BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Spyder Turret GTX Shell Pants
Spyder recently brought back their “Freeski” collection, designed specifically for freeride and freestyle skiers. Their Turret GTX Pants package proven, high-end materials into a design and style that we haven’t seen from the brand in a long time, and you can check out our review for more.
Ski & Snowboard Industry Predictions for the New Decade (Ep.115)
What will the ski & snowboard industry look like 10 years from now? Will backcountry skiing and splitboarding keep growing? Will indoor ski areas become more common? Will there be fewer or more ski companies in existence 10 years from now? We offer our predictions on all of these questions and more.
La Sportiva Lycan
La Sportiva has made a name for themselves by making shoes specifically designed for technical, mountainous terrain. But their Lycan looks to fill a void in their lineup — a softer, wider, and more comfortable option for moderate terrain and longer distances. Check out our full review.
Flash Review: 19/20 Moment Commander 98
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the new Moment Commander 98.
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Best Ski Gear of the Past Decade (Ep.81)
Of the entire past decade, what was the most influential ski, ski boot, and ski binding? What was the best ski? What were the biggest trends? And what was our selection for the Best Product of the Decade? We cover all of this and more.
Flash Review: 19/20 WNDR Alpine Intention 110
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the cambered version of the WNDR Alpine Intention 110.
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2021-2022 Icelantic Nomad 105
We’ve been skiing Icelantic’s best-selling ski, the Nomad 105, and we now understand why it holds that title. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Icelantic Nomad 105
We compare the Nomad 105 to the Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105, Moment Deathwish, Moment Wildcat 108, Salomon Qst 106, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, 4FRNT MSP 107, Liberty Origin 106, Blizzard Rustler 10, ON3P Woodsman 108, Nordica Enforcer Free 104, Armada ARV 106Ti, Rossignol Soul 7 HD, Line Sick Day 104, & J Skis Metal.
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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Blister Brand Guide: Giant / Liv Mountain Bike Lineup, 2020
Giant is the largest bike manufacturer in the world, so it makes sense that Giant and its sister brand, Liv, make a wide range of mountain bikes. Check out our Brand Guide to quickly figure out how each Giant & Liv bike differs, and which one might work best for you.
Loungewear Roundup
Sometimes, all you want is to be comfortable. It’s great to have soft, cozy clothing for those days when the main activity is doing no activity at all, and we’ve rounded up several of our favorite, comfy tops, bottoms, & slippers for men & women.
Norrona Tamok Gore-Tex Pro Jacket
According to Norrona, the Tamok Gore-Tex Pro Jacket is their “most durable jacket for the backcountry freeriders, blending a unique look with uncompromising freeride functionality.” It’s quickly become one of our favorite resort shells, and you can check out our full review to see how this high-end jacket compares to the competition.
Diets & Nutrition with Kylee Van Horn (Ep.32)
What’s the best way to eat to feel good and perform well? Nutrition and Diet are massive topics, as are all of the related issues surrounding them. So on our latest Off The Couch podcast, we talk with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Kylee Van Horn, about the various diets out there; whether certain diets are prone to help or hurt training recovery; athletes & eating disorders, and more.
19/20 Kastle MX99
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the Kastle MX99.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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La Sportiva Kaptiva
La Sportiva says their Kaptiva is designed for racing, and we think this lightweight, fairly minimal trail shoe definitely excels there. But we’ve also been surprised by how well it works outside of a race course — check out our review.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Ride Concepts Transition Clipless Shoe
The Ride Concepts Transition is a gravity-oriented clipless shoe with a bunch of compelling features, and two of our reviewers have been spending time in it. Check out their thoughts in our full review.
Flash Review: 21/22 Shaggy’s Ahmeek 95
We recently spent time on two different versions of one of Shaggy’s playful all-mountain skis: the standard Ahmeek 95, and then an extra-heavy version that features sheets of … magnesium. Check out our initial thoughts.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2021 Pivot Switchblade
Over the past several months, three of our reviewers spent time on Pivot’s do-it-all Trail bike, the Switchblade, and they think it does an impressive job of standing out in a very crowded category. Check out our full review to see why.
Neli Vazquez Rowland on the Run to End Homelessness & A Safe Haven (Ep.84)
Neli Vasquez Rowland is the co-founder and president of A Safe Haven, which is a Chicago-based nonprofit whose goal is to end homelessness. So we talk to Neli about A Safe Haven’s comprehensive approach; how and why their model could be adopted by other cities around the world; their Run to End Homelessness; and more.
Blister Summit Brand Lineups: Wagner Custom Skis
At the Blister Summit, we talked to Wagner Custom Skis founder, Pete Wagner, about why Wagner had never done a ski demo before the Blister Summit; how & why they created skis specifically for the Summit (which are now a part of their offerings); and how their custom design process works.
2021-2022 WNDR Alpine Vital 100
From steep, techy lines in the backcountry, to fast laps at Mt. Crested Butte, we’ve now used the WNDR Alpine Vital 100 for a bit of everything. Check out our full review and Deep Dive comparisons for more on this ski and its algae-derived construction.
Deep Dive: WNDR Alpine Vital 100
We compare the Vital 100 to the WNDR Alpine Intention 110, 4FRNT Raven, Atomic Bent Chetler 100, Salomon MTN Explore 95, Line Sick Day 104, Armada Tracer 98, K2 Wayback 96, Line Vision 98, G3 FINDr 102, Fauna Pioneer, Blizzard Zero G 105, Volkl Blaze 106, Black Crows Camox, Liberty Origin 96, & Liberty Origin 101.
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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Report: The 20/21 Ski Season in Europe (Ep.166)
We talk to Sebastian Steinbach of Blacksheep Sports in Munich, Germany, about this past season; we revisit some of Sebastian’s predictions prior to the ski season; and we get his early predictions for what he thinks this next ski season will look like in Europe.
Banshee Titan V3
We recently reviewed Banshee’s short-travel Phantom, and we’ve also spent the past year+ on its longer-travel sibling, the Titan. It’s an impressive (and incredibly good looking) 29er, but who is it best suited for, and where does it most notably excel? Check out our full review to find out.
Flash Review: 20/21 Moment Voyager XIV
Update 4.26.21: Luke Koppa adds his thoughts on the Voyager XIV, how it compares to the ATK R12, and how it stacks up against heavier bindings like the Fritschi Tecton and Marker Kingpin.
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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Reviewer Reports: Powder Skis w/ Paul Forward (Ep.144)
Paul Forward and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about a number of the fat skis Paul’s been reviewing this season in Girdwood, Alaska.
Hoji on the updated 4FRNT Hoji
We talk to Eric Hjorleifson about the development process and the updates to his namesake ski, the 21/22 4FRNT Hoji.