BLISTER Announces New Home & Headquarters

BLISTER Announces New Home

& Headquarters

BLISTER, one of the most trusted review publications in the outdoor sports industry, has revealed its relocation to Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley in their 18/19 Winter Buyer’s Guide.

Crested Butte, CO-October 8, 2018-Jonathan Ellsworth, Founder and Editor-In-Chief of BLISTER penned the following letter to readership announcing the relocation of his company.

The Question

Over the past several years, we’ve been asking ourselves where the best place would be to do what we do – rigorously test and review all different types of outdoor sports equipment.

If you’re reading this, you’ve most likely asked yourself a similar question – maybe not, “Where’s the best spot to review gear”, but “What are the best places to live and play and get after it on a daily basis?”

Our Answer

Of course, we live on a great big planet with a lot of wonderful places, but the more we thought about it, talked about it, and debated it, one spot in particular kept ticking all the boxes: Crested Butte.

We have a bit of a thing for steep, techy skiing, and CB is one of the best places in the world for that. (And as reviewers, it can be tough when testing gear to tease out all the nuances of what a ski or snowboard or boot or binding can really do when riding on mellow terrain. That won’t be a problem in Crested Butte.)

And in terms of bike testing, there are few areas that can match the quality and the quantity of riding in the Gunnison Valley. So if the question is, “How many places provide access not only to world-class skiing and snowboarding, but access to world-class mountain biking, too?” The list gets shorter.

And then if you ask how many places have a massive and magnificent trail network that is also perfect for reviewing trail running, hiking, and backpacking equipment? And also have great rivers for boating and fly fishing, and phenomenal backcountry skiing, too?

Sometimes in life, the correct answer becomes quite clear.

Our New HQ: Blister at Elevation

Once we found the right town, we needed to find the right headquarters.

We get to spend a lot of time skiing, biking, etc., but the part people don’t see are the hours and hours (and hours) of writing reviews, measuring specs, processing shipments, prepping gear, formatting photos, recording and editing multiple podcasts a week, etc.

So things at Blister work best when we can go from writing, measuring, arguing, formatting, and editing, to slamming our laptops shut, quickly changing clothes, and immediately getting into the mountains to ski, bike, run, and ride.

And right at the base of Mt. Crested Butte, Elevation Hotel and Spa offers ski-in / ski-out or bike-in / bike-out – access to the lifts at CBMR, and the extensive trail network of Crested Butte.

Trent Bona/CBMR

And we are very excited to announce thatElevation is now also the home of Blister’s new on-mountain headquarters.

It is absolutely ideal, and you should definitely come visit.

Throughout the season, we’re going to be posting times to meet up with us at Elevation if you want to grab a few laps or a drink, see the new Blister HQ, or check out the latest gear we’re reviewing.

And even if you don’t want to see us, Elevation has a full-service spa, a heated indoor pool, the largest fitness center in Mt. Crested Butte, three hot tubs with mountain views, and it’s the closest hotel to the chairlifts. In other words, there are lots of reasons to stay at Elevation when you head to Crested Butte.

Come Visit

Crested Butte is rad. So rad, that we decided to make it Blister’s new home. And Elevation is not only the perfect spot for us to do our work, it’s also the perfect spot to host all of you when you come see us in CB.