BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Flash Review — TRP EVO12 Drivetrain
SRAM and Shimano have had a stranglehold on the high-end mountain bike drivetrain market for decades now, but TRP is trying to break in — and we’ve started spending time on their new EVO12 drivetrain. Check out our early impressions.
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Deep Dives with Angel, November 2023 (Ep.286)
Angel Collinson and Jonathan discuss a subject that we don’t talk much about in the outdoor community, and yet, it’s an experience that every single one of us will deal with at some point in our lives: grief
4-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (23/24)
We started our annual ski-quiver series with giant 5-ski quivers, but now it’s time to trim things down — but just a bit. Seven of our reviewers have now chimed in with their picks, including the latest update from Jonathan Ellsworth.
5-Ski Quivers: Reviewers’ Selections (23/24)
With ski season kicking off soon (or already) in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s once again time to think about ski quivers. We’re starting by asking our reviewers what they’d pick if they were putting together a 5-ski quiver — you can now see what our founder, Jonathan Ellsworth, would pick.
Parlor Custom Skis: Building Skis in Boston, Custom vs. Semi-Custom Skis, & the Age-Old Question of Ski Width for East-Coast Skiing (Ep.271)
Jonathan was at the Parlor Custom Skis factory in East Boston to check out the factory and talk with Parlor owner & manager, Mark Wallace, about building custom skis in Boston; assessing skiers (and skiers assessing themselves); custom vs. semi-custom skis; and more.
Flash Review — Devinci E-Troy
The Devinci E-Troy has pretty radical geometry for a mid-travel eMTB, and we’ve started spending time on it. 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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Win Skis or a Snowboard from Weston
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get their choice of a pair of skis or a snowboard from Weston!
Daymaker TEKDAPTERS Ski Touring Adapters | First Look Video
Daymaker Touring’s TEKDAPTERS are the latest ski-touring solution to hit the market, and they’re one of the most affordable ways to get into the backcountry. In this video, we go over how they work, who they’re for, how they compare to Daymaker Classic adapters, and more.
Neko Mulally on Selling the Frameworks DH Bike, Signing Asa Vermette, and More (Ep.195)
Neko Mulally’s Frameworks DH bike is now available for pre-order, and we sat down with Neko to chat about its development, the production version of the bike, his experimentation with different frame materials, and much more.
2024 Canyon Lux Trail
There’s a ton of diversity in the shorter-travel Trail bike world these days, and maybe no brand singlehandedly demonstrates that better than Canyon. Their Lux Trail, Neuron, and Spectral 125 all share similar-ish travel numbers but have very, very different geometries and intended uses. Now, Canyon’s giving the most XC-oriented bike of the bunch, the Lux Trail, a big update.
2024 Santa Cruz V10
Santa Cruz hasn’t tried to hide that they’ve been working on a new version of their V10 DH bike, and now it’s here. Meet the eighth generation of one of the most successful DH race bikes of all time.
Flash Review: 23/24 Scarpa Maestrale RS
Update 11.6.23: We’re skiing again! Check out Dylan Wood’s thoughts after he got his chance to try the updated Scarpa Maestrale RS.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Blister Speaker Series: Trevor Kennison & Level 1 director, Josh Berman (Ep.285)
Trevor Kennison & Level 1 founder, Josh Berman, came to Western Colorado University for our Blister Speaker Series for a follow-up conversation about their new film, Full Circle. We discussed what life’s been like for both of them since the film premiered; we take questions from the audience; and Trevor answers the big question: is he glad his injury happened?
Win Outerwear from Flylow
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will each get a bib + jacket outerwear kit from Flylow!
Jeremy Jones & Xavier Nidecker on Re-Up Tech: What it Is & Why it Matters (Ep.270)
We talk to Jeremy Jones and Xavier Nidecker about Jones’ new Re-Up Tech — what it is, how it works, and what it could mean for the greater ski & snowboard industry. We also discuss FIS and POW, and which board Jonathan ought to start on.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Standout Backcountry Gear: Past, Present, & Future (Ep.289)
We talk with Trygve Sande, one of the founders of VPG (our Blister Recommended Shop in Oppdal, Norway), about all-time pivotal pieces of backcountry gear; products that help break down the barriers to entry; skiing in Norway; and last but not least, Trygve’s involvement and collaboration with Hoji and 4FRNT’s new concept ski.
Win Ski Boots from La Sportiva
The winner of this week’s Gear Giveaway will get the Skorpius CR II ski touring boot from La Sportiva!
2025 DPS Skis | Wailers, Pagoda Tour CFL, Koalas, & More | Blister Summit Video
The folks at DPS Skis have been busy. For the 2024-2025 season, they’ve launched a whole new Wailer ski collection; created their next-generation Pagoda Tour CFL series; are now making *all* of their skis in their own Utah factory, with the on-shoring of the Koala skis; continued to expand their Revive program to let customers trade in and purchase used DPS skis; and that’s not even an extensive list. In this video, we sat down with them to get all the details.
Flash Review: 24/25 Majesty Havoc 100 Ti
We’ve been spending time on the Majesty Havoc 100 Ti. Check out our initial on-snow impressions on this directional, all-mountain ski.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Sarah Sturm on Her Unconventional Path to Gravel-Racing Stardom (Ep.213)
Sarah Sturm’s path to gravel-racing stardom was unconventional, and her telling of the story is highly entertaining. So we sat down with Sarah to hear all about it, and chat about taking on new challenges; failure; peeing one’s pants(?); the state and health of gravel racing; and much more.
2023-2024 RMU Valhalla 107
RMU says their women-specific Valhalla 107 is “a skier’s dream once you enter fresh snow,” but at a narrower width than most powder-specific models, can the Valhalla 107 really compete when things get deep? And what about its all-mountain versatility? Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons for our take.
Deep Dive: RMU Valhalla 107
Check out our Deep Dive comparisons of the RMU Valhalla 107 to see how it compares to the Blizzard Sheeva 10, Wagner Summit 106, K2 Mindbender 106C W, Armada ARW 106 UL, Folsom Cash 106, Line Pandora 110, Faction Dancer 3X, Line Pandora 104, Salomon QST Stella 106, Nordica Unleashed 108, Folsom Completo 100, K2 Mindbender 116C W, Blizzard Sheeva 11, Armada ARV 116 JJ UL, Coalition Snow Rafiki, & Majesty Vadera Ti.
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 107
DPS is bringing the Wailer name back to their lineup for the 24/25 season — here are our initial thoughts on the widest ski in the new collection, the Wailer 107.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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2024-2025 DPS Carbon Wailer 107
Here are our measured specs, rocker profile pictures, and flex pattern numbers for the new DPS Carbon Wailer 107.
Flash Review: 23/24 J Skis Allplay
J Skis recently redesigned their best-selling ski, the Allplay, and we’ve been spending some time on it this season. Check out our initial impresssions.
Blister’s Flash Reviews and Deep Dives are accessible to those who purchase one of our paid subscriptions
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Flash Review — 2024 Specialized Epic EVO
Specialized’s new Epic 8 EVO offers an intriguing blend of XC race geometry and surprisingly beefy parts, and we’ve started spending time on it. 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 Specialized Epic and Epic EVO
Specialized’s new Epic 8 and Epic 8 EVO come with a whole host of suspension, geometry, and frame construction updates, but also signal how the changing nature of Cross Country racing is demanding more capable bikes. Check out our First Look for more on what Specialized has cooked up.