BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Paul Basagoitia on His Spinal Cord Injury, Road to Recovery, & New Film (Ep.12)
Paul Basagoitia was the first back-to-back winner of Crankworx Slopestyle, participated in Red Bull Rampage numerous times, and was one of the top riders in the game. But one tiny mishap led to a crash that left him paralyzed, and Paul’s life was changed in an instant. So we talk to Paul about his ascension in the sport, the events surrounding his accident, his road to recovery, how he views Rampage today, and his new Red Bull / HBO film, Any One of Us that chronicles it all — and provides an unfiltered look at life after a spinal cord injury.
Casual Pants Roundup — 2019
If you’re looking for some “casual” everyday pants that you can also use for climbing, hiking, biking, etc., you now have lots of great options. We’ve rounded up several of our favorites for both women & men — check them out here.
19/20 Moment Wildcat 108
Check out our initial impressions of the Moment Wildcat 108, including comparisons to the standard Wildcat, Moment Deathwish, and ON3P Woodsman 108.
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Triple Crown of 200s Winner, Mike McKnight (Ep.23)
Simply put, Mike McKnight is amazing. He won the Bigfoot 200 in August, the Tahoe 200 in September, and he just won the Moab 240. And in covering those ~640 miles of racing, he smashed his own cumulative-time record for the 3 races by … 43 hours. That’s not what you’d expect from a chubby kid who grew up on a dairy farm and didn’t participate in sports til he tried 1 season of highschool football, nor from a person who broke his back in a ski accident 8 years ago and had 2 rods and 9 screws placed in his spine, along with part of his hip bone. So we talk to Mike about all of this and more.
What We’re Watching — October, 2019
A bunch of really good and entirely free ski films dropped over the past week. Check out this post for films from the likes of Tanner Hall, Sammy Carlson, Blank Collective, Phil Casabon, and many more.
Saving Weight in Your Backcountry Ski Setup
Next up in our ‘Saving Weight in Your Backcountry Ski Setup’ series, reviewer Paul Forward discusses where he chooses to cut weight in his backcountry gear, and where he opts to keep a bit of weight for better downhill performance.
How You Can Help Brands Go Climate Neutral (Ep.11)
These days, a lot of brands — and especially a lot of outdoor brands — like to talk about sustainability. But what concrete steps are companies actually taking to measure, reduce, and offset their carbon emissions? We talk to Climate Neutral CEO, Austin Whitman, about how Climate Neutral is enlisting brands to reduce and pay for their emissions and helping consumers to identify which brands are taking real action; the problem of “greenwashing”; the cost of reducing carbon emissions; the legitimacy of carbon offsets; and what individuals & companies can do right now.
Gore’s 3 New Gore-Tex Pro Fabrics (Ep.71)
Gore-Tex has been the leader in waterproof fabrics for decades, and today, they’re announcing a complete overhaul of their flagship fabric, Gore-Tex Pro. So this week we went to Banff, Alberta, and sat down with the category manager of Gore’s “Pro” line, Mark McKinnie, for an in-depth discussion about the new fabrics. We talk about what makes the new Gore Pro unique; the 3 different versions of Gore Pro; Gore’s intensive validation and field-testing processes; how the new ‘Pro’ fits into Gore’s sustainability goals; and much more.
Win Any LINE Skis You Want
Pick any ski you want from Line’s 19/20 collection!
Fall Baby Clothes Roundup — 2019
Looking for ways to keep your little one comfortable this fall? Our youngest reviewer is back again with some of the clothes he’s been rigorously testing this year — check them out here.
Interviews from Mile 201 of the Moab 240 (Ep.22)
What’s it like to run two hundred and one miles … and know that you still have another 40 miles to go? And why would you sign up and subject yourself to this? To find out, we went to Moab, Utah, to the Moab 240 Endurance Run to capture the very raw and unfiltered reactions from runners, pacers, friends, medics, and concerned mothers from the Geyser Aid Station at mile 201 of the Moab 24. And we also learned what this race — and this community — is really about.
