Blister annual book of gear

[tomh79]

Bit out of context: but I was wondering if they make their last years digital issue available for free...but does not seem to be the case?

[fbw360]

Bit out of context: but I was wondering if they make their last years digital issue available for free...but does not seem to be the case?

I gotchu. Send a PM

[NuclearNachos21]

Bit out of context: but I was wondering if they make their last years digital issue available for free...but does not seem to be the case?

was also wondering this. have looked through their older ones but might finally buy one this year if they don't have lasy years for free


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[eSock]

I was surprised by how many 'new' brands they had this year. Last few years I felt like I was pretty familiar with all the brands they wrote about with just a handful of unknowns throughout the guide. This year each section is like 50/50 known/unknown. Great exposure for these smaller brands.

It does feel a little more difficult to make an informed decision on what ski to go with when there are so many skis and the difference from one to the next is so miniscule.

[dub_xion]

Surprised they didn’t include the Skorpius in the bc boots section. Such a sleeper boot.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[MoeSnow]

Love the Blister guide. Has made picking skis out so much easier for me.

Brands recycling shapes for 2-3 years at a time probably makes it a bit easier for them to stay up-to-date. It was cool to see some Heritage Lab skis in the guide, among a few smaller brands.

The charts at the end of each section help me understand what to expect out of a ski since I have been on at least one ski I can reference in each category.

[wantriot]

Surprised they didn’t include the Skorpius in the bc boots section. Such a sleeper boot.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Rockstar in the category IMO... Sportiva has really botched the market sell-in and sell through with this boot.

[XtrPickels]

So, Been a Blister member since 2016? I have a stack of buyer's guides on the coffee table year-round.

Just got notification that the print version is not included at my membership level this year.
Looks like the next membership level includes the buyer's guide but it's $400 a year because it includes personal insurance!

You guys have been pushing this insurance BS too hard - you must be getting one heckuva kick-back - and you're alienating your core customers

[FloridaSnow]

So, Been a Blister member since 2016? I have a stack of buyer's guides on the coffee table year-round.

Just got notification that the print version is not included at my membership level this year.
Looks like the next membership level includes the buyer's guide but it's $400 a year because it includes personal insurance!

You guys have been pushing this insurance BS too hard - you must be getting one heckuva kick-back - and you're alienating your core customers

what are they charging for just the book this year?

[XtrPickels]

what are they charging for just the book this year?

$25 whether you want just digital or digital + print, which makes dropping it from the regular membership even more bonkers. That negates any argument that it's too expensive to produce and include in the online membership like before.

If you buy the print version separate, that additional $25 plus the $60 online membership is an almost 50% increase over last year and they took away features like gear recommendations etc.

I've run start-ups, so I "get it", but some smart decision need to be made here - not just money grabs.

[ASmileyFace]

$25 whether you want just digital or digital + print, which makes dropping it from the regular membership even more bonkers. That negates any argument that it's too expensive to produce and include in the online membership like before.

If you buy the print version separate, that additional $25 plus the $60 online membership is an almost 50% increase over last year and they took away features like gear recommendations etc.

I've run start-ups, so I "get it", but some smart decision need to be made here - not just money grabs.

I always figured they were "taking a loss" on the guides at the old price, hoping to sell more memberships... but pulling the guide from the basic membership seems like a backwards way to get more people to sign up. I guess the long term idea is to move completely away from the "cheaper" membership and only sell insurance and Curated style gear recommendations?

I always liked the physical guide book as a reference to use at work, even if I only sell a few of the brands. Bummer of a move overall.

[D(C)]

It’s particularly disappointing for those of us who live in countries with public healthcare and would never have a reason to need said insurance.

[arild]

It’s particularly disappointing for those of us who live in countries with public healthcare and would never have a reason to need said insurance.

I think my membership renewal is going to be declined. I only subscribe because of the print edition of the buyer's guide, and now I'm neither getting the print nor digital. I got some awesome help from Kara Williard some time ago about some boot fit issues and questions, but not worth it to me anymore.

Sorry blister. You used to be awesome, now you(for the most part) suck.

Sent fra min LE2123 via Tapatalk

[XtrPickels]

I always figured they were "taking a loss" on the guides at the old price, hoping to sell more memberships.

Yes and no, Obviously there is a cost to print each copy, but a major cost is in print formatting and layout, which is done for the PDF Digital version as well. Selling them both at the same price cuts into their profit margin for the Print + Digital version, but obviously not enough to have a second price.

