEO, Jenn Dice, to hear all about it — and we dive into off-road bike access & advocacy, the specter of increased tariffs on bikes (and a lot of other stuff), and a whole bunch more.
Flash Review — EXT Vaia
EXT’s new Vaia is an inverted dual-crown fork with additional features and design details that set it apart from most of the DH fork market — at least on paper. But how does it stack up on the trail? Check out our early thoughts.
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EXT Vaia Fork
EXT’s first dual-crown DH fork is here, and per usual for the brand, they’ve come up with some interesting ways to do things their own way. Check out what they’ve come up with.
Studio Shed w/ Mike Koenig (Ep.53)
Sheds and Accessory Dwelling Units (aka, ADUs) are a great way to provide extra room for outdoor gear, remote work offices, or even additional living spaces. And in today’s conversation, we sit down with Studio Shed’s co-founder Mike Koenig to discuss their unique approach to designing prefabricated backyard structures that are well-built, eco-friendly, and stylish.
CAST Freetour 2.0 Pivot Ski-Touring Binding
CAST was the first to make a touring binding that got you alpine-binding performance on the way down and a tech toe for the way up, and the Freetour 2.0 is the latest iteration of their system. Check out our First Look for all the details.
Flash Review — Kona Process 153
We were impressed by the new Kona Process 134 when we reviewed it recently, but how about its bigger sibling, the Process 153? We’ve started spending time on the longer-travel member of the family and have some early thoughts to share.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2025 Mondraker Arid Carbon
Mondraker has dropped their first non-motorized Gravel bike — the Arid Carbon. With a clean aesthetic and a feature set designed to please both racers and more casual adventurers, the Arid prioritizes versatility. Let’s see what Mondraker has cooked up.
1-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (24/25)
That’s a wrap — we’ve now had all of our reviewers share which skis they’d pick if they were to ski a whole season on a single setup. Check out what everyone selected this year.
Flash Review — Canyon Spectral:ONfly
The new lightweight light-assist Canyon Spectral:ONFly looks like a smart, well-timed addition to their Trail bike eMTB lineup. We’ve started spending time on the Canyon Spectral:ONFly and are ready to weigh in with some initial thoughts on Canyon’s take on this hot category.
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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10 Quick Things: ‘Testing Skis w/ an Olympic Gold Medalist’ Edition (Ep.333)
Jonathan talks about skiing with an Olympic gold medalist on his first day back on snow; Mikaela Shiffrin vs. Santa Claus; the outdoor sports equivalent of Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul; and more. Give it a listen, then let us know your thoughts and ideas.
Bluebird Mountain Sports
Bluebird Mountain Sports is the place to go for ski gear and tuning, bootfitting, and more in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2024 — In the Garage
In Part Three of our annual Gift Guide series, our reviewers offer some ideas for those looking to splurge a bit on the skier, snowboarder, mountain biker, or other outdoor fan in their lives. Check out their recommendations for bigger gift ideas that you might need to hide in the garage.
Win a Sweet Prize Package From Gregory
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get an Alpaca Gear Box 2 Pack, Alpaca Gear Basket 70, and Alpaca Gear Tote 30 from Gregory Mountain Products!
Good Idea or Bad Idea? Dreams, Doorknobs, & Binding Innovations w/ Austin Smith (Ep.322)
Recently, Austin Smith posted a video of a prototype of a snowboard binding that rotates. So Jonathan talks with Austin about the idea, his prototyping process, the testing process, and his predictions for whether we’ll see a development like this come to market.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2024-2025 Stöckli Montero AR
Stöckli says the 84mm-wide Montero AR is “perfect for high-speed descents in any terrain” — but just how versatile is this piste-oriented ski? Here’s our Full Review.
Deep Dive: Stöckli Montero AR
We compare the Montero AR to the Stöckli Stormrider 95, Rossignol Arcade 88, Head Supershape e-Titan, Nordica Steadfast 85 DC, Elan Wingman 86 CTi, Atomic Maverick 88 Ti, Dynastar M-Cross 88, Head Supershape e-Rally, Volkl Peregrine 82, K2 Disruption 82Ti, Fischer The Curv GT 85, Kästle MX84, & Kästle MX88.
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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2024-2025 Dynastar M-Pro 98 W
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Dynastar M-Pro 98 W.
OneUp Components Hubs
OneUp made a name for themselves with no-nonsense parts at good prices, and their hubs focus on durability and ease of service. They happen to be very lightweight too — but how do they perform? Our Full Review shares our experience.
Vorsprung Telum
Update 12.12.2024: Vorsprung has shared a lot more information on the inner workings of their new Telum shock — and its extremely interesting Rapid Revalve system. Check it all out here.
2024-2025 ON3P Woodsman 108 Tour
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the ON3P Woodsman 108 Tour.
Flash Review: 24/25 Kästle Paragon 101
We’ve had multiple reviewers spending time on Kästle’s new all-mountain / freeride ski, the Paragon 101 — here are their thoughts so far on the ski.
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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Gearing up for Winter Riding (Ep. 252)
Riding in cold, wet conditions can be a blast if you get your apparel and bike setup right. Our Pacific Northwest-based reviewers sat down to talk about how they do it.
2024-2025 Rossignol Arcade 88
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the new Rossignol Arcade 88.
2024-2025 Icelantic Maiden 108
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the new Icelantic Maiden 108.
Scott Rao on Quality, Q Ratings, & Coffee (Ep.54)
Scott Rao is one of the most influential people in the world of coffee. He’s also the owner of Prodigal Coffee, and in this conversation we dive deep into specific coffee topics, as well as the pursuit of quality in general.
2024-2025 Dynastar M-Pro 92 W
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Dynastar M-Pro 92 W.