BLISTER Gear Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles
Paradigm Winery’s Marilyn Harris on Napa Valley & the Making of a Modern Wine Mecca (Ep.30)
Today, Napa Valley is home to some of the most respected wineries and coveted wines being produced, but not too long ago, it was a sleepy farm community. So in this conversation, Jonathan talks with Marilyn Harris, owner of Paradigm Winery, about how Napa … became Napa.
Skiing “and”
In our latest Open Mic piece, Hadley Hammer offers a very poetic yet very concrete look at what skiing means to her (and what it means to you, too).
Western States Weekend Recap; Courtney Dauwalter’s Course Record Clinic; & Golden Hour Greatness (Ep.178)
The 50th running of the Western States 100 took place over the weekend, so Matt Mitchell and Matt Seidel break down the results; talk about their experiences bouncing around the course all day; shoutout some noteworthy performances; and much more.
Flash Review: 23/24 Hyperlite Headwall 55
We’ve had several reviewers testing Cody Townsend’s signature backpack — here are some of our thoughts on the ultralight, Dyneema-covered Headwall 55.
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Reserve 30|SL & 30|HD AL Wheels
Reserve deserves a good chunk of the credit for making lifetime warranties the industry standard for carbon wheels, and now Reserve is offering the same on their first aluminum ones. But how do the new 30|HD AL wheels ride, and just how crucial is that warranty? We’ve put a lot of miles and abuse into a pair — time to weigh in.
Reviewing the News w/ Cody Townsend (June 2023) (Ep.266)
Cody and Jonathan discuss beaming solar energy from space; cupcake crimes; cultural appreciation vs. appropriation; the FKT (fastest known time) culture; an important Public Lands Rule proposal; mountain town advice; and what they’ve been reading & watching.
Rethinking Apparel: WNDR Alpine & Beyond Surface Technologies (Ep.251)
Odds are that just about every piece of clothing you own has been applied with some sort of surface treatment, and those (typically petroleum-based) treatments contribute to a significant portion of the apparel industry’s already massive carbon footprint. With their recent collaboration, Beyond Surface Technologies and WNDR Alpine are changing that.
Win Jorts from Ripton & Co
The two winners of our Gear Giveaway this week will get the men’s or women’s Smoke Jort or Diesel Jort from Ripton & Co!
Commencal Meta V5
Commencal’s new Meta V5 gets a new suspension platform and drops the model split between the Meta TR and Meta AM from the V4 iteration. So how does the Meta V5 slot into the current market, and what sets it apart from the prior-generation? Check out our First Look for all the info.
Reviewer Reports: Commencal T.E.M.P.O., Tons of Suspension, & More (Ep.175)
We’re hard at work testing a ton of new gear and recently sat down to chat about a bunch of the highlights, including the Commencal T.E.M.P.O., Orbea Wild, a ton of suspension from Öhlins, EXT, and Manitou, and a bunch more.
Outdoor Vitals Skyline Trail Shorts
The Outdoor Vitals Skyline Trail Shorts stray from conventional running shorts design in ways that allow them to be activity agnostic, just as comfortable worn for a short shakeout run as they are on a multi-day fastpacking trip. Check out our full review to learn more.
Green Beans, Pendulum Swings, & First Crack w/ Royal Coffee CEO, Max Nicholas-Fulmer (Ep.29)
Last week, Jonathan headed to The Crown in Oakland, California, which is the Coffee Lab and Tasting Room of Royal Coffee. He was there to sample experimental coffee drinks, meet with Royal Coffee CEO, Max Nicholas-Fulmer — who’s favorite ski is the Moment Blister Pro — and to discuss the world of specialty “green” (not-yet-roasted) coffee.
Moving, The Machine, & ‘More’
In her latest Open Mic piece, Angel explores the experience of moving, the art of owning stuff, and tips for ‘la resistance.’
Öhlins TTX1 and TTX2 Air
We’ve had two different reviewers spending time on three different versions of Öhlins’ latest air-sprung rear shocks, the TTX1 Air and TTX2 Air, and are ready to weigh in on how they perform on trail, how they differ from each other, and who they’re going to work best for. Check out our full review for all the info.
