BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Blister Speaker Series 2.4: Wendy Fisher (Ep.118)
Wendy Fisher is one of the all-time greats. She is a two-time World Extreme Skiing Champion; was on the U.S. Ski Team; filmed with Warren Miller and MSP; and played a huge role in showing the world what women could do in big-mountain arenas. We spoke to Wendy about all of this and more (including a few fantastic Shane McConkey and Seth Morrison stories).
2021-2022 Atomic Backland Carbon
Reviewer Paul Forward has spent this season touring in the overhauled Atomic Backland Carbon, and you can now check out his full review of this lightweight AT boot.
SCARPA CEO, Kim Miller, on the new F1 LT & More (Ep.84)
In part 2 of our conversation with SCARPA CEO, Kim Miller, Kim offers his predictions for the ski industry and how SCARPA is positioning itself for the future; discusses which materials they use in their boots and why; shares the lessons learned from the Maestrale 2017 recall; and unveils a brand-new boot, the F1 LT.
Win a Helmet & Goggles from Sweet Protection
Enter for your chance to win Sweet Protection’s Switcher Helmet & flagship Interstellar Goggles!
Winter Headwear Roundup
Keeping your face, neck, and head warm and comfortable during the colder months of the years can be tricky, but we’ve rounded up a bunch of our favorite options from neck gaiters to headbands to balaclavas and hoods. Check out our roundup to see what sets each one apart from the others.
2020 Guerrilla Gravity Trail Pistol
Reviewer David Golay has also been spending time on Guerrilla Gravity’s aggressive short-travel bike, the Trail Pistol, and he now offers his take on the bike.
Flash Review: 20/21 Rossignol BLACKOPS Sender Ti
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the brand-new BLACKOPS Sender Ti.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2020-2021 Moment Deathwish
We’ve been putting quite a few days on the latest iteration of the Moment Deathwish, and you can now check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Moment Deathwish
We compare the Deathwish to the Moment Wildcat 108, Moment Meridian, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 105, Icelantic Nomad 105, Blizzard Rustler 11, Faction Prodigy 4.0, ON3P Woodsman 108, ON3P Jeffrey 108, Nordica Enforcer 110, Sego Big Horn 106, Line Sir Francis Bacon, & K2 Mindbender 108 Ti.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Nordica Announces New Santa Ana Skis
Nordica announced today that they’re overhauling their excellent Santa Ana skis. Check out our writeup to see what’s new with the 20/21 skis.
Flash Review: 19/20 4FRNT Renegade
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the Renegade.
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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Trail Sisters founder, Gina Lucrezi (Ep.35)
Trail Sisters is a trail running community for women and an online journal that offer lots of great resources — including articles and stories, grants, retreats, directories for female coaches, trail locations, and races that meet the trail sisters standards for gender equity. So we spoke to Gina Lucrezi, the founder of Trail Sisters, about the unusual way in which Gina got into running; her impressive accomplishments as a runner; the remarkable things happening at Trail Sisters; the ways you can get involved with and support Trail Sisters; and more.
2021-2022 Åsnes Voss Z’N
Åsnes is a Norwegian brand that has been making skis for 95 years, and this year we’re testing their big-mountain-touring ski, the Voss Z’N. Check out our video First Look & writeup.
Thor Verdonk: A Life in Ski & Ski Boot Design (Ep.117)
In the world of ski and ski boot design, Thor Verdonk is well known and very well respected. So we talked to Thor about his background, his 25+ year career with the Rossignol Group and how he became the Global Brand Director for Lange, then we talk about the history of ski design and ski boot design; developing the Rossi S7; and we get his predictions about what the ski industry will look like 10 years from now.
Armada Announces New Declivity Skis
Armada just announced a completely new line of directional, metal-laminate skis that features some interesting technology. Check out our writeup to learn more about the new 20/21 Armada Declivity Series.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Win any Pack from USWE
This week the winner will get any pack they want from USWE’s huge lineup, which spans everything from running to mountain biking, skiing, hiking, and more.
2021-2022 Elan Ripstick 106 & Ripstick 106 Black Edition
This season we spent time on both the standard Ripstick 106 and its extra-carbon-packed sibling, the Ripstick 106 Black Edition. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons for more on these two lightweight freeride skis.
Deep Dive: Elan Ripstick 106
We compare the Ripstick 106 to the previous Ripstick 106, Ripstick 106 Black Edition, Line Sick Day 104, Head Kore 105, Wagner Summit 106, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, Black Crows Atris, Blizzard Rustler 10, Liberty Origin 106, Volkl Blaze 106, Armada Tracer 108, Sego Condor 108, J Skis Slacker, 4FRNT MSP 107, Whitedot Altum 104, Moment Wildcat 108, & Faction Dictator 3.0.
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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Hannah Bergemann on Red Bull Formation 2021 (Ep.69)
We talk with Hannah Bergemann about Red Bull Formation 2021 and how it was similar to and how it differed from the 1st year of Formation. We also discuss her work with Transition and her future plans.
Specialized 2FO DH Clip Shoe
Specialized recently launched the 2FO DH Clip shoe with design input from Loic Bruni, and after several months with it, we think a lot of gravity-oriented riders should be considering it — not just those racing DH tracks.
Flash Review: Commencal Meta TR 29
We’ve got five rides on the latest version of Commencal’s Trail bike — check out our initial thoughts.
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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Matthias Giraud & Chase Ogden on ‘Super Frenchie’, Ski Base Jumping, & More (Ep.169)
We talk with Matthias Giraud and Chase Ogden about their excellent new film, Super Frenchie, which documents Matthias’ exploits as a skier, base jumper, and ski base jumper, while also detailing the philosophy of life that drives his decision to do things like ski base off the Matterhorn.
Win any Shoe from Deckers X Lab
This week the winner will get any shoes or sandals they want from the brand that makes what our editor-in-chief calls “the most comfortable things I’ve ever put on my feet.”
Claudio Caluori on Building Pump Tracks in Israel + Upcoming Projects (Ep.68)
We talk with Claudio Caluori after he’d just returned from Israel. The conflict between Israel and Palestine had escalated while Claudio was there, and we wanted to learn more about the work he was doing in Israel; why he stayed to finish the project; and what he learned while being on the ground there. We also discuss a really exciting project that Claudio breaks the news about during this conversation.
2021 Transition Spire
Transition’s just-released Patrol was the longest-travel non-DH bike in their lineup — for just 48 hours. Enter the all-new Spire, Transition’s 170mm-travel 29er. So how do the two bikes differ, and who should be most interested in each? Check out our First Look on the Spire for all the details.
Flash Review: 2022 Fox 34
Fox gave their 34 a substantial update for 2022, and we’ve been spending time on the new one. Check out our Flash Review for our initial impressions, including how it compares to the new and old Fox 36.
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.
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Book Club: Andrew Alexander King on the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (Ep.168)
We talk with mountaineer, climber, and big-wave surfer, Andrew Alexander King, about the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, and why this book written in the 2nd century is still so relevant today.