BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Blister Brand Guide: La Sportiva Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2019
La Sportiva has made a name for itself in many categories, including the trail running world. Their trail running shoes range from minimal race shoes to burly options designed for rough terrain, and you can check out our Brand Guide to see what sets each Sportiva shoe apart from the others.
Which Mountain Bike Pedals, and Why?
We just added more reviewers’ perspectives on the topic of which MTB pedals they use, and why they prefer the ones that they do. Check them out here.
Jason Koop: Runner, Head Coach at CTS Ultrarunning (Ep.20)
Jason Koop is a passionate runner, the author of Training Essentials for Ultrarunning, the head coach of CTS Ultrarunning, and someone who is not afraid to speak his mind. So we talked to Jason about his endurance coaching; “nonsensical” training aids & techniques; his recent running of the 330 km Tor de Geants; the current state of the minimalist / maximalist shoe debate; what he thinks the running scene will look like 10 years from now; and a *whole* lot more.
Blister Brand Guide: Trek Mountain Bike Lineup, 2020
Trek is one of the largest bike manufacturers in the world, and they have an expansive MTB lineup. Check out our Brand Guide for an overview of all of their mountain bikes.
Dash Longe on Skiing, Ski Films, & Ski Design (Ep.104)
Dash Longe is a skier who’s been doing it — and going big — for a long time. So I spoke to Dash about his brand new film, Stone’s Throw, and about ski films in general; his coming up during the heyday of the freeskiing revolution in Tahoe; ski design and Dash’s work on the DPS Koala 119; and more. Check out this post for the whole conversation — and watch Dash’s film, Stone’s Throw.
2019 Alchemy Arktos 29
While there are now lots of “do-it-all” Trail bikes on the market, the Alchemy Arktos 29 brings something a bit different to the table. Check out our full review for more.
Blister Brand Guide: Nike Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2019
Nike makes hundreds of shoes, and they currently offer several trail-specific running shoes. So what sets each of their trail shoes apart? Check out our latest Brand Guide.
Win Custom ON3P Skis
Ever wanted a custom pair of ON3P skis? Now’s your chance…
19/20 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide, Part 1 (Ep.68)
We just released our new 19/20 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide, and given that it’s over 200 pages long, there’s a lot to talk about. So we’re going to have a 2-part conversation about the Guide, and here in part 1, we’re going to discuss some of our Blister “Best Of” selections; and some of the products that just missed the cut; some general trends and takeaways from putting this big book together, and we find out the real reason why Luke prefers mittens to gloves.
Blister Brand Guide: Pivot Mountain Bike Lineup, 2020
When it comes to high-end tech, Pivot is one of the leaders in the industry, and they offer a wide range of mountain bikes. Check out our Brand Guide to help you quickly get a handle on the Pivot MTB lineup.
Why We Built a MTB Brand Guide (Ep.10)
Reviewers Luke Koppa, Jonathan Ellsworth, Dylan Wood, and David Golay discuss our new BLISTER Brand Guide to Mountain Bikes; why we saw a need for it; the trends and takeaways we’ve seen in the process of building it; and … the revolutionary new Badonkadonk bike.
Kyle Robidoux on Running, Skiing, & Being Legally Blind (Ep.19)
Kyle Robidoux is passionate about running and skiing and beer. He has run 25 marathons and ultra marathons, including three 100-mile races, and the Boston Marathon six times. Kyle also happens to be legally blind. So Kyle and I talk about his background, his anger about his receding vision and what he did about it; how he got into running and trail running; his efforts to create more inclusive trail races; his advice about how to deal with loss of any kind; and what specific things we all can do to be more supportive of everyone dealing with disabilities. (And we talk about beer.)
Adventure Photographer, Corey Rich (Ep.103)
Adventure photographer, Corey Rich, has spent a lot of time documenting some of the most interesting and amazing athletes in the world. So we talk to Corey about his time with the likes of Fred Beckey, Chris Sharma, Tommy Caldwell, Ashima Shiraishi; why making mistakes and being vulnerable makes for great storytelling; his excellent new book; what his dream assignment would be; and much, much more.
