BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Armada Skier, Todd Ligare, on Big-Mountain Skiing, Ski Racing, & His New Films: On the Hunt Part 1 & 2 (Ep.349)
Jonathan talks with Todd Ligare about his career in big-mountain skiing; his background in ski racing; movies & marriage; his two new 5-minute ski films; Sammy Carlson; Mikaela Shiffrin; the current world cup alpine ski race season; & more.
Flash Review: Pivot Trailcat LT
Pivot’s new Trailcat LT has made its way into our test fleet — so does it deliver its promised all-rounder performance? Our Flash Review has our early impressions.
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New Gear from Blister Summit 2025 (Ep. 337)
Blister reviewers Jonathan, Luke, Sascha, Kristin, and the strikingly handsome Justin Bobb discuss some of the new ski and snowboard gear they spent time on at last week’s Blister Summit, including several prototypes.
Win Skis From Majesty
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Havoc 100 Ti in their preferred length from Majesty!
Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL
We racked up the miles on Rocky Mountain’s Instinct Powerplay SL to put their new house-made Dyname S4 Lite motor to the test, and to see how Rocky Mountain’s take on the hot light-assist category measures up to the competition.
Deep Dive: Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay SL
We compare the Instinct Powerplay SL to the Santa Cruz Heckler SL, Pivot Shuttle SL, Canyon Spectral:ONfly, Norco Fluid VLT 130, Cannondale Moterra SL, and Pivot Shuttle AM.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2025-2026 Dynastar M-Free 112
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Dynastar M-Free 112.
Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, February 2025 (Ep. 264)
Mike and Simon recap the incredible RedBull Hardline event in Tasmania, as well as some good and not so good bike industry news. Plus Mike tries to get out of his bet with Simon to eat his microphone, a fun conversation about some new cycling startups, and a whole lot more.
Industry Nine Hydra2 Hubs
Industry Nine’s Hydra hubs took high-engagement to a new level, and now they’ve released the Hydra2 based on the lessons they’ve learned. That means new bearings, burlier materials, and somehow even faster engagement. Read on to find out what they’ve changed.
Flash Review: 25/26 Salomon QST 100
We’ve started our long-term testing of Salomon’s updated QST series, and recently spent several days on the all-new QST 100. Here are 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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2025-2026 Salomon QST 100
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for Salomon’s all-new QST 100.
2025-2026 Moment Siren 104
Moment is releasing a brand new women’s ski based on the foundation of their Countach models. Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Moment Siren 104.
Highlights from Blister Summit 2025 w/ Jonathan Ellsworth & Kristin Sinnott (Ep.348)
We just wrapped up another outstanding Blister Summit, so Blister Summit Director, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth caught up to share a few of their favorite moments, discuss the new things that took place this year (including the DJ set / dance party that broke out in Blister HQ); and talk about the future of the event.
Flash Review: RockShox Vivid Coil Ultimate RC2T
The RockShox Vivid Coil has taken over where the old Super Deluxe Coil left off — and while it’s similar in many ways, its new features seem to have a meaningful impact on performance. Check out our Flash Review to find out how we’re getting along with it so far.
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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2024-2025 J Skis Best Friend
Giray Dadali at J Skis has incrementally refined a new asymmetric powder ski design. Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the J Skis Best Friend.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2024-2025 ON3P Woodsman 100
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the standard version of the ON3P Woodsman 100, as well as the custom “Ripper” variant.
Reviewing the News w/ Dylan Wood, March 2025 (Ep. 268)
Dylan and Simon recap the incredibly well-attended RedBull Tennessee National DH race, a range of interesting bike industry news, some exciting new products, and a whole lot more.
Flash Review: RockShox Reverb AXS B1
The new Reverb AXS B1 dropper from RockShox represents a ground-up redesign of the old one. Does it deliver a better on-trail experience? We’ve been riding the new one, and have some initial thoughts to share.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Hunt Enduro V3 Wheels
Hunt is claiming that the rims used on their new Enduro V3 wheels are the strongest they’ve ever made. The hub is all new too, with a new star ratchet-based design — check out our First Look for a dive into the technical details.
Flash Review: 25/26 Völkl Mantra 84
Today we take a look at Völkl’s narrowest ‘Mantra’ — the redesigned Mantra 84.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2025-2026 Völkl Mantra 84
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the brand-new Völkl Mantra 84.
Pursuing Excellence in the Service of Others: Jeff Galli, Campione Roman Kitchen (Ep.64)
Today we’re talking about the pursuit of excellence and how that can demonstrate a deep care for other people with Jeff Galli, the GM and co-owner of Campione, a roman kitchen in Livingston, Montana that was named to the New York Time’s 50 Best Restaurants in the U.S. list in 2023.
Project321 RG3 Hubs
We’ve been very impressed with Project321’s G3 mountain bike hubs, and now they’ve got a pared-down road and gravel version: the RG3. Check them out here.
Norco Sight VLT CX
The Norco Sight VLT CX keeps its high pivot suspension layout but manages to pack a huge 800 Wh battery while weighing a claimed 20% less than the old one. That’s an impressive trick — let’s see how they’ve pulled it off.
Pivot Firebird V5
The Pivot Firebird is now in its fifth generation, and while the new bike looks a whole lot like the V4 iteration that it replaces, it’s got overhauled geometry, more adjustability, and several new features and refinements.
Flash Review: 2026 Fox DHX2
We’ve started spending time on the new Fox DHX2. Check out how it’s going so far.
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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2025-2026 ZAG Mata
The nebulous but growing class of ‘fun carvers’ is an exciting one, and ZAG’s Mata is one of the latest additions. Here’s our Full Review of this 90mm-wide, asymmetrical ski that ZAG describes as “aggressive but not exclusive.”