BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
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.
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
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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.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Flash Review: 24/25 Kästle Paragon 101
We’ve had multiple reviewers spending time on Kästle’s new all-mountain / freeride ski, the Paragon 101 — here are their thoughts so far on the ski.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Gearing up for Winter Riding (Ep. 252)
Riding in cold, wet conditions can be a blast if you get your apparel and bike setup right. Our Pacific Northwest-based reviewers sat down to talk about how they do it.
2024-2025 Rossignol Arcade 88
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the new Rossignol Arcade 88.
2024-2025 Icelantic Maiden 108
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the new Icelantic Maiden 108.
Scott Rao on Quality, Q Ratings, & Coffee (Ep.54)
Scott Rao is one of the most influential people in the world of coffee. He’s also the owner of Prodigal Coffee, and in this conversation we dive deep into specific coffee topics, as well as the pursuit of quality in general.
2024-2025 Dynastar M-Pro 92 W
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Dynastar M-Pro 92 W.
Flash Review: 24/25 Dynastar M-Pro 92 W
We’ve been spending time on the M-Pro 92 W, one of the women-specific models in Dynastar’s overhauled directional freeride collection. Check out our initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review — Fox 40 Grip X2
Fox’s longstanding DH fork got a new damper this year, and we’ve started spending time on the new 40 Grip X2. 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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‘Dumb & Dumber’ w/ Cody Townsend & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.31)
In honor of its 30th anniversary, we discuss one of Cody’s all-time favorite movies, and you’ll hear him make the case for Dumb & Dumber being the greatest ski movie ever??
Blister x Carv: Why We’re Partnering for the 24/25 Ski Season
Every year at Blister, we try to raise the bar. See how and why we believe that partnering with Carv this season represents another step forward.
Deep Dive: Spot Mayhem 140
We compare the Spot Mayhem 140 to the Rocky Mountain Instinct, Scor 2030, Yeti SB 135, Revel Rascal V2, and Commencal T.E.M.P.O.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Spot Mayhem 140
Spot does things differently from most bike manufacturers — with notable on-trail results. The Mayhem 140 features the latest iteration of their Living Link suspension system coupled with the stiffest frame they’ve ever built, and it still manages to stand out in a vast sea of 140mm-travel Trail bikes — in ways that are likely to really click for the right folks.