The Ski Podcast

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We find out about Villards de Lans in the Vercors area of France and discuss alcohol-free ski holidays in Méribel. We also have ski show news and snow reports from Australia, New Zealand and Chile.

Host Iain Martin was joined by freelance journalist Katja Gaskell and Soberski founder Ben Coombes.

SHOW NOTES
Katja was last on the podcast in Episode 308 discussing Sundance Resort (0:45)
Rachael Oakes-Ash from snowsbest.com is the ski expert on Australia & New Zealand (4:00)
Guy Beatson is based at Whakapapa in New Zealand (9:00)
Episode 312 is a special interview with Rachael (10:30)
Portillo has had epic snowfall (10:45)
Bartek Tyrpa from the pro-team at Carv reported from Valle Nevado in Chile (11:00)
The Northern Snow Show takes place 03-04 October at The Snow Centre Manchester (12:30)
Where is the Vercors? (13:30)
The main ski area is Villards de Lans / Correncon en Vercors (14:45)
Tony Parker is VERY famous in France
It’s excellent for cross country skiing (20:00)
Le Clarient is a self-sufficient restaurant (22:00)Soberski offers alcohol free ski holidays (24:00)
Ben on why he quit alcohol (25:45)
Why are skiing and drinking are so closely linked? (27:30)
Starting Soberski (29:15)
Soberski’s 2027 trip details (24:00)
Katja reported on ice swimming in Samoens in Episode 166 (34:30)
The increase in alcohol-free options in bars (39:30)

FeedbackIf you enjoyed this episode, or if you have any comments, please let me know. You can do that by leaving a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp.

Louise Cotter: “The night train ride [Episode 320] sounds like a lot of fun: my travel wish list is getting out of control thanks to The Ski Podcast.”
Fiona Harvey-Jordan: “Fantastic episode as always!”
There are now 322 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with at www.theskipodcast.com – have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest to listen to.

If you do enjoy the podcast and you want to help out you are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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In the sixth of our ‘Chamonix Stories’, we find out what it’s like to fall into a crevasse on the Vallée Blanche (don’t worry, this story has a happy ending!)

Host Iain Martin speaks with freelance journalist Sam Haddad, about her first descent of the famous off-piste route – the Vallée Blanche.

SHOW NOTES
Listen to our special episode about Chamonix (0:30)
Sam Haddad runs the Substack ‘Climate and Board Sports’
Sam was last on the podcast in Episode 251 (1:00)
She spent a season in Chamonix in 2000 (2:00)
She was on the Envers du Plan route (2:15)
Jamie and the Magic Torch (3:15)
Falling in to the crevasse (4:45)
Being found in the crevasse (6:00)
Being lifted out (6:30)
Having to keep snowboarding (7:30)
Getting a helicopter back to resort (9:00)
Doing the Vallée Blanche again (9:45)

FEEDBACK
If you enjoyed this episode you can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp.

Simon Burgess: “Really enjoyed Episode 319 about Ronin Skis. It’s nice to know there are manufacturers aiming for longevity not just another sale.”
Colin Tierney: “I’m off to Landgraaf in November to enjoy the longer slope indoors and Pila in March…have you got access to my ski calendar?"
There are now 321 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. Just go to theskipodcast.com and have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find an episode of interest to listen to.

If you did enjoy this episode and you’d like to support the podcast, then you are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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We find out how a Brit got elected onto the Méribel town council, what summer skiing in Les 2 Alpes is like, and look at the Travelski night train to the Alps.

We also have snow reports from Australia and New Zealand and the latest news.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching and Richard Lett from Apres Ski Bands.

SHOW NOTES
Rich spoke about apres-ski bands in the Alps in Episode 86
In Episode 180 he shared his insights into how to find a ski job post-Brexit
Rachael Oakes-Ash from snowsbest.com is the ski expert on Australia & New Zealand (3:30)
Episode 312 is a special interview with Rachael
Guy Beatson is based at Whakapapa in New Zealand (5:30)
Freeride Skiing will be included in the 2030 Olympics (6:30)
Check out the Freeride World Tour channel on YouTube
Cody Bramwell switched to the UK in 2021: "To be an Olympian would be the craziest dream ever" (7:30)
British Olympians at Milan-Cortina are eligible for a €10000 grant from the IOC (8:30)
Qualifying as an instructor (9:30)
Summer skiing in Les 2 Alpes (13:00)
Cycling around Mont Ventoux with Tip Top Bike Tours (17:00)
Skiing on Mont Ventoux (17:30)
Daniel Elkan runs the Snowcarbon website (19:00)
Find out more about the Travelski Express night train
Rich was one of the two first Brits to be elected to the Meribel council (28:00)
Rich previously worked for Bladon Lines and the Brown Rock group (29:30)
Rich runs Apres Ski Bands (30:45)
Rich’s ‘commune’ is Méribel Les Allues (32:30)
Responsibilities of the ‘commune’ (32:45)
The new mayor of Méribel is Bernard Front (34:00)
Getting on the mayoral ticket (34:30)
‘Agissons ensemble, transformons demain’: ‘Act together, transform tomorrow’ (35:00)
In Episode 190 we covered the history of Méribel with David Lindsey (40:45)

