BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Deep Dive: K2 Reckoner 122
We compare the Reckoner 122 to the Reckoner 112, Volkl Revolt 121, K2 Catamaran, Salomon QST 118, Moment Wildcat, Dynastar M-Free 118, Faction Candide 5.0, 4FRNT Inthayne, J Skis Friend, Line Outline, Atomic Bent Chetler 120, Icelantic Nomad 115, Parlor McFellon Pro, Rossignol BLACKOPS Gamer, Blizzard Rustler 11, K2 Mindbender 116C, ON3P Jeffrey 116, Prior CBC, & Kye Shapes Metamorph.
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Swiftwick Running Sock Roundup
We’ve been running in several of Swiftwick’s socks, including a few new options that they just released today. Check out our roundup to see how the numerous models in their lineup compare.
Jeremy Bloom on Winning, Happiness, & The Weight of Gold (Ep. 138)
Jeremy Bloom is a 3-time world champion mogul skier, a 2-time Olympian, an 11-time World Cup gold medalist, and an All-American football player that was drafted into the NFL. He’s also the executive producer of an important new film, The Weight of Gold, which explores the mental health challenges that Olympic athletes often face. So we talked to Jeremy about his own background; the pursuit of athletic excellence; winning and happiness; brain health; and more.
Pros, Cons, & Potential Solutions to Increased Trail Use (Ep. 33)
Bike sales are through the roof this season, and all around the world, a lot of people are hitting the trails. So we talked to the executive director of the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association, Dave Ochs, to discuss the implications of — and potential solutions to — increased trail use.
Win a Camping Sleep System from Zenbivy
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, & a pillow from Zenbivy!
Mountain Biking Flat-Pedal Shoe Roundup — 2020
Flat-pedal shoes now vary a lot, from those with ultra-sticky, racing-slick-style outsoles to options that resemble hiking shoes to others that look like any other sneaker. Check out our roundup for in-depth comparisons on 6 shoes that we’ve been using.
Bikes, Forks, & Our 20/21 Winter Buyer’s Guide (Ep.108)
Jonathan Ellsworth talks to David Golay, Dylan Wood, & Luke Koppa about the Guerrilla Gravity Gnarvana; Manitou Mezzer & RockShox ZEB; Rocky Mountain Instinct BC; our 20/21 Winter Buyer’s Guide; and … ‘The Year of Ellsworth.’
Martinus Evans, 300 Pounds & Running (Ep. 60)
Martinus Evans is the founder of 300poundsandrunning.com and the Slow AF Run Club, and Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk to Martinus about modern media, being a Black runner in 2020, DJ-ing, motivation, Detroit pizza vs. Chicago pizza, the Slow AF Run Club, and more.
2021-2022 Blizzard Black Pearl 88
For the 20/21 season, Blizzard decided to update one of the most popular skis in the world, the Black Pearl 88. Check out our First Look & Flash Review to learn more about what’s changed with the new ski, and our initial on-snow impressions.
National Brotherhood of Skiers co-founder & U.S. Ski Hall of Fame inductee, Art Clay (Ep. 137)
Art Clay is the co-founder of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, and he and his NBS co-founder, Ben Finley, are the first African Americans elected into the US Ski-Snowboard Hall of Fame. This past weekend, Jonathan Ellsworth sat down with Art at his home in Chicago to talk about growing up in Chicago in the 1940s; his first time skiing; the idea to start the National Brotherhood of Skiers; cutie pies; the Black Summit; and more.
EVOC Capture 7L Camera Pack
For those who like to ride bikes and take pictures on the trail, you’re often left with the choice of slugging around a bulky backpack or leaving your camera gear vulnerable. The EVOC Capture 7L Camera Pack aims to solve that dilemma, offering camera protection and storage in the form of a compact, breathable hip pack. Check out our review of this impressive, purpose-built product.
What We’re Watching — July, 2020
Another week, another batch of cool videos. This week we’ve added 9 videos from legends of biking and skiing, as well as several exciting newcomers.
Win Pocket Knives from SOG
This week 3 people will get SOG’s Aegis AT pocket knife.
Aprch, CBD, & the Story Behind an Emerging Category (Ep.107)
This week we’re switching things up a bit and taking a close look at a massive emerging category — CBD products in general — and one specific company, Aprch. And to walk us through some of the relevant science, regulations, production processes, and the trajectory of this industry, we talk with Aprch co-founder, Adam Hunter.
2020-2021 DPS Pagoda Piste 100 C2
For 20/21, DPS is launching not only several new ski shapes, but also two brand-new ski constructions. They’re making some pretty bold claims about their new Pagoda Piste & Pagoda Tour designs, and you can check out our First Look of the Pagoda Piste 100 C2 to learn about their rationale for those claims and how the design of the ski compares to the rest of the market.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review: 21/22 Head Kore 87
Here are some of our initial thoughts on the narrowest ski in the Kore lineup.
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.)
Cedric Eveleigh of LAL Bikes, on Reinventing the Derailleur (Ep.94)
Mountain bike derailleurs have improved immensely, but is there a better way entirely? Cedric Eveleigh thinks so, and he founded LAL Bikes to make his Supre Drive a reality. We sat down with Cedric to break down this extremely promising new design, and get the full story on its development, the next steps, and more.
Flash Review: 21/22 Salomon Stance W 88
Check out our initial impressions of this metal-laminate women’s all-mountain ski from Salomon.
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.
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Topo Athletic Mtn Racer 2
The new Topo Athletic Mtn Racer 2 is in contention to be our running editor’s favorite long-distance mountain running shoe of the year. Check out his review to see why, and why this 2nd version is such an improvement over the original.
4-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (21/22)
Check out Part Two of our reviewers’ 4-ski quiver picks, with additions from Paul Forward, Kristin Sinnott, Eric Freson, Jonathan Ellsworth, & Dylan Wood.
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2021 — Stocking Stuffers
It’s once again the season for giving, and we are back with our annual Gift Guides to help you think creatively about some of the gifts you give this year. We’re kicking things off with 19 stocking stuffer ideas.
21/22 Black Crows Mirus Cor
We’ve got another update on Black Crows’ new, strange carver, and it’s a bit surprising.
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.)
Marcus Caston on the Return of the Turn (Ep.192)
When it comes to true ‘all-mountain’ skiing, Marcus Caston makes one of the nicest turns in the game. He’s also got one of our favorite video series, Return of the Turn. So we talked to Marcus about the new episode; coaching; why people think he’s from the East Coast; and we discuss some Best / Worst episode ideas. (Paging Glen Plake…)
Blacked-Out Top Sheets & Objective Ski Testing
On our latest GEAR:30 podcast, we were discussing the best and worst practices for testing skis. This raised the question: would blacking out the top sheets of skis produce more objective results? Here is our take. Give it a read, and let us know what you think.
Debatable: Bigger Isn’t Always Better
The bike industry likes touting stiffer parts as being better, but our Bike Editor makes the case for why that doesn’t always pan out.
Shop Talk: Pulling Back the Curtain on Gear Testing (Ep.172)
Today we’re talking all things ski testing, and to provide their wealth of experience in this arena are The Ski Monster’s George Michaelsen and Matt Berkowitz. We discuss good ways and bad ways to conduct gear tests; how and why The Ski Monster has been able to ramp up the amount of gear testing they’re doing; and why not all gear tests are created equal.
Win Faction Skis
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get Faction’s big pow ski, La Machine!