BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
K2 Announces 24/25 Reckoner & Omen Skis + New Ski Boots
K2 is overhauling nearly all of their freestyle skis for 24/25, from fat pow sticks to competition park & pipe models. They’re also launching several new boots, including two lightweight 140-flex models & a Karl Fostvedt 3-piece pro model. Here are all the details.
Flash Review — 2024 Rocky Mountain Instinct
The new Rocky Mountain Instinct got much, much slacker than the outgoing model, and a lot of other details have changed, too. Check out our early impressions of how that all comes together on the trail.
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Flash Review — 2024 Norco Sight
We’ve been spending time on both of Norco’s new high-pivot bikes. Check out our early impressions of the 150mm-travel Sight.
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Flash Review: 24/25 Atomic Bent 100
Atomic has updated the popular Bent 100 for 24/25, and we just got our first few days on the new ski. Here are our initial thoughts on how it compares the previous version and the wider Bent models.
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Hoji, Cody, Trevor, & Teton: Stories from the Field (Ep.299)
Trevor Kennison, Teton Brown, Cody Townsend, & Hoji swap stories about their experiences in the mountains & more.
2024-2025 Volkl Revolt 114
We were a bit surprised when we first saw the Volkl Revolt 114. It bears the same family name as their very playful, freestyle-oriented models, yet its overall design seems more in line with much more directional freeride options. So, is it some weird mutant of a ski? Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to find out.
Deep Dive: Volkl Revolt 114
We compare the Revolt 114 to the Volkl Revolt 121, Volkl Katana 108, Moment Wildcat, Rossignol Blackops 118, DPS Koala 118, DPS Koala 111, Rossignol Sender Free 110, Dynastar M-Free 118, Rossignol Sender Squad, Meier Leeper, J Skis Friend, Prior Northwest 116, Black Crows Anima, Line Blade Optic 114, Salomon QST Blank, Icelantic Nomad 115, Moment Countach 110, Nordica Unleashed 114, Moment Deathwish, 4FRNT Hoji, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, Head Kore 111, RMU North Shore 114, Head Oblivion 116, Parlor McFellon Pro, Nordica Enforcer 110 Free, & Blizzard Rustler 11.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Jeremy Jones on Gear Reviews; Gear Mistakes; Soft vs. Hard Boots; & More (Ep.287)
Jeremy & Jonathan discuss gear reviews; the biggest gear mistakes; full-camber vs. no-camber boards; soft vs. hard boots (including Shane McConkey’s tinkering on that front); & more.
Win Any Ferreol Ski
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get their choice of any ski from Ferreol’s lineup!
Flash Review: 23/24 Stöckli Montero AR
The Montero AR is Stöckli’s 84mm-wide “All-Mountain Piste” model — here are our initial on-snow impressions.
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Ski & Snowboard Goggle Roundup — 2024
A good pair of goggles can end up being one of the most essential pieces of gear for a fun day on snow. We’ve been testing a *lot* of them lately, and in this roundup, we compare and contrast more than two dozen — from ultra-high-end flagship models to more budget-oriented (but still impressive) alternatives.
Norco on their New High-Pivot Optic and Sight (Ep.211)
Norco has a long history with high-pivot bikes, but the switch to that layout on their new Optic and Sight still came as a surprise. So we sat down with Norco engineer, Colin Ryan, to hear all about the thinking, testing, and development behind the new models.
Revel Rascal V2
Revel’s best-selling and most versatile bike, the Rascal, gets an update today with a new frame, expanded size options, and more. Check out our full review for all the info on the new bike, and our Deep Dive comparisons to learn how it stacks up against a whole lot of all-rounder Trail bikes.
Deep Dive: Revel Rascal V2
We compare the Revel Rascal V2 to the Santa Cruz Hightower, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Transition Smuggler, Trek Fuel EX, Yeti SB140, Orbea Occam LT, Yeti SB135, Canyon Spectral 125, Chromag Darco, and Rocky Mountain Element.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review: 24/25 Blizzard Black Pearl 94
We’ve been spending time on Blizzard’s widest model in their recently updated Black Pearl lineup, the Black Pearl 94 – here are our initial thoughts.
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BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
‘Tour de Pharmacy’ with Jonathan Ellsworth & Simon Stewart (Ep.16)
What outdoor sports film has the most star-studded cast of all time? Probably the 2017 mockumentary, ‘Tour de Pharmacy.’ It’s hilarious, kinda disturbing, completely ludicrous, and very NSFW.
Flash Review: 24/25 Dynastar M-Cross 88
Where does the M-Cross 88 fall in the class of narrower “all-mountain” skis? Here are our initial on-snow impressions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2024-2025 Dynastar M-Cross 88
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, flex pattern numbers, and more info on the widest model in Dynastar’s all-mountain collection, the M-Cross 88.
Adrian Ballinger on Everest, Ethics, & Unexplored Places (Ep.313)
We talk with Adrian Ballinger about the multiple sides of Everest, the many different ways to approach it, the culture of high-altitude mountaineering, and more.
Deep Dive: 2024 Norco Sight
We compare the Norco Sight to the Trek Slash, Kavenz VHP 16, Norco Range, Norco Optic, We Are One Arrival 152, Santa Cruz Bronson, Propain Tyee, Pivot Firebird, Deviate Highlander II, Orbea Rallon, Ibis HD6, and REEB Steezl.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2024 Norco Sight
Norco has been one of the pioneers in the recent resurgence of high-pivot bikes, but their decision to move their mid-travel Sight to the layout still came as a bit of a surprise. But has it paid off? We’ve been spending a lot of time on the updated Sight and are ready to weigh in.
Win MTB Rims From We Are One Composites
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get their choice of any pair of carbon fiber mountain bike rims from We Are One Composites!
The Life of a Ski Engineer + 24/25 LINE & K2 Skis (Ep.302)
Sean Fearon, ski development engineer for LINE & K2, helped design over a dozen of the brand’s new 24/25 skis, and he gave us the full backstory on LINE’s overhauled Pandora and Vision series; the new K2 Reckoner and Omen lines; working with Karl Fostvedt on his unique pro model; what life as a ski engineer actually entails, and more.
Flash Review — EXT Storia V4
Check out our early impressions of the EXT Storia V4 and how it compares to the previous version of the shock.
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EXT Storia & Arma V4
EXT hasn’t been shy about the fact that new V4 iterations of their Storia and Arma rear shocks were on the way, but now they’re here. Check out our First Look for all the info on their new offerings, and our Flash Review for our early impressions of the Storia V4.
Cannondale Habit
In a market full of generalist Trail bikes that strive to do well at a little of everything, the Cannondale Habit occupies a clear niche that is bound to excite the right rider. Check out our Full Review for the whole story, and our Deep Dive comparisons to see how it stacks up to several other Trail bikes.
Deep Dive: Cannondale Habit
We compare the Cannondale Habit to the Pivot Trail 429 Enduro, Niner JET 9 RDO, Yeti SB120, Esker Rowl, Commencal T.E.M.P.O., Trek Fuel EX, and Santa Cruz Hightower.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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