Their expectation is that (Additional Print / Digital Subscriptions sold) - (Existing Customers lost) = Profit

[kc_7777]

So, Been a Blister member since 2016? I have a stack of buyer's guides on the coffee table year-round.

Just got notification that the print version is not included at my membership level this year.
Looks like the next membership level includes the buyer's guide but it's $400 a year because it includes personal insurance!

You guys have been pushing this insurance BS too hard - you must be getting one heckuva kick-back - and you're alienating your core customers

This.

Good timing as my Blister membership renews Aug 25.

I sent an email to Blister awhile back telling them to stop pushing insurance so much.
I’ve worked at a bank….who pushed us to sell insurance as the commissions are so good. In my email to Blister I ranted a bit as I told them they weave “injuries” into their podcasts now as a further way to push the insurance. It’s tiring and off-putting. And reduces their credibility and is inconsistent with Blister’s core value (which has always been how objective they are?). The insurance flogging makes them seem less objective.

Didn’t hear back from Blister.

I get it. We all need to make money. But I’d rather they tone it down a bit. I ski 50 days each season with a good ski crew at Whistler and I bet we talk injuries maybe once on a chairlift ride, per season. So 1 / 700 chairlift rides? Whereas Blister (Jonathan) makes it seem like we’re gonna die or be horribly injured every time we step outside.

I’ll buy the print version with the money I save cancelling my non-insurance membership that I’ve had for 5 years.

I will say that the guide is great reading and is full of good gear ski info eg. straight pull, rec mount, amount of tip/tail rise info, graphics etc.

KC

Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Flippo]

So, Been a Blister member since 2016? I have a stack of buyer's guides on the coffee table year-round.

Just got notification that the print version is not included at my membership level this year.
Looks like the next membership level includes the buyer's guide but it's $400 a year because it includes personal insurance!

You guys have been pushing this insurance BS too hard - you must be getting one heckuva kick-back - and you're alienating your core customers

+1 I like their Flash reviews and deep dive comparison as well but have no use of their insurance. I am always skipping the first five 5 minute of their podcast where they describe their « close call ». They sound like car salesmen and it’s hard to believe in their credibility as independent and unbiased reviewers after that.

I guess they had to do it to stay afloat…

[jbrine]

The intro and outro are soo bad... This is my standard podcast when I cut the grass during the summer and I get so annoyed at the intro - just talk mountain and cool shit, stop selling me on some olympic doctors insurance plan that 'saved her' checkbook. BS man...

[Sargentdrufus]

Lately I've been underwhelmed by Blister and their content and reviews. Didn't enjoy the membership change, and the infrequent releases of the flash reviews first looks and deep dives, makes the digital content subscription less useful too. I still think the way they do things matters and they fill a valuable place in the industry I just find it less and less relevant to my needs

[XtrPickels]

Lately I've been underwhelmed by Blister and their content and reviews. Didn't enjoy the membership change, and the infrequent releases of the flash reviews first looks and deep dives, makes the digital content subscription less useful too. I still think the way they do things matters and they fill a valuable place in the industry I just find it less and less relevant to my needs

Yeah, there's too many "reviews" that are regurgitated copy from the manufacturer with a "review coming soon" that never materializes.

[Sargentdrufus]

Yeah, there's too many "reviews" that are regurgitated copy from the manufacturer with a "review coming soon" that never materializes.

Exactly this

[arild]

Exactly this

Yeah. Way too many unfinished reviews.

Sent fra min LE2123 via Tapatalk

[JFE24]

Love the Blister guide. Has made picking skis out so much easier for me.

Brands recycling shapes for 2-3 years at a time probably makes it a bit easier for them to stay up-to-date. It was cool to see some Heritage Lab skis in the guide, among a few smaller brands.

The charts at the end of each section help me understand what to expect out of a ski since I have been on at least one ski I can reference in each category.

Hey, Moe - glad you've found the guide to be useful.

I was sent a text asking if I'd seen the recent comments in this thread, seemed like I might be able to clarify a few things...

[MoeSnow]

At the risk of sounding like a shill I am going to share my mostly-positive experience paying for Blister's most expensive membership option.

I pay $0/month for high-deductible health insurance at my job. I like to take risks while skiing. My thinking was that the injury insurance would be a way for me to financially protect myself if something bad happens.

I like a lot of the content that Blister puts out in the form of podcasts and their free-to-view gear reviews. The access to their flash reviews and deep dives since becoming a member have helped make a few gear purchasing decisions that I am very happy with. I have noticed that there are a few reviews left unfinished that I wish Blister would go back and fill out. I have also sent some emails to Blister and not received any responses.

