BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
The Blister Speaker Series at Western
NEXT GUEST: On Tuesday, December 5th, Courtney Dauwalter, Salomon athlete and one of the greatest ultrarunners of all time, is coming to Western Colorado University for another installment of our Blister Speaker Series.
Blister’s Holiday Gift Guide 2023 – Stocking Stuffers
‘Tis the season for giving, and our reviewers are here to help. We are kicking off our annual Holiday Gift Guides with some top stocking stuffer ideas for the bikers, skiers, snowboarders, campers, hikers, travelers, and just about any other type of person on your list.
‘Apocalypse Snow’ with Mike Rogge, Justin Bobb, & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.3)
We discuss the craziest and probably the greatest snowboard / ski / monoski / snowblade film of all time. The film was seen by millions of people when it came out, and nearly 40 years later, it still feels wildly innovative and fresh.
Flash Review — SCOR 2030
With their short-travel 2030, SCOR claims that “shredability meets pedalability.” Testing that claim has been our focus during our time with it so far — check out our initial impressions.
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Flash Review: 23/24 K2 Mindbender 90C
Here are some of our initial impressions after skiing the updated K2 Mindbender 90C, both on groomers and off piste.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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3-Board Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (23/24)
Over the past weeks, we’ve been rolling out our reviewers’ picks for their personal ski quivers, and now it’s time for our snowboard reviewers to chime in — starting with their ideal 3-snowboard quivers.
Last Season’s Historic Snowfall, El Nino / La Nina Predictions, & More with OpenSnow’s Bryan Allegretto and Evan Thayer (Ep.288)
Today we are talking about weather forecasting — and finding your people in this dark, cold, and sometimes lonely universe — with two of the weather forecasters from OpenSnow, Bryan Allegretto and Evan Thayer. We discuss last season’s historic winter; how much stock you ought to put into the whole ‘El Nino or la Nina thing’; whether the stated snowfall amounts at various ski areas are fake news; all the ingredients that go into the creation of snowfall; and more.
Line Launches Limited-Edition Bacon 122 Ski
Line recently overhauled their Bacon collection for the 23/24 season, but now there’s already another member of the Bacon family — check out the limited-edition Bacon 122.
2-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (23/24)
In the penultimate feature of our annual ski-quiver series, we ask our reviewers which 2 skis they’d pick for all the skiing they do, as well as how those picks would change if they didn’t do any backcountry touring, and what their 2-ski quiver would look like for any location in the world. In Part 3 of their selections, we hear from Paul Forward and Jonathan Ellsworth.
Biggest Ski Buying Mistakes + Ski Tuning, Ski Wax, & Ski Boots (Ep.273)
What are some of the biggest mistakes skiers make when buying gear? And what do regular, recreational skiers & snowboarders need to know about ski tuning and waxing? Jonathan discusses these questions and more with Logan and Riley Boone of Boone Mountain Sports. They also talk about how they all met (it was in Austria), and Jonathan reveals the upcoming ‘Blister 90-Flex Challenge’.
Win Outerwear from Strafe
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get either the Women’s Scarlett Bib or Men’s Nomad Bib from Strafe!
Katy Winton on Burnout, Recovery, & Returning to Racing (Ep.197)
Katy Winton has had a challenging last couple of years, from a protracted concussion recovery to having to put together her own privateer program at the last minute to even race in 2021. And then two races into the 2022 EWS season, she was so severely burned out that she pulled out of the rest of the season to recover. Now, she’s ready to tell the whole story, so we brought her back on Bikes & Big Ideas to share it.
Flash Review: Luke’s Opening Day Gear: 23/24 Rossignol Forza, Lange Shadow, Rab Vapour-Rise, & Anon Goggles
We’re back on snow! And in this special opening-day Flash Review, Luke Koppa shares some thoughts on the Rossignol Forza 70D V-Ti, Lange Shadow 130 LV, Rab Vapour-Rise Summit Jacket, & Anon M5 goggle.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Amateur Hour: Paul Forward on Arrows (Ep.37)
Last year we talked with Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, about the art, ethics, and craftsmanship of traditional bows (episode #8). And today, we’re talking about arrows.
Phaenom Footwear Announces Limited Drop of New Ski Boots
phaenom footwear, the newest and most nebulous ski boot company to hit the market, has announced a limited drop of their first collection of ski boots. Here are the details.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
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.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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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.
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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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
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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Flash Review: 24/25 DPS Wailer 100
DPS is reinstating and revising their Wailer series for the 24/25 season, and we’ve been spending time on the Wailer 100 – check out our initial 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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Win Any Armada Ski
This week, the winner of our Gear Giveaway will get their choice of any Armada ski!
Pooping in Buckets? Skiers & Snowboarders on Climate Issues, Individual Behavior, & Collective Action
As skiers, snowboarders, and general users of the outdoors, the changing climate is an issue at the forefront of many of our minds. So, should we all be pooping in buckets? Or what should we do to most significantly and quickly improve the current situation? In this panel session from Blister Summit 2024, Jonathan Ellsworth hosts a conversation with Amie Engerbretson, Dr. Len Necefer, & Jake Black to address this and a whole lot more.