BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Crosson Skis founder, Chase Englehart (Ep.61)
Crosson Skis is a small, new company that’s making some very big claims. So we talk to their founder, Chase Englehart, about the origins of Crosson; what makes their skis different — and better; building skis outside of Seattle; working with athletes like Bobby Brown and Banks Gilberti; and their 19/20 lineup.
World Bicycle Relief: Making a Better World with Bikes (Ep.7)
For many of us, bikes are primarily fun. But for many others, bikes are major drivers of economic development, educational opportunity, health care, and equality. World Bicycle Relief was started by the founder of SRAM to provide bikes to developing countries, and we talk with WBR’s CEO, Dave Neiswander, about the origins of World Bicycle Relief; its trajectory and challenges; all the product design that goes into their bikes; and what each of us can do to support the WBR mission.
19/20 Icelantic Nomad 105
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of Icelantic’s new Nomad 105.
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Win Sustainable Shoes from Saola
Win a pair of Saola’s men’s or women’s Semnoz shoes!
19/20 Line Vision 98
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of Line’s new lightweight touring 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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Ian Sharman on Keeping Running Fun, Racing Fair, & Keys to Consistency (Ep.12)
We talk to Ian Sharman about becoming the Fastest Elvis and setting Guinness World Records for racing in costumes; completing over 200 ultras and marathons; the most common mistakes people make in training and in racing; his strategy for keeping doping out of ultrarunning; and more.
2019 Nicolai / GeoMetron G16
Every brand is now making longer and slacker bikes, but few have taken this approach to the extremes of Nicolai. So, how does their ultra-long and ultra-slack G16 Enduro bike actually perform on trail, and how does it compare to the more moderate competition? Check out our full review of the G16.
T-Shirt Roundup — 2019
A t-shirt can be a lot of things: burly bike jersey, ultralight running top, or the coziest loungewear best reserved for your couch. We’ve rounded up a ton of options that cover that whole spectrum — check them out here.
2021-2022 Salomon QST Stella 106
The overhauled Salomon QST Stella 106 now looks like it stands out a lot more in the women’s ski market. Check out our measured specs, rocker pics, and initial impressions to see why.
A Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots, Part 3: Racers & Race Boots (Ep.60)
How do elite ski racers like Marcel Hirsher, Mikaela Shiffrin, Bode Miller, and Daron Rahlves “feel” their gear, and their ski boots in particular? We talk to Matt Manser about this; forward lean; ‘static’ power straps vs. ‘elastic’ Booster Straps; whether WC skiers or WC DH mtn bikers are pickier about their equipment; and more.
Win a Bike Rack from Kuat
Win Kuat’s flagship bike rack, the NV 2.0 — a hitch-mounted bike rack with capacity for two bikes.
Promising or Pointless? 5 Weird New Bike Products (Ep.6)
Sometimes “different” is better. Other times, it’s just dumb. So we discuss a number of very unconventional new products: the Trust Message linkage fork; Structure Cycleworks’ SCW1 linkage fork / frame system; high-pivot trail bikes and the Forbidden Druid; Starling Cycles’ ‘Jack Drive’ bikes; and Tannus Armour tire inserts.
La Sportiva Cobra Eco
La Sportiva recently released a new, more environmentally friendly version of their classic Cobra shoe, and we’ve now spent a year in the new Cobra Eco to see how it compares.
Meghan Hicks, managing editor, iRunFar (Ep.11)
Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk to Meghan Hicks — who is one hell of a trail runner in her own right — about her background; covering the “puke fests and the transcendental moments” of trail running; how iRunFar.com came to be; what motivates her to run; what she thinks is the most misunderstood thing about ultra races; and more.
2021-2022 Moment Deathwish Tour 112
Moment just released a new version of their Deathwish — the Deathwish Tour. And after spending time on it this past season, we think the new ski stands out in the touring market. Check out our full review.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Brooklyn Bell on Biking, Art, Skiing, & More (Ep.52)
Brooklyn Bell is a mountain biker and a skier and an artist and a former figure skater and a future frog scientist (maybe). So we talk about all of that and a whole lot more, including Brooklyn’s current big idea.
Women’s Insulated Parka & Jacket Roundup
Looking for a big, warm, comfortable coat for chilly days around town? Check out several of the insulated parkas & jackets that our reviewers have been testing out this season.
Gordon Gianniny
Vitals: 6’1”, 145 lbs For more on my background, listen to the below podcast, starting around 6:40 Running Background, Style, and General Preferences I grew up in Durango, CO and started running in middle school after discovering that I wasn’t very good at the foot-eye
Flash Review: 20/21 Black Crows Anima
With all the new snow here, we’ve been getting time on some bigger skis in bigger terrain. One of those has been the updated Black Crows Anima — 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.
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.)
2021-2022 Renoun Endurance 88
Renoun’s skis are legitimately unique, due to the non-Newtonian polymer in their construction. We’ve been spending time on their narrowest all-mountain ski, the Endurance 88, and the results have, once again, been very surprising. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Renoun Endurance 88
We compare the Endurance 88 to the Armada Declivity 92 Ti, Salomon Stance 90, Blizzard Brahma 88, Head Kore 93, Fischer Ranger 94 FR, Nordica Enforcer 88, J Skis Masterblaster, Volkl Mantra M5, Folsom Spar 88, Elan Wingman 86 CTi, & Liberty Evolv 90.
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.)
Brendan’s New Book: I Hate Running and You Can Too (Ep.80)
Our Off The Couch co-host, Brendan Leonard, has a new book coming out, so Jonathan talked to him about zen koans, piñatas, other running books, kids, and why Jonathan thinks you should read this book whether you hate running, or love it.
2021 Fox 40 Fork
The first iteration of the Fox 40 dual-crown fork came onto the market in 2005, and now for 2021, Fox has given it an overhaul. So just how different is the new version, and how does it perform on the trail? Check out our full review.
Kevin Geisen
Kevin Geisen in the Hoka One One Evo Mafate 2, Moab, UT Vitals: 6’1”, 185 lbs Running Background, Style, and General Preferences Growing up as a cross country skier in northern Wisconsin, running was merely a form of cross training for many years. Although I
The Blister Summit: What It Is, Why We Made It, & Why You Should Come (Ep.134)
Our inaugural Blister Summit launches in less than two weeks! So Kristin Sinnott, our Blister Summit director, and Jonathan talk about the origins of the idea, why we think it’s important; why we think you should come!; and we cover a ton of the details and logistics of this first-of-its-kind event in the snowsports world.
Win Goggles, Poles, & a Ski Bag from Zipline
Enter for your chance to win Zipline’s magnetic-lens Hybrid XT goggles, ski bag, & the David Wise x Zipline adjustable poles!
2021-2022 Sego Big Horn 106
With the updates made for 20/21, Sego turned their Big Horn 106 into an even more versatile and stable, yet still very playful all-mountain ski. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.