19/20 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide
Here it is — check out the entire 19/20 Blister Winter Buyer’s Guide, and you can still order your limited-edition print copy of the Buyer’s Guide.
Reviewing the Reviewer: Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.67)
Luke Koppa and Sam Shaheen pose questions & rate the answers of Blister founder, Jonathan Ellsworth, about being charged by a bear; nearly burning his house down; teaching philosophy; his favorite gear in the world; and (of course) the things he’s better at than Sam Shaheen.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Reviewer Reports: Longer-Travel Enduro Bikes (Ep.59)
We talk to Blister bike editor, David Golay, about 4 longer-travel enduro bikes from Privateer, Santa Cruz, Rocky Mountain, & Marin that he’s been spending time on in the PNW.
Blister Summit Brand Lineups: Folsom Skis 21/22
We sat down with Folsom Custom Skis CEO, Mike McCabe, to talk about two of the most surprising skis of the Blister Summit; how Folsom does things; Mike’s thoughts on the Blister Summit; and more.
2021-2022 DPS Pagoda Piste 90 RP
The Pagoda Piste 90 RP is a uniquely versatile, narrower all-mountain ski that should be on the radar of folks who spend a lot of time off piste. Check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: DPS Pagoda Piste 90 RP
We compare the Pagoda Piste 90 RP to the DPS Pagoda Piste 94 C2, DPS Pagoda 100 RP, Elan Wingman 86 CTi, Fischer Ranger 94 FR, Blizzard Brahma 88, Nordica Enforcer 88, Renoun Endurance 88, Armada Declivity 92 Ti, Salomon Stance 90, Black Crows Orb, Folsom Spar 88, & Liberty Evolv 90.
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Hoji on the Dynafit Radical Pro; the Hoji Hole; & More (Ep.141)
Our patron saint of GEAR:30 is back on the show today, and we talked to Hoji about the new Dynafit Radical Pro; how it compares to the Hoji Free boot; the evolution of the “Hoji Hole” testing prototypes; and more.
Win Women’s & Men’s Ride Concepts Shoes
The TWO winners this week will each get a pair of the new Ride Concepts Hellion Elite mtb shoe!
Blister Summit Brand Lineups: ROSSIGNOL 21/22
At the Blister Summit, we dove deep into Rossignol’s 21/22 ski lineup, with Rossi’s alpine category manager, Jake Stevens. We discussed the decision to kill the “7 Series” and the Soul 7; what they are going for with their Black Ops series that replaces it; why “-ish” is a very important suffix for Rossignol; and more.
Cam Smith on Setting The Grand Traverse Record & Training for Skiing, Running, & Mtn Biking (Ep.163)
Last Sunday, Cam Smith and Tom Goth set a new record at the Grand Traverse, which is a point-to-point ski race from Crested Butte to Aspen. Starting at midnight, racers travel 40 miles across the Elk Mountain range, climbing over 6,800 vertical feet. Cam is also a repeat winner of the Triple Crown of The Grand Traverse, so we talked to Cam about his record-setting night; skiing vs. skimo; his World Cup ski goals; and how he specifically trains for skiing and mountain running and mountain biking.
Flash Review: 20/21 Folsom Custom Rapture
Last year reviewer and heli-guide, Paul Forward, worked with Folsom to create an ideal pow ski for a season of heli skiing. Check out his initial thoughts on the resulting 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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Flash Review: 21/22 Tecnica Cochise Pro W
Kara Williard has been spending time in the new 120-flex women’s Cochise boot. Check out her 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 Wagner Summit 106
Wagner made a few skis for testing at the Blister Summit, and we’ve continued to spend time on their “50/50” 106mm-wide ski. The results have been quite impressive — check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Wagner Summit 106
We compare the Wagner Summit 106 to the Line Sick Day 104, Elan Ripstick 106, Liberty Origin 106, Black Crows Atris, Blizzard Rustler 10, Volkl Blaze 106, Armada Tracer 108, Sego Condor 108, J Skis Slacker, 4FRNT MSP 107, Whitedot Altum 104, 4FRNT Devastator, Moment Wildcat 108, & Fischer Ranger 102 FR.
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.)