Reviewer Reports: Early-Season Testing & Luke’s Dumbest Moment on Skis

What can you learn when you analyze hundreds of thousands of ski turns? What does it tell you about ski technique? And what can be learned about the gear you use to make those turns — and the gear we test and evaluate? Luke Koppa discusses all of the above with the team at Carv.RELATED LINKS:Carv Digital Ski Coach SystemEnter Our Weekly Gear GiveawaysOur Blister Recommended ShopsJoin Us At Blister Summit 2026For BLISTER+ Members: Discounted Blister Summit RegistrationGet Yourself Covered with BLISTER+Ep.323 w/ Carv & Marcus CastonCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:Weekly Gear Giveaway (2:01)What is Carv? (4:33)What’d They Learn Last Year? (6:41)What’s New This Year? (11:30)How Does Carv Turn Data into Scores? (14:46)Off-Piste vs. On-Piste Analysis (20:50)Using Carv in Our Reviews (23:28)Why Do Certain Skis Score Higher? (24:00)Skiing Switch With Carv (35:00)Who is Carv For? (49:55)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The skis, ski boots, and bindings made for human-powered ski-touring are very different from the ones built for the resort. But what about the clothes? Raide has been rethinking what apparel for the skintrack vs. the resort should look like, and their new collection is quite the ambitious debut. Luke Koppa discusses it all with Raide founder, Kyle Siegel.RELATED LINKS:Carv Digital Ski Coach SystemEnter Our Weekly Gear GiveawaysOur Blister Recommended ShopsJoin Us At Blister Summit 2026For BLISTER+ Members: Discounted Blister Summit RegistrationGet Yourself Covered with BLISTER+CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:Carv & This Week’s Giveaway (3:03)Raide State of the Union (6:15)Raide’s First Apparel (12:22)New TourTech System (13:13)Hybrid Bibs (16:15)Raide’s New Waterproof/Breathable Fabrics (29:13)DWR Coatings (32:51)Testing & Impacts of Washing (36:36)Bib & Shell Featureset (39:26)Zip-Off Baselayer (44:52)Hybrid Hoody (51:36)Kyle’s Favorite Non-Raide Products (56:57)Future Raide Products? (1:01:02)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re back on snow! And testing gear! And excited to talk about it! Jonathan and Luke cover several of the standout skis so far; Luke confesses to one of the dumbest things he’s ever done on skis; they discuss underappreciated upsides of early-season skiing; some interesting new outerwear and gloves; and more.RELATED LINKS:Our Recommended Shop: Round House Sports CenterEnter Our Weekly Gear GiveawaysAll of Our Blister Recommended ShopsJoin Us At Blister Summit 2026For BLISTER+ Members: Discounted Blister Summit RegistrationGet Yourself Covered with BLISTER+CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:We’re Back on Snow! (3:40)Luke’s First Skin (10:45)Rossignol Arcade 94 (17:53)Faction Dancer 79 (22:31)Volkl Peregrine 72 (29:33)Head Kore 88 Ti vs. Kastle Paragon 93 (33:41)Outerwear & Accessories (38:18)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we spill some tea, break some news, fire off a few rants, and we walk through Moment’s 25/26 lineup, including what Moment CEO, Luke Jacobson, believes to be the most significant changes to the line.Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you’d like us to have on GEAR:30. Or if you’d like to nominate yourself for a ‘Gear Therapy’ episode, let us know that, too! You can email us at [email protected] LINKS:BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredJoin Us! Blister Summit @ SnowbirdCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:Vintage Moment Skis (4:05)Belafonte Revival? (9:26)Gear Gossip (12:32)Moment’s New Ski Press (13:40)Company Growth (28:30)Luke’s Current Ski Boot (36:22)Moment’s Factory Shop (40:58)Moment 25/26 Lineup (46:40)Women’s Skis (57:30)Communism vs Democracy (59:12)Ski Forums (1:03:38)Moment’s Bella Skis (1:16:54)Recap (1:23:57)Blister Summit Talk + Alta vs Snowbird (1:28:34)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve worn a puffy jacket in the past 30+ years, there’s a good chance it used PrimaLoft insulation. And they’ve just announced their warmest insulation to date. So today, we get all the details on PrimaLoft UltraPeak from Andrea Paulson, PrimaLoft’s Senior Vice President of Innovation & Technology — and learn a ton about insulation in general along the way. Whether you’re curious about the latest puffy tech or just want to learn more about how to stay warm in the outdoors, this one’s for you.RELATED LINKS:BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELS:Blister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:PrimaLoft History (3:07)Ultra Peak (9:41)What’s Driven Innovation? (16:03)UltraPeak vs. Other Insulation (19:08)Warmth to Weight & CLO Values (21:20)UltraPeak Use Cases (27:15)Weights of Insulations (28:33)Breathable Insulation (36:03)Other New PrimaLoft Products (40:09)How To Care for Your Insulation (45:53)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the Top 10 skis of the century? Top 3? #1 Ski? Today, Blister reviewers Dylan Wood, Luke Koppa, and Jonathan Ellsworth reveal their selections, and we also share some of the picks and insights from a number of pro skiers and ski industry professionals.Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you’d like us to have on GEAR:30. Or if you’d like to nominate yourself for a ‘Gear Therapy’ episode, let us know that, too! You can email us at [email protected] LINKS:BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELSBlister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:Setting the Stage for Best Skis of the Century (3:15)Luke & Dylan’s Top 10 (7:24)Top 3 (34:40)Luke's #1 (46:44)Dylan’s #1 (50:03)Honorable Mentions (53:02)Jonathan Joins (56:52)Jonathan's Top 10 (1:02:01)Most Influential? (1:06:54)Jonathan's Top 3 (1:09:27)Jonathan's #1 (1:15:14)More Takes from listeners and Industry (1:24:15) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the Top 10 skis of the century? Top 3? #1 Ski? Today, Blister reviewer, Paul Forward, reveals his very personal picks, plus we share a story from the Blister archives that involves New Zealand farmers and helicopters.Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you’d like us to have on GEAR:30. Or if you’d like to nominate yourself for a ‘Gear Therapy’ episode, let us know that, too! You can email us at [email protected] LINKS:BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELSBlister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:What’s New at Blister Studios (1:55)BDog & Benchetler on Blister Cinematic (2:33)BLISTER+ and Bangtail Bike & Ski (3:28)Paul’s Top 10 (4:40)Our NZ Heli Story (16:33)Some Formative Skis (28:35)Paul’s Top 3 (39:09)Paul’s #1 Ski of the Century (44:07)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do “women-specific” skis need to exist? What about ski boots? In our conversation today, Leslie Baker-Brown shares her thoughts after leading Blizzard-Tecnica’s Women2Women program for the past 10 years.Few people have been as deeply involved with women’s ski gear — and the community of women in skiing — as Leslie. Today, she discusses what the landscape looked like 10 years ago; the details of how and why the Women2Women program designs truly women-specific products; the cases where a unisex approach makes more sense; why it’s so hard to find a 130-flex boot if you have small feet; how the industry has changed for the better; and more.RELATED LINKS:BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredWomen2Women Home PageBlizzard Black Pearl 88 Special EditionCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELSBlister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:BLISTER+ Members (1:36)Leslie’s History w/ Blizzard-Tecnica (3:15)Formation of Women2Women Initiative (4:41)Marketing to Women in the Early Years (8:45)Current Trends (13:12)Black Pearl Series (15:10)Graphics (19:49)Most Important Factors in Designing Women’s Gear (22:35)Ski Boots (25:10)Current Challenges (30:30)Education (33:44)Book and skis for kids, Hilaree, scholarship programs (39:21)Community (42:30)Unisex Gear (47:36)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part 3 of our series on the Best Skis of the Century, Luke and Jonathan discuss some of the great answers from our BLISTER+ members and Digital Access Pass subscribers, as well as the selections from various ski designers, pro skiers, and folks from some of our Blister Recommended Shops.Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you’d like us to have on GEAR:30. Or if you’d like to nominate yourself for a ‘Gear Therapy’ episode, let us know that, too! You can email us at [email protected] LINKS:BLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredDiscounted Summit Registration for BLISTER+ MembersNon-Member Registration: Blister Summit 2026Order Our 25/26 Winter Buyer’s GuideGet Our Newsletter & Weekly Gear GiveawaysCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELSBlister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:New BLISTER+ Members (3:04)Your Answers (BLISTER+ & DAP Subscribers) (4:27)Industry Answers (26:29)Request: Please Send Us Some BBRs (46:24)Preview of Part 4: Best Skis of the Century (48:53)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part 2 of our series on the Best Skis of the Century, Luke Koppa and Sascha Anastas join Jonathan Ellsworth to dive into the best skis from 23 more brands, and we also discuss some of the best and most notable women-specific skis of the past 25 years.Note: We Want to Hear From You!Please let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover or a guest you’d like us to have on GEAR:30. Or if you’d like to nominate yourself for a ‘Gear Therapy’ episode, let us know that, too! You can email us at [email protected] LINKS:Our Digital Buyer’s Guide: Read NowBLISTER+ Get Yourself CoveredDiscounted Summit Registration for BLISTER+ MembersNon-Member Registration: Blister Summit 2026Order Our 25/26 Winter Buyer’s GuideGet Our Newsletter & Weekly Gear GiveawaysCHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELSBlister Studios (our new channel)Blister Review (our original channel)TOPICS & TIMES:New BLISTER+ Members (2:37)Sascha on Women’s Skis from Part 1 (3:58)SCOTT (16:38)Armada (18:23)4FRNT (24:40)Zag (28:12)Moment (29:49)Liberty (33:26)Prior (37:30)DPS (38:54)Icelantic (45:33)Black Crows (47:58)Faction (49:25)Wagner (51:46)Majesty (55:31)ON3P (56:37)Folsom (1:04:38)RMU (1:07:14)Shaggy’s (1:09:00)Meier (1:10:15)Whitedot (1:11:18)J Skis (1:12:20)Parlor (1:15:17)Coalition Snow (1:16:13)Renoun (1:18:39)CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Blister CinematicCRAFTEDBikes & Big IdeasBlister Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.