BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Jonathan Ellsworth: Founder / Editor in Chief
Age: 50 | Vitals: 5’10,” ~180 lbs. | Years skiing: 30+ | Crested Butte, Colorado (see my runner profile) Background: I grew up in the Chicago area, and my first loves were soccer, basketball, and football. In high school, I was a varsity athlete in
Eric Freson
Eric Freson, Crested Butte, CO. (photo by Andrew Buergin) Age: 36 | Vitals: 5’’10”, 165 lbs | Years skiing: 31 | Residence: Gunnison Valley, Colorado Background: I grew up in small-town Vermont, and was encouraged to get outside from a very young age. I learned
Dylan Wood
Age: 24 | Vitals: 5’10”, ~155 lbs | Years Skiing: 21 | Current Residence: Gunnison, Colorado (see my MTB profile) Skiing Background I grew up in Evergreen, Colorado. My dad took me skiing as soon as he could convince my mom it was a good
Outdoor Retailer / SIA Highlights (Ep.8)
From the Outdoor Retailer / SIA show in Denver, five Blister editors & reviewers discuss a bunch of the most notable new men’s and women’s gear we saw at the show.
Dakine Beretta Jacket and Mackenzie Bibs
We’ve been impressed by Dakine’s men’s ski / snowboard outerwear in the past, and now we weigh in on how their women’s Beretta Jacket and Mackenzie Bib compare.
Drew Kelly
Drew Kelly skiing in the backcountry near Crested Butte, CO. Age: 29 | Vitals: 5’11, 160 lbs | Years Skiing: 26 | Current Residence: Gunnison, Colorado Though I learned to ski on a school break when I was three, living in Alabama, I didn’t really
Ben Firth
Age: 25 | Vitals: 6’1”, 155 lbs. | Years Climbing: 8; Years Snowboarding: 13 | Current Residence: Golden, CO I grew up in the rainy world of the Pacific Northwest. Living in Olympia, WA throughout my grade school years, I didn’t actually start climbing until
Barbara Zangerl (Ep.2)
We talk to Barbara Zangerl about her recent send of Magic Mushroom on El Cap with Jacopo Larcher, which is the first repeat of the route since it was first freed by Tommy Caldwell and Justen Sjong. We also discuss how climbing culture is different in Europe, and how she found herself free climbing grade VI big walls after initially being focused exclusively on bouldering.
Win a pair of the DryGuy Travel Dry DX
Seriously, we think everyone should have a pair of DryGuy portable boot dryers. They’re simple, convenient, compact, and work great. So, for this week’s giveaway, we’re teaming up with DryGuy to give away 3 sets of their portable boot dryers. Enter Now for your chance to win.
Blister at Outdoor Retailer / SIA 2018
Hey, everybody — greetings from downtown Denver. We just wrapped up 4 long days at the Outdoor Retailer / SIA Snow Show, where we had a chance to check out all the new gear for the 2018-2019 season. We put a bunch of coverage on our
New York Times sportswriter, Karen Crouse (Ep.65)
We talk to Karen Crouse about her new book on the history and principles of the Olympian incubator town of Norwich, Vermont; the current state of the Olympics; and how all-time achievers like Michael Phelps and Tiger Woods have informed her thoughts on the price of greatness.
2021-2022 K2 Recon 130
K2’s new Recon and Luv series of alpine ski boots are really light — the lightest we’ve ever reviewed, actually. Check out the specs plus our initial thoughts and fit notes.
Black Diamond VaporLock Magnetron Carabiner
Black Diamond’s Magnetron carabiners are certainly unique, but are they better than traditional lockers? We spent the past season using the VaporLock Magnetron on everything from single-pitch climbs in Indian Creek to multi-pitch ice in Montana to see just how effective this innovation really is.
2018-2019 Faction Prime 2.0
Faction says their touring ski, the Prime 2.0, “excels at high speeds, but keeps it surprisingly nimble when things get technical.” So how stable and nimble is this ski, and how does it compare to the competition? Check out our full review.
Black Crows Skis 18/19 Lineup (Ep.7)
We talk with Black Crows co-founder, Camille Jaccoux, and head ski designer, Julien Regnier, about women-specific skis, then go over what’s new in the Black Crows 18/19 lineup.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
3-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (19/20)
Check out Part 2 of our reviewers’ 3-ski-quiver selections, with additions from Kristin Sinnott, Kara Williard, Sascha Anastas, Jonathan Ellsworth, & Cy Whitling.
Cappuccino Cowboys Apologizes + Jared Hazen & Eric Senseman (Ep.26)
Mr. Cappuccino of the Cappuccino Cowboys is back on the show to issue an apology for his performance last week. And then Jared Hazen and Eric Senseman join us, so we got to ask them why they continue to associate with Mr. Cappuccino, and more.
4-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (19/20)
Check out part 2 of our reviewers’ 4-ski-quiver selections, including additions from Eric Freson, Kara Williard, Paul Forward, Sascha Anastas, and Sam Shaheen.
Reporter Jason Blevins on Backcountry.com (Ep.109)
Jason Blevins of the Colorado Sun broke the story about backcountry.com’s practices around trademark issues, so we talk to Jason about how this story got on his radar; the specifics of what backcountry.com was doing; how common or uncommon these practices are; how backcountry.com has subsequently responded; and what needs to be done going forward.
Our Climbing & MTB Trip with 57hours
With the help of 57hours and our guide, Willie Benegas, we spent a few days biking and climbing around Moab — check out our recap video and trip report.
5-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (19/20)
It’s that time of year — we’re fantasizing about skiing and our ideal ski quivers. We’ll be rolling out a bunch of our reviewers’ personal selections, and we’re kicking it off with our 5-ski quivers.
What is The North Face Futurelight? (Ep.74)
The North Face is attempting to do something that many have tried, but few have succeeded: compete head-to-head with Gore-Tex in the waterproof / breathable fabric category. So we talked with Scott Mellin, the Global General Manager of Mountain Sports at The North Face, about their new fabric technology, Futurelight, the ideas behind it; what sets it apart in the waterproof / breathable fabric market; sustainability practices related to Futurelight; some stories from athlete testing, and much more.
Win an Avalanche Safety Course with 57hours
Win a 3-day AIARE Level 1 or Level 2 avalanche safety course!
Insulated Skirt Roundup
An insulated skirt may seem like a niche product, but after using several of them this fall, many of our reviewers now consider them an essential piece. Check out our roundup for a bunch of skirts that can take you from your morning run, bike, or ski tour all the way to après.
Blister Brand Guide: Topo Athletic Running Shoe Lineup, 2019
Topo Athletic takes a different approach than many brands when it comes to running shoes. They specialize in lower-drop shoes with wider, foot-shaped toe boxes, and their lineup covers a wide range of road and trail shoes. Check out our Brand Guide to figure out which Topo shoe might be best for you.
DPS Skis founder, Stephan Drake, no longer with DPS
UPDATE: We now have a statement from Stephan Drake regarding his departure from the company he founded.
Is Cappuccino Cowboys Ruining Ultrarunning? (Ep.25)
What is Cappuccino Cowboys, and who is the person behind it? Is he an evil genius hell-bent on ruining ultrarunning? A provocateur shaking up the stodgy state of running media? Or is he just a giant pain in the ass of Jim Walmsley, Eric Senseman, Jared Hazen, Cody Reed, Tommy Rivs and a few other unfortunate souls? We spoke to Mr. Cappuccino himself to find out.