BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Win Picture Organic Jackets + DPS Phantom
The TWO winners this week will each get a ski / snowboard jacket from Picture Organic + DPS’s permanent base-glide treatment, Phantom!
Ultimate Direction Race Vest 5.0
One of our reviewers says that the Ultimate Direction Race Vest 5.0 may be the best running vest he’s used for moderate distances and races. Check out our review to see why, and how it compares to alternatives from Nathan & Salomon.
Stan Rey & Alexi Godbout on Skiing Pillows; Spit Cups; & Their New Film (Ep.145)
We talk to Alexi Godbout and Stan Rey about their new film, Follow the Forecast; some potential alternate titles for the film; what’s harder: ski mountaineering or skiing pillow lines?; the founding of their film company, Blank Collective; who won the movie?; and Stan’s spit cup.
Folsom Skis 20/21 Lineup + Update on our Buyer’s Guide (Ep.117)
We’ve got Folsom Skis CEO, Mike McCabe, back on the show to catch us up on what’s been going on at Folsom; the PPE equipment they’ve been making; their lineup for the 20/21 season; and more. Mike also asks how things have been at Blister, we share what we’re celebrating this week, and give an update on the status of our 20/21 Winter Buyer’s Guide.
Win J Skis
The winner this week will get what J calls “the least nerdy touring ski on the market.”
RockShox ZEB Ultimate Fork
We’ve spent the last couple of months using the new RockShox ZEB — check out our updated review for thoughts on how it compares to forks like the RockShox Lyrik & Manitou Mezzer Pro, and who we think is going to get along best with it.
Surfing Trails on a Bike without Pedals (Ep.41)
A bike without pedals? Dog mushing? Surfing mountains? We talk to Gravity Scooters about how the idea of a DH scooter came to be; the advantages of ditching your pedals — and seat posts; designing a DH scooter; dog mushing; and more.
Kaytlyn Gerbin on Science, Volcanoes, & Pretty Much Everything Else (Ep.69)
Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk to Kaytlyn Gerbin about her work as a bioengineer, the Rainier Infinity Loop; running ultras vs mountaineering; why scientists make good ultra runners; cheating on snowboarding; and a whole lot more.
Black Crows Skis co-founder, Camille Jaccoux (Ep.144)
We talk to Black Crows Skis founder, Camille Jaccoux, about growing up in Chamonix and his background in skiing; what Black Crows is doing to grow the brand while trying to stay true to the reasons they started the company; the lost art of ski ballet; who would win in a mogul comp between Camille and Glen Plake; and more.
Win Men’s & Women’s Packs from Dakine
The TWO winners of this week’s Gear Giveaway will each get one of Dakine’s Heli Pro ski / board packs!
Shop Talk: Sebastian Steinbach, Black Sheep Sports (Ep.116)
We talk to the founder of Black Sheep Sports about this past ski season; his predictions for the upcoming ski season in Europe — and whether we’ll see a backcountry boom in Europe? We then talk about the critical art of customer service; why friends shouldn’t tell friends to just “Go buy this boot”; and more.
2021 Fox 38 Fork
We’ve spent the last 3 months riding Fox’s burliest single-crown fork, the 38, and comparing it to other mainstays in the category to see just how much of a difference the bigger chassis (and new internals) make on the trail. Spoiler alert: it’s a significant difference, but there’s more to it. Check out our full review.
Jonathan & Maddie run (and record this during) the Elk Run 5k (Ep.68)
Last Saturday, Blister reviewer & accomplished ultrarunner, Maddie Hart, ran the Emma Coburn Elk Run 5k with Blister founder & unaccomplished runner, Jonathan Ellsworth, and they recorded the experience. Hilarity (and embarrassment) ensued, but it was all for a great cause.
Order our 20/21 Winter Buyer’s Guide
The most honest, accurate, and useful buyer’s guide in the world. Order your copy today.
Faction Skis: Company History & 20/21 Lineup (Ep.115)
For some time now, Faction has been one of the hottest brands in skiing. But how much do you actually know about the company? This week we are talking about the history of the brand, some key moments in the company, and some big recent changes; what it’s like to go skiing with and design skis for Candide Thovex; and Faction’s lineup for the upcoming season.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Winter Running & The Meaning of Life (Ep.103)
Yesterday, Jonathan Ellsworth sat down with Blister reviewer, Gordon Gianniny, and our new Running Editor, Matt Mitchell, to talk about winter running. But our conversation took a much bigger and broader turn.
Tatum Monod on Passage, Passion, Her Trajectory, & More (Ep.199)
We’re talking with one of our favorite skiers, Tatum Monod, about her film, Passage; the trajectory of her career; her ski, the Rossignol Black Ops 118; music; graphics; fishing; design; and more.
Faction Skis & Candide Thovex Announce End to 10-Year Partnership
The GOAT and Faction will be parting ways in the spring of 2022, following 10 years of collaboration.
Flash Review: 22/23 Salomon QST 106 & Strive Binding
Salomon is updating the QST 106 for the 2022-2023 season and releasing a brand-new alpine binding. Check out our thoughts on both.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Would You Rather: Light Skis vs. Light Boots
It’s not exactly a secret that we tend to like a bit of weight in our skis and boots at Blister, at least when it comes to downhill performance. But if we had to ski some very light setups, where would we be most inclined to save that weight? That’s the topic we’re tackling in this edition of Would You Rather.
Win Folsom Custom Skis
This week the winner of our Gear Giveaway will get a pair of Folsom custom skis, designed just for them!
On our Upcoming Blister Summit (Ep.179)
Jonathan Ellsworth and Blister Summit director, Kristin Sinnott, discuss the ins and outs of our upcoming Blister Summit; why we’re including free professionally guided backcountry tours; which brands will be there; when to arrive & where to stay; and more.
2021-2022 RMU Apostle 3.0 106
The revised Apostle 106 is an exceptionally maneuverable and easy ski, but certain skiers could also really like it for skiing fast and dynamically all over the mountain. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: RMU Apostle 3.0 106
We compare the Apostle 3.0 106 to the DPS Koala 103, Moment Deathwish 104, Line Sir Francis Bacon, K2 Reckoner 102, Moment Wildcat 108, Whitedot Altum 104, Nordica Enforcer 104 Free, Head Kore 105, Black Crows Atris, Dynastar M-Free 108, Sego Big Horn 106, Blizzard Rustler 10, Icelantic Nomad 105, Prior Northwest 110, J Skis Hotshot, Elan Ripstick 106, Line Sick Day 104, 4FRNT Devastator, Volkl Revolt 104, Season Nexus, & Fischer Ranger 102 FR.
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.)
Neko Mulally on Designing His Own World Cup DH Race Bike (Ep.100)
When we heard that Neko Mulally was planning on racing the 2022 World Cup season on a bike he designed himself, we had to get him on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about his plans, the bike, and everything that goes into running a team for a full race season.
Bode Miller Joins SCARPA as Ski Ambassador
Today SCARPA announced that Bode Miller has joined their athlete team — and that they will be releasing a new collection of alpine-oriented ski boots.
Flash Review: 21/22 Head Kore 85 W
Here are some of our initial impressions of how the narrowest ski in the Head Kore lineup handles on-piste terrain.
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.)