BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Mountain Life & Product Design: North Drinkware Co-Founder, Matt Capozzi (Ep.63)
Matt Capozzi has always loved being in the mountains, but he’s also enjoyed an incredible career working in product design for brands like Burton, Nike, Nixon, and Smith. In 2015, Matt had a wild idea to help people ‘bring the mountains home,’ which led to the creation of North Drinkware, which produces beautiful, artisanal products — like handblown glassware — made in Oregon.
Fox 36 & 36 SL
Fox’s new 34 SL was a sign of more things to come: there’s now a new 36 SL and an overhauled 36 in Fox’s fork lineup, too. Check out what’s new.
2025-26 Head E.B.I. LYT, 161 cm
There are an increasing number of directional freeride boards that aim to blend powder float with carving ability on-piste, and the E.B.I. LYT is Head’s contribution to the category. Does it manage to blend those often separate traits into a coherent design? Our Full Review has our impressions after a season with the E.B.I. LYT.
2025 World Cup Finals of Ski Racing in Sun Valley with River Radamus & Will Brandenburg (Ep.351)
Jonathan talks to US ski racer, River Radamus, about his upcoming GS race; this World Cup season; & more. Then, he talks to former World Cup ski racer, Will Brandenburg about the Herculean effort it was to build – and prep – the steepest DH and Super G race courses in the world.
Flash Review: 25/26 Dynastar M-Free 112
Update: Luke Koppa has added more thoughts on the 190 cm M-Free 112, how it compares to some other skis in its class, and why it’s quickly become a favorite of several of our reviewers.
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2025-2026 Ellis Sabr 100
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Sabr 100 by Ellis Skis.
Flash Review: 25/26 Ellis Sabr 100
Ellis Skis, based out of Utah and Colorado, just launched their first collection this season and we’ve started spending time on their 100mm-wide Sabr. Here are our initial thoughts.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2024-2025 La Sportiva Capo
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the La Sportiva Capo.
Reviewer Reports: Big-Mountain Ski Showdowns, Powder-Touring Setups, & Much More (Ep.339)
Luke Koppa, Paul Forward, Kristin Sinnott, Sascha Anastas, and Dylan Wood discuss a bunch of the latest gear they’ve been testing, including multiple powder-touring setups; new skis from Heritage Lab; women’s all-mountain skis; apparel for skiing and lounging; some very interesting new big-mountain models from Dynastar, Rossignol, & Head; and more.
2024-2025 Moment Wildcat
The Moment Wildcat and its predecessor, the Bibby, have a long history at Blister. Following our prior review of the 184 cm length, we’ve since spent a bunch of time on the 190 cm. Check out our updated Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see what makes both lengths of this ‘playful charger’ stand out in today’s market.
Deep Dive: Moment Wildcat
We compare the Moment Wildcat to the previous Wildcat, Moment Bibby, Moment Wildcat Tour, Black Crows Anima, Rossignol Sender Free 118, Line Optic 114, K2 Reckoner 124, Volkl Revolt 121, Völkl Revolt 114, 4FRNT Renegade, 4FRNT Inthayne, Atomic Maverick 115 CTI, Atomic Bent Chetler 120, Nordica Unleashed 114, Line Bacon 115, Dynastar M-Free 112, Icelantic Nomad 112, Blizzard Rustler 11, Salomon QST X, Head Oblivion 116, Line Vision 114, Head Kore 117, Head Kore 118 Ti, Prior Northwest 116, DPS Foundation Koala 118, Salomon QST Blank, Dynastar M-Free 118, J Skis Friend, Line Vision 118, Season Forma, Line Outline, K2 Reckoner 112, Icelantic Nomad 115, Nordica Enforcer 115 Free, and Elan Ripstick 116.
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 a Kitworks Gear Management System
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a Gear Box, a Gear Tote 35L or 55L, and a $100 gift card from Kitworks!
House of Looptail on Remaking Vintage Mountain Bike and BMX Tires (Ep. 266)
House of Looptail’s Wakeman Massie joins us to chat about remaking vintage mountain bike and BMX tires; designing the first Surly singlespeed frame; why old mountain bikes deserve to be ridden; and a whole lot more.
