BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
MTB Pant Roundup — 2024
We’ve been testing a whole bunch of MTB pants from ultra-lightweight summer options to fully waterproof winter options. Check out our latest roundup to get the rundown.
2-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (24/25)
Wrapping up our reviewers’ 2-ski quiver selections, Jonathan Ellsworth and Paul Forward add their picks. Check it out to see which skis our various reviewers have chosen this year, and let us know how you would go about assembling your own 2-ski quiver!
Yu Sasaki on Big-Mountain Skiing, Deep-Powder Skiing, & Running a Successful Food Truck (Ep.52)
We talk with professional skier, Yu Sasaki, about deep powder skiing; what it takes to start — and maintain — a successful food truck; his beautiful short film, Home From Home; moving from Hokkaido, Japan, to Revelstoke; and more.
Deep Dive: Cannondale Scalpel
We compare the Cannondale Scalpel to the Yeti ASR, Commencal T.E.M.P.O, Revel Ranger, Yeti SB120, Niner JET 9 RDO, Pivot Trail 429, SCOR 2030, Specialized Epic Evo, and Trek Top Fuel.
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Cannondale Scalpel
Has Cannondale changed the recipe for one of the most iconic XC race bikes of all time by adding a dash of versatility, or is the new Scalpel just as focused on winning races as ever? Check out our Full Review for our take.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, October 2024 (Ep.331)
Cody and Jonathan are back to review some of the outdoor-related news of October; introduce a new Reviewing the News segment (Rate My Take); and more.
Project321 G3 Hubs
It’s hard to do anything that novel or exciting when it comes to hub design, but Project321’s G3 hubs have a couple of unique features that really stand out — and have real performance benefits.
Powder Ski Comparisons: Old vs New vs What Should Be Next? (Ep.320)
The snow’s been falling, and we’re already fantasizing about those really deep days. So today, Paul Forward and Jonathan Ellsworth make the case for wide pow skis, then they talk about a bunch of current pow skis, old pow skis, and some design specifics they think are good ideas.
EXTENDED: Win Antti Ollila’s Ski & Boot Setup
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will win the Prodigy 3 ski from Faction and the fs 01 120 boot from phaenom Footwear, the go-to setup of Finnish freestyle skier Antti Ollila!
3-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (24/25)
Rounding out Part Three of our reviewers 3-ski quiver picks, we hear from Kristin Sinnott and Jonathan Ellsworth — check out their selections and let us know what your ideal 3-ski quiver would look like!
‘Inner Boots’ vs. Liners in Ski Boots | ZipFit 2025 Lineup Video
Several of our reviewers have used a single pair of ZipFit “inner boots” for hundreds of days, as have many pro and everyday skiers around the world. But how exactly do they accomplish that, and what makes them different from a regular boot liner? In this video from Blister Summit 2024, we get answers from ZipFit’s Jeff Colt.
Deep Dive: Knolly Fugitive 140
We compare the Knolly Fugitive 140 to the Santa Cruz Hightower 3, Trek Fuel EX, Revel Rascal V2, Santa Cruz Bronson, REEB Steezl, Rocky Mountain Instinct, Transition Smuggler, Norco Optic, Deviate Highlander II, Forbidden Druid V2, Norco Sight, Yeti SB140, Banshee Phantom V3, and Propain Hugene.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Knolly Fugitive 140
We’ve had a couple of reviewers riding Knolly’s updated Fugitive 140, and it stands out from the mid-travel Trail bike market in a few interesting ways — not an easy task in that typically “jack of all trades, master of none” category. Here’s our Full Review.
Casey Brown on the Inaugural Women’s Red Bull Rampage (Ep.246)
Red Bull Rampage finally, belatedly, included a women’s category this year — and it was outstanding. Casey Brown arguably did more than anyone else to get her foot in the door, and to smash it down for others to follow, so we sat down with her to hear all about it. Don’t miss this one.
Stuff We Like: October 2024
This edition of Stuff We Like includes some excellent camera-friendly outdoor gear, several shoulder-season layering pieces, two of our bike editors’ favorite grips, and more. Check it out to see all the latest gear our reviewers have been digging.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
2024-2025 ON3P Jeffrey 108
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the ON3P Jeffrey 108.
2025 Gnu Hyper, 160 cm
The Gnu Hyper has roots in freestyle while promising all mountain versatility in varied conditions. We’ve spent a good deal of time getting acquainted with the Hyper, and it seems quite appealing for a broad category of riders. Check out our Full Review for the details.
Deep Dive: Marin Alpine Trail XR
We compare the Marin Alpine Trail to the original Alpine Trail, Yeti SB165, Santa Cruz Nomad, Propain Tyee, Privateer 161 V2, RAAW Madonna V3, Chromag Lowdown, Orbea Rallon, Yeti SB160, Ibis HD6, Kavenz VHP 16, and Banshee Titan.
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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Marin Alpine Trail XR
The refreshed Marin Alpine Trail XR still brings excellent value but feels like a much more modern and well-rounded take on a modern Enduro bike than the old one. Our Full Review explains why it’s a standout.
Our Reviewers’ 2024 Craft Obsessions & 2025 Curiosities (Ep.55)
Today, we are sharing the craft categories that most captivated some of our Blister reviewers in 2024, and revealing some of the categories they are most curious about heading into 2025.
5 New Films: ‘Circle of Madness’; ‘Grown’; ‘White Gold’; ‘Blue Hour’; & ‘Variable’ w/ Mike Rogge & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.33)
Mike and Jonathan talk about the state of snowsports films today, and make the case for 5 new films from 2024 that deserve your attention. So check out these films, let us know what you think of them, and let us know what else you think were some of the standout films of 2024.
2024-2025 HEAD Supershape e-Titan
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the updated HEAD Supershape e-Titan.
Flash Review — EXT Arma V4
We’ve been quite impressed with the EXT Storia V4 shock — so what about its bigger sibling, the Arma? Check out our thoughts so far.
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: 24/25 Nordica Enforcer 94
Jonathan shares his initial thoughts on the latest version of the Enforcer 94, how it compares to prior iterations, and where it feels most at home vs. the wider Enforcers.
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 Nordica Enforcer 94
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the updated Nordica Enforcer 94.
Our Reviewers’ 2024 Highlights & 2025 Resolutions (Ep.339)
For our final Blister Podcast of 2024, we are once again sharing some of the highs, the lows, and the lessons learned by our team this past year, and revealing some of our reviewers’ plans and resolutions for 2025.
2024-2025 Coalition Snow Lil’ Honey Yum Yum Baby Cakes Nasty Snack
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Coalition Snow Lil’ Honey Yum Yum Baby Cakes Nasty Snack (aka, the ‘Lil’ Nasty’).