BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
How HOJI Designs His Skis + New 4FRNT Nevar | Blister Summit Video
Eric ‘Hoji’ Hjorleifson has his own unique skiing style, and his own approach to ski design. So we sat down with Hoji to hear all about it, including how he and 4FRNT developed his current signature series of skis, the brand-new (and cambered!) 4FRNT Nevar, and more.
2025 Devinci Troy & Troy ST
The new Devinci Troy is here, and it has arrived with a new sibling in the Troy ST. Both bikes get all new Canadian-made frames, updated geometry, and ample adjustment — check out our coverage of Devinci’s new pair of Trail bikes.
In Praise of Ski Movie Season w/ Drew Petersen (Ep.24)
We’re celebrating the start of Ski Movie Season by talking with Drew Petersen about the impact that ski movie screenings had on him; his all-time favorite ski movies; and the Salomon Quality Ski Time Film Tour that kicks off tonight!
Flash Review — Fox DHX Live Valve Neo
We’ve been logging miles on Fox’s new DHX Live Valve Neo shock, and it’s been an interesting — and very highly customizable — new electronic suspension offering. Our Flash Review covers our early impressions.
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Fox Live Valve Neo Electronic Shocks
Fox’s original Live Valve electronically controlled suspension has been around for quite a while now, but it never became a common sight on the trails. So, Fox went back to the drawing board and came up with Live Valve Neo — a wireless, dramatically streamlined second generation. Check out what they’ve come up with.
Jeremy Jones on His New Sport & New Film, ‘Purple Mountains Live Free or Die’ (Ep.325)
Today we’re catching up with Jeremy Jones to talk about what he’s been up to this summer — including his new sport; his new movie, Purple Mountains Live Free or Die; and, which classic film he & Jonathan will be breaking down on our Blister Cinematic podcast.
Flash Review — Kona Process 134
Kona recently revised their longstanding Trail bike, and it’s shaping up to be an impressive offering. Here are 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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The Pro’s Gear: Cody Townsend (Ep.314)
Cody Townsend is back on GEAR:30 to talk about his current gear preferences and the specific gear he’s using most these days.
Win Camping Gear From Luno
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the AIR+FOAM PRO Vehicle Mattress and Packable Camp Pillow from Luno!
Alex Showerman on ‘Coming Home’ and Finding One in Women’s Freeride (Ep.240)
Alex Showerman’s new short film ‘Coming Home’ tells the story of her journey to women’s freeride, and explores what a home is — in more than just the literal sense of a place to live. We sat down with her to hear all about it.
Deep Dive: 2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct
We compare the Rocky Mountain Instinct to the Orbea Occam LT, Trek Fuel EX, Transition Smuggler, Revel Rascal V2, SCOR 2030, Norco Optic, Norco Sight, Santa Cruz Hightower 3, Yeti SB135, Spot Mayhem 140, Forbidden Druid V2, REEB Steezl, and Deviate Highlander II.
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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2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct
It’s no big surprise that Rocky Mountain is touting the versatility of their 140mm-travel Trail bike, the Instinct — but what they’ve cooked up is pretty interesting, and it stands out from the do-it-all Trail bike market in some interesting ways. Check out our Full Review and Deep Dive comparisons to discover what sets it apart.
Hugo Harrisson, Ingrid Backstrom, & Mark Abma on the 20th Anniversary of ‘Yearbook’ (Ep.23)
20 years ago, ‘Yearbook,’ one of the most star-studded ski movies of all time, was released. So last week we talked with Matchstick’s Murray Wais and Scott Gaffney about the making of the film, and today, we’re talking with three of the stars of the film, Hugo Harrisson, Ingrid Backstrom, and Mark Abma.
Specialized Stumpjumper 15 & Stumpjumper 15 Alloy
Specialized’s Stumpjumper recently got a major update, and now they’ve released the more affordable alloy version of the Stumpjumper 15 alongside the carbon model. Check out the all-new frame, adjustments, and GENIE shock tech in our First Look.
Santa Cruz Hightower 4
The Hightower is still Santa Cruz’s do-everything 29er, but the latest version gets more travel and slacker geometry for improved descending prowess. But the updates don’t stop there — check out our First Look to learn more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
XC Race Bikes for Everyday Riders? | Yeti ASR vs. Cannondale Scalpel Video
Modern XC race courses keep getting more technical, and modern XC bikes have adapted as a result. Simon and Dylan have been logging a whole lot of miles on two of those bikes, the Cannondale Scalpel and Yeti ASR, to not only see how they compare to each other, but also how practical they are for riders who are *not* racing against the clock. Here’s their Head-to-Head video review.
3-Board Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (24/25)
We’ve recently been talking a lot about quivers of skis, but now it’s time for boards. We asked several of our snowboard reviewers to assemble their ideal 3-board quivers — check out their picks.
Reviewing the News w/ Dylan Wood, October 2024 (Ep. 247)
Simon and Dylan recap the latest happenings in the bike world, including the historic Red Bull Rampage women’s competition; they give their take on the men’s competition; cover plenty of good and bad industry news; plus some new eMTBs Simon is really excited about.
MTB Pant Roundup — 2024
We’ve been testing a whole bunch of MTB pants from ultra-lightweight summer options to fully waterproof winter options. Check out our latest roundup to get the rundown.
2-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (24/25)
Wrapping up our reviewers’ 2-ski quiver selections, Jonathan Ellsworth and Paul Forward add their picks. Check it out to see which skis our various reviewers have chosen this year, and let us know how you would go about assembling your own 2-ski quiver!
Yu Sasaki on Big-Mountain Skiing, Deep-Powder Skiing, & Running a Successful Food Truck (Ep.52)
We talk with professional skier, Yu Sasaki, about deep powder skiing; what it takes to start — and maintain — a successful food truck; his beautiful short film, Home From Home; moving from Hokkaido, Japan, to Revelstoke; and more.
Deep Dive: Cannondale Scalpel
We compare the Cannondale Scalpel to the Yeti ASR, Commencal T.E.M.P.O, Revel Ranger, Yeti SB120, Niner JET 9 RDO, Pivot Trail 429, SCOR 2030, Specialized Epic Evo, and Trek Top Fuel.
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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(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.)
Cannondale Scalpel
Has Cannondale changed the recipe for one of the most iconic XC race bikes of all time by adding a dash of versatility, or is the new Scalpel just as focused on winning races as ever? Check out our Full Review for our take.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, October 2024 (Ep.331)
Cody and Jonathan are back to review some of the outdoor-related news of October; introduce a new Reviewing the News segment (Rate My Take); and more.
Project321 G3 Hubs
It’s hard to do anything that novel or exciting when it comes to hub design, but Project321’s G3 hubs have a couple of unique features that really stand out — and have real performance benefits.
Powder Ski Comparisons: Old vs New vs What Should Be Next? (Ep.320)
The snow’s been falling, and we’re already fantasizing about those really deep days. So today, Paul Forward and Jonathan Ellsworth make the case for wide pow skis, then they talk about a bunch of current pow skis, old pow skis, and some design specifics they think are good ideas.
EXTENDED: Win Antti Ollila’s Ski & Boot Setup
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will win the Prodigy 3 ski from Faction and the fs 01 120 boot from phaenom Footwear, the go-to setup of Finnish freestyle skier Antti Ollila!