BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Win a BCA Spring Touring Prize Package
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a late-season spring touring prize package from BCA, including a radio, pack, shovel, and probe!
Georgia Astle on Racing, Freeriding, & Finding Her Way to MTB (Ep.215)
Georgia Astle’s path to freeride stardom was an unconventional one — she didn’t bike much growing up, despite living in Whistler — and it’s given her an interesting perspective on the state of the sport, finding and developing talented young riders, and a whole lot more.
2024-2025 Zag Harfang 96 & Harfang 96 Lady
The ZAG Harfang 96 is a very traditional ski in some regards, and less so in others. And for certain folks, this all-mountain ski’s rare combo of traits will be a whole lot of fun. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons, where both our male and female reviewers weigh in.
Deep Dive: ZAG Harfang 96 & Harfang 96 Lady
We compare the ZAG Harfang 96 & Harfang 96 Lady to the ZAG Harfang 96, ZAG Slap 104, Dynastar M-Pro 99, Volkl M6 Mantra, Volkl Secret 96, Stöckli Stormrider 95, Salomon Stance 96, Blizzard Anomaly 94, Fischer Ranger 96, Blizzard Black Pearl 97, 4FRNT MSP CC, Nordica Enforcer 99, Nordica Santa Ana 98, Salomon QST 98, Nordica Enforcer 94, J Skis Masterblaster, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Peak 98 by Bode, Atomic Maverick 95 Ti, Nordica Santa Ana 92, Blizzard Rustler 9, Head Kore 93, Blizzard Black Pearl 94, Faction Dancer 2, Black Crows Camox, Nordica Unleashed 98, RMU Apostle 96 Pro, Line Optic 96, K2 Mindbender 96C, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, Renoun Endurance 98, Shaggy’s Mohawk 98, & Wagner Summit 97.
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Flash Review: 24/25 Nordica Enforcer 104 vs. Enforcer 104 Free
Jonathan Ellsworth just spent a day A/B testing the new Enforcer 104 vs. the original Enforcer 104 Free, Here are his thoughts. And an ill-advised drinking game.
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Flash Review: 24/25 Armada ARV 106
Armada is updating several of their popular all-mountain-freestyle skis for the 24/25 season, and we’ve been spending time on (and really enjoying) the new ARV 106. Check out our initial impressions.
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Sex & Ski Boots: Hoji, Matt Manser, & Greg Klein on the Present & Future of Ski Boot Design
At Blister Summit 2024, we got a state of the union on the present and future of ski boot design from 3 people with a wealth of experience in this world: Eric “Hoji” Hjorleifson, Matt Manser, and Greg Klein. They cover everything from the reception and performance of BOA boots to Hoji’s new Dynafit Ridge Pro boot; cold feet (literal & metaphorical…), and much more.
Misplaced Guilt? Misplaced Pride? A Different Conversation about Climate Issues (Ep.302)
What should we do to most significantly & quickly improve the current climate situation? Jonathan talks with Amie Engerbretson (Atomic); Dr. Len Necefer (Founder, the Sonoran Avalanche Center); and Jake Black (Protect Our Winters) to address this and a whole lot more.
Flash Review: 24/25 ZAG Mata Ti
The new 90mm-wide Mata Ti isn’t a typical all-mountain ski, and as a result, it can be atypically fun in certain scenarios. Here are our initial thoughts on this tight-radius ski.
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When a Non-Traditional Ski Company Makes “Traditional” Skis | Moment Commanders
Moment has been making skis in Reno — and in their own way — for over a decade now. So their directional, metal-laminate, and narrow (for Moment) Commander skis came as a bit of a surprise. In this video from Blister Summit 2024, we get all the details about the latest Moment collection from their CEO, Luke Jacobson.
Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre
The Nicolai Nucleon 16 is the first production bike on the market that comes with the Lal Bikes Supre Drive drivetrain, and even without focusing on that, the bike doesn’t look like anything else out there — but how does it ride? We’ve spent a couple of months on the Nucleon and are ready to weigh in.
Deep Dive: Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre
We compare the Nicolai Nucleon 16 to the Trek Slash, Kavenz VHP 16, Contra MC, Forbidden Dreadnought, Chromag Lowdown, YT Capra, Santa Cruz Nomad, Santa Cruz Megatower, Cotic RocketMAX, Orbea Rallon, Yeti SB160, Pivot Firebird, Nicolai G1, and Norco Range.
