BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Houdini Shelter Anorak
Anoraks: one of the most controversial topics at Blister. Well, our managing editor has decided to continue to anger our editor-in-chief by testing more of them, and Houdini’s Shelter Anorak has become one of his all-time favorites. Check out his review of this minimal, waterproof shell.
2020-2021 K2 Recon Pro
We’ve seen a lot of companies making lighter and lighter alpine boots over the past few years, but that category hadn’t extended past the 130-flex realm. That changes for 20/21 with the introduction of the K2 Recon Pro — a lightweight boot with a stated flex of 140 and several unique features. Check out our First Look.
Jenny & Scott Jurek on Cooking, Running, & Kids (Ep.47)
Late last week, Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked with Jenny and Scott Jurek. This probably wasn’t the conversation that you ought to have when you get to talk with a running icon like Scott Jurek and someone who is as accomplished and interesting as Jenny, but, whatever. We had fun, and you will, too. Among other things, we talk about Scott’s very first race; Jenny’s transition from climbing to running; Scott’s love of cooking; Jenny’s ambition to set the Slowest Known Time on the Pacific Crest Trail; and the process of co-writing their wonderful book, North.
Nike Air Zoom Terra Kiger 5
The Terra Kiger is Nike’s take on a low-stack-height, fast trail shoe, and we’ve now put over 200 miles in it. Check out our review to see how it compares to the competition.
X Games Real Ski 2020 Gold Medalist, Jake Mageau (Ep. 127)
The creativity and talent on display in X Games Real Ski is always so bonkers that it can be easy to overlook all that goes into making these 90-second edits. So we talked with Real Ski 2020 winner, Jake Mageau, about what really goes into filming a successful 90-second edit; scouting and settling on locations; the insane “Mind Flip” he puts down in this edit, and more.
Basketball Legend Bill Walton on His Love of Bikes, Life, & Humanity (Ep. 21)
Bill Walton is not only one of the greatest basketball players of all time, his passion for bikes is all-time, too. So we talked to Bill about his life-long love of bikes, and about his upcoming event, Bike For Humanity, which is a virtual event that Bill created as a way for all of us to show our solidarity in these times. We also discuss the top-5, all-time, NBA ‘bike’ guys; Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, and more.
AT Binding Shootout, New Touring Skis, & Tiger King (Ep.96)
Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, and Luke’s mustache discuss the pros and cons of a number of current AT bindings, including the new Marker Duke PT, the SHIFT binding, Daymaker Alpine Touring adapters, frame bindings, and tech toe bindings. They then discuss four new touring skis: the J Skis Slacker, Sego Condor, 4FRNT Raven, and Volkl Blaze 106. Then it’s time to talk Tiger King.
Get Your Bike Storage Dialed with Feedback Sports
Still leaning your bikes up against the wall? Well this week you’ve got a chance to win a $500 gift card from Feedback Sports, who make a wide assortment of bike storage and repair products.
2020-2021 Blizzard Brahma 88
Blizzard has updated one of our favorite skis for 20/21, the Brahma 88. And you can now check out our First Look & updated Flash Review for more on this new 88mm-wide all-mountain ski.
Flash Review: 20/21 Blizzard Brahma 88
Update 4.17.20: Jonathan Ellsworth & Luke Koppa have updated their thoughts on the new Brahma 88 and how it compares to the previous Brahma.
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2020-2021 Elan Ripstick 102 W
Elan is updating their whole freeride line for 20/21, and we’ll be spending time on the updated women’s Ripstick 102 W. Check out our First Look & Flash Review to see how it compares to the crowded category of ~105mm-wide freeride skis.
Flash Review: 20/21 Elan Ripstick 102 W
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the new Ripstick 102 W.
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.)
Hoka One One Rincon
The Hoka Rincon packs a lot of cushion into an exceptionally lightweight package, making it an appealing option for long days on the road. But is this some specialty shoe, or does it work well even if you’re not focused on low weight & max cushion? Check out our full review.
How Outdoor Companies are Helping to Fight COVID-19
There are now a lot of outdoor companies doing a wide range of things to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. So we’ve put together an article highlighting these efforts, and we invite you to share the companies you know of that are contributing to the cause.
Freerunner, Dom Di Tommaso (@domtomato) (Ep. 46)
Dom di Tommaso (@domtomato) is a freerunner, a certified mind blower, and the guy behind one of our favorite Instagram pages and YouTube channels in the world. So on our latest Off The Couch podcast, we talked to Dom about his uncommon upbringing; his training, his focus, his injury history, and how he avoids dying doing the stuff he does; and more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2022 Devinci Spartan HP
What’s that? It’s, it’s … another high-pivot Enduro bike! This one’s the all-new Devinci Spartan — check out our First Look for all the details.
Olympian Natasha Wodak on Mental Preparation; Her Mantras; Running Playlists; & More (Ep.95)
We talk to Tasha Wodak about her performance in last month’s Olympic games; the twists and turns of her running career; mental preparation and the mantras that inspire her; a critical insight to remember during life’s hardest moments; running playlists; and more.
2022 Fox 34 Fork
We’ve now tested Fox’s new 34 fork on both a hardtail and a modern short-travel Trail bike. Check out our full review of the fork for our thoughts on it, including how it compares to the alternatives from both Fox & RockShox.
Xero Mesa Trail
All of Xero’s shoes are designed to offer a barefoot-like feel, and the Mesa Trail is their take on a general-purpose trail running shoe. So how versatile is this minimalist shoe, and where could it fit into your running and training routine? Check out our review for our thoughts.
Gear Talk, Mic Drops, & Zen Koans with Flylow’s Dan Abrams (Ep.162)
Flylow founder (and certified gear nerd) Dan Abrams is back to talk about the skis and ski boots he’s interested in for the coming season; Flylow’s mountain bike apparel; and what’s new in the Flylow lineup for Winter 21/22.
Would You Rather: Old Parts or Old Geometry?
Dated parts, or an ancient frame? That’s the question we’re tackling this week in our “Would You Rather?” series. Check out our reviewers’ individual takes on the site, and let us know what you’d do in the comments.
Win a Sleep System from Zenbivy
This week the winner will get Zenbivy’s MotoBed — a super comfortable & convenient car-camping sleep system!
2022 Trek Session
The latest Trek Session is a much more race-focused DH bike than the previous iteration, but in the right terrain and with the right approach from the rider, it is an excellent one. Check out our full review for more info.
Reviewer Reports: Race Recaps and Fox Suspension (Ep.82)
The last few weeks have been packed with outstanding DH racing, so Noah Bodman and David Golay sat down to talk about all the action at World Championships and the Lenzerheide World Cup. They also discuss a whole bunch of new suspension that we’ve been testing from Fox, including the updated 34 fork and both the new DHX and Float X rear shocks.
Dean Karnazes on Longevity, Reading, & Writing (Ep.94)
Dean Karnazes is an ultra running legend. But beyond his impressive endurance exploits, Dean is an incredibly thoughtful and generous person who just so happens to love running. It was a real honor and a true pleasure to talk to Dean about running, his life-long interest in reading, his approach to writing, and what he is currently passionate about outside of the world of running.
Flash Review: Hustle Magnetic REMpedals
Luke Koppa has spent the past several weeks riding Hustle’s magnetic REMpedals, and the experience has been very interesting. Check out his thoughts 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.
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.)
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Aug 2021) (Ep.181)
Cody and Jonathan discuss wildfire management; athlete sponsorships and why the current model needs to be fixed; emerging technologies designed to capture CO2; having to pay to ski uphill; the prospects of Airbnb returning to its roots; and they also fight about coffee, share what they’re reading and watching, and more.