BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
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.
Win any Renoun Ski
This week’s winner will get to pick any Renoun ski they want!
Manitou Mezzer Pro Fork
Manitou’s Mezzer Pro was one of the first “extra-stiff,” single-crown forks to hit the market, and we’ve spent the last 4 months comparing it to its growing competition. Check out our full review to see how it stacks up.
Patagonia Announces New CEO + Head of Patagonia, Inc.
Today Patagonia announced their new CEO, as well as their new head of Patagonia, Inc., which is the portion of the company that designs & produces their apparel & equipment.
Reviewer Reports: Trek Slash, Banshee Phantom, EXT Shock, Hayes Brakes (Ep.40)
We check in with reviewers Dylan Wood (who gets to keep his seat at the bar), David Golay (who is now reconsidering what makes brakes good or bad), and Eric Freson (who still enjoys a sick jazz soundtrack) to get their updates on the Trek Slash, EXT Storia shock, Hayes Dominion A4 brakes, and the Banshee Phantom V3.
Coree Woltering on his Ice Age Trail FKT, Catcalls, & Tick Removal (Ep.67)
Coree Woltering is definitely one of the most interesting ultrarunners out there, so Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked to Coree about the one time when a catcall actually worked; why the running world needs to stop overlooking midwestern athletes; Quick Trip burgers and how to remove ticks; and the injury and the miracle that happened while he was setting a new FKT on the Ice Age Trail.
EXT Storia Lok V3 Shock
EXT’s custom shocks have been used on everything from F1 cars to motocross, but they also make some very interesting suspension components for mountain bikers. We’ve been testing the latest version of their Enduro-oriented Storia Lok shock, and it is very impressive. Check out our full review for an in-depth explanation.
Will Gadd on The Last Ascent + Doing all the Sports (Ep.143)
We talk to the elite ice climber, Will Gadd, about ice climbing, skiing, paragliding, rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking — and how they relate to one another. And we talk about his new film, The Last Ascent, which documents Will’s return to Mount Kilimanjaro to climb the Messner route and the Tanzanian ice (at 19,000’ altitude) while there’s still time.
Car Camping Gear Roundup — 2020
We’ve rounded up a bunch of gear that has made our camping experiences more enjoyable, whether you need products that work for both car-camping and backpacking, like to head out with your little one, or simply want to make your next car-camping trip more pleasant.
The Skier’s Sportshop
Looking for ski gear — whether for you or the rest of your family — in the Edmonton, Alberta area? The Skier’s Sportshop is our top pick.
The Spokane Alpine Haus
Spokane Alpine Haus is our pick for all ski- and ride-related gear in the Spokane area, now with two convenient locations.
Win Ultralight Down Blankets from Rumpl
The TWO winners this week will each get Rumpl’s Featherlite Down Blanket!
Jason Levinthal & 4FRNT’s New Ownership Group (Ep.114)
Last week, it was announced that Jason Levinthal had sold 4FRNT Skis. So we talked to Jason about how this deal came about; learn the background of the new leadership group at 4FRNT; ask what the group does and doesn’t intend to change about the brand; and more.
Our Best / Worst Ski Ideas for 20/21
We’ve created the most cutting-edge lineup of skis for the coming season, so here are our best (or worst) designs to meet the current moment.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Volkl Announces Updated 22/23 Kendo 88, Kenja 88, & Mantra 102
This week Volkl announced 22/23 updates to three of their all-mountain skis: the Kendo 88, Kenja 88, and Mantra 102.
Introducing: Blister Labs (Ep.180)
Today we are excited to introduce you to a very big new initiative at Blister: Blister Labs. This is a new partnership between Blister; CU Boulder’s school of engineering; and the brand-new, state-of-the-art engineering facility at Western Colorado University. Joining us to talk about why Blister Labs represents a significant new development in the outdoor industry is Dr. Jeni Blacklock, the director of the Rady Partnership Program between CU Boulder and Western.
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
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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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.