BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
2019-2020 Amplid Time Machine 90
The new Amplid Time Machine 90 combines a very traditional shape with a very non-traditional construction. Check out our measured specs, rocker pics, and initial impressions.
Flannel Shirt Roundup — 2019
Looking for that perfect flannel shirt that you can use all year? We’ve rounded up a bunch of men’s and women’s options to make your search easier. Check them out here.
Deep Dive: Nordica Enforcer 104 Free
We compare the Enforcer 104 Free to the Nordica Enforcer 100 & 110, Fischer Ranger 102 FR, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Line Sick Day 104, Rossignol Soul 7 HD, Salomon QST 106, 4FRNT MSP 107 & 99, Blizzard Rustler 10, ON3P Wrenegade 108, J Skis Metal, Black Crows Corvus, and Moment Commander 108.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2021-2022 Nordica Enforcer 104 Free
The new Nordica Enforcer 104 Free has a lot to live up to given how good the Enforcer 100 and Enforcer 110 are. So does it? Check out our full review of the Enforcer 104 Free.
Win Insulated Bottles & Mugs from Hydro Flask
Enter to win some insulated bottles and mugs from Hydro Flask!
19/20 Apparel — Sustainability, New Tech, & the Death of Full-Zip Jackets?? (Ep.40)
We’ve been inundated at HQ with new apparel from Patagonia, Mammut, Flylow, Sole, and much more in the past few weeks. Sam Shaheen and Luke Koppa recently sat down to do their favorite thing — geek out on new apparel.
19/20 Dynastar Menace 98
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of Dynastar’s all-mountain-freestyle ski, with comparisons to the Rossignol Black Ops 98.
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.)
The North Face Ceptor Jacket
The North Face Ceptor Jacket brings a lot of what you’d expect from a technical 3L shell (great weather resistance, plenty of features, and decent breathability) but does so without an exuberant price tag. Check out our full review.
2021-2022 Roxa R3 130 T.I.
The Roxa R3 130 was a pretty good AT boot, but we think the updated 19/20 version is a great one. If you’re looking for a boot that you can use inbounds and in the backcountry, the new R3 130 is worth a look.
Zoetica: Solutions to the Global Recycling & Trash Crisis (Ep.82)
Trash is a growing global crisis, and currently, the majority of “recycled” products are still ending up in landfills or being burned. So we discuss the crisis, the myths, and the solutions to these problems with the founders of Zoetica, who are working to help us rethink these issues and take concrete actions to address them.
19/20 Rossignol Black Ops 98
Check out our initial on-snow impressions of Rossignol’s all-mountain-freestyle 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.
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.)
Mammut Alvier Armor Hardshell Jacket
Jackets with reinforced fabrics used to bulky and often uncomfortable. But a few companies have come up with new ways to seamlessly reinforce their garments, and the Mammut Alvier Armor Jacket takes this technology and packages it into a versatile ski shell. Check out our full review.
Prior Snowboards & Skis, with Dominic Morin (Ep.39)
We talk to Prior’s head snowboard and ski shaper, Dominic Morin, about the origins of Prior, their philosophy of ski and snowboard shaping, their craziest designs, their new shapes for 19/20, and the legacy of Chris Prior.
Warm Winter Coat Roundup
For those bitterly cold days, it’s nice to have just one ultra-warm coat that you can toss on no matter what the weather’s doing. So we’ve rounded up a bunch of women’s and men’s coats for frigid days in town and in the backcountry.
2021-2022 K2 Mindbender 108Ti
We’ve now spent a lot of time on K2’s new Mindbender 108Ti, and you can now check out our full review.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Big Mtn Skier (& Trail Runner), Cody Townsend (Ep.70)
Six months ago, professional skier, Cody Townsend, hated running. Now he loves it. So what happened?? And will his current training program really get him ready to ski tour up and down some of the gnarliest peaks in North America for his ongoing Fifty Project? If you have ever found yourself in the “I hate running” camp, you should listen to this episode.
Blister Speaker Series 3.1: Cody Townsend (Ep.146)
Cody Townsend came to Western Colorado University and spoke about why his education has been so beneficial to his career; social media and the new responsibilities of athletes today; starting & growing a business (Arcade Belts); The Fifty Project and all of the behind-the-scenes work; and more.
Eric Pollard Leaves LINE Skis
Today Eric Pollard announced that, after spending 21 years and making 48 ski models with them, he is leaving LINE Skis. Learn more here.
What You’re Wearing, Part 6: Alpaca Wool (Ep.118)
How much do you know about Alpaca wool? And what do you about manufacturing in Peru? We talk about these things and more with the founders of Arms of Andes, which is a company that makes outdoor clothing from Royal Alpaca wool that is single-sourced and produced in Peru. We discuss the characteristics and benefits of Royal Alpaca wool; the traditional method used to collect the wool; their commitment to manufacturing in Peru; what they’re doing to try to be one of the most sustainable clothing brands in the world; and more.
Win Picture Organic Jackets + DPS Phantom
The TWO winners this week will each get a ski / snowboard jacket from Picture Organic + DPS’s permanent base-glide treatment, Phantom!
Ultimate Direction Race Vest 5.0
One of our reviewers says that the Ultimate Direction Race Vest 5.0 may be the best running vest he’s used for moderate distances and races. Check out our review to see why, and how it compares to alternatives from Nathan & Salomon.
Stan Rey & Alexi Godbout on Skiing Pillows; Spit Cups; & Their New Film (Ep.145)
We talk to Alexi Godbout and Stan Rey about their new film, Follow the Forecast; some potential alternate titles for the film; what’s harder: ski mountaineering or skiing pillow lines?; the founding of their film company, Blank Collective; who won the movie?; and Stan’s spit cup.
Folsom Skis 20/21 Lineup + Update on our Buyer’s Guide (Ep.117)
We’ve got Folsom Skis CEO, Mike McCabe, back on the show to catch us up on what’s been going on at Folsom; the PPE equipment they’ve been making; their lineup for the 20/21 season; and more. Mike also asks how things have been at Blister, we share what we’re celebrating this week, and give an update on the status of our 20/21 Winter Buyer’s Guide.
Win J Skis
The winner this week will get what J calls “the least nerdy touring ski on the market.”
RockShox ZEB Ultimate Fork
We’ve spent the last couple of months using the new RockShox ZEB — check out our updated review for thoughts on how it compares to forks like the RockShox Lyrik & Manitou Mezzer Pro, and who we think is going to get along best with it.
Surfing Trails on a Bike without Pedals (Ep.41)
A bike without pedals? Dog mushing? Surfing mountains? We talk to Gravity Scooters about how the idea of a DH scooter came to be; the advantages of ditching your pedals — and seat posts; designing a DH scooter; dog mushing; and more.
Kaytlyn Gerbin on Science, Volcanoes, & Pretty Much Everything Else (Ep.69)
Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk to Kaytlyn Gerbin about her work as a bioengineer, the Rainier Infinity Loop; running ultras vs mountaineering; why scientists make good ultra runners; cheating on snowboarding; and a whole lot more.