BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Pursuing Excellence in the Service of Others: Jeff Galli, Campione Roman Kitchen (Ep.64)
Today we’re talking about the pursuit of excellence and how that can demonstrate a deep care for other people with Jeff Galli, the GM and co-owner of Campione, a roman kitchen in Livingston, Montana that was named to the New York Time’s 50 Best Restaurants in the U.S. list in 2023.
Project321 RG3 Hubs
We’ve been very impressed with Project321’s G3 mountain bike hubs, and now they’ve got a pared-down road and gravel version: the RG3. Check them out here.
Norco Sight VLT CX
The Norco Sight VLT CX keeps its high pivot suspension layout but manages to pack a huge 800 Wh battery while weighing a claimed 20% less than the old one. That’s an impressive trick — let’s see how they’ve pulled it off.
Flash Review: 2026 Fox DHX2
We’ve started spending time on the new Fox DHX2. Check out how it’s going so far.
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2025-2026 ZAG Mata
The nebulous but growing class of ‘fun carvers’ is an exciting one, and ZAG’s Mata is one of the latest additions. Here’s our Full Review of this 90mm-wide, asymmetrical ski that ZAG describes as “aggressive but not exclusive.”
Deep Dive: ZAG Mata
We compare the ZAG Mata to the Line Blade, Black Crows Mirus Cor, Folsom Spar Turbo, Black Crows Octo, ZAG Harfang 96, Fischer The Curv GT 85, ZAG Slap 98, Nordica Steadfast 85 DC, Elan Wingman 86 CTi, Dynastar M-Cross 88, K2 Mindbender 90C, Salomon Stance 90, Wagner Summit 91, & 4FRNT MSP 91.
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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Stuff We Like: March 2025
In this month’s edition of Stuff We Like, our reviewers cover everything from multifunctional apparel to several gear-organization solutions, snowboard-boot liners, ski outerwear, snowsports backpacks, and more.
2026 Fox Float X2 and DHX2
Right on the heels of giving their fork lineup a big overhaul, Fox has new versions of their Float X2 and DHX2 gravity shocks. It’s a big refresh, too, including completely different damper architecture and a bunch more. Check out what’s changed.
2025-2026 Völkl Mantra 84 W
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the women’s Völkl Mantra 84 W.
2024-2025 Atomic X9S Retro ARC 735 RS
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Atomic X9S Retro ARC 735 RS.
2024-2025 ON3P Jeffrey 92
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the ON3P Jeffrey 92.
Ted Ligety on Ski Tuning, World Cup Racing, & the Art of Going Fast (Ep.340)
As part of the 5850 Fest at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Jonathan talked with Ted Ligety about the tricky conditions and the very challenging course here in Sun Valley for the Super G and GS races, and the incredibly demanding business of going fast.
Win Running Apparel From Path Projects
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a Graves PX Shell Jacket, Kessler LS Tee, and Graves PX shorts from Path Projects! Enter before Friday, April 4th for your chance to win.
Atherton Bikes on Their Development Process, Gearboxes, & the A.200.G (Ep.267)
Gearbox bikes are popping up all over the World Cup Downhill circuit, and Atherton Bikes have joined those ranks with the new A.200.G. So we sat down with Atherton’s Head of Design, Rob Gow, to hear all about the bike, its development, the trajectory of gearboxes, and a lot more.
Flash Review: SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission
Mechanical SRAM Transmission is here. Check out our take on the Eagle 90 groupset so far.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
SRAM GX Transmission Upgrade Kit
SRAM just launched the new 70 and 90-series mechanical versions of their T-Type groupsets. Now there’s a cheaper way to convert a mechanical Transmission setup to the GX wireless version.
2024-2025 ON3P Woodsman 92
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the ON3P Woodsman 92.
Flash Review: Öhlins RXF36 m.3
The changes Öhlins made to the latest m.3 generation RXF36 look more like subtle refinements than a major overhaul on paper, but small tweaks can make a big difference when it comes to suspension performance. Check out how our time with the RXF36 m.3 is going so far.
Craig ‘Weazy’ Murray on Winning Natural Selections’ 1st SKI Comp; GRITT; & More (Ep.356)
We go behind the scenes of Natural Selection’s first ski comp with Craig ‘Weazy’ Murray, winner of the men’s division. We also talk about Weazy’s other passions, including riding mtn bikes at an increasingly high level, and why his work with GRITT means so much to him.
Flash Review: 25/26 Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition
Elan’s “Black Edition” skis are meant to serve as higher-end versions of their existing models, and we’ve been spending time on the latest blacked-out version of the Ripstick 102. Here are our initial 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.
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2025-2026 Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Elan Ripstick 102 Black Edition.
Rocky Mountain to Reboot Under New Ownership
Rocky Mountain has been going through financial difficulties and restructuring. They’re now under new ownership, with plans to resume new bike development and push the brand forward.
Reviewer Reports: Testing at Palisades, Ski Touring Gear, Favorite Ski Socks & Midlayers (Ep.346)
Luke, Kristin, and Jonathan discuss some of the skis, boots, and bindings that have stood out during their recent testing; Luke’s experience at Palisades Tahoe + Level 1 SuperUnknown; which ski socks they each used most this season; some interesting new midlayers, & more.
Win a Portable Ramp From MTB Hopper
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Lite 2025 Portable Ramp from MTB Hopper!
The Resurrection of Kona w/ Jacob Heilbron (Ep.273)
In April 2024, Kona Bikes set up their tent at Sea Otter and promptly tore it back down. Kent Outdoors, which owned Kona at the time, pulled the rug right out from under them and declared that Kona was no longer in business. A year later, we check in with Kona founder Jacob Heilbron about selling Kona to Kent, how things have been since buying it back, and more.
Enve M6 Wheels
Enve’s flagship M-Series wheels have historically been quite stiff — arguably to a fault — but their latest fifth-generation versions are claimed to be far more compliant and more durable. Here’s what we’ve found after seven months on the Trail-oriented M6 wheels.
2025-2026 Head Kore 87 Ti W
Head overhauled their longstanding and popular Kore skis for the 2025-2026 season, and we’ve been spending time on all of the new models. So, how similar or different are these new Kores? We’re kicking off our Full Reviews with the narrowest of the bunch, the Kore 87 Ti W.