BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

Flash Review: 4FRNT Raven
Brian Lindahl and Jonathan Ellsworth weigh in on the redesigned 4FRNT Raven.
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.)

Flash Review: Moment Meridian
Here are our initial impressions of the Meridian’s on-snow performance.
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.)

Spank Spike 800 Vibrocore Bar
The Spank’s Spike Vibracore 800 was designed to deliver the precision of a stiff handlebar while reducing the fatigue that stiff bars produce. So, does it work?

Flash Review: 2017-2018 Salomon QST 106
After two days on the QST 106, here are some of our initial thoughts about the 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.)

Flash Review: 2016-2017 Kastle BMX 105
We just got the Kastle BMX 105 on snow, and here are our initial impressions of its performance.
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.)

2016 Devinci Wilson Carbon
The Devinci Wilson Carbon is supremely well rounded, and is well suited to all manner of DH tracks.

First Look: Yeti Releases New Line
Yeti just announced their new line, and it’s full of interesting updates, and additions.

IXS Sever Shorts and Vibe Jersey
We’ve been impressed by IXS’s Dagger knee guards, now we take a look at some of their apparel.

First Look: 2017-2018 Salomon QST 106
We’re getting the new Salomon QST 106 on snow this week in New Zealand, but here are our initial thoughts on the ski + rocker pics, specs, etc.

The National Parks, with James Kaiser (Ep.24)
This week marks the Centennial of the National Parks Service, so we sat down with James Kaiser, author of best-selling guides to the parks, to talk about their history, significance, and future.

Winter 2016 Trailer Roundup
Ski movie season is fast approaching, so we’ve assembled all the trailers and broken down each flick. See which ones we’re most excited for, most skeptical of, and let us know if you agree.

Leatt DBX 6.0 Helmet
With the DBX 6.0, Leatt nailed it with their first foray into helmet design.

NEMO Hornet 2P Tent
It’s easy to find a comfortable & heavy tent, or a cramped superlight tent. But the NEMO Hornet 2P tent is both livable AND very light.

Long Term Review: Bulls Black Adder 29
We’ve spent another 3 months on the Bulls Bikes Black Adder 29, and here’s our long-term update.

Easton ARC 30 27.5″ Rims
Easton’s ARC 30 rims deliver the best combination of stiffness, width, weight, and price we’ve found in an aluminum rim.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

Filmmaker, Sanjay Rawal, on the World’s Longest Race (Ep.2)
Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk with filmmaker, Sanjay Rawal, about a 3,100 mile-long race that takes place on a sidewalk in Queens, NY; the attempt to save the traditional ways of life of the San Bushmen of Botswana; the long-distance (and extremely consequential) rituals of a Buddhist monastic community in Japan, and a whole lot more.

Deep Dive: Folsom Spar 88
We compare the Spar 88 to the Blizzard Brahma, Head Monster 88 Ti, Nordica Enforcer 93, J Skis Masterblaster, Renoun Z-Line 90, Atomic Vantage 90 Ti, Armada Invictus 89Ti, K2 Ikonic 84Ti, and Black Crows Orb.
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.)

2021-2022 Folsom Spar 88
Building a narrower “all-mountain” ski that actually works well all around the mountain is trickier (or, at least rarer) than you might think. But the Folsom Spar 88 does, and you can now check out our full review.

Holden M-51 Fishtail 3 Layer Jacket
Look good, ski good. The Holden M-51 Fishtail Jacket definitely brings a lot of style to the table, and it doesn’t skimp out on technical features, either. Check out our review.

Benshi Creative — “Before Tomorrow”
We watch a lot of ski edits, but the one series that has clearly stood out this year is Benshi Creative’s “Before Tomorrow.” Check out all three episodes here.

19/20 DPS Foundation Koala 119
Here’s our updated Flash Review of DPS’s new pow ski, where Jonathan Ellsworth shares his thoughts on the Koala F119.
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.)

Blister Speaker Series 1.3: Dan Abrams, Flylow (Ep.84)
Our 3rd Blister Speaker Series at Western Colorado University was with Dan Abrams, president and co-founder of Flylow. Dan gets into the details of running an outerwear company, and in doing so, offers insight into maintaining perspective while under pressure, how he approaches risky decisions, making the most of bad situations, and more.

Smith 4D Mag Goggle
Ski & snowboard goggles have undergone a lot of changes recently, but one thing that’s remained relatively unchanged is their lenses. For 19/20, Smith is changing that with their 4D Mag goggle, which features a unique extended lens to offer increased field of view. So is it just a gimmick, or a notable advancement? Check out our review.

Amundsen Peak Anorak
Anoraks and technical fabrics don’t often get packaged together. But Norwegian brand, Amundsen, combined the two in their Peak Anorak, and the resulting jacket certainly stands out compared to the rest of the ski jackets on the market.

New Gear + Sam’s Review of Tinder (Ep.42)
Sam Shaheen, Kristin Sinnott, and Jonathan Ellsworth talk about some of their favorite new skis, then — in what might be our most anticipated review ever — Sam Shaheen gives us his honest, in-depth, pretty hilarious, and surprisingly insightful take on the dating app, Tinder.

2024-2025 Romp Skis Zorro 100
This season we built a custom ski with Romp, and you can now check out our full review for more info on the custom process, the resulting ski, and how well it lived up to our expectations.
