In this video from Blister Summit 2024, Angel Collinson, Mallory Duncan, Elyse Saugstad, & Vasu Sojitra share stories about their all-time favorite days in the mountains; their scariest experiences; times they were the most starstruck; what they wish they could tell their younger selves; and more.
Flash Review: 24/25 K2 Mindbender 116C W
Kara Williard just wrapped up a pow-skiing trip to Alaska, and one of the skis she brought with her was the recently updated Mindbender 116C. Here are her initial on-snow impressions.
Flash Review — Kavenz VHP 16 V7
The Kavenz VHP 16 V6 was a surprisingly versatile, playful high-pivot Enduro bike, but what about the new V7? Check out our early impressions.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, March 2024 (Ep.303)
Cody and JE discuss the end of The Fifty; the Crankworx riders’ strike; JHMR’s parking lot controversy; the drugged-up Olympic Games; the ‘Road House’ remake; & more.
Flash Review: 24/25 Rossignol Sender Free 118
The Rossignol Blackops 118 is one of the all-time favorite skis of several of our reviewers. So, when we heard that Rossignol changed it for the 24/25 season, we couldn't help but hold our collective breath. This week, we finally spent a few pow days on the new model, the Sender Free 118. So, can everybody exhale now, or can Rossignol expect an angry mob at their doorstep? Check out Luke Koppa’s Flash Review to find out.
New Shift2 Binding, QST X Ski, Race Boots, & More | 2025 Salomon Ski Gear
Salomon has a LOT of new products coming for the 2024-2025 season. In this video from Blister Summit 2024, we got the backstory and details on a whole bunch of them, including the new pow-oriented QST X ski; why and how they tweaked the original Shift binding when designing the new Shift2 binding; their brand-new Shift Alpha BOA & S/Pro Race boots; their fully recyclable Brigade INDEX Helmet; several new apparel pieces, and more.
Moment & Icelantic Skis on Ski Design & U.S. Ski Manufacturing (Ep.291)
What’s in and what’s out in ski design? And how have U.S. ski companies been doing over the past few years? We discuss this and much more with Moment Skis CEO, Luke Jacobson, and Icelantic Skis founder, Ben Anderson.
Win a BCA Spring Touring Prize Package
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a late-season spring touring prize package from BCA, including a radio, pack, shovel, and probe!
Georgia Astle on Racing, Freeriding, & Finding Her Way to MTB (Ep.215)
Georgia Astle’s path to freeride stardom was an unconventional one — she didn't bike much growing up, despite living in Whistler — and it’s given her an interesting perspective on the state of the sport, finding and developing talented young riders, and a whole lot more.
2024-2025 Zag Harfang 96 & Harfang 96 Lady
The ZAG Harfang 96 is a very traditional ski in some regards, and less so in others. And for certain folks, this all-mountain ski's rare combo of traits will be a whole lot of fun. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons, where both our male and female reviewers weigh in.
Deep Dive: ZAG Harfang 96 & Harfang 96 Lady
We compare the ZAG Harfang 96 & Harfang 96 Lady to the ZAG Harfang 96, ZAG Slap 104, Dynastar M-Pro 99, Volkl M6 Mantra, Volkl Secret 96, Stöckli Stormrider 95, Salomon Stance 96, Blizzard Anomaly 94, Fischer Ranger 96, Blizzard Black Pearl 97, 4FRNT MSP CC, Nordica Enforcer 99, Nordica Santa Ana 98, Salomon QST 98, Nordica Enforcer 94, J Skis Masterblaster, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Peak 98 by Bode, Atomic Maverick 95 Ti, Nordica Santa Ana 92, Blizzard Rustler 9, Head Kore 93, Blizzard Black Pearl 94, Faction Dancer 2, Black Crows Camox, Nordica Unleashed 98, RMU Apostle 96 Pro, Line Optic 96, K2 Mindbender 96C, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, Renoun Endurance 98, Shaggy's Mohawk 98, & Wagner Summit 97.
Flash Review: 24/25 Nordica Enforcer 104 vs. Enforcer 104 Free
Jonathan Ellsworth just spent a day A/B testing the new Enforcer 104 vs. the original Enforcer 104 Free, Here are his thoughts. And an ill-advised drinking game.
Flash Review: 24/25 Armada ARV 106
Armada is updating several of their popular all-mountain-freestyle skis for the 24/25 season, and we've been spending time on (and really enjoying) the new ARV 106. Check out our initial impressions.
Sex & Ski Boots: Hoji, Matt Manser, & Greg Klein on the Present & Future of Ski Boot Design
At Blister Summit 2024, we got a state of the union on the present and future of ski boot design from 3 people with a wealth of experience in this world: Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson, Matt Manser, and Greg Klein. They cover everything from the reception and performance of BOA boots to Hoji’s new Dynafit Ridge Pro boot; cold feet (literal & metaphorical…), and much more.
Misplaced Guilt? Misplaced Pride? A Different Conversation about Climate Issues (Ep.302)
What should we do to most significantly & quickly improve the current climate situation? Jonathan talks with Amie Engerbretson (Atomic); Dr. Len Necefer (Founder, the Sonoran Avalanche Center); and Jake Black (Protect Our Winters) to address this and a whole lot more.
Flash Review: 24/25 ZAG Mata Ti
The new 90mm-wide Mata Ti isn't a typical all-mountain ski, and as a result, it can be atypically fun in certain scenarios. Here are our initial thoughts on this tight-radius ski.
When a Non-Traditional Ski Company Makes “Traditional” Skis | Moment Commanders
Moment has been making skis in Reno — and in their own way — for over a decade now. So their directional, metal-laminate, and narrow (for Moment) Commander skis came as a bit of a surprise. In this video from Blister Summit 2024, we get all the details about the latest Moment collection from their CEO, Luke Jacobson.
Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre
The Nicolai Nucleon 16 is the first production bike on the market that comes with the Lal Bikes Supre Drive drivetrain, and even without focusing on that, the bike doesn’t look like anything else out there — but how does it ride? We’ve spent a couple of months on the Nucleon and are ready to weigh in.
Deep Dive: Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre
We compare the Nicolai Nucleon 16 to the Trek Slash, Kavenz VHP 16, Contra MC, Forbidden Dreadnought, Chromag Lowdown, YT Capra, Santa Cruz Nomad, Santa Cruz Megatower, Cotic RocketMAX, Orbea Rallon, Yeti SB160, Pivot Firebird, Nicolai G1, and Norco Range.
Reviewer Reports: Taos Ski Valley, Carving Skis, All-Mountain Skis, & Luke’s 3-Day-Old Cheeseburger (Ep.290)
Jonathan, Luke, Kara, & Kristin discuss a number of the carving-oriented and narrower all-mountain skis they were on this week; Luke’s food choices; and Taos’ Chair 2 (West Basin) vs Chair 12 (Kachina Peak).