Paddy O’Leary on Winning the 112th Dipsea; Trail Running Film Recs; & the Broken Arrow Skyrace (Ep.177)
The North Face athlete Paddy O’Leary recently won the 112th running of the storied Dipsea, the oldest trail race in the US. So, we sat down to talk to him about its eccentric history; comically brutal course; the various films that have been inspired by it; and a whole lot more.
BLISTER Reviews, Podcasts, & Articles:
Win Any Moment Ski
The winner of our Gear Giveaway this week will get to pick any Moment ski they want from their expansive lineup!
Forbidden Bikes Founder Owen Pemberton (Ep.201)
Forbidden does a lot of things differently, from offering a full lineup of high-pivot bikes to taking an unconventional approach to size-specific geometry, and we sat down with founder and engineer Owen Pemberton to hear all about it.
2023-2024 Nordica Santa Ana 88
The Santa Ana 88 brings many of the wider Santa Ana skis’ signature traits to a narrower, more firm-snow-oriented package, but with a few tweaks that make it stand out within the collection. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons for the whole story.
Deep Dive: Nordica Santa Ana 88
We compare the Nordica Santa Ana 88 to the Nordica Santa Ana 93, Nordica Santa Ana 98, Blizzard Black Pearl 88, Meier Skis BNK, Line Pandora 84, Head Kore 85 W, Salomon Stance 88 W, Armada Reliance 92 Ti, Blizzard Sheeva 9, Fischer Ranger 90, & Atomic Maven 93 C.
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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Shaking Up the Wine World: Revelshine founder, Jake Bilbro (Ep.38)
Today we’re talking about why we need to move away from ‘business as usual’ in the wine world, with Revelshine founder Jake Bilbro, who lays out some rarely discussed facts about the impacts of the wine industry; his mission to change that; and why the likes of Jeremy Jones, Shane Dorian, Selema Masakala, Michelle Parker, and others have all signed up to push this mission forward.
‘Yearbook’ with Cody Townsend & Jonathan Ellsworth (Ep.6)
Cody and Jonathan dissect MSP’s iconic 2004 film, Yearbook, and discuss its most memorable segments, its impact on the sport, who won the movie, and more.
2023-2024 Kästle K130P LV
Kästle is new to the alpine boot market, and we have the K130P LV in for long-term testing. Check out our First Look for all the initial details.
2023-2024 Wagner Summit 91
The Summit 91 is the newest and narrowest addition to Wagner’s line of semi-custom skis, and we’ve spent the past two seasons testing against the rest of the ~90mm-wide all-mountain category. Check out our Full Review & Deep Dive comparisons to see the results.
Deep Dive: Wagner Summit 91
We compare the Wagner Summit 91 to the Wagner Summit 97, Salomon Stance 90, Folsom Cash 93, Shaggy’s Brockway 90, Stereo Piste V3, Peak 88 by Bode, Nordica Enforcer 88, Parlor Cardinal 90, Romp Zorro 89, Black Crows Serpo, Salomon QST 92, Line Blade Optic 92, J Skis Fastforward, K2 Mindbender 89Ti, 4FRNT MSP 91, Folsom Spar 88, Blizzard Brahma 88, Head Kore 93, Atomic Maverick 95 Ti, Armada Declivity 92 Ti, & Volkl M6 Mantra.
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.
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Deep Dives with Angel, December 2023 (Ep.291)
What things should you consider when you’re wondering about turning a passion into a career? Should you pursue your passions at the cost of relationships? How do you say No to someone if they aren’t the right fit for a project? Angel Collinson is back on the show to discuss.
Flash Review: 23/24 Folsom Spar 78
We’ve started spending time on Folsom’s narrowest ski, the Spar 78 — check out our initial on-snow 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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Skiing with Your Eyes Closed, Shop Pizza, Egg Beaters, & Ski Boots with Greg Klein (Ep.276)
Shane McConkey’s college roommate is back, and Jonathan talks to Greg (president of Willi’s Ski & Snowboard Shops) about all the stuff in the episode title, plus the $10,000 bet made at our Blister Summit that it looks like he’s won?