BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Making Skis in a Ski Town | 2025 Romp Ski Lineup | Blister Summit Video
Few ski companies make their skis as close to the slopes as Romp, and at Blister Summit 2024, we sat down with Romp’s Eligh Purvis to discuss the ins and outs of operating a ski factory in Crested Butte, CO; Romp’s fully custom vs. “Romp Ready” ski options; some new models they rolled out for the 24/25 season, and more.
Flash Review — Schwalbe Albert Tires
Schwalbe says that their new radial casing tires offer a very different feel from more conventional tire constructions, and we’ve started to put those claims to the test. Here are our early impressions.
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Schwalbe Radial Tire Casings + New Albert & Shredda Tires
Schwalbe has added a couple of new tires to their mountain bike lineup, and they debuted a new radial casing construction that they’re making some very big — and very intriguing — claims about. Check out what they’ve come up with.
Kavenz VHP G2
The Kavenz VHP G2 takes their latest VHP V7 design and adapts it to a gearbox application, with broad compatibility across Pinion and Effigear systems. We’ve walked through Kavenz’s latest creation in our First Look.
‘Deeper’ w/ Jeremy Jones & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.25)
Jeremy Jones & Jonathan Ellsworth revisit the 2010 film, Deeper, which Jeremy calls the most important movie of his snowboarding career — which is saying something, coming from a guy who was named snowboarder of the year 10 times, and a guy that’s starred in over 100 films.
Stuff We Like: September 2024
This edition of our ‘Stuff We Like’ series is all about apparel — from ultralight rain shells to versatile baselayers, cozy insulators, bike shorts, and much more. Check it out to learn more about the standout products our reviewers have been testing.
Mountain Gazette’s Mike Rogge on ‘His’ New Ski; Baseball & Skiing; MG Issue #202; & More (Ep.326)
Mountain Gazette owner & editor Mike Rogge is back to talk about good skis and bad gear reviews; put Shohei Ohtani’s accomplishments in skier terms; discuss a growing new development in the outdoor industry; & more.
Flash Review — Ohlins RXF38 m.2 Coil Kit
Ohlins’ Coil Spring Kit is easy to install, doesn’t add too much weight, and, unlike kits for other forks, still allows you to go back to an air spring later. So, what’s it like to ride? We have some initial thoughts in our Flash Review.
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.
If you’re already an active member, please log in.
(If you’re already logged in and a member in good standing and seeing this message in error, please refresh this page in your browser.)
Does the Color of Your Jacket Affect Its Performance? Blister Labs Apparel Testing Update (Ep.315)
For this Blister Labs update, we talk with Dr. Jeni Blacklock about exploding fabrics, microwaving hotdogs, and whether the color of your jacket affects its performance.
Lightest Avalanche Airbags? | Ortovox LiTRIC 2025 Packs | Blister Summit Video
Ortovox’s new line of LiTRIC avalanche airbags includes some of the lightest models on the market, and in this video, we get all the details on their development; how the supercapacitor-based system works; why Ortovox prioritized ease of use in its design; the various pack models, and more.
Win Puffy Jackets From Wild Rye
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get the Payette Jacket or Payette Pullover from Wild Rye!
Reviewer Reports: Lightweight eMTBs, XC Race Bikes, and Slack Head Angles (Ep.241)
Dylan and Simon discuss the bikes they’ve been comparing in our upcoming head-to-head videos, which cover everything from Enduro eMTBs like the Cannondale Moterra SL to XC bikes like the Yeti ASR — which doesn’t have a motor but almost feels like it does.
How HOJI Designs His Skis + New 4FRNT Nevar | Blister Summit Video
Eric ‘Hoji’ Hjorleifson has his own unique skiing style, and his own approach to ski design. So we sat down with Hoji to hear all about it, including how he and 4FRNT developed his current signature series of skis, the brand-new (and cambered!) 4FRNT Nevar, and more.
2025 Devinci Troy & Troy ST
The new Devinci Troy is here, and it has arrived with a new sibling in the Troy ST. Both bikes get all new Canadian-made frames, updated geometry, and ample adjustment — check out our coverage of Devinci’s new pair of Trail bikes.
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!
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Braydon Bringhurst on the Concept, Format, and Goals of the Hard MTB League (Ep. 254)
Mountain bike racing is going through a lot of upheaval at the moment, and Braydon Bringhurst has founded a new racing format to, among other things, lower the barriers of entry to elite-level racing. Hear all about the concept and plan from the man himself.
10 Quick Things: ‘Jet Lag & Lost Passport’ Edition (Ep.338)
Jet lag, losing his passport (and advice for how to replace a lost passport), skiing in Switzerland, updates for THE HUNDRED, pizza reviews, and more — that’s what we’ve got for you in Jonathan Ellsworth’s latest edition of ‘10 Quick Things.’
2024-2025 Faction La Machine 4 Massive
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for one of Faction’s touring powder skis, the La Machine 4 Massive.
2024-2025 Blizzard Black Pearl 88
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the new Blizzard Black Pearl 88.
2025-2026 HEAD Supershape e-Magnum
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the HEAD Supershape e-Magnum.
2024-2025 ON3P Mango 100
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the ON3P Mango 100.
2024-2025 K2 Reckoner KF
Karl Fostvedt and K2 have been working on a ski that suits Karl’s uniquely playful but hard-charging style, and the new Reckoner KF is the result. It’s an uncommon take on a modern all-mountain-freestyle ski, but for certain skiers, it’ll be a ton of fun. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to learn more.
Deep Dive: K2 Reckoner KF
We compare the K2 Reckoner KF to the K2 Reckoner 110, K2 Reckoner 124, K2 Reckoner 112, Moment Wildcat, Line Bacon 115, DPS Koala 111, Armada ARV 112, Icelantic Nomad 112, RMU Apostle 114, Head Oblivion 116, RMU Professor 111, Rossignol Blackops 118, Moment Deathwish, Rossignol Sender Free 110, Meier Leeper, Faction Studio 3, Prior Northwest 116, Black Crows Anima, Blizzard Rustler 11, Volkl Revolt 114, Line Optic 114, & Salomon QST Blank.
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.
If you’re already an active member, please log in.
(If you’re already logged in and a member in good standing and seeing this message in error, please refresh this page in your browser.)
2024-2025 Jones Ultralight Hovercraft 2.0 Splitboard, 160 cm
The Jones Ultralight lineup of splitboards applies high-end construction techniques to some of their proven shapes, and we’ve been spending time on their Ultralight Hovercraft 2.0 Splitboard to see how this pricey construction works in a shape designed for high-speed and technical descents.
2024-2025 Head Crux 93 Pro
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Head Crux 93 Pro touring ski.
2024-2025 DPS Carbon Wailer 100
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the new DPS Carbon Wailer 100.
2024-2025 Atomic Backland 108 W
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the new Atomic Backland 108 W.