BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flash Review: 20/21 Kastle FX106 HP
Check out our on-snow impressions of Kastle’s lightweight freeride ski.
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Win Men’s & Women’s MTB Kits from Club Ride
Enter for a chance to win a shirt, short, & chamois from Club Ride’s new spring collection!
Hoka One One Clifton 6
The Hoka Clifton is one of the brand’s most popular and iconic shoes, known for its generous cushioning and lightweight design. Check out our review of the Clifton 6 to see how it compares to the previous iteration and the rest of the market.
Bikes vs. Skis, 2nd Edition (2020): Part 2 (Ep. 26)
Which bike company is currently the most like which ski company? Here in part 2, we get into more arguments and offer more parallels and analogies between these two industries to get a better sense of the current position, reputation, and trajectory of a bunch of different brands in these sports.
Gregory Targhee 32
We spent most of this past season skiing with Gregory’s recently revised Targhee 32 backpack and think it’s an excellent option for a do-it-all snowsports pack, and it’s also worth a look for photographers who spend time sliding on snow. Check out our review.
Revel RW30 Wheels
Revel claims that their new RW30 carbon wheels are not only more durable and better damped than other carbon rims, but also more easily recyclable and similarly lightweight. These are some pretty bold claims, so check out our review to see how they went about doing this and our initial on-trail impressions.
2021-2022 Nordica Santa Ana 93
Nordica is overhauling their women’s all-mountain Santa Ana skis for the 20/21 season, and you can check out our First Look & Flash Review of the Santa Ana 93 for more on what’s changed, what hasn’t, and how the new ski’s design compares to the rest of the market.
Flash Review: 20/21 Nordica Santa Ana 93
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the new Santa Ana 93.
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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Geoff McFetridge on The Abstract Wild by Jack Turner (Ep. 129)
In the latest installment of our Blister Book Club, we talk with the artist, Geoff McFetridge, about Jack Turner’s book, The Abstract Wild. We discuss why Geoff selected this book; why it isn’t designed to be a comfortable read; why we need to get clear on the distinction between “the wild” and “wilderness”; and why we think that every reader of BLISTER ought to read this book.
Blister Brand Guide: Norco Mountain Bike Lineup, 2020
One of the oldest mtb brands, Norco’s current lineup consists of everything from budget hardtails to World Cup DH bikes and everything in between. Check out our Brand Guide to get an idea of their current line and which bike might best suit you.
Testing Limits: Mike McKnight on Running 100 Miles, 0 Calories (Ep.51)
Is it humanly possible to run 100 miles without consuming a single calorie? On May 8th, Mike McKnight set out to find out, and Mike not only accomplished this extraordinary feat, he did it in 18 hours and 37 minutes. So we talked to Mike about why and when he first thought this was possible; how he prepared and trained for the feat; intermittent fasting and his ketogenic diet; some of the criticism he’s received for even attempting this; and what else he thinks might be possible.
Flash Review: 20/21 Majesty Vanguard
We just spent a day on the 118mm-wide, twin-tipped Vanguard — 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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Salomon Sense 4 /Pro
The Salomon Sense 4 /Pro is basically the less racing-oriented, more cushioned version of their high-end S/Lab Sense 8, and we’ve been running in both to see how they compare, who’d be better off in each particular shoe, and how the Sense 4 /Pro compares to several other moderate-cushion trail shoes.
Watch Live: Zach Bitter’s 100-Mile Treadmill World Record (MAY 16)
With all the race cancellations, 100-mile world record holder, Zach Bitter, thought it was a good time to attempt to go after another world record: fastest 100 miles run on a treadmill. Learn more about it here, how & when you can watch, and what other world-class runners will be joining Zach virtually to cheer him on.
Hoji on Tinkering, Climbing Skins, Monoskiing, & Michael Jordan (Ep.100)
In celebration of episode #100, we of course had to have Hoji back on, our patron saint of GEAR:30. We discuss all the tinkering he’s been doing during quarantine; what ski gear has the most room for improvement; snowmobiles; climbing skins; monoskiing; and then, one of the all time greats talks about another all time great, Michael Jordan.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Blister Summit Artist Panel: Art & the Outdoor Industry (Ep.186)
We brought together four very accomplished artists and designers to discuss the intersection of art and the ski and snowboard worlds, as well as the broader outdoor industry. Our panelists are Yorgo Tloupas, co-founder of Black Crows Skis; Geoff McFetridge, who has worked with brands like Patagonia, Nike, & Apple, and is Jonathan Ellsworth’s telemark coach; John Fellows, who lives in Crested Butte, designed our Blister Summit logo, and whose artwork is displayed all around the outdoor industry; and Travis Parr, co-founder of Icelantic Skis, and the person behind Icelantic’s very distinctive artwork.
2021 Commencal Meta TR 29
Two of our reviewers spent several months on Commencal’s downhill-oriented Trail bike, the Meta TR 29. Check out our video & written full reviews for their thoughts on who it suits and how it compares to several other bikes in its class.
Flash Review: We Are One Arrival
We just started spending time on the We Are One Arrival, and so far, it stands out from the crowd in more ways than just its looks. Check out our Flash Review for our initial take on the bike.
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.)
Would You Rather: Crappy Riding Conditions Edition
Hot, dusty, and dry or cold, wet, and muddy? This week in our Would You Rather series, our reviewers are weighing in on which flavor of sub-optimal mountain biking conditions they’d prefer to be stuck with.
Win Line Skis
This week our winner will get one of the strangest yet most fun skis on the market, the Line Blade.
Running Through the News (Sep / Oct 2021) (Ep.98)
Sanjay Rawal joins us to discuss the Boston Marathon being held on Indigenous People’s Day; why the sport of long-distance running is particularly well-positioned to create a more equitable situation for indigenous people; the ramifications of having so many high-profile marathons held so close to one another; and the mission of Shalane Flanagan.
Sturtevants
Sturtevants are our Recommended Ski & Bike Shops in the Sun Valley area, and not only do they offer excellent service and products, they also offer tons of ski and bike demos and a full guiding outfit out of their shops.
Willi’s Ski Shops
Willi’s Ski shops are our Recommended Shops in the Pittsburgh area because they offer the vital services that the ski industry is reliant upon for growth, from junior buyback programs to beginner packages and affordable season lease options — in addition to high-end gear and tuning services.
Vertical Playground
Vertical Playground is our recommended shop in Norway because of their widespread expertise on gear and services for everything from ski touring to mountain biking, climbing, hiking, whitewater kayaking, and more.
The GOAT: Greg Minnaar (Ep.87)
We catch up with Greg Minnaar, the greatest DH rider of all time, about this past season and his World Champs victory; keys to his high-level longevity; his mental approach to racing; Tom Brady; and more.
Leatt 5.0 Clipless Shoes
Leatt’s 5.0 Clipless shoe offers downhill-worthy protection in a package that still pedals impressively well — and it’s competitively priced. That sounds great, but is there a catch?
Pon Holdings to Buy Dorel Sports (Cannondale, GT, & More)
Pon Holdings — the Dutch conglomerate that owns Santa Cruz, among other brands — has just agreed to buy Cannondale, GT, and more from Dorel for $810 million.