BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Our Upcoming Blister Summit: Kristin & Jonathan Discuss Details, Highlights, & What You Need to Know (Ep.295)
Jonathan & Kristin talks discuss the most up-to-date details of the Summit, the things they’re most excited about, and more.
Flash Review: 24/25 Blizzard Anomaly 102
The new Anomaly 102 has big shoes to fill — namely, the Blizzard Bonafide & Cochise’s roles in the brand’s line. Here are our initial on-snow impressions for the new ski.
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Redesigned 24/25 Shift2 Binding Announced
The Shift binding has become one of the most popular “hybrid” touring bindings since its release several years ago, and now it’s getting its first major update. Here are all the details about the new Shift2 binding.
Win Skis from Blizzard
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get their choice of the Sheeva 10 or Rustler 10 from Blizzard!
2023-2024 RMU Apostle 96 Pro
The Apostle 96 Pro takes RMU’s playful all-mountain shape and adds two sheets of metal — a combo we don’t often see. So, how well does the resulting ski blend these seemingly unusual design traits? Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: Apostle 96 Pro
We compare the RMU Apostle 96 Pro to the standard RMU Apostle 96, RMU Apostle 106 Pro, Line Blade Optic 96, Armada Declivity 102 Ti, J Skis Masterblaster, Renoun Endurance 98, Blizzard Rustler 9, Salomon QST 98, Nordica Enforcer 99, Volkl M6 Mantra, Atomic Maverick 95 Ti, K2 Mindbender 99Ti, Fischer Ranger 102, Black Crows Justis, Head Kore 99, Elan Ripstick 106, Faction Dancer 2, Black Crows Camox, Dynastar M-Free 99, Nordica Unleashed 98, Rossignol Blackops 98, Season Kin, K2 Reckoner 102, 4FRNT Switch, Faction Mana 2, Liberty Origin 101, Shaggy’s Ahmeek 95, Shaggy’s Mohawk 98, Season Aero, Line Blade, & K2 Mindbender 96C.
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: Storm Cycles, All-Mountain Skis, 3D-Printed Goggles, & More (Ep.282)
Kara, Luke, Dylan, and Eric discuss some of the powder and all-mountain skis they’ve been testing, plus Dylan’s new favorite ski poles, a standout touring boot, 3D-printed custom goggles, and a bunch of Crashes & Close Calls.
Rónán Dunne on Joining Mondraker Factory Racing (Ep.206)
Rónán Dunne is on a meteoric rise through the World Cup Downhill ranks, and he’ll look to continue that on the newly formed Mondraker Factory Racing team. We sat down with Rónán to chat about leaving Nukeproof for Mondraker, the state of DH racing in general, his goals for 2024 and beyond, and much more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Nordica Steadfast 85 DC
We just got our first day on the widest ski in Nordica’s Steadfast collection. Here are our initial thoughts on the Nordica Steadfast 85 DC and how it slots into the narrower all-mountain and wider piste-oriented categories.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Roval Traverse HD Wheels
We’ve been logging a lot of time on the Traverse HD, the heavier-duty model in Roval’s recently overhauled wheel lineup, which is meant for everything from aggressive Trail riding to bike park use. Check out our full review to find out how they’ve fared.
Tecnica Announces New 24/25 Zero G Tour Boots
Tecnica just announced that they’re updating their longstanding (and already very impressive) Zero G Tour ski boots. So, what’s changed? Here are all the details.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend, Dec ’23 & Jan ’24 (Ep.294)
Cody and Jonathan debate the greatest athletic achievements in outdoor sports in 2023; Caroline Gleich’s run for the U.S. Senate; ski area & ski media business models; mountain town advice, the Most Canadian News; & more.
2023-2024 K2 Mindbender 106C W
K2 calls the recently overhauled Mindbender 106C W the ultimate one ski quiver, for “when you don’t know what the forecast has in store.” So, how does it compare to other wider all-mountain skis, as well as the previous version? Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons.
Deep Dive: K2 Mindbender 106C W
We compare the K2 Mindbender 106C W to the first generation Mindbender 106C, Folsom Cash 106, K2 Mindbender 116C W, Faction Dancer 3X, Salomon QST Stella 106, Armada ARW 106 UL, RMU Valhalla 107, DPS Kaizen 105, Blizzard Sheeva 10, Line Blade Optic 104, Nordica Unleashed 108, Majesty Vadera Ti, Blizzard Sheeva 11, & Coalition Snow Rafiki.
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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2023-2024 Rossignol Juggernaut
The Juggernaut is the stiffest twin in Rossignol’s lineup, but they recently tweaked it to make it more accessible. So just how game-on is the new model, and what sort of riders — freestyle-minded or not — might want to consider it? Check out our Full Review.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Hall of Famer Bill Walton on Life, Bikes, Music, & More (Ep.310)
Last week, we lost one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, and a person with an all-time love of bikes. Today, Jonathan talks about what Bill meant to him personally, and we’re republishing here the conversation he had with Bill back on our Bikes & Big Ideas podcast.
Deep Dive: Devinci E-Troy
We compare the E-Troy to the Orbea Wild, Pivot Shuttle LT, Pivot Shuttle AM, Specialized Turbo Levo, and Rocky Mountain Instinct Powerplay.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2023 Devinci E-Troy
The E-Troy is a mid-travel eMTB with notably aggressive geometry, and the on-trail results are pretty special. Check out the full review to find out what Devinci has cooked up.
Flash Review: 24/25 Kästle MX88 & MX84
We’ve been testing two of Kästle’s redesigned all-mountain skis — here are our initial thoughts on how the new MX88 and MX84 compare to each other and their respective competition.
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 MTB Gear from WTB
The TWO winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a mountain bike accessory package from WTB!
SCOR 6080 Z
SCOR has cooked up a bruiser of an eMTB in the new 6080 Z. With 180 mm of rear travel, a full power Bosch motor and big 750 Wh battery, the new SCOR 6080 Z is a big bike in all respects. Let’s take a look under the hood for all the details on SCOR’s new electrified freeride machine, the 6080 Z.
EXT’s New Storia and Arma V4 Shocks (Ep.224)
EXT is updating their (already impressive) Storia and Arma rear shocks, so we sat down with their founder, Franco Fratton, to hear all about the new dampers; the potential for truly “active” suspension systems in the bike world; tease some upcoming EXT products, and more.
Forge+Bond 30 AM Wheels
Forge+Bond’s original MTB wheel offering, the 30 EM, impressed us with its especially smooth ride feel — but what about its lighter Trail-oriented sibling, the 30 AM? We’ve now spent several months riding it and you can check out our Full Review to see how they stack up.
Gnomes – The Ski Experts
Gnomes is our highly recommended shop in the Christchurch / Canterbury region of New Zealand.
Flash Review: 24/25 Armada Declivity X 102
Armada updated a lot of their directional freeride skis for the 24/25 season, including a favorite of our managing editor, the Declivity 102. Here are his initial thoughts on how the new Declivity X 102 compares.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review — Formula Belva
Update 5/28/2024: We’ve spent a lot more time on the Formula Belva dual-crown Enduro fork, and have been experimenting with its swappable compression valves. Check out how our thoughts on the Belva have evolved.
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 Icelantic Nomad 112
The Nomad 112 is the widest option in Icelantic’s overhauled freeride collection — here are our thoughts on where it slots into the powder-ski class and how it compares to the rest of the Nomad series.
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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