BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Deep Dive: Propain Hugene 3
We compare the Propain Hugene 3 CF to the Propain Hugene 2, Revel Rascal V2, Kona Process 134, Rocky Mountain Instinct, Trek Top Fuel, Transition Smuggler, Pivot Trailcat LT, Chromag Reazon, Canyon Spectral 125, Knolly Fugitive 140, Forbidden Druid, and Norco Optic.
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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Win OpenSnow Premium Weather Forecasting
The three winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a 1-year OpenSnow Premium subscription!
Best Skis of the Century, Part 4 (Ep.368)
What are the Top 10 skis of the century? Top 3? #1 Ski? Today, Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, reveals his very personal picks, plus we share a story from the Blister archives that involves New Zealand farmers and helicopters.
Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide: eMTBs
Our Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide chapters on eMTBs are here, covering everything from quick-handling light-assist Trail bikes to full-power Enduro sleds.
The Future of Rampage & How to Fix It (Ep. 299)
With four helicopter evacuations, the 2025 Red Bull Rampage was one of the most injury-plagued Rampages ever. It’s been weighing heavily on our minds and left us questioning the safety of the event and what should be done.
Travel Coffee Gear, Hand Grinders, & Coffee Roasting with Calibration Coffee Lab’s Alex LeBlanc (Ep.87)
How do you make great coffee on the road? Jonathan talks with Alex LeBlanc of Calibration Coffee Lab about our recent attempts at this. Then, we discuss Alex’s own approach to roasting, and how to achieve things like consistency, versatility, and uniqueness in the process.
Scott Ransom
The Scott Ransom might look more like a hardtail eMTB than a full-suspension Enduro bike at first glance, but its wild hidden shock aesthetic belies surprisingly well-rounded on-trail performance.
Phil Casabon on ‘ORNADA,’ Armada’s New Team Film (Ep.57)
BDog, aka, Phil Casabon, is one of the most creative skiers to ever do it, and today, we talk with him about this banger of a film, ORNADA, the first team film put out by Armada in over a decade. Plus, in this conversation, Phil lays out his Top-5 movies & Top-5 ski films of all time.
WTB Peacekeeper Tires
WTB might not be the first name you think of in tires, but their new Peacekeeper tire presents a very strong case for itself as an especially high-performing XC/Trail tire. Check out our review to find out why we’re excited about WTB’s latest offering.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, October 2025 (Ep.381)
Cody and Jonathan discuss CT’s most recent travel horror story; ski industry cartels?; Jim Morrison’s Everest ski descent; Kilian Jornet’s ‘States of Elevation’; Red Bull Rampage; Balin Miller; the extreme insurance hikes at Timberline Lodge; and what we’re reading & watching.
2025-2026 United Shapes Deep Reach
The United Shapes Deep Reach promises powder performance, but with versatility to keep the good times rolling when the deep stuff goes away. Check out our Full Review to see how we got along with the Deep Reach in a wide range of conditions.
Blizzard-Tecnica: 10 Years of Designing Women-Specific Skis & Boots (Ep.367)
Do “women-specific” skis need to exist? What about ski boots? In our conversation today, Leslie Baker-Brown shares her thoughts after leading Blizzard-Tecnica’s Women2Women program for the past 10 years.
Priority Bicycles on the High-Pivot, Belt-Drive, Gearbox Vanth Enduro Bike (Ep. 298)
The Priority Vanth doesn’t look like much else out there, and the story of its development is similarly unconventional.
Flash Review: Priority Vanth
The Priority Vanth is both striking and very affordable for a high-pivot gearbox Enduro bike, but how does it ride? Here’s what we’ve learned after a month-plus on board.
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.)
Priority Vanth
High-pivot, mixed-wheel, gearbox, belt-drive, and… affordable? The Priority Vanth offers a strong showing when it comes to buzzword bingo, but there are plenty of details to dig into — including how the Vanth rides.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Setting a New Standard: Atomic’s Daron Rahlves, Janelle Yip, & Noah Wallace on Crash Stories & How Companies are Protecting Athletes (Ep.384)
Last year, Atomic became the first company to cover their entire global athlete team with BLISTER+. So how did it go? We get reports from Atomic’s global team manager, Noah Wallace, and Atomic athletes, Daron Rahlves and Janelle Yip. And Janelle shares her gnarly crash story from last season, and what her experience was like as a BLISTER+ member.
Flash Review: Hope Evo TR4 Brakes
Hope’s latest flagship GR4 gravity brakes are rapidly becoming a favorite at Blister. So, what about their Trail-oriented sibling, the TR4? Here’s our early take.
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.)
Flash Review: Norco Sight VLT
Norco’s Sight VLT combines one of the few high-pivot suspension layouts found on an eMTB with arguably the best drive system on the market for a unique take on the full-power eMTB category.
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.)
The Science of Staying Warm: Innovations in Insulation w/ PrimaLoft (Ep.370)
If you’ve worn a puffy jacket in the past 30+ years, there’s a good chance it used PrimaLoft insulation. And they just announced their warmest insulation to date. Today you’ll get all the details from PrimaLoft’s SVP of Innovation & Technology — and learn a lot in general about the stuff that keeps us warm.
Win Outerwear From Stellar Equipment
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get a men’s or women’s Shell Jacket 2.0 and Shell Pants 2.0 from Stellar Equipment!
Best Bikes of the Century, Part 1 (Ep. 301)
What’s the best bike of the 21st century so far? We’re kicking off a debate on that subject with Simon Stewart, David Golay, Dylan Wood, and Xan Marshland offering their takes on the most important bikes from a wide array of manufacturers.
2025-2026 Jones Howler
The Jones Howler is an aggressive board for steep, technical terrain and big backcountry hits, but it’s appeal goes beyond all-out charging. Check out our Full Review for more.
The Whiskey that Set a Land Speed Record: Montgomery Distilling (Ep.89)
Today, Eli talks with owner and land speed record holder, Ryan Montgomery, of Montgomery Distilling to discuss the similarities between aquavit and gin; the labor of love known as kirschwasser; and the world’s first bourbon-based amaro.
Deep Dive: Chromag Reazon
We compare the Chromag Reazon to the Chromag Darco, Chromag Lowdown, Forbidden Druid V2, Knolly Fugitive 140, Propain Hugene 3, Trek Fuel EX Gen 7, Kona Process 153, Reeb Steezl, Transition Sentinel, and Starling Murmur.
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.)
Chromag Reazon
Instead of drooling over aerospace-grade carbon, why can’t we get stoked on bicycle-grade steel? The Chromag Reazon makes one of the most compelling cases for bringing steel into high-end Trail bikes we’ve seen to date.
‘Farming Turns’ w/ Chris Rubens & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.59)
Chris Rubens is a professional skier and a professional farmer. His excellent 25-minute film, ‘Farming Turns,’ will be available on YouTube on Wednesday, and Jonathan talks to Chris about it all — including a great cameo performance from Chris’ longtime friend, Hoji.
10 Quick Things: ‘Movie Premieres, Robots, & Snowboards’ Edition (Ep.383)
Jonathan shares some highlights and updates from the whirlwind of a trip he’s currently on.