BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, September 2024 (Ep.327)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the release of Cody’s first FIFTY+ film; some big controversies in the world of FKT’s & running; a great edition of Blevin’s Corner; mountain guides and the often confusing practice of tipping; what they’re reading & watching; … and more.
DT Swiss XMC 1501 Wheels & Ratchet DEG Hubs
DT’s new Ratchet DEG hubs are the fastest-engaging ones they’ve offered to date, but have they kept the traits that made the original 240s popular in the first place? We’ve been testing the Ratchet DEG hubs on DT’s XMC 1501 wheels and have thoughts.
2024 Ski Movie Tours & Premieres | A Guide
We know we’re not the only ones itching to get back on snow. Thankfully, film tours and movie premiers are not only a great way to relive past seasons, they’re also excellent community events — you get to join friends new and old to share in the pre-season stoke. Here’s a guide to where and when you can attend one near you.
ON3P Skis 24/25 Lineup with Scott Andrus (Ep.316)
We talk to ON3P Skis founder, Scott Andrus, about their 24/25 lineup, and we dive into the weeds about numerous aspects of ski design and ski manufacturing that you really won’t hear about anywhere else.
ZAG’s ‘Next-Gen Carver’ + 2025 Ski Lineup | Blister Summit Video
Across its 20-year history in the freeride, touring, and all-mountain worlds, Chamonix-based ZAG has continued to refine their lineup, whether through design or efforts to reduce their environmental footprint. In this video, we get the details on that history — plus the brand’s 2025 ski lineup — from ZAG’s Théo Voinchet and ZAG athlete, Teton Brown.
Win Jackets From Strafe
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get the men’s or women’s Highlands Shirt Jacket from Strafe!
2024 Pivot Phoenix
The new Pivot Phoenix has dropped the lugged construction from the prototype versions but kept their wild six-bar, dual-idler, high-pivot suspension layout, and the result is awfully interesting. Check out the latest iteration of Pivot’s DH bike.
Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, September 2024 (Ep.242)
On the latest episode of Reviewing the News, Mike and Simon dig into what may have happened to close the doors of one of the biggest retail bike stores in the country; why selling Rad Power bikes in Best Buy stores is a terrible idea; the exciting inaugural Lake Placid XC World Cup; plus a bunch more and the usual banter you don’t want to miss.
2025 Orbea Wild
Orbea has refreshed their Wild eMTB. It’s a story of incremental rather than radical change, but also includes the new Bosch Performance Line CX motor — plus there’s now a shorter travel ST model. Read on for our First Look.
Making Skis in a Ski Town | 2025 Romp Ski Lineup | Blister Summit Video
Few ski companies make their skis as close to the slopes as Romp, and at Blister Summit 2024, we sat down with Romp’s Eligh Purvis to discuss the ins and outs of operating a ski factory in Crested Butte, CO; Romp’s fully custom vs. “Romp Ready” ski options; some new models they rolled out for the 24/25 season, and more.
Flash Review — Schwalbe Albert Tires
Schwalbe says that their new radial casing tires offer a very different feel from more conventional tire constructions, and we’ve started to put those claims to the test. Here are our early impressions.
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.)
Schwalbe Radial Tire Casings + New Albert & Shredda Tires
Schwalbe has added a couple of new tires to their mountain bike lineup, and they debuted a new radial casing construction that they’re making some very big — and very intriguing — claims about. Check out what they’ve come up with.
Kavenz VHP G2
The Kavenz VHP G2 takes their latest VHP V7 design and adapts it to a gearbox application, with broad compatibility across Pinion and Effigear systems. We’ve walked through Kavenz’s latest creation in our First Look.
‘Deeper’ w/ Jeremy Jones & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.25)
Jeremy Jones & Jonathan Ellsworth revisit the 2010 film, Deeper, which Jeremy calls the most important movie of his snowboarding career — which is saying something, coming from a guy who was named snowboarder of the year 10 times, and a guy that’s starred in over 100 films.
Santa Cruz Vala
Santa Cruz’s new Vala brings a full-power Bosch motor to the Santa Cruz lineup, but the biggest surprise here is perhaps the move away from VPP toward a more typical four-bar suspension layout. There’s a lot more to the Vala though, so join us as we walk through the details.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
EXT Vaia Fork
EXT’s first dual-crown DH fork is here, and per usual for the brand, they’ve come up with some interesting ways to do things their own way. Check out what they’ve come up with.
Studio Shed w/ Mike Koenig (Ep.53)
Sheds and Accessory Dwelling Units (aka, ADUs) are a great way to provide extra room for outdoor gear, remote work offices, or even additional living spaces. And in today’s conversation, we sit down with Studio Shed’s co-founder Mike Koenig to discuss their unique approach to designing prefabricated backyard structures that are well-built, eco-friendly, and stylish.
CAST Freetour 2.0 Pivot Ski-Touring Binding
CAST was the first to make a touring binding that got you alpine-binding performance on the way down and a tech toe for the way up, and the Freetour 2.0 is the latest iteration of their system. Check out our First Look for all the details.
Flash Review — Kona Process 153
We were impressed by the new Kona Process 134 when we reviewed it recently, but how about its bigger sibling, the Process 153? We’ve started spending time on the longer-travel member of the family and have some early thoughts to share.
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.)
2025 Mondraker Arid Carbon
Mondraker has dropped their first non-motorized Gravel bike — the Arid Carbon. With a clean aesthetic and a feature set designed to please both racers and more casual adventurers, the Arid prioritizes versatility. Let’s see what Mondraker has cooked up.
1-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (24/25)
That’s a wrap — we’ve now had all of our reviewers share which skis they’d pick if they were to ski a whole season on a single setup. Check out what everyone selected this year.
Flash Review — Canyon Spectral:ONfly
The new lightweight light-assist Canyon Spectral:ONFly looks like a smart, well-timed addition to their Trail bike eMTB lineup. We’ve started spending time on the Canyon Spectral:ONFly and are ready to weigh in with some initial thoughts on Canyon’s take on this hot category.
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.)
10 Quick Things: ‘Testing Skis w/ an Olympic Gold Medalist’ Edition (Ep.333)
Jonathan talks about skiing with an Olympic gold medalist on his first day back on snow; Mikaela Shiffrin vs. Santa Claus; the outdoor sports equivalent of Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul; and more. Give it a listen, then let us know your thoughts and ideas.
Bluebird Mountain Sports
Bluebird Mountain Sports is the place to go for ski gear and tuning, bootfitting, and more in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2024 — In the Garage
In Part Three of our annual Gift Guide series, our reviewers offer some ideas for those looking to splurge a bit on the skier, snowboarder, mountain biker, or other outdoor fan in their lives. Check out their recommendations for bigger gift ideas that you might need to hide in the garage.
Win a Sweet Prize Package From Gregory
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get an Alpaca Gear Box 2 Pack, Alpaca Gear Basket 70, and Alpaca Gear Tote 30 from Gregory Mountain Products!
Good Idea or Bad Idea? Dreams, Doorknobs, & Binding Innovations w/ Austin Smith (Ep.322)
Recently, Austin Smith posted a video of a prototype of a snowboard binding that rotates. So Jonathan talks with Austin about the idea, his prototyping process, the testing process, and his predictions for whether we’ll see a development like this come to market.