BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Candide Thovex Launches New Ski Brand: Candide Skis
The speculation & waiting is over: Candide Thovex has finally unveiled his new ski brand, aptly named Candide Skis. Here’s what we know so far.
Lachlan Morton on the Tour Divide Record, Bears, Payday Bars, & More (Ep.194)
The Tour Divide route covers 2,670 miles from Banff, Alberta to the US-Mexico border near Antelope Wells, New Mexico — Lachlan Morton just completed it in a record-setting 12 days, 12 hours, and 21 minutes. So we sat down with him to hear all about it.
2024 Transition TransAM
Earlier this year, Transition brought back their Smuggler after a lengthy hiatus. Now, they’re reaching even deeper into the vault to bring back the TransAM, their do-everything aggressive hardtail that was last offered back in 2016, but now in a version that feels like a worthy modernization of a classic.
Tectonic Altar V2 Pedals
It’s hard to make a flat-pedal design truly stand out from the vast sea of options out there, but Tectonic has pulled it off with their made-in-Colorado Altar V2, and the on-trail results are quite good, too.
What We’re Wearing, Skiing 23/24: Kara Williard
Next up in our new “What We’re Wearing” series — where our reviewers run us through their head-to-toe kits for resort skiing / riding and touring — is senior editor, bootfitter, and veteran outdoor retail worker, Kara Williard.
Which Skis Would You Bring Back from the Dead?
Here at Blister, we hate to see good gear get discontinued. But what if you could resurrect one of your favorites? That’s what we asked several of our reviewers — what would YOU pick?
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.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
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.
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: 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
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 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
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 — 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
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 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.
RockShox SID and SIDLuxe Flight Attendant
RockShox’s wild electronically-controlled Flight Attendant suspension is now available on the SID family of forks and shocks — and they’ve added a bunch of very interesting new functionality in the process. Check out our First Look for the rundown.
Flash Review: 24/25 Blizzard Anomaly 94
The Anomaly 94 effectively ends the long reign of the Blizzard Bonafide, and we’ve been spending time on the new ski to see how it compares, and where it slots into the current market.
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: 24/25 K2 Reckoner KF
Karl Fostvedt’s new pro model, the 114mm-wide Reckoner KF, is one of the wildest-looking new skis — at least on paper. Check out our initial on-snow impressions of this super-rockered, super-soft ski.
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.)
Zebras, Fashion, & Ski Culture: Hadley Hammer & Kellyn Wilson (Ep.300)
We talk to professional skiers, Hadley Hammer and Kellyn Wilson, about their new project, TOGS, which is dedicated to widening ski culture and making it more acceptable for each of us to be our full selves.
Flash Review: 23/24 Moment Commander 92
Here are some of our thoughts so far on Moment’s directional, metal-laminate, and narrowest ski, the Commander 92 — including how it compares to the Commander 102 and several other ~90mm-wide all-mountain skis.
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.)
Helmet Tech, Head Injuries, & Best Practices for Skiers & Snowboarders (Ep.288)
We discuss current helmet technology, head injuries, and best practices for skiers & snowboarders with Blister reviewer (and physician assistant), Sascha Anastas; Steven Kennedy of Giro; Frederik Kjellberg of MIPS; and pro skier, Drew Petersen.