Fox 34 SL
XC race courses are more technical than ever and race bikes are getting beefed up to match. Fox’s new 34 SL replaces the 34 Step Cast and promises a stiffer chassis, optional longer travel, and more. Check out what they’ve come up with.
Hi-Fi Audio: Capturing the Heart & Soul of Music with Heaven 11’s Itai Azerad (Ep.62)
Music — and how you listen to it — matters. In this CRAFTED conversation, Simon is joined by Heaven 11 Audio’s Itai Azerad to discuss building amplifiers that capture the heart and soul of music.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Deep Dive: Salomon QST 94
We compare the Salomon QST 94 to the Salomon QST 92, Salomon QST 100, Salomon QST 98, Salomon Stance 96, Black Crows Serpo, Dynastar M-Pro 94 Ti, Stöckli Stormrider 95, Elan Ripstick 96, RMU Apostle 96 Ti, Line Optic 96, Black Crows Camox, Meier Wrangler, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 95, Renoun Endurance 98, Blizzard Rustler 9, ZAG Slap 98, J Skis Masterblaster, J Skis Fastforward, Folsom Completo 100, Icelantic Nomad 100, DPS Wailer 100, Rossignol Sender Soul 102, K2 Mindbender 96C, and K2 Mindbender 99Ti.
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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Is This the ‘Top Gun’ for Bartenders? (Ep.66)
We’re all familiar with ‘Top Gun’ — a school that separates the best of the best. But what if we told you there is an elite certification program designed to test the best bartenders in the business? Today, we’re discussing that program — Bar 5 Day — with Steve Olson and Doug Frost.
Flash Review: Santa Cruz Bullit 4
Santa Cruz has added the 170 mm travel Bullit to thier revamped lineup of Horst Link euipped eMTBs built around the latest Bosch CX drive system.
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 111
This season, RMU expanded their freestyle-friendly Professor collection with the Professor 111. Here’s our take on the ski so far, including comparisons to RMU’s Apostle 114 and several other skis in the same class as the Professor 111.
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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Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, March / April 2025 (Ep.352)
Cody and Jonathan discuss tariff zaniness; the state of outdoor-sports comps; whether it’s good when big companies move into outdoor sports (Nike & snowboarding?); and more. They also rate your takes, talk about Cody’s trips to Norway & Utah, and share what they’ve been reading & watching.
Flash Review: 2026 Fox Float X2
Fox’s new Float X2 has dramatically different damper architecture from the prior version and some air spring tweaks to go with it. Check out our early thoughts after A-B testing the two generations of Float X2 for a few rides.
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 Sea Otter Classic Recap
Check out a bunch of the most interesting, compelling, and just plain odd stuff we’ve seen at Sea Otter this year.
Gear Testing Tips & Tricks w/ Hoji, Ted Ligety, Anne Wangler, & Jess Tennyson (Ep.342)
How do the pros — Hoji, Ted, Anne, and Jess — go about assessing and testing ski and snowboard gear, and what advice do they have for the rest of us? Plus, you’ll hear Ted share one of his favorite (but questionable??) ways of testing skis.
Win Apparel From Le Bent, Party Shirt International, & Curious Creatures
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a sweet prize pack that includes a Men’s or Women’s Midweight Crew Base Layer from Le Bent, a Sun Hoodie from Party Shirt International, & a Cottonwood Long Sleeve Tee from Curious Creatures!
2024-2025 ON3P Woodsman 100 Tour
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the ON3P Woodsman 100 Tour.
Lal Bikes on the Supre Drive & Katana Trail Bike (Ep.269)
Rear derailleurs have been around in their current general form for many decades now, but Lal Bikes thinks there’s a better way, and the Supre Drive is their answer. Now, they’ve got their own bike to go with it: the Katana. So we sat down with Lal Founder, Cedric Eveleigh, to hear all about it.
Lal Katana
Lal Bikes turned a lot of heads when they launched the Supre Drive a few years ago, and now they’re launching their own bike built around it. Meet the Katana.