BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flash Review: 24/25 Armada Declivity X 102
Armada updated a lot of their directional freeride skis for the 24/25 season, including a favorite of our managing editor, the Declivity 102. Here are his initial thoughts on how the new Declivity X 102 compares.
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Flash Review — Formula Belva
Update 5/28/2024: We’ve spent a lot more time on the Formula Belva dual-crown Enduro fork, and have been experimenting with its swappable compression valves. Check out how our thoughts on the Belva have evolved.
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Flash Review: 24/25 Icelantic Nomad 112
The Nomad 112 is the widest option in Icelantic’s overhauled freeride collection — here are our thoughts on where it slots into the powder-ski class and how it compares to the rest of the Nomad series.
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2024-2025 Icelantic Nomad 112
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the new Icelantic Nomad 112.
Author Eric Blehm on Craig Kelly & ‘The Darkest White’ (Ep.309)
Our guest is Eric Blehm, author of The Darkest White, which is a book that every snowboarder and skier should read.
Flash Review — Pivot Shuttle SL
How does one of the original lightweight eMTBs stack up in an increasingly crowded market? Check out our early impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Outdoor Photography: Tips, Tricks, & Gear with Taylor Ahearn (Ep.299)
Taylor Ahearn has been photographing skiing, snowboarding, biking, and day-to-day life in the Gunnison / Crested Butte Valley for many years now, and in this conversation, Luke Koppa chats with him about how he turned that into a career; their favorite camera-related gear; tips to help *you* capture better photos next time you’re outside, and more.
Win MTB Packs from High Above
The TWO winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get High Above’s made-in-Washington Venture hip pack + a water bottle to go with it!
Chromag Lowdown
The Chromag Darco was one of the most interesting bikes we reviewed last year (and one of the most compelling, for the right folks). But what about its bigger sibling, the Lowdown? We’ve spent a ton of time on the longest-travel Chromag and are ready to weigh in.
Deep Dive: Chromag Lowdown
We compare the Chromag Lowdown to the Nicolai G1, Yeti SB160, Rocky Mountain Altitude, Chromag Darco, Pivot Firebird, Santa Cruz Megatower, Orbea Rallon, Norco Range, Contra MC, Trek Slash, Ibis HD6, Nicolai Nucleon 16, RAAW Madonna, Reeb Steezl, Starling Murmur Enduro, and Cotic RocketMAX.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Our 1st Annual Blister Film Awards (Ep.13)
At Blister Summit 2024, we launched our 1st Annual Blister Awards, and today we’re sharing highlights from the event, revealing the winners, and hearing from them, too.
Cane Creek on their “Air-Charged Coil” Tigon Shock (Ep.223)
Air- and coil-sprung rear shocks have been used on mountain bikes for decades, but Cane Creek’s “air-charged coil” Tigon shock is a novel concept. So we sat down with Will Hart from Cane Creek to hear all about it.
Flash Review: 24/25 Rossignol Arcade 88
This spring we got time on one of Rossignol’s brand-new piste-oriented skis — here are our thoughts on the Arcade 88 and where it falls in the frontside class.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review — Michelin Wild Enduro MH & Wild Enduro MS
Michelin’s new Wild Enduro tires look a lot more aggressive than the prior-generation versions that they replaced, but how do they perform on the trail? We’ve started spending time on the Wild Enduro MH and Wild Enduro MS, and are ready to weigh in with some early thoughts.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Housing Solutions & Mountain Town Economics with Troy Russ (Ep.308)
If you love skiing, snowboarding, trail running, or mountain biking, then why the hell do you need to know about things like short-term rentals, zoning codes, and accessory dwelling units? Troy Russ explains.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Chef Mark Connell on Craft & Trust; Tasting Menus; & Olive Oil Candy, Part 2 (Ep.49)
Mark Connell is the executive chef at PARC Aspen, and he’s back to talk about fine dining and the importance of tasting menus; what he learned at Alinea; the difference between striving for consistency vs. striving to be consistently good; and more.
Industry Nine SOLiX M TR300/290 DUO Wheels
Industry Nine’s new SOLiX M TR300/290 DUO wheels have a very long name and a very low weight — but how do they ride, and how have they held up to a summer of riding? Check out our Full Review to find out.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, August 2024 (Ep.322)
Cody and Jonathan discuss summer skiing; the new FIS wildcard rule; some good news & dumb news re: national parks; art exhibits at ski areas; their top-3 mountain towns; & more.
‘Rad’ with Eddie Fiola, Jen Zeuner, & Simon Stewart (Ep.21)
There’s no denying that the film Rad is a cult classic, and we sat down with one of the stunt riders, BMX freestyle legend Eddie Fiola, as well as BMX Hall of Famer Jen Zeuner, to get the backstory on how Eddie got involved, how he got knocked out, the terrifying Helltrack drop-in, wearing Lori Loughlin’s pants, plus a whole lot more.
Shimano GRX Di2 2 x 12-Speed Drivetrain
Shimano’s GRX RX825 group brings Di2 technology to a 2 x 12 Gravel layout. After logging plenty of miles on the new setup, we think RX825 will have a lot of appeal to a broad set of riders. Our Full Review has all of the details.
2024-2025 Northland AM178
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Northland AM178.
Venture Snowboards — and New Venture Skis — w/ Klem Branner (Ep.311)
Venture Snowboards just announced that they will also be making Venture skis. So Jonathan talked with Klem Branner about why skis & why skis now; what’s harder or easier about making skis vs snowboards; and what, exactly, is this new ski of theirs, the Sultan?
Win MTB Shoes From Ride Concepts
The TWO winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get the new Tallac Mid BOA® MTB Shoe from Ride Concepts!
Pivot Shuttle SL
The Pivot Shuttle SL was one of the first light-assist eMTBs. But even after many other brands have added their takes on this hotly contested category, the Shuttle SL remains an excellent option for many reasons.
Deep Dive: Pivot Shuttle SL
We compare the Pivot Shuttle SL to the Trek Fuel EXe, Norco Fluid VLT 130, Santa Cruz Heckler SL, Canyon Neuron:ONfly, and Cannondale Moterra SL.
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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Reviewer Reports: Battle of Unconventional Air Shocks, High-Pivot Trail Bikes, & More (Ep.237)
We check in on a selection of the gear we’ve been testing of late, from the Forbidden Druid V2 to the Trek Slash+, plus a bunch more bikes, some air shocks from smaller brands — and a discussion of bike geometry that might surprise you.
2024-2025 Black Crows Anima Birdie
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Black Crows Anima Birdie.