BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
19/20 Salomon QST 106
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the all-new QST 106.
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Zeal Hatchet Goggle
Goggles with magnetic lens-swap systems have made it easier than ever to swap lenses. But most of them are very expensive, and some people aren’t thrilled about a few magnets being the only thing securing lenses to their frames. The Zeal Hatchet aims to solve both of those issues — check out our full review.
2021-2022 Armada Tracer 108
Armada is tweaking several of their backcountry oriented Tracer skis for 19/20, supposedly making them both lighter and more durable. So how does the new Tracer 108’s design compare to the rest of the market? Check out our measured specs, rocker pics, and initial impressions.
19/20 Amplid Facelift 108
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of Amplid’s playful 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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New Skis, New Goggles, & Random Reviews (Ep.44)
Sam Shaheen, Luke Koppa, and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about new goggles; new skis; which ski companies made the biggest impressions on us this season; funniest answers so far to our BLISTER Survey; and more.
2021-2022 Black Crows Orb
For 19/20 Black Crows is overhauling their narrower all-mountain ski, the Orb, and the updated version is basically a new ski entirely. Check out our measured specs, rocker pics, and initial impressions.
Sweet Protection Firewall Goggle
Sweet Protection has been making high-quality helmets and outerwear for years, and for 19/20, they’re breaking into a new category — goggles. Check out our review of their new budget-oriented Firewall Goggle.
Win Folsom Custom Skis / Blister Survey
A penny for your thoughts? How about a fully custom, $1300 ski for your thoughts? Fill out our survey to help us make BLISTER better, and you’ll be entered to win the Folsom custom ski of your choice.
Deep Dive: Line Outline
We compare the Outline to the Line Sir Francis Bacon, Atomic Bent Chetler 120, K2 Catamaran, Moment Wildcat / Blister Pro, Blizzard Spur, Folsom Trophy Carbon, Prior CBC, Icelantic Nomad 115, Rossignol Black Ops 118, and Dynastar PR-OTO Factory.
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 Line Outline
The new Outline is the latest addition to Eric Pollard & Line’s venerable series of pow skis, and it’s time now for our full review.
Semi-Rad — “Chart Imitates Life”
Brendan Leonard (semi-rad.com) has been making our favorite drawings and observations for years, and now he’s compiled a bunch of them in one place. Learn more about how to get the best book ever for your coffee table, tent, or bathroom.
2019-2020 Icelantic Maiden 101
Icelantic is updating their women’s Freeride collection for 19/20, and you can now check out our measured specs, rocker pics, and initial impressions of the 1-ski-quiver candidate in the line, the Maiden 101.
19/20 Armada ARV 96 Ti
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of the ARV 96 Ti.
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.
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Patagonia R1 TechFace Pullover
Last year Patagonia released what quickly became one of our favorite layers for high-output activities in the mountains — the R1 TechFace Hoody. This year, they released a more minimal Pullover version, and for some people, it could be even better than the original. Check out our review.
We’re Hiring
We are looking to bring on an editor to direct the bike side of BLISTER. If you really know bikes and you really know how to write, learn more here.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
3-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (20/21)
In Part Two of our reviewers’ 3-ski quiver selections, reviewers Paul Forward, Sascha Anastas, Kristin Sinnott, & Jonathan Ellsworth add their picks.
Matt Hart on Nike, The Oregon Project, & PEDs in Sports (Ep.74)
We talk to Matt Hart about his book, Win at All Costs: Inside Nike Running and its Culture of Deception, which is is an important book that everyone interested in competitive athletics should read. We discuss how Matt got interested in and involved with this story; whether we should just make all performance-enhancing drugs legal in all sports; who is most to blame for PED use in sports; what Nike’s response to the book has been; and Alberto Salazar’s upcoming trial.
Athletic Brewing Company founder, Bill Shufelt (Ep.151)
Athletic Brewing Company is a fast-growing brand in an emerging category that is about to blow up: non-alcoholic craft beer. So we talked to Athletic Brewing’s founder about why he started the company; the stigma of not drinking; why “near beer” has been so bad; why there’s such a need for products like this in the outdoors community; Athletic’s brewing process; how he feels about the emerging competition in the space; and more.
ON Cloudventure Peak
ON’s shoes immediately stand out due to their unique midsole “pods,” and we’ve been testing their recently revised, lightweight trail racer, the Cloudventure Peak. Check out our review to see where we think it excels, where it falls short, and how it compares to the competition.
Shop Talk: Tyson Stellrecht, Boise Gear Collective (Ep.123)
We sat down with Tyson Stellrecht, the founder of Boise Gear Collective, to talk about the selling of both used gear and brand new gear; how it’s going with backcountry.com one year later; why Tyson isn’t moving into e-commerce; gear snobs; predictions for the upcoming season; and more.
Win Wagner Skis + Glade Goggles & Helmet + James Niehues Book
The winner this week will get a really cool collection of gear from Wagner Custom Skis, Glade, & James Niehues!
4-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (20/21)
In Part Two of our reviewers’ 4-ski quiver selections, Jonathan Ellsworth & Kristin Sinnott add their picks for the 20/21 season.
Anneke Beerten on Her Accident; Recovery; Pastranaland, & More (Ep.44)
Anneke Beerten (the 2 x world champion BMX rider, 3-time Four Cross world champion, and Queen of Crankworx) was in an accident and suffered a serious concussion, so we check in with her to hear more about what happened; get a firsthand report of her recovery; and present a public service announcement that we all need to hear. Then we shift gears to talk about participating in the amazing Pastranaland Pit Bike Championships, so this is both a serious and super fun conversation.
Hoka Founder & Deckers Group VP of Innovation, Jean-Luc Diard (Ep.73)
If you are interested in product design and the process of innovation, then you need to listen to this conversation. Jean-Luc Diard started as an intern at Salomon, developed the first shaped ski, became the CEO at Salomon, played a major role in the development of Salomon’s running shoes, moved on to found Hoka One One, and is currently the VP of Innovation for the Deckers Group, where he currently heads up the Deckers X Lab.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (Nov 2020) (Ep.150)
Today we are launching a new segment on the Blister Podcast. Each month, Cody Townsend and Jonathan Ellsworth discuss some of the biggest stories and most interesting news headlines from the world of outdoor sports, and on occasion, the broader world, too. We also share some of the best things we’ve watched, read, or listened to.
Blister Brand Guide: Nike Trail Running Shoe Lineup, 2020
Nike continues to expand their trail-running lineup, and in our Brand Guide we cover every shoe in their 2020 Trail lineup to help you figure out how each shoe differs and which might make the most sense for you.
Reviewer Reports: Shoulder Season MTB Gear + Forks Roundup (Ep.43)
For many of us, it’s shoulder season, where the riding conditions are wet, muddy, and / or cold. And some of us live in places where we regularly encounter those conditions. So on our latest Bikes & Big Ideas podcast, we discuss why some of the apparel that’s intended for wet/muddy riding sucks; which products have worked the best for us; and then we shift to a conversation about forks from Fox, RockShox, and Manitou.