2020-2021 Dynafit TLT Speedfit Boot
More people are skinning uphill at ski areas and touring “on-piste,” So Dynafit developed the TLT Speedfit specifically for “on-piste tours.” Check out our full review of the boot (including whether we think you can also get away using it for backcountry touring).
19/20 Moment Deathwish
We just spent a day on the new Moment Deathwish — check out our initial impressions.
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‘Blink of an Eye’ writer & director, Paul Taublieb (Ep.106)
If the story told in the new film Blink of an Eye weren’t true, nobody would believe it. Friendship, brotherhood, heroes, triumph, tragedy, and redemption are the topics, and we discuss all of them on our latest Blister Podcast with the film’s writer & director, Paul Taublieb. If you are interested in or intrigued by auto racing, you will love this one. And if you have zero interest in NASCAR, then you especially need to listen, for reasons we’ll explain.
Travel Backpack Roundup — 2019
Need a new carryon bag? Or a travel-friendly backpack? How about both? We’ve been using several options that fit all of those criteria — check them out here.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review: 21/22 DPS Pagoda 100 RP
DPS is launching a whole new collection of skis for 21/22. Check out our initial thoughts on the 100mm-wide option in the new Pagoda series.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Win Women’s & Men’s Fjallraven Jackets & Packs
The TWO winners this week will each get a rain jacket + totepack from Fjallraven!
Kera Linn is Coming Up Fast (Ep.58)
We talk to Kera Linn about her rather meteoric rise in the mountain biking world — from her first time on a mountain bike, to her recent signing with Cannondale. We also talk about her equally interesting backstory (which includes playing all of the sports and going to all of the colleges) in this really fun conversation.
Blister Summit Athlete Panel: Elyse Saugstad, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, & Pep Fujas
At our Blister Summit, we talked to Elyse Saugstad, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, and Pep Fujas about this unusual ski season; the evolution of the ski industry; their best advice to aspiring pros; thoughts on ski gear; and more.
Strafe Castle Jacket
With a sleek look that’s paired with high-end materials and insulation, the Strafe Castle Jacket warrants strong consideration if you’re in the market for an insulated ski / snowboard jacket that doesn’t look out of place away from the slopes.
Flash Review: 21/22 Elan Ripstick 116
Check out some of our initial answers to the questions we posed when we first got our hands on Elan’s widest ski.
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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Daryl Murphy on Miles for Justice (Ep.83)
Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk to Daryl Murphy about his Miles For Justice project; why he’s been running 5k or more every single day for over 300 days; his running background; his ideas about the future of Miles For Justice; and more.
Deep Dive: Elan Wingman 86 CTi
We compare the Wingman 86 CTi to the Blizzard Brahma 88, Nordica Enforcer 88, Salomon Stance 90, Armada Declivity 92 Ti, Liberty Evolv 90, Renoun Endurance 88, Salomon S/Force Bold, Folsom Spar 88, Black Crows Orb, K2 Disruption 82Ti, Fischer Ranger 94 FR, Volkl M6 Mantra, & Elan Ripstick 106.
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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2021-2022 Elan Wingman 86 CTi
If your definition of an “all-mountain” ski is one that’s a blast to carve on groomers but that can also handle occasional laps off piste, the Wingman 86 CTi should be on your list. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Flash Review: 21/22 Dynastar M-Free 108, 192 cm
Update 3.22.21: We’ve added some more thoughts after putting in a few more days on the long M-Free 108.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review: 21/22 Volkl Secret 96
Update 3.22.21: Kara Williard adds her thoughts on the new Secret 96.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Video: Blister Summit Panel on Ski Boot Design
In the Blister Summit panel on Ski Boot Design, we talk to three key people in the world of ski boots: Thor Verdonk, global brand director of Lange ski boots; Matt Manser, product manager of Atomic ski boots; and Stefano Mantegazza, product manager of the Tecnica Group. We discuss their design philosophies; whether we should get rid of flex ratings; whether a precise-fitting boot can be a warm boot; the most frustrating trend in ski design today; where the biggest innovations are currently taking place; and more.