BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Win Puffy Jackets From Wild Rye
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get the Payette Jacket or Payette Pullover from Wild Rye!
Reviewer Reports: Lightweight eMTBs, XC Race Bikes, and Slack Head Angles (Ep.241)
Dylan and Simon discuss the bikes they’ve been comparing in our upcoming head-to-head videos, which cover everything from Enduro eMTBs like the Cannondale Moterra SL to XC bikes like the Yeti ASR — which doesn’t have a motor but almost feels like it does.
How HOJI Designs His Skis + New 4FRNT Nevar | Blister Summit Video
Eric ‘Hoji’ Hjorleifson has his own unique skiing style, and his own approach to ski design. So we sat down with Hoji to hear all about it, including how he and 4FRNT developed his current signature series of skis, the brand-new (and cambered!) 4FRNT Nevar, and more.
2025 Devinci Troy & Troy ST
The new Devinci Troy is here, and it has arrived with a new sibling in the Troy ST. Both bikes get all new Canadian-made frames, updated geometry, and ample adjustment — check out our coverage of Devinci’s new pair of Trail bikes.
In Praise of Ski Movie Season w/ Drew Petersen (Ep.24)
We’re celebrating the start of Ski Movie Season by talking with Drew Petersen about the impact that ski movie screenings had on him; his all-time favorite ski movies; and the Salomon Quality Ski Time Film Tour that kicks off tonight!
Flash Review — Fox DHX Live Valve Neo
We’ve been logging miles on Fox’s new DHX Live Valve Neo shock, and it’s been an interesting — and very highly customizable — new electronic suspension offering. Our Flash Review covers our early impressions.
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Fox Live Valve Neo Electronic Shocks
Fox’s original Live Valve electronically controlled suspension has been around for quite a while now, but it never became a common sight on the trails. So, Fox went back to the drawing board and came up with Live Valve Neo — a wireless, dramatically streamlined second generation. Check out what they’ve come up with.
Jeremy Jones on His New Sport & New Film, ‘Purple Mountains Live Free or Die’ (Ep.325)
Today we’re catching up with Jeremy Jones to talk about what he’s been up to this summer — including his new sport; his new movie, Purple Mountains Live Free or Die; and, which classic film he & Jonathan will be breaking down on our Blister Cinematic podcast.
Flash Review — Kona Process 134
Kona recently revised their longstanding Trail bike, and it’s shaping up to be an impressive offering. Here are our initial thoughts.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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The Pro’s Gear: Cody Townsend (Ep.314)
Cody Townsend is back on GEAR:30 to talk about his current gear preferences and the specific gear he’s using most these days.
Win Camping Gear From Luno
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the AIR+FOAM PRO Vehicle Mattress and Packable Camp Pillow from Luno!
Alex Showerman on ‘Coming Home’ and Finding One in Women’s Freeride (Ep.240)
Alex Showerman’s new short film ‘Coming Home’ tells the story of her journey to women’s freeride, and explores what a home is — in more than just the literal sense of a place to live. We sat down with her to hear all about it.
Deep Dive: 2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct
We compare the Rocky Mountain Instinct to the Orbea Occam LT, Trek Fuel EX, Transition Smuggler, Revel Rascal V2, SCOR 2030, Norco Optic, Norco Sight, Santa Cruz Hightower 3, Yeti SB135, Spot Mayhem 140, Forbidden Druid V2, REEB Steezl, and Deviate Highlander II.
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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2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct
It’s no big surprise that Rocky Mountain is touting the versatility of their 140mm-travel Trail bike, the Instinct — but what they’ve cooked up is pretty interesting, and it stands out from the do-it-all Trail bike market in some interesting ways. Check out our Full Review and Deep Dive comparisons to discover what sets it apart.
Hugo Harrisson, Ingrid Backstrom, & Mark Abma on the 20th Anniversary of ‘Yearbook’ (Ep.23)
20 years ago, ‘Yearbook,’ one of the most star-studded ski movies of all time, was released. So last week we talked with Matchstick’s Murray Wais and Scott Gaffney about the making of the film, and today, we’re talking with three of the stars of the film, Hugo Harrisson, Ingrid Backstrom, and Mark Abma.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review: 24/25 Volkl Peregrine 80 & Peregrine 82
Update 12.4.24: Luke Koppa and Jonathan Ellsworth have both spent time A/B testing these new piste skis from Volkl, and now, Jonathan adds his own take on how they compare.
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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2024-2025 Black Diamond Helio Carbon 115
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Black Diamond Helio Carbon 115.
Commencal Meta Power SX 400
Commencal’s new Meta Power SX 400 puts the lightweight Bosch SX drive unit in a long-travel Enduro eMTB with a burly build, an aluminum frame, and a compelling price point. Here are all the details.
2024-2025 Black Crows Octo
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the new Black Crows Octo.
‘Surviving Our Story’ w/ Connor Ryan, Ryan McClure, & Isaiah Branch-Boyle (Ep.30)
Jonathan talks with Connor Ryan, Ryan McClure, and Isaiah Branch-Boyle about their powerful new film, Surviving Our Story. It should be required viewing for anyone who backcountry skis, splitboards, snowmobiles — or does any form of backcountry travel on snow.
2024-2025 Armada Reliance 92 Ti
Here are our measured specs, flex pattern numbers, and rocker profile pictures for the new Armada Reliance 92 Ti.
Flash Review — Vorsprung Telum
It’s always noteworthy whenever a brand ventures into a new product category, but that’s just the start of the story with Vorsprung’s first shock, the Telum. We’ve begun testing it, and you can now check out 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.
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2024-2025 La Sportiva Salto
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the La Sportiva Salto skis.
Flash Review: 24/25 Black Crows Octo
Update 12.2.24: Luke Koppa adds his thoughts on the new Black Crows Octo after spending some of his first days of the season aboard it.
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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2-Board Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (24/25)
Following their 3-board quivers, our reviewers chime in with which snowboards and splitboards they’d select for their personal 2-board quivers.
Reviewer Reports + a Shop Talk First (Ep.324)
Luke and Jonathan offer their early-season reviewer reports, then Jonathan talks to Bangtail Bike & Ski’s new owner about why he did something that no other shop in the world has done — but why others might want to.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, November 2024 (Ep.335)
Cody and Jonathan are back to review some of the news of November; rate your takes; offer some mountain town advice; share what we’re reading & watching; and more.