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Reviewer Reports: Taos Ski Valley, Carving Skis, All-Mountain Skis, & Luke’s 3-Day-Old Cheeseburger (Ep.290)
Jonathan, Luke, Kara, & Kristin discuss a number of the carving-oriented and narrower all-mountain skis they were on this week; Luke’s food choices; and Taos’ Chair 2 (West Basin) vs Chair 12 (Kachina Peak).
2024-2025 Head Oblivion 102
Part of Head’s recent overhaul of their freestyle lineup, the Oblivion 102 may look like an oversized park ski, but that simple characterization would by no means accurately summarize its uncommon all-mountain ride. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons for the whole story.
Deep Dive: Head Oblivion 102
We compare the Head Oblivion 102 to the Head Oblivion 94, Head Oblivion 116, Head Kore 105, Black Crows Camox, Nordica Unleashed 98, 4FRNT Switch, Majesty Dirty Bear XL, Line Chronic 101, Armada ARV 106, Dynastar M-Free 99, Moment Deathwish 104, Whitedot Altum 104, Atomic Bent 100, Season Kin, K2 Reckoner 102, Faction Mana 2, and Line Blade Optic 104.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Win MTB Apparel From Flylow
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a shirt, a pair of shorts, a pair of gloves, and a pair of socks from Flylow’s men’s or women’s “Trail” line of MTB apparel!
RAAW Madonna V3
RAAW has made a name for themselves by building burly, simple bikes that are easy to live with for the long haul, and we’ve spent the last several months with their updated Madonna V3 to see how that promise is borne out — and how the big Enduro bike rides. Check out our Full Review for the whole story.
2023-2024 Head Oblivion 116
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Head Oblivion 116.
Deep Dive: RAAW Madonna V3
We compare the RAAW Madonna to the Chromag Lowdown, Kavenz VHP 16, Rocky Mountain Altitude, Orbea Rallon, Norco Sight, Nicolai Nucleon 16, Santa Cruz Nomad, Santa Cruz Megatower, Trek Slash, Ibis HD6, Yeti SB160, Pivot Firebird, Yeti SB165, and Marin Alpine Trail.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review — 2025 Trek Top Fuel
The new Trek Top Fuel aims to compete with a crowded class of light, efficient shorter-travel Trail bikes including the Specialized Epic Evo, Rocky Mountain Element, and Santa Cruz Tallboy. Check out our early impressions of how the Top Fuel stacks up.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Geometron Bikes on the Design & Development of the New G1 (Ep.230)
Geometron arguably did more than any other bike brand to kick off the geometry revolution of the late 2010s, but they haven’t been content to rest on those laurels. The latest version of their G1 Enduro bike features a host of interesting — and maybe surprising — updates, so we sat down with them to hear all about it.
Kona Process 153 & 134
Now back under the ownership of its original founders, Kona is dropping new versions of its Process 153 and Process 134. Check out our First Look for more on these all-new frames, which feature mixed wheel compatibility and myriad other refinements.
The Vinyl Revival, Records, & Turntables w/ Michael Fremer (Ep.46)
Vinyl expert Michael Fremer joins Simon in a conversation about why listening to music on records is better — and everything you need to know to get into it. Consider it an education in vinyl.
SCOR 2030
SCOR has cooked up something really special with their short-travel Trail bike, the 2030. Check out our Full Review to see how they’ve done it — and whether it’d be a good fit for you.
Deep Dive: SCOR 2030
We compare the SCOR 2030 to the Commencal T.E.M.P.O, Yeti SB135, Revel Rascal, Yeti ASR, and Santa Cruz Hightower.
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Flash Review — Cannondale Scalpel
Riding season is in full swing, and we’ve been spending some time aboard the latest version of the Cannondale Scalpel. 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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![When the world’s elite athletes compete later this month at the Olympic Games in Paris, who treats them? And when injuries happen, how are decisions made about whether the athlete can continue to compete? For answers, we talk to Dr. Gloria Beim, the Head Team Physician at the Olympic Games for Team USA. [Blister Podcast]](https://blisterreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/glo-rings-640x422.jpg)
The Team Behind the Team: USA Olympic Head Team Physician, Dr. Gloria Beim (Ep.315)
When the world’s elite athletes compete later this month at the Olympic Games in Paris, who treats them? And when injuries happen, how are decisions made about whether the athlete can continue to compete? For answers, we talk to Dr. Gloria Beim, the Head Team Physician at the Olympic Games for Team USA.