BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Forbidden Dreadnought V2
We’ve been expecting an updated Forbidden Dreadnought since the Druid V2 broke cover last year, and now it’s here — with more suspension travel, increased adjustability, a new suspension layout, and radical geometry. Check out what Forbidden has cooked up.
Flash Review: 23/24 Folsom TRN TEK
Folsom says their TRN TEK is “the only NEW straight ski on the market,” and our managing editor just spent closing day on this 201cm-long, 69mm-wide ski. Here are his thoughts on the experience, including how much / little he had to adapt to the vintage design, how it compares to modern skis, and more.
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Stuff We Like: March 2024
This edition of our Stuff We Like series includes everything from a whole collection of bike tools to splitboard skins, children’s books, goggles with a heads-up display, portable radios, and more. Here are some of the latest products that our reviewers have been testing and enjoying.
Angel Collinson, Mallory Duncan, Elyse Saugstad, & Vasu Sojitra: Stories from the Field (Ep.304)
Angel Collinson, Mallory Duncan, Elyse Saugstad, & Vasu Sojitra share stories about their all-time favorite days in the mountains; their scariest experiences; times they were the most starstruck; what they wish they could tell their younger selves; and more.
New Tech to Simplify Decision Making in the Backcountry (Ep.292)
After years in the backcountry and a near-death experience, IFMGA Guide, Jeff Banks, wanted to build a tool that could simplify and improve the decision-making of any backcountry user. The result is Aspect Avy. We talk with Jeff about how this app compares to and complements other backcountry tools; how it accounts for human factors; the general state of tech in the backcountry; and more.
RMU Launches New 2025 Ski Collection
RMU has launched their 2024-2025 ski collection, and it includes several brand-new models, updates to existing ones (including some favorites of our reviewers), and more. Here are the details.
Flash Review: 24/25 RMU Apostle 106
The Apostle 106 has been a favorite of a few of our reviewers, and we’ve been skiing the updated version. So, how similar or different is the new ski? 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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2024-2025 RMU Apostle 106 Wood
Here are our measured specs, flex pattern numbers, and rocker profile pictures for the RMU Apostle 106 Wood.
Win MTB Gear from POC
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will both get mountain bike riding gear from POC!
Brook Macdonald on Fresh Starts, DH Race Bike Design, Moving to Forbidden, & More (Ep.216)
Brook Macdonald’s return to racing World Cup DH after breaking his back at Mont Sainte Anne in 2019 was nothing short of remarkable, but the last few race seasons have still been difficult ones for Brook. On this week’s episode of Bikes & Big Ideas, he opens up about a lot of those struggles, and the things he’s changed in order to come into the 2024 season feeling refreshed, reenergized, and with a renewed hunger to compete.
Propain Sresh CF
Propain calls the new Sresh CF a lighter, more Trail-oriented eMTB alongside their burlier Ekano, but it’s got a full-power drive system and options for more Enduro-oriented builds, too. So what have they come up with? Check out our First Look for all the info.
2024-2025 Black Crows Corvus
Black Crows is once again overhauling their original ski, the Corvus, and the new version looks very different from the previous one. Here are our measured specs, flex pattern numbers, rocker profile pictures, & some basic info about the latest Pink Crow.
Reynolds Blacklabel 307 and 309 Enduro and DH Wheels
Reynolds says that their Blacklabel 309 Enduro Pro wheels offer a massive increase in compliance over their predecessors while still being strong enough for DH use. We’ve logged a ton of vert on their flagship Enduro wheels over the past 6 months and are ready to weigh in.
Angel Collinson, Mallory Duncan, Elyse Saugstad, & Vasu Sojitra: Stories from the Field
In this video from Blister Summit 2024, Angel Collinson, Mallory Duncan, Elyse Saugstad, & Vasu Sojitra share stories about their all-time favorite days in the mountains; their scariest experiences; times they were the most starstruck; what they wish they could tell their younger selves; and more.
Flash Review: 24/25 K2 Mindbender 116C W
Kara Williard just wrapped up a pow-skiing trip to Alaska, and one of the skis she brought with her was the recently updated Mindbender 116C. Here are her initial on-snow 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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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Kokopelli Trail FKT: Failure & Redemption w/ Hannah Otto (Ep.232)
Last time we checked in with Hannah Otto, she was fresh off setting the FKT on the Whole Enchilada in Moab, Utah. Her follow-up was to chase the FKT on the Kokopelli Trail, where she had an extremely harrowing first attempt last fall — but, undeterred, she returned in the spring and beat the prior time by well over an hour. So we sat down with Hannah to hear all about it.
Knolly Delirium
After a few years hiatus, the Knolly Delirium is back and burlier than ever. Now fully in the Freeride / Park realm, the new Delirium gets mixed wheels, 190 mm of rear travel, dual crown compatibility, and updated geometry. Check out our First Look for more.
‘Feel It All’ with Drew Petersen & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.18)
We talk with Drew Petersen about his new running film / ski movie / documentary about some topics that are far bigger than skiing, running, and outdoor sports in general.
Flash Review — Knolly Fugitive 140
It had been a long time since we’ve been on anything from Knolly, but we’ve started spending time on the Fugitive 140 — so how does their mid-travel, most versatile bike stack up? 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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2024-2025 Folsom Rotor
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Folsom Rotor ski.
Cars vs. Bikes (Ep.317)
Cyclists injuries and deaths from auto collisions are on the rise, so what’s being done to address this? We talk to the lead engineer of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) at General Motors, who works on bicycle detection technology to help keep cyclists safer on the roads.
Deep Dive: 2024 Norco Optic
We compare the Norco Optic to the Transition Smuggler, Deviate Highlander II, Norco Sight, Canyon Spectral 125, Chromag Darco, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Rocky Mountain Element, Yeti SB135, and Revel Rascal V2.
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 Norco Optic
Norco did a lot to spearhead the recent resurgence of high-pivot bikes, but it still caught a lot of people by surprise when they moved their 125mm-travel Optic to the layout. So how has it panned out? Check out our Full Review for our take.
Specialized Status 2
The Specialized Status 2 presents some big updates over the outgoing one, with new geometry, more adjustments, and new S0 sizing for shorter riders and young guns. Check out our First Look for all the details.
Flash Review: 24/25 Atomic Maverick 105 CTI & Maverick 115 CTI
Update 7.19.24: Luke Koppa adds some of his thoughts on Atomic’s new powder ski, the Maverick 115 CTI.
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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A Novel Twist on Wool w/ Nuyarn CEO, Andy Wynne (Ep.305)
It’s a bold goal to change something that’s remained largely the same for decades (if not centuries), and come up with something truly better. That’s what Nuyarn claims they’ve done with their unique method of spinning wool for technical fabrics, and we got all the details from their CEO, Andy Wynne.
Win Sandals From Tread Labs
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get any pair of Tread Labs sandals!