Colin Tierney: “Great to hear from David Webster in Episode 317. I’ve used his videos before for Chamonix research.”
Robbie Milne: “I went to Aosta and skied in Pila at Christmas and New Year. It’s underrated - a great little resort, lovely runs and it’s great to see more investment going in there.”
If you do enjoy the podcast and you want to help out you are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Louise Cotter: “Binge listening to past episodes of The Ski Podcast has been my favourite way to cool down during the UK heatwave. Jonno from Ronin Skis’ commitment to sustainability is exceptionally impressive!”
There are now 320 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with at www.theskipodcast.com – have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest to listen to.

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In the fifth in our series of ‘Chamonix Stories’, we Jonno Jacobs, founder of Ronin Skis – ‘exceptional lightweight touring and freeride skis for those who chart their own path’.

Ronin is a passion project for Jonno: every ski is handmade and custom built for its owner, with a lot of thought put into making the skis as sustainable as possible.

SHOW NOTES
Using a fridge to make a pair of skis (3:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Tom Greenall on how he became a pisteur (4:00)
Where does the Ronin name come from? (4:15)
The first order of Ronin Skis (6:00)
Jono makes about 75 pairs per year (7:00)
Approach to sustainability (7:30)
Construction of Ronin Skis (9:45)
Flax, not fibreglass (11:30)
Learning the art of making skis (13:15)
Range and costs (15:00)

FEEDBACK
If you enjoyed this episode, or if you have any comments, please let me know. You can do that by leaving a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp - I release exclusive material ahead of each episode there.

Erik Jan Schutte: “I looked up OAK [Episode 316] and it looks cool. Keep up the good work.”
Louise Cotter: “Episode 318 was fabulous. Chemmy Alcott is an inspiration for anybody to listen to.”
There are now 319 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. Just go to theskipodcast.com and have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find an episode of interest to listen to.

If you did enjoy this episode and you’d like to support the podcast, then you are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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Today we go behind the scenes of the BBC’s Olympics coverage with Chemmy Alcott, hearing what it was like to be on location for Lindsey Vonn's awful accident, as well as Dave Ryding's final race, plus we find out about the ski resort of Pila in Italy.

We also have the latest from the start of the season Down Under in Australia and New Zealand and updates from GB Snowsport’s new generation of alpine racers, Luca, Zak and Freddy Carrick Smith.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by four-time Winter Olympian and BBC Ski Sunday presenter, Chemmy Alcott, as well as freelance journalist, Rob Rees.

SHOW NOTES
Rob was last on the show in in Episode 262 discussing the Skiwelt in Austria (2:00)
Rachael Oakes-Ash runs the website snowsbest.com and the expert on Australia and New Zealand skiing (5:00)
There has been fresh snow in Australia on Friday 03 July (5:30)
Episode 312 is a special interview with Rachael (7:30)
Guy Beatson is based in Whakapapa, NZ (8:00)
Alex Irwin from the YouTube channel 150 Days of Winter skied last week in Tignes (10:00)
Kendra Scurfield reports from Sunshine Village in Canada (12:00)
“Too many of us life in our comfort zones” (13:45)
Chemmy on Mia Brookes (14:15)
Chemmy on Lindsey Vonn and her awful accident (16:30)
Will Vonn ever ski again, or even race again? (23:15)
Watching GB Snowsport win their first Gold medal (24:30)
Dave Ryding’s last race…with champagne on ice (25:45)
Dave gatecrashing Chemmy’s piece to camera? (26:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Dave Ryding in Episode 199 (27:00)
Recent FIS elections: Johan Eliasch beaten by Alexander Ospelt (27:15)
GB Snowsports’ Vicky Gosling election to the FIS council (28:45)
Luca Carrick-Smith (29:45)
Freddy Carrick-Smith (31:45)
Chemmy on what Luca, Zak and Freddy need to do to take it to the next level (32:45)
In Episode 311, Katie Bamber discussed Champoluc in the Aosta Valley (35:15)
Where is Pila and Aosta? (35:30)
Staying in Aosta (36:30)
Aosta’s Roman history (37:30)
Staying in Pila (39:00)Pila’s new lift (40:15)
Who is Pila suitable for? (42:15)
Other resorts in the Aosta Valley (43:00)
Which were the first rocker skis? (48:15)

Feedback (47:00)You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp.

