BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flash Review: 25/26 Salomon QST 94
Salomon’s new QST 94 is the narrowest addition to their new QST lineup of skis, replacing the popular QST 92. Here are our initial impressions on the QST 94, including how it compares to the outgoing model.
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Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, February 2025 (Ep.350)
Cody and Jonathan are back to review the news, including the passing of ZipFit’s Sven Coomer; threats to public lands; JD Vance’s ski trip; and more. We also rate your takes, discuss the most Canadian news, and share what we’ve been reading and watching.
Arbor Carter Camber, 158 cm
Mark Carter is a badass, but what about his signature board? We’ve been riding the Arbor Carter for a full season and have found it to be a surprisingly versatile example of a modern volume-shifted shape. Here’s our Full Review.
2025-2026 Völkl M7 Mantra
Over the past 20 years, the name “Mantra” has stood as one of the most recognized in modern skis. So how does Volkl’s latest iteration of the Mantra, the M7, compare to its predecessor, and how well does it work as an all-mountain option? Here’s our Full Review.
Deep Dive: Völkl M7 Mantra
We compare the M7 Mantra to the M6 Mantra, Mantra 102, Blizzard Anomaly 94, Faction Dancer 2, Nordica Enforcer 94, Salomon Stance 96, Wagner Summit 97, Fischer Ranger 96, Peak 98 by Bode, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, 4FRNT MSP 99, Black Crows Justis, Nordica Enforcer 99, Kastle Paragon 101, Stockli Stormrider 95, ZAG Harfang 96, Head Kore 94 Ti, & Dynastar M-Pro 94 Ti.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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25/26 Gear, Boot Trends, Making the Most of Any Season, & More w/ Powder Hound (Ep.338)
We catch up with Eric Helmbrecht of Powder Hound, our Blister Recommended Shop in Girdwood, Alaska to discuss the ups and downs of this season up in Alaska; our tips and tricks on how to make the most of any season; 25/26 gear; Dual BOA; boot trends; aftermarket liners; and more.
Deep Dive: Kona Process 153
We compare the Kona Process 153 to the Transition Sentinel V3, Knolly Fugitive 140, Marin Alpine Trail XR, Forbidden Druid V2, Deviate Highlander II, Norco Sight, Yeti SB165, Kona Process 134, Transition Smuggler, REEB Steezl, and Santa Cruz Bronson 5.
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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Kona Process 153
The Process 153 is Kona’s take on the modern long-travel Trail bike, but it also carries some unique traits. The result is a spirited, fun bike that we think plenty of people could get along with. Our Full Review has all the details.
Win Apparel From Mountain Equipment & Bridgedale
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get the men’s or women’s Switch Pro Hooded Jacket from Mountain Equipment, as well as a 3-pack of men’s or women’s Lightweight Merino Endurance Over Calf socks from Bridgedale!
2025-2026 Dynastar M-Free 100
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the brand-new Dynastar M-Free 100.
Reviewer Reports: Tons of Bikes, Chain Damper Shootout, & Much More (Ep.265)
David Golay and Zack Henderson check in on a ton of gear they’ve been testing, including bikes, suspension, and a bunch of other components — including a comparison of Ochain’s active spider vs. Rimpact’s new Chain Damper.
2025-2026 Fischer Nightstick 97
The Nightstick has historically been Fischer’s competition park ski, but that name now applies to several park and all-mountain-freestyle models. The Nightstick 97 is designed to be the most versatile of the bunch, and we’re ready to weigh in on it — here’s our Full Review.
Deep Dive: Fischer Nightstick 97
We compare the Fischer Nightstick 97 to the Fischer Nightstick 104, Fischer Ranger 96, Fischer Ranger 102, Liberty Scope 104, Rossignol Sender Free 100, Black Crows Camox, Nordica Unleashed 98, K2 Reckoner 102, Faction Studio 2, Dynastar M-Free 99, Season Kin, Line Optic 96, RMU Apostle 96 Ti, J Skis Allplay, 4FRNT Switch, Prior Northwest 100, Line Chronic 101, Völkl Revolt 104, and Whitedot Altum 104.
