Japan
We’ve now spent around 45 days on the Atomic Bent Chetler 120 — from deep pow to bad snow in technical terrain — and now have an update on its versatility, durability, and who we think will like it most.
17/18 Faction Prime 4.0
After skiing Faction's new pow touring ski in deep snow in both Japan and Alaska, you can now check out our initial performance impressions.
18/19 Atomic Bent Chetler 120
We've now spent a few days skiing in Japan on the all-new Bent Chetler 120, and you can check out here our initial on-snow performance notes.
DPS’ The Shadow Campaign: “The Space Within”
Missing deep days? Check out the new video from DPS Cinematic.
2014-2015 LINE Mr. Pollard’s Opus
Eric Pollard and Line have created a playful pow ski with a backbone. Freestyle-minded skiers ought to be excited.
2013-2014 LINE Influence 115
This season’s Line Influence 115 has been redesigned, and it is going to appeal to a different—and broader—crowd.
2012-2013 Rossignol Squad 7
The Rossignol Squad 7 is one of our favorite new big-mountain boards of the upcoming season. Find out how it fared in Niseko, Japan, at Alta, and around Taos.
2013-2014 Volkl Shiro
The 183cm Volkl Shiro offers a nice blend of versatility and powder performance, but demonstrated some finicky behavior that would likely be reduced by sizing up.
Blister: Niseko, Japan
Niseko is a gigantic, beautiful playground of trees, pillows, and deep, light snow.
2012-2013 Blizzard GunSmoke
The new GunSmoke is a freestyle-oriented addition to Blizzard's "Free Mountain" lineup, and a very solid addition at that. BLISTER reviewer Andrew Gregovich is sold.
2012-2013 Line Pandora
More than just a really good pow ski, the Line Pandora might actually be one of the most sturdy and fun all-mountain women’s skis available.
2012-2013 ON3P Cease and Desist
If you're looking for a big ski to point down big lines, the ON3P Cease and Desist might be your ride.
2014-2015 4FRNT Hoji
When Eric Hjorleifson comes out with a new pro model (especially a pro model that replaces the much loved 4FRNT EHP), it's time to pay attention. We've been running the new HOJI through the pillows and trees and pow of Niseko, and the ski is as dynamic and playful as the terrain around here.
2012-2013 Black Diamond Gigawatt
Since it STILL hasn't stopped snowing here in Niseko, we're glad we've had the Gigawatt with us. It's exceptional in deep, open spaces; very good in deep, tight trees; outstanding in soft chop; and excellent (for its size) on groomers. But the biggest question might be: Gigawatt, or Megawatt?
2012-2013 Black Diamond Element
The Black Diamond Element is proving in Niseko to be a fantastic pow ski that actually does very well in chopped up snow and crud - assuming you get the mount position right....
Trip Report: Niseko – The Arrival
Literally, from the very first run, Niseko has lived up to its reputation.
Niseko, Japan Ski Review Trip: Our Selections
Here's the complete list of the fourteen skis in BLISTER's Japan review trip lineup.
BLISTER HEADS EAST
To celebrate BLISTER's one year anniversary and to start off year two with a bang, we're heading to Niseko, Japan, for its deep, light snow, with more than a dozen new skis.
BANG.