Alastair Yule: "Loved listening to Victoria in Episode 309. Gotta have her back with her daughter Mila who has qualified for the Freeride World Tour"
Colin Tierney: "Episode 314 about Zag Skis was really interesting.”
Neil Landon: "Thoroughly enjoying your podcasts, especially Episode 313 on Chamonix. It’s nearly 40 years since I skied there and it brings back fond memories."
There are now 318 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up. If you’d like to keep your snow fix going over the summer, then just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around and you’re bound to find something you’ll find something you’ll enjoy listening to.

If you do enjoy the podcast and you want to help out you are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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Love snowsports? Then The Ski Podcast is just for you...

In almost ten years and over 300 episodes, we have covered skiing on all seven continents, thanks to guests joining host, Iain Martin, to discuss everything from easily accessible family resorts to one-off bucket list treats.

So, if you’d like to know more about world of snowsports, going behind the scenes with experts from across the world, why not join us and subscribe now.

And even better, you don’t even have to wait until our next episode, just go to theskipodcast.com where you can catch up with over 300 episodes today.

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In the third in our series of ‘Chamonix Stories’, we meet David Webster, better known on YouTube as “ChamonixSkiBum”.

David has almost 10,000 subscribers and 1.7 million views on his channel, where he publishes snow reports, reports on his high mountain skiing and more Chamonix valley adventures.

📸 @olajaniak

SHOW NOTES
First ski experiences (2:30)
Skiing at Gloucester Dry Slope (3:00)
Ski seasons in Courchevel (4:30)
David has a PHD in Geology (5:15)
Favourite runs in Les 3 Vallées (7:00)
Moving to Chamonix (8:00)
Background in mountaineering (8:30)
Skiing with a guide? (10:00)
Putting on skis in steep terrain (10:45)
The Jager couloir (12:00)
Col de Plan, North Face of the Aiguille du Midi (12:30)
Cunningham Couloir / Passarelle Couloir (14:00)
‘By Chamonix standards’ (14:45)
Glenn Plake skis the Passarelle Couloir in ‘Blizzard of Aaahs’ (15:00)
The Vallee Blanche & the Mer de Glace (15:00)
The danger of crevasses (18:00)
Deciding to become a 'YouTuber' (18:45)
Snow reports (22:30)
Cameras used (23:00)
360 view of going down the arete at the Aiguille du Midi (25:00)
Wild swimming and cycling (25:45)
Wearing shorts for the Vallee Blanche (26:00)
“It’s like Disneyland for adults” (27:15)

FEEDBACK
If you enjoyed this episode, or if you have any comments, please let me know.

You can do that by leaving a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp.

James Rice: "Love the podcast. It's absolutely indispensable for me and a ‘must listen’ every week."

Louise Cotter: “I am really enjoying the Chamonix series. The Oak app is awesome.”

Max Martin: "High quality and high interest on all things skiing. Just listened to the Chamonix special. Well worth a subscribe."
There are now 317 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. Just go to theskipodcast.com and have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find an episode of interest to listen to.

If you did enjoy this episode and you’d like to support the podcast, then you are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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In the third in our series of ‘Chamonix Stories’, we meet Emil Wittrup Præstbrogaard, founder of the Oak App.

Oak was launched in 2024 to bring together the mountain community, including skiers, climbers, trail runners, mountaineers and more.

SHOW NOTES
What is Oak? (2:00)
Like ‘Tinder for the Mountains’ (3:15)
Emil’s background (4:00)
Why Emil started the Oak app (7:00)
Going live in December 2023 (9:00)
Features within the app (10:30)
Making booking guides easier (11:00)
The LinkedIn for mountain people (12:30)
Why ‘Oak’? (13:30)

Nicky Webber: "I really enjoyed listening to Episode 313. Your love of Chamonix is evident."
Erin Flynn: "Episode 314 was a great listen! Loved testing Zag skis at the ski test!"
Judy Swens:“I’m spending part of my time off this July in Chamonix and loved your podcast episode about it.”
There are now 316 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with at www.theskipodcast.com – have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest to listen to.

If you enjoyed this episode and you’d like to support the podcast, then you are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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In the second in our series of ‘Chamonix Stories’, we meet Katy McInnes from the ‘Silent Sessions’ project in Chamonix.

‘Silent Sessions’ is a unique experience that blends stunning natural locations in Chamonix with mindfulness and dancing.

