BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
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Western States 100 Champion, Clare Gallagher (Ep.93)
Clare Gallagher just won the Western States 100, and she did so in spectacular fashion. But there is a whole lot more to this story. So we talk to Clare about the details of her epic win, why on earth she agreed to go on an expedition to Alaska with Tommy Caldwell right before her biggest race of the year, and more.
Moment Extra Crunchy PB&J
Lots of us are currently dreaming of skiing and / or our next skis. But one of our Blister members schemed up a new custom ski, then gave it a great name: the ‘Extra Crunchy’ PB&J. Check out the backstory & specs for this ECPB&J, and let us know about any dream builds you’ve thought up.
Making the 1st Electric Snowmobile: Taiga Motors (Ep.92)
While more and more electric cars are hitting the streets, Taiga Motors is about to bring the world’s first commercial electric snowmobiles to the backcountry and ski areas. So we talked with Taiga Motors CEO & co-founder, Sam Bruneau, about taking the electric snowmobile from a college project to an actual business; and we get into the specifics of charging a Taiga, and how these electric sleds measure up against gas-powered ones in terms of power, torque, weight, range, and performance in harsh temperatures.
Wild Rye Freel Short, Marion Chammy, & Sandia Shirt
Wild Rye is a women’s-specific apparel company that’s designing pieces that stand out not only in terms of style, but also performance. Check out our review of their Freel Shorts, Marion Chammy, and Sandia Shirt.
2020-2021 Salomon QST 99
Salomon overhauled their QST 99 for 19/20, and we think the new ski ought to be very appealing to a whole lot of skiers. Check out our full review.
Deep Dive: Salomon QST 99
We compare the new QST 99 to the K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Volkl Mantra M5, Volkl Mantra 102, Blizzard Bonafide, 4FRNT MSP 99, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, Fischer Ranger 99Ti, Nordica Enforcer 100, J Skis Masterblaster, Blizzard Rustler 9, Renoun Endurance 98, Moment Commander 98, ON3P Wrenegade 96, Rossignol Experience 94 Ti, Atomic Vantage 97 Ti, Dynastar Legend X96, and Liberty Origin 96.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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How & Why We Do What We Do
If you’re curious about Blister’s history, how the review world generally works, and how and why we do things differently, check out the recent Channel Mastery podcast, where Jonathan Ellsworth was asked to discuss Blister’s background and mission.
19/20 Faction Candide 5.0
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of Candide Thovex’s signature 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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A Very Deep Dive on Ski Boots, Part 2: Flex Patterns (Ep.55)
We’re talking again with Atomic Ski Boots product manager, Matt Manser, about the messy world of ski boot flex ratings; the actual differences between some brands’ 120 and 130 rated boot; how Atomic arrives at their own flex ratings; the next areas of innovation that Atomic is focused on, and more.
Guerrilla Gravity’s New Bikes & Big Ideas (Ep.3)
When a small indie bike company with a heavy-metal vibe makes extremely big claims about the cutting-edge materials they are using to manufacture bikes right here in the USA, and doing all of this at a pretty modest price point … are they full of crap, or are they truly onto something here? And if so, how big of a deal is this? Jonathan Ellsworth headed to Guerrilla Gravity HQ in Denver to sit down with their co-founders and their director of composites to find out.
Video: Riding in Gunnison – Crested Butte
Want to know why we *really* like the riding around here? This short video from Dakine will give you a taste of the rocky and desert-like riding around Gunnison, and the aspen forests and high-alpine terrain around Crested Butte.
Jennifer Pharr Davis on ‘Hiking’ vs ‘Trail Running’ Culture (Ep.7)
Scott Jurek called his attempt to break Jennifer Pharr Davis’ FKT record for hiking the Appalachian Trail the hardest thing he’d ever done. And yet, hiking and thru-hiking often isn’t given proper credit either as a monumental test of endurance, or as a more accessible / less intimidating activity to get more people outdoors. So we talk to Jennifer about the divides between hiking culture & trail running culture; lessons from her book, The Pursuit of Endurance, and more.
2021-2022 K2 Mindbender 116C
Apart from the name, the new K2 Mindbender 116C doesn’t share a lot in common with the Mindbender 99Ti and Mindbender 108Ti. And that’s no accident. Check out our full review for more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
PeopleForBikes President & CEO, Jenn Dice (Ep.50)
PeopleForBikes is one of the most important organizations in the bike world that you might not be too familiar with. So we caught up with Jenn Dice to talk about what the organization is up to; working with a new administration; and what each of us can do to get involved.
2021-2022 Salomon QST Blank
Salomon just unveiled what will be the widest ski in their lineup for 21/22: the QST Blank. This new ski combines elements of other skis in Salomon’s QST lineup and adds some new ones, too. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see what three of our reviewers think of the new ski.
Deep Dive: Salomon QST Blank
We compare the QST Blank to the QST 106, QST 118, Moment Deathwish, K2 Reckoner 112, Movement Fly Two 115, Black Crows Anima, Volkl Revolt 121, J Skis Friend, ON3P Woodsman 108, Moment Wildcat, Icelantic Nomad 105, Parlor McFellon Pro, Blizzard Rustler 11, Rossignol BLACKOPS Gamer, Kye Shapes Metamorph, Volkl Katana 108, & J Skis Hotshot.
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 Nukeproof Giga
What’s a “Super Enduro” bike? Apparently, the brand-new Nukeproof Giga is one of them, and you can check out our First Look to learn more about this competitively priced, extra-long-travel bike that’s still designed to pedal uphill.
Flash Review: 21/22 Atomic Maverick 100 Ti
Check out our initial thoughts on the widest ski in Atomic’s new all-mountain series.
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 130
Update 1.26.21: Jonathan Ellsworth adds some more thoughts after skiing the new Cochise 130 with more skis.
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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Season Aero Ski
“Stable and quick in all snow conditions” — that’s what Season says about their 96mm-wide Aero ski. And you can now check out our full review & Deep Dive comparisons of this unique new ski to see what we have to say about it.
Deep Dive: Season Aero Ski
We compare the Aero to the Season Nexus, Dynastar Menace 98, Nordica Soul Rider 97, Fischer Ranger 94 FR, K2 Reckoner 102, Prior Northwest 100, Rossignol BLACKOPS Holyshred, J Skis Masterblaster, Armada Declivity 92 Ti, Head Kore 93, Nordica Enforcer 94, Salomon QST 99, Liberty Origin 96, Blizzard Rustler 9, 4FRNT MSP 99, & Volkl Mantra M5.
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.)
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Jan 2021) (Ep.160)
Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss the first Winter Summit of K2 by the Sherpa and Nepali team, including Nirmal Purja; TNF x Gucci collab; mountain-town dynamics; Sam Anthamatten vs Cody on the SHIFT binding; our inaugural Blister Summit; and more.
Hoka One One Rincon 2
One of our reviewers says the recently redesigned Hoka Rincon 2 is “everything that a high-cushion shoe should be.” Check out our review to see what he means, and how this lightweight, less-expensive shoe compares to its competition.
2021 Trek Slash
We’ve spent quite a bit of time now on the new Trek Slash, and three of our reviewers are weighing in on this smooth, stable, and surprisingly versatile long-travel bike. Check out our full review.
2021-2022 Tecnica Cochise 130
The Tecnica Cochise was one of the first boots designed to offer alpine-boot downhill performance with uphill capability, and they’re overhauling it for 21/22. Check out our First Look & Flash Review to see what they’ve changed and how the new boot compares to the current market.