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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Lo-Fi Wine Making With Uffe Deichmann, Poppelvej Wines (Ep.61)
Uffe Deichmann is a sort of pioneer in Australian winemaking; his focus on lo-fi production methods and non-traditional flavors has helped redefine what consumers expect from the land down under. We dive deep into the history of Poppelvej, Uffe’s own journey through winemaking, and the philosophy that underlies the incredible wine they are producing.
Cannondale Topstone Carbon Gen 3
The Cannondale Topstone Carbon has entered its third generation. More tire clearance, frame storage, and a supposedly more compliant implementation of the KingPin rear suspension design make it one of the more fully-featured Gravel bikes on the market. Let’s walk through the details of the new Topstone Carbon.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Mali Noyes’ Incredible Feat: Skiing the Chuting Gallery in 47 Days (Ep.355)
Mali Noyes just pulled off a mind-blowing feat: skiing the Chuting Gallery in 47 days. So how did she do it? And what led her to try? Jonathan talks with Mali about all of it, including some of the best advice she received from Greg Hill, Cody Townsend, Janelle Smiley, and Sam Smoothy.
Flash Review: 25/26 Rossignol Arcade 94
Update 5.5.25: We’ve added some more thoughts on Rossignol’s new piste-oriented ski, including how the Arcade 94 handles the very variable conditions of the spring, and its off-piste capabilities.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2025-2026 Rossignol Arcade 94
Rossignol is making big changes to their all-mountain lineup for 25/26, including eight new models in their Arcade series. Here are the details on the new collection, as well as our measured specs and rocker profile pictures for the new Arcade 94.
Flash Review: Santa Cruz Hightower 4
We had some questions when Santa Cruz updated their popular Hightower, which sits right in the middle of their MTB lineup, and now we have some answers. Check out our first impressions of this new Trail bike.
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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Flash Review: 25/26 Salomon S/Lab QST Blank
Part of Salomon’s overhaul of the QST series, the new 112mm-wide S/Lab QST Blank was reportedly designed with input from lots of Salomon’s younger “Mountain Collective” athletes. So, what’s changed vs. the original Blank? Based on our initial testing, you could argue that the answer is both “not much” and “a lot.” Here’s why.
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 Salomon S/Lab QST Blank
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the updated Salomon S/Lab QST Blank.
What’s New in Ski & Snowboard Bindings (Burton, Spark R&D, ATK Bindings, AlpenFlow Design) (Ep.345)
What new ideas emerge when you bring together makers of hybrid ski bindings and AT bindings and snowboard bindings and splitboard bindings? At the Blister Summit, we brought together Will Ritter of Spark R&D; Royal White, from Burton; Andy Merriman, from ATK Bindings; and Cobey Nash, from the new company, AlpenFlow Design. Enjoy.
Flash Review: Trickstuff Maxima Brakes
The name of the Trickstuff Maxima brakes gives a good idea of what they’re about, at least on paper: big power, big bling, and a pricetag to match. We’ve started spending time on Trickstuff’s most powerful, gravity-oriented brake to see if they deliver.
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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Win Packs & Radios From BCA
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a Stash Pro 40-UL or Stash 20-S pack and BC Link 2.0 Radio from Backcountry Access!
Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, April 2025 (Ep. 272)
Mike and Simon discuss the sad news about Revel Bikes closing shop, the exciting start to mountain bike World Cup XC racing, Tadej Pogačar’s incredible Spring Classics campaign, Specialized’s polarizing eMTB speed limit decision, some of their favorite new products, and a whole lot more.
Stuff We Like: April 2025
In this month’s edition of Stuff We Like, our reviewers discuss a wide array of gear they’ve been digging, from burly bike stands to shoulder-season layers, ultra-breathable touring kits, mesh duffels, and lots of multifunctional summer apparel for the hot months to come.
Viticulture, Wine Making, & Karaoke w/ Field Recordings’ Andrew Jones (Ep.68)
Andrew Jones has spent decades planting vines for other people — some of the biggest names in California. But then his side project turned into Field Recordings, and that has grown into one of the most talked-about labels in the country. Here, Andrew talks with us about nursery hustle, breaking the rules, and why wine should be fun, not fussy.