BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
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.
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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.
Santa Cruz Hightower 4
The Hightower is still Santa Cruz’s do-everything 29er, but the latest version gets more travel and slacker geometry for improved descending prowess. But the updates don’t stop there — check out our First Look to learn more.
Nikolai Schirmer on Skiing & Surfing; the Most Norwegian News; Movies; & More (Ep.324)
Our guest today is Nikolai Schirmer, and we’re discussing skiing & surfing; skiing in Norway and the Most Norwegian News; movies — including how easy / hard it is for certain outdoor sports to translate on film; & more.
OneUp V3 Dropper Post
OneUp’s longstanding V2 dropper post might be the most widely used one out there — so have they managed to improve things with the V3 iteration, or messed up a great product? We’ve been riding the V3 for the better part of a year and are ready to weigh in.
Flash Review — Ibis Ripmo
We’ve been spending time aboard Ibis’ Ripmo, which is proving to be an exceptionally versatile Trail/Enduro bike. Check out 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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A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt.7: The Pedorthist’s Perspective (Ep.313)
A Pedorthist is someone who is trained in the assessment of lower limb anatomy, biomechanics, and, of course – feet. Heather Van Gilder is both a Pedorthist and an experienced ski bootfitter who runs the women-owned and operated bootfitting operation, Boulder Orthotics, and we get her perspective on ski bootfitting, custom insoles, and much more.
Win MTB Rims From We Are One Composites
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get their choice of any pair of carbon fiber mountain bike rims from We Are One Composites!
Maxxis on the New High Roller, Tire R&D, & More (Ep.239)
We sat down with Maxxis’ Aaron Chamberlain to discuss their new High Roller tire; how Maxxis designs, develops, and tests mountain bike tires; why its lineup is so expansive, and a whole lot more.
Canyon Spectral:ONfly
The Spectral:ONfly is the newest addition to Canyon’s Spectral family, this time with a lightweight TQ HPR50 drive system. Walk through Canyon’s new Lightweight eMTB with us in our First Look.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review: 24/25 Head Supershape e-Rally
We’ve been spending time on the new Head Supershape e-Rally, and directly comparing it to the outgoing version. Check out our initial thoughts.
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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Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino, November 2024 (Ep.251)
Simon welcomes Mike Ferrentino back into the studio and they discuss the seemingly limitless discounts across the bike industry; the history of bike multitools; bike theft and how to protect your bikes; old trucks; and a whole lot more.
2024-2025 Dynastar M-Pro 94 Ti
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Dynastar M-Pro 94 Ti.
Viking Ski Shop
Viking has been a stronghold and a big part of the outdoor community in the Chicago area and beyond for over 50 years. While the industry has changed and evolved, Viking’s dedication to offering the best products, services, and prices in the greater Chicago area has remained the same.
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.
If you’re already an active member, please log in.
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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.