Onto the injury insurance experience... This past season I had recurrent stability issues in my shoulder after taking a bad fall. Long story made short: I have had to pay a bunch of money getting MRIs/surgery and talking to doctors. I hit my deductible and ultimately my out of pocket max.

Having interacted with Spot for a bit now I have a few things to share about how their claims process works:

1. You need to submit a bunch of forms every time you make a claim. One of the forms needs to come from your provider (UB04/HCFA). My healthcare provider has to mail them to me so it takes 5-10 business days to get the form. Logistically, it is a bit of a headache to call the billing department of my healthcare provider every time I get a bill for anything.
2. It takes a while to get reimbursed for your out-of-pocket expense. It has taken nearly four months for me to start getting reimbursed for the money I spent. It's neat getting a big check for all the $$$ you spent, but damn I wish it came faster.
3. Spot is very quick to get back to you about any questions regarding your claim. Claim processing slowness is due to the underlying insurer (Mutual of Omaha) taking a while to get to things.

Has the experience been seamless? No. Have I gotten all of my money back? Yes. Does it make sense for everybody to get this? It depends. If your out of pocket max is only $1000-$2000 then it might make sense for you to just rely on your insurance. In my case it made sense to get it and and now it has paid for itself and then some. Would I have gotten hurt if I was a better skier? Probably not, there's a good chance this was all due to a skill issue .

I don't think Blister is a perfect company by any means, but I have been satisfied with the product that they're offering. It seems to me that they're trying to do a lot right now, perhaps too much. Might be more of a value add for folks if they narrow scope and focus more on reviews and getting to a wider selection of the skis that are put out every year.

YMMV.

[JFE24]

I always figured they were "taking a loss" on the guides at the old price, hoping to sell more memberships... but pulling the guide from the basic membership seems like a backwards way to get more people to sign up. I guess the long term idea is to move completely away from the "cheaper" membership and only sell insurance and Curated style gear recommendations?

I always liked the physical guide book as a reference to use at work, even if I only sell a few of the brands. Bummer of a move overall.

It's funny, for years now, Jason Levinthal has been calling me an idiot for not charging at least $40 for the guide - plus shipping on top of that. (Feel free to ask him.) Every year, our guide gets physically bigger and includes more products. Our team is testing winter gear in various parts of the country from October through June. We then kill ourselves through June, July, and August, to get this massive guide done. I've never argued with Levinthal that he's wrong - given how heavy of a lift the Guide is, and how useful we think the information is (since we actually really test the gear, and you still won't find a single advertisement in the guide from any ski or snowboard manufacturer, because we still don't take any advertising money from any of the gear manufacturers we review. Never have, not in 14 years of doing this.

We could easily stuff 40 pages of ads in the guide from your favorite or least favorite ski brand, and that would help cover costs of building these guides. It would also create the conflicts of interest that exist for so many other review outlets. Our goal is to still put out the best consumer product information we can about all of this expensive gear.

And when it comes to the print edition, printing costs have gone up. And shipping costs have gone up dramatically. And since our Guide gets bigger every year, that means our costs go up every year - print costs and shipping costs.

If you're curious, here is how our Winter Buyer's Guide has grown:

22/23 Guide covered (among other products): 277 skis, 57 ski boots, was 232 pages

23/24 Guide covered (among other products: 309 skis, 71 ski boots, was 256 pages

24/25 Guide covers (among other products): 339 skis, 80 ski boots, and will probably be around 270 - 280 pages. And that includes no advertisements / advertising dollars from the gear manufacturers we review. If you don't mind lots of ads or don't think those dollars create conflicts of interest when it comes to gear reviewing and gear guides, well, there are other options out there.

[JFE24]

$25 whether you want just digital or digital + print, which makes dropping it from the regular membership even more bonkers. That negates any argument that it's too expensive to produce and include in the online membership like before.

Hi, I'll try to explain what we're up to & why in another post, but given what I've written above (staying focused on just the Winter Buyer's Guide for a moment, I'm not at all sure that 'all arguments have been negated.'

If you buy the print version separate, that additional $25 plus the $60 online membership is an almost 50% increase over last year and they took away features like gear recommendations etc.

I've run start-ups, so I "get it", but some smart decision need to be made here - not just money grabs.

I don't believe we've ever discussed the ins and outs of our business (forgive me if I'm wrong about that). But if I'm right, I find it interesting how confident some people are that (1) they clearly know how some other business should be operating, and (2) have the confidence to declare that the company is just out there attempting "money grabs."