BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles

Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, October 2023 (Ep.284)
Cody and Jonathan discuss the latest FIFTY film, Comstock, and the conflict that lies at the heart of the FIFTY Project; FIS vs POW; a new division of Blister: Blister Cinematic; bigfoot & aliens; the Most Canadian News; and more.

Giray Dadali on the new Daymaker Touring TEKDAPTERS (Ep.269)
A very intriguing — and extremely affordable — new piece of ski-touring gear has just been released, the TEKDAPTERS, so we dive into all the details with designer and pro skier, Giray Dadali.

Win Skis from ZAG
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the Slap 104 from ZAG!

Men’s Mountain Bike Shorts Roundup – 2023
Our latest roundup of baggy MTB shorts has nine new options from ultralight to insulated(!?!) ones across a range of styles.

Enve AM30 Wheels
Enve was one of the first really big players in the carbon-fiber MTB wheel game and built a reputation for high-end, high-priced wheels. But their AM30 wheels are a lot more affordable than you might expect — and ride pretty differently from the Enves of old, too.

Contra Bikes on Making the MC a Reality (Ep.193)
Designing and prototyping a bike is hard work, but bringing one to production adds a whole new set of challenges, and we sat down with Evan Turpen of Contra Bikes to hear all about getting his US-made steel high-pivot Enduro bike, the MC, out into the world.

Cotic Jeht Gen2
The new Cotic Jeht may not look very different from the original, but Cotic’s engineers have by no means been taking it easy — there are lots of subtle tweaks that add up to a compelling-looking end result. Check out our First Look for the rundown on their updated do-it-all Trail bike.

Stuff We Like: October 2023
October’s edition of our Stuff We Like series includes a bunch of great gear, including our bike editor’s current favorite rain shell and high-volume hip pack, as well as some excellent pain-relieving ointment, boat-friendly apparel and packs, and more. Check it out to see all the latest stuff our reviewers have been digging.

Mountain Ops
Based in Stowe, Vermont, Mountain Ops has become well-known for its welcoming atmosphere, excellent customer service, and dedication to human-powered pursuits.

What We’re Wearing, Skiing 23/24: Luke Koppa
Most of our reviews and conversations have the goal of helping you, our audience, figure out what gear might work best for you and your particular preferences, circumstances, etc. However, it can be fun (and sometimes, maybe, even illuminating) to occasionally shrug off the cloak of objectivity and just talk about what we personally use and enjoy. In our new “What We’re Wearing” series, we’re doing just that, having several of our reviewers run us through their head-to-toe kits for this winter. First up, our managing editor and self-diagnosed apparel obsessive, Luke Koppa.

Ski Areas, Sustainability, & Getting Ready for Opening Day with Taos Ski Valley COO, John Kelly (Ep.283)
What goes into getting a ski area ready for opening day? We discuss snow making, maintaining & operating chairlifts, and ski area culture and sustainability with Taos Ski Valley’s chief operations officer, John Kelly.

Boulder Orthotics
Boulder Orthotics is a women-owned, and women-led bootfitting operation. They deliver the full range of bootfitting customization and modifications. With over 25 years of experience, a background in pedorthics, and a passion for getting it right, schedule an appointment to redefine the way your ski boots fit.

Our 23/24 BLISTER Winter Buyer’s Guide Recap (Ep.268)
We brought together several of our reviewers to discuss our latest Winter Buyer’s Guide; give out our unofficial “RIP,” “Good Riddance,” and new “Best Glow-Up” awards; cover what we’re most excited to get on this season, and much more.

Commencal Supreme DH V5
The Commencal Supreme V5 has been one of the most successful World Cup DH race bikes over the last two seasons, and it’s a great option for folks who want a go-fast DH bike — even if you don’t plan on sticking a number plate to it anytime soon.

Win Skis from 4FRNT
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get their choice of 4FRNT’s Raven or Hoji skis, both of which are repeat winners of our “Best Of” award!
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:

2024-2025 Lange Shadow 130 LV & Shadow 130 MV
Lange says their new Shadow boots offer “more power with less effort” via their unique shell design, and after logging more than 100 days in the Shadow 130 LV & MV, our reviewers have a LOT to say about them. Check out what might be our longest, most in-depth boot review for the whole story.

A Very Deep Dive on Bootfitting, Pt. 6: Ski Boot Flex w/ Pulse Boot Labs (Ep.286)
How should you think about ski boot flex patterns, and which one is “right” for you? We talk with Pulse Boot Lab’s Bryn Vickers about the complex and often misunderstood aspects of ski boot flex; why your own biomechanics are a huge piece of the puzzle; how to work with a bootfitter during the process; and some of the latest Pulse Boot Lab technology.

Win Skis From Atomic
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get to choose between Atomic’s new Maverick 105 CTI or Maven 103 CTI!

Women’s Midlayer & Insulation Roundup – 2024
The right insulator can be the difference between a great day and a terrible one, especially when it comes to balancing cold temperatures with high-output activities. In this Midlayer & Insulation Roundup, several of our female reviewers discuss some of their recent favorites.

Ed Masters on Hardline, the 2024 Race Landscape, Pivot’s Prototype DH Bike, & More (Ep.210)
Ed Masters is back on Bikes & Big Ideas to talk about his 2023 season, the upcoming Tasmanian iteration of Hardline, the 2024 race landscape, the state of pro-level Enduro, and a whole lot more.

Flash Review — SRAM Maven Ultimate Brakes
SRAM’s new Maven brakes promise an immense increase in power over their longstanding Codes, and we’ve started spending time with the big new stoppers. 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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2024 Canyon Spectral CF
The 2021 Canyon Spectral CF blurred the line between a do-it-all Trail bike and a burlier Enduro one, but Canyon has now launched a new version, which they claim pushes the bike more squarely into Trail-bike territory. Check out our First Look to see how they’ve done it.

2023-2024 Blizzard Sheeva 11
The Sheeva 11 is the widest women-specific ski in Blizzard’s overhauled freeride series, and we’ve had 2 reviewers testing 2 different lengths. So, how does it compare to the previous iteration and other soft-snow women’s skis on the market? Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive Comparisons.

Deep Dive: Blizzard Sheeva 11
We compare the Sheeva 11 to the first-gen Sheeva 11, Blizzard Sheeva 10, K2 Mindbender 106C W, Folsom Cash 106, K2 Mindbender 116C W, Armada ARV 116 JJ UL, Faction Dancer 3X, Salomon QST Stella 106, RMU Valhalla 107, Nordica Unleashed 108, Majesty Vadera Ti, Line Pandora 110, Coalition Snow Rafiki, & Wagner Summit 106.
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.)

Yeti SB135
Has the ship sailed for 27.5” wheeled mountain bikes? Yeti’s answer is a hard no. Are they on to something? We’ve been spending a lot of time on the SB135 and are ready to weigh in — check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.

Deep Dive — Yeti SB135
We compare the Yeti SB135 to the Yeti SB140 27.5’’, Esker Rowl, Ibis Ripmo V2S, Pivot Shadowcat, Transition Scout, Yeti SB140 29’’, Trek Fuel EX, Transition Smuggler, and SCOR 2030.
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 Atomic Maverick 105 CTi
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the Atomic Maverick 105 CTi.