BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

Flash Review: 26/27 Salomon S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W
The new S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W promises a lot on paper, but what about on snow? Here are our initial thoughts, including how it compares to Salomon’s S/Pro Race 110.
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2026-2027 Salomon S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W
Salomon’s new alpine boots are quite different from most of the other options on the market. Here are all the details on the new S/Pro Alpha C BOA collection, and the stiffest women’s model, the S/Pro Alpha C BOA 115 W.
2026-2027 Salomon S/Pro Alpha C BOA 130
Today, Salomon revealed their newest collection of alpine ski boots, and they’re far from conventional. Here are all the details on the new S/Pro Alpha C BOA boots as a whole, and the stiffest men’s model, the S/Pro Alpha C BOA 130.

Flash Review: 26/27 Salomon S/Pro Alpha C BOA 130
We’ve had multiple reviewers testing Salomon’s new flagship alpine boot — and A/B testing it against its most direct competitor. Here’s what has stood out so far.
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Flash Review: 25/26 Dynastar M-Free 100
We’ve been spending more time on the updated M-Free 100, including its new, longer 192 cm length. Here’s an update on how things are going so far, including how this ski compares to the wider M-Free 108 and M-Free 112.
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Mountain Town Economics 2.0, w/ Jason Blevins, Part 1 (Ep.390)
Jason Blevins is back to give us the latest on Telluride reopening and the end of the ski patrol strike, and we ask the big questions: what are the responsibilities of the owners of ski areas, and how do we create more stable relationships between ski areas and mountain towns?

Fox Podium Inverted Fork
The Fox Podium is heavy and expensive — but it also delivers truly standout performance in some key ways. Here’s our take on what it does (and doesn’t) do best after a whole lot of time on trail.

2025-2026 Romp Zorro 100
Romp has redesigned a ski that has been a staple of their lineup since Day 1. Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the updated Romp Zorro 100.

Flash Review: 25/26 Romp Zorro 100
Following a few laps on a prototype back at Blister Summit 2025, we now have the production version of Romp’s updated Zorro 100 in for long-term testing, and we’re off to a good start. Here’s what has stood out so far.
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25 Years: The Evolution of The North Face Summit Series w/ Sage Cattabriga-Alosa & TNF’s Head of Innovation, Cory Olson (Ep.377)
The North Face’s iconic Summit Series collection has had a major impact on the outdoor apparel industry, and today, we dive into its backstory, major milestones, and standout pieces with The North Face’s Head of Innovation, as well as TNF athlete, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa.

Deep Dive: Specialized Turbo Levo 4
We compare the Specialized Turbo Levo 4 to the Santa Cruz Vala, Cannondale Moterra, Cannondale Moterra SL, Norco Sight VLT, and Pivot Shuttle AM.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Specialized Turbo Levo 4
Specialized has been a pioneer in eMTB technology, and the latest 4th generation Turbo Levo gets more power, a bigger battery, in-frame storage, and more. But has that evolution created a unduly heavy, complex bike, or is it still at the top of the full-power eMTB category?

Fox Transfer Neo Dropper Post
Fox now has a 225 mm drop version of their Transfer Neo electronically-actuated dropper post. Check out what’s new, and our review of the Transfer Neo.

Reviewing the News w/ Mike Ferrentino & Simon Stewart (Ep.308)
The lads go through some of the new year’s bike news, plus Mike drops his opinion on 32” wheels and tells the story of thinking he was in a Quentin Tarantino film while getting his teeth sorted in “Molar City,” Mexico.

Our Reviewers’ 2025 Craft Obsessions & 2026 Curiosities, Part 2 (Ep. 96)
Jonathan talks with Blister managing editor Luke Koppa, reviewer Paul Forward, and bike editor, David Golay, about the craft categories that captivated them this past year, and what they are most curious about heading into 2026.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

Armada Launches New AntiMatter Freeride Ski Collection
Armada has revealed their newest collection of freeride skis, developed in collaboration with the likes of Max Palm, Anne Hjorleifson, & Todd Ligare. Here are the details on what they’ve come up with.

Flash Review: 26/27 Armada AntiMatter 114
Our managing editor recently got his first deep pow turns of the season aboard Armada’s new AntiMatter 114. Here’s what stood out during his first day with this playful freeride ski.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2025-2026 4FRNT Sinister
Stinius Skjøtskift’s skiing style blends aspects of freestyle, modern freeride, and traditional directional charging — and so does his first promodel ski. Here’s the full story of how the new 4FRNT Sinister came to be.

Flash Review: 25/26 4FRNT Sinister
The 113mm-wide, twin-tipped, metal-laminate Sinister isn’t your typical freeride ski, but it’s shaping up to be an interesting one. Here are our initial impressions.
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Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, December ‘25 & January ‘26 (Ep.391)
Cody & Jonathan discuss the seasons Lyndsey Vonn & Mikaela Shiffrin are having; the return of Bode Miller & Peak Skis; Alex Honnold’s upcoming live free solo on Netflix; whether ski areas fudge their snowfall and conditions reports; & Jonathan makes good on the bet he lost to Cody.

TLD Stage Pro and Speed Pro Knee Pads
Troy Lee Designs updated their Stage Pro and Speed Pro knee pads with D3O’s latest “Diablo” pad material — and they have become new favorites. Here’s why they’re standouts.

Flash Review: 26/27 Atomic Redster Q9.8 Revoshock S & Redster Q7.8 Revoshock C
Jonathan recently spent time A/B/C testing a few of Atomic’s latest carving skis — with the help of Daron Rahlves — over at Deer Valley. Here are his initial impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Win Fully Custom Skis From Wagner
Fully custom skis from Wagner are way too good a giveaway for just one week, so we’re extending it for another one! Enter before January 23rd for your chance to win.

Peak Skis is Back; New Gear Reveals; Current Product Reviews; & Best Snowboard Gear of the Century w/ Powder Hound AK’s Eric Helmbrecht (Ep.378)
Jonathan reacts to the stated return of Peak Skis, then Powder Hound AK’s Eric Helmbrecht joins to discuss several big new product announcements; review some current ski & snowboard gear; and then Eric shares his top 10 list of the most important developments in snowboard gear of the century.

Flash Review: 26/27 Nordica Promachine 3 130
What’s actually new with Nordica’s revised low-volume alpine boot? Here’s what we’ve found so far in our initial testing.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2026-2027 Nordica Promachine 3 130 S
The Promachine series has been a staple in Nordica’s alpine ski boot lineup for many years now. Today, Nordica revealed the latest generation of this low-volume boot collection, and they’re calling it a “ground-up evolution.” Here are the details.

Reviewer Reports: Chain Dampers, Gearboxes, High-Pivots & More (Ep.309)
Is pedal kickback real? How does the efficiency of conventional drivetrains stack up against gearboxes — and how do belt vs. chain drives factor in? How lively and responsive can you really make a high-pivot bike? We’ve got updates on a whole bunch of bikes we’ve been testing, and wade into those questions and more along the way.


