BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra Winner, Maggie Guterl (Ep.24)
Maggie Guterl just became the first woman ever to win Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra, a multi-day race that does not have a fixed-distance finish line. So we talked to Maggie about how this extraordinary race works, and Maggie does a brilliant job of detailing what it was like to overcome the unique physical and mental challenges of Big’s; the significance of being the race’s first female champion; the next insane race she has her sights set on, and more.
Flannel & Casual Shirt Roundup — 2019
Flannels are the unofficial uniform of the outdoors, and for good reason. Check out our roundup for a bunch of options for women, men, and even for kids.
Rachael Burks on Skiing & Shakespeare & Sweatpants & More (Ep.107)
Rachael Burks is known for skiing burly lines and her signature backflip, but she is also known for her boundless enthusiasm, which is on full display in our conversation about skiing and Shakespeare; her spot-on impression of Julian Carr; podiuming in a comp on rental skis; her best ski season ever; her abiding love of sweatpants, Star Wars, fantasy novels, Red Bull Rampage; and more.
New Marker Duke PT; Backcountry.com; New Apparel & Skis (Ep.72)
Today, Marker unveiled their brand-new Duke PT binding, so we discuss the new binding and where it fits with respect to the Shift MNC and CAST Freetour System; some big new changes at GORE; the new GORE-TEX Pro vs. The North Face Futurelight; the appalling behavior of backcountry.com; several new skis from Moment, Blizzard, and Prior; and more.
Blister Brand Guide: Columbia Montrail Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2019
Montrail is one of the longer-standing trail running brands out there, and now under the “Columbia Montrail” moniker, they offer a pretty wide range of trail shoes. Check out our Brand Guide to quickly figure out which one might be best for you.
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!
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
The Mt. Rushmore of Ski Suspension (Ep.143)
We discuss one of the most important concepts in ski design: suspension. So what do we mean by “suspension”? Are terms like “plush” or “damp” synonyms, or are there important differences? And what are some of the best skis of all time when it comes to suspension? Let the debate begin.
Win MTB Tires from Versus
The TWO winners this week will each get a pair of Versus’ All Mountain tires!
2021-2022 Moment Chipotle Banana
Moment’s 122mm-wide Chipotle Banana has proven to be a surprisingly versatile ski, given its girthy dimensions. Check out Paul Forward’s full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Moment Chipotle Banana
We compare the Chipotle Banana to several fat pow skis, including the Folsom Rapture, DPS Alchemist Lotus 124, DPS Foundation Koala 119, Volkl Revolt 121, 4FRNT Renegade, Blizzard Spur, Blizzard Rustler 11, Praxis Protest, Moment Bibby / Blister Pro, Faction La Machine, Kingswood SMB, Whitedot Ragnarok ASYM, Rossignol Blackops Gamer, & Kye Shapes Numinous.
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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New Bike Trends, 2021 (Ep.61)
Blister editors David Golay and Noah Bodman talk about modern trends in bike geometry, old ideas coming back around, the resurgence of high-pivot bikes, and a whole lot more.
Flash Review: 21/22 Ronin 108
Ronin is a small manufacturer making skis right in Chamonix. We’ve been spending time on their do-everything touring ski, the 108 — check out some of 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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Zack Henderson
Zack Henderson Riding the Banshee Titan V3 Age: 33 | Vitals: 6’0, 165 lbs | Years biking: 23 | Current Residence: Bellingham, Washington I grew up just outside of San Francisco and started chasing my dad around on bikes as he dipped his toe into
Flash Review: 21/22 Rossignol Blackops Sender Squad
We’ve been spending time on the 194cm-long, 112mm-wide ski in Rossi’s freeride lineup, and it’s been a lot of fun so far. Check out Jonathan Ellsworth’s 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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2021-2022 Dynastar M-Free 108
This season we’ve been reviewing the longest length of Dynastar’s playful freeride ski, and the results have been very interesting. Check out our updated review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Dynastar M-Free 108
We compare the M-Free 108 to the Dynastar M-Free 118, Moment Wildcat 108, Moment Deathwish, Volkl Katana 108, Blizzard Cochise 106, Dynastar Pro Rider, Black Crows Corvus, Prior Husume, J Skis Hotshot, Moment Meridian 107, K2 Reckoner 112, ON3P Jeffrey 108, ON3P Woodsman 108, Line Sir Francis Bacon, Faction Prodigy 4.0, Parlor McFellon Pro, Liberty Origin 106, Icelantic Nomad 105, Blizzard Rustler 10, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Folsom Primary, Black Crows Atris, & Prior Northwest 110.
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.)
Adventure Photographer, Adam Clark (Ep.164)
We talk to the skier and adventure photographer Adam Clark about how he got started in photography; how he went about making a name for himself and honing his craft; his favorite camera gear; one of his most memorable ski trips; and a whole lot more.
Reviewer Reports: Fun Carvers & All-Mountain Skis (Ep.142)
Luke Koppa & Jonathan Ellsworth report on the new skis they’ve been reviewing from Black Crows, Salomon, Dynastar, Wagner, RMU, Moment, & more.