BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

Sage Cattabriga-Alosa on Biking, Skiing, Similarities, & Transitions (Ep.47)
Sage Cattabriga-Alosa is one of the best big line skiers of all time, and he’s an extremely good — and extremely passionate — mountain biker, too. So we talked with Sage about how he thinks about the similarities of skiing & mountain biking; riding lines in Virgin, Utah back in 2004; riding with Cam McCaul; what aspect of mountain biking he is most focused on improving; and his film, Balance.

2021-2022 Armada Declivity 92 Ti
We’ve spent the past few weeks skiing one of Armada’s new metal-laminate skis, the Declivity 92 Ti. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons of this fun, lively, & versatile ski.

Deep Dive: Armada Declivity 92 Ti
We compare the Declivity 92 Ti to the Salomon Stance 90, Fischer Ranger 94 FR, Head Kore 93, Nordica Enforcer 94, J Skis Masterblaster, Volkl Mantra M5, Folsom Spar 88, Blizzard Brahma 88, Elan Wingman 86 CTi, Line Blade, Liberty Evolv 90, & Liberty V92.
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Win Kastle Skis & Spyder Jackets
The TWO winners this week will each get a pair of Kastle skis + a jacket from Spyder.

Shop Talk: Backcountry Essentials, Bellingham WA (Ep.128)
On our latest edition of ‘Shop Talk’, we’ve got the founder of Backcountry Essentials, Chris Gerston, talking about Bellingham; starting Backcountry Essentials; and some of the gear that he thinks works really well for skiing at Mt Baker and for volcano skiing.

PNW Components Rainier Gen 3 Dropper Post
The PNW Components Gen-3 Rainier is a very promising option in the increasingly crowded field of dropper posts, and comes at an unusually attractive price. So how does it compare to the competition? Check out our review.

La Sportiva Blizzard GTX
The Blizzard GTX is one of a few shoes on the market specifically designed for running on snow and ice. We’ve spent time in it doing just that, and in our full review, we go into who would really benefit from a specialized shoe like this, and who might be better off in something more versatile.

Flash Review: 20/21 Salomon Stance 90
Here are our initial thoughts on the new Stance 90, with comparisons to several other skis in its class.
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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Snowboarder Elena Hight on Competition, Transitions, & Blank Canvas (Ep.155)
Elena Hight is an X Games Gold Medalist, two-time Olympian, and a badass. We discuss her new film, Blank Canvas; competitive drive; how similar or different it is preparing to ride a big backcountry line versus a half-pipe contest run; her time in the mountains with the likes of Hana Beaman, Travis Rice, and Danny Davis; the art of getting better at dealing with changes and transitions in life; and more.

Winter Running Gear Roundup
Freezing temps and / or snowy trails mean your running gear plays a much larger role in how enjoyable your runs will be. Check out a few of the misc. pieces that some of our reviewers use just about every time they head out for a winter run.

1-Ski-Boot Quiver; Listener Questions; Skis; Apparel; & Masks (Ep.127)
Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss several listener questions about ski quivers; 1-boot quivers; some game-changing news in the ski boot world; a number of skis, apparel pieces, and ski masks we’ve been testing; & what we’re celebrating this week.

1-Ski-Boot Quiver: Reviewer Selections (20/21)
Check out Part Two of our reviewers’ 1-boot-quiver selections, with additions from Paul Forward & Eric Freson

Win Candide Thovex’s Skis
We can’t guarantee they’ll make you ski like him, but the winner this week will get Candide’s signature ski, the Faction CT 5.0.

Flash Review: 20/21 Renoun Endurance 88
We’ve been spending time on Renoun’s narrowest all-mountain ski — 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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Flash Review: 20/21 J Skis Hotshot
Update 12.17.20: check out our thoughts on how the Hotshot has been handling chop, crud, and off-piste terrain.
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:

Flash Review — Antidote Carbonjack 29
We’ve started spending time on the Antidote Carbonjack. 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.
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Push Industries’ Darren Murphy on Product Development, Suspension Tuning, & Local Manufacturing (Ep.107)
We’ve got Darren Murphy from Push Industries on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about suspension design and tuning, the Eleven Six shock, how to set up your suspension, and much more.

Jason Koop on Recent Research, Training Myths, & Bad Science (Ep.109)
CTS coach Jason Koop makes his return to talk about the increase in ultramarathon-specific research; myths around running economy; the art of pairing coaches with athletes; how to sift through all the bad science on social media; and his time with Timothy Olson on the PCT.

Blister Summit ’22 — Recap & Photo Story
And just like that, our 2022 Blister Summit has wrapped up. Summit B was an absolute blast, with bluebird skies, soft snow, fantastic panel discussions, and more. Check out our recap and stay tuned for tons of videos and reviews in the coming weeks.

K2 Announces New 22/23 Mindbender Ti Skis
Today K2 announced that they’re making several updates to their Mindbender Ti freeride skis, and we’ve got some in for long-term testing. Check out all the details here.

Flash Review: 22/23 Renoun Endurance 98
We’ve been spending time on the revised version of Renoun’s original all-mountain ski — check out some initial impressions from Kara Williard.
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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Stuff We Like: February 2022
This month’s edition of Stuff We Like features ski boot liners, sunglasses at a big range of price points, outerwear, and a lot more.

On Race Broadcasting & Going Mainstream
The UCI just announced that Discovery will be taking over World Cup race broadcasting from Red Bull, starting in 2023. Our Bike Editor has some thoughts.

Flash Review: 22/23 Line Blade Optic 114
We’ve been skiing the Blade Optic 114 at the 2022 Blister Summit — check out our initial impressions of this playful freeride 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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Win a Flylow Outerwear Kit
This week our winner will get a full men’s or women’s Flylow outerwear kit!

Cascade Components on Making Bikes Better (Ep.106)
We sit down with Cascade Components to talk about suspension design; their aftermarket links & the goals behind them; plus brakes, chain guides, and a whole lot more.

Flash Review: 22/23 Icelantic Saba Pro 117
We just spent a day on Icelantic’s reverse-camber pow ski, the Saba Pro 117 — check out our initial 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.
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