SHOW NOTES
Katy is a ‘musician, dancer, restaurant owner and events planner turned yoga teacher’ (2:30)
She previously ran restaurants in Chamonix (4:00)
Mountains and Valleys Retreats (5:00)
What is Silent Sessions? (6:00)
Sourcing locations for Silent Sessions (7:15)
“A cross between a mindfulness session and a rave” (8:30)
Dance like no one’s watching (11:00)
Connecting with nature (11:45)

Louise Cotter: “Episode 312 was a fabulous listen."
Susie Burt: “Episode 312 was excellent. Rachael was so interesting and funny to listen to. Keep up the good work."
Jeremy Gibbon: “I absolutely LOVED your most recent episode on Chamonix. Thanks for all the time and effort that goes into putting together such an informative podcast. Can’t wait for the special interviews with different people from the valley.”
Jay: “Great podcast, all year long! Please keep it up”
There are now 315 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with at www.theskipodcast.com. If you’d like to keep winter in your mind through the northern summer, then just have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you enjoyed this episode and you’d like to support the podcast, then you are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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Episode 314 is the first in our series of Chamonix Stories, today featuring Zag Skis.

Iain spoke with head of marketing Alan Lemasson and head of R&D Bastien Saillard from the Chamonix-based freeride ski brand at their Argentiere 'Zag Lab' - where they make and test prototypes.

We discuss the origins of Zag, the process of creating and testing new lines, sustainability and plans for the future.

Zag has always been one of the most innovative ski brands, full of ideas and enthusiasm and I think that comes across in this interview.

SHOW NOTES
Alan Lemasson and Bastien Saillard from Zag Skis joined Iain for this interview (1:30)
Why Zag test at the 'Zag Lab' in Chamonix (2:00)
“Every ZAG model is smashed, thrashed, and put through the wringer” (3:00)
The lead time for new models (6:00)
Origins of the brand (7:00)
Were Zag the first skis with rockers? (8:00)
Winning the ISPO award (8:15)
Julien Lopez won the Freeride World Tour on Zag Skis in 2009 (8:45)
Topsheet designs (9:30)
Planned growth markets (10:30)
‘ZAGreen’ sustainable construction (11:00)
AROC is a the ‘brother of the Mata’ (13:00)

Mandy Gourley: "Really interesting and packed with information! I definitely need to return to Chamonix as I’ve never seen the mural!"
David Spendlove: "Great episode. Very informative."
Millsy1976: “Loved the interviews with Tony McWilliam and Victoria Jamieson in Episode 309”
EmmaintheGlens: “I just spent 6.5 hours binging old episodes of the podcast on my way from Perthshire down to the Manchester Snow Centre. The Erna Low and Bladon Lines episodes were fascinating.”
There are over 300 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with – all available at theskipodcast.com. Just have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find something of interest.

If you enjoyed this episode and you’d like to support the podcast, then you are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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Today we focus on one of the most famous resorts in the world – Chamonix Mont-Blanc.

Host Iain Martin talks with Chamonix locals to get behind what makes this resort so special, from history to high mountain, glaciers to guides.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this episode, including Bernadette Tsuda, Brad Carlson, David Webster, Sam Haddad, Sasha Rayazantsev, Benoit Borrell, Sam Morton and Iona Halley, as well as Nathalie Tortora.

SHOW NOTES
Bernadette Tsuda is a heritage guide in Chamonix
William Windham and Richard Pococke ‘discover’ the Mer de Glace in 1741 (2:00)
The statue of de Saussure and Jaques Balmat (5:00)
The statue of Michel Paccard (7:40)
The mural at Place des Alpes (12:00)
Marie Paradis was the first woman to summit Mt Blanc in 1808 (12:30)
How to qualify as a mountain guide, with Brad Carlsson (17:30)
ENSA is the École Nationale de Ski et d'Alpinisme (19:00)
How to become a member of the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix (21:30)
The ski areas (24:00)
The Aiguille du Midi (27:00)
Changes to the Vallee Blanche over the years, with David Webster (29:30)
Dangers of crevasses, with Sam Haddad (31:00)
The kit you need for glacier skiing, with Brad Carlsson (34:00)
The Haute Route is a hut-to-hut ski touring route from Chamonix-Zermatt (37:00)
The effects of climate change on the Vallee Blanche route (41:00)
Visit the Glacorium (41:15)
The impact of global warming on guides (41:45)
The new Grands Montets lift, with Benoit Borrell (46:00)
The Tour de Mont Blanc, with Sam Morton (49:30)
Sam runs the Adventure Running Company (50:00)
Changes in Chamonix from season workers to ‘daytrippers (51:00)
Iona Hally runs Mountain Massage (53:00)
Chambre Neuf and Elevation are both popular with locals (54:00

FEEDBACK
There are over 300 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with – all available at theskipodcast.com. Just have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find something of interest.

If you enjoyed this episode, or if you have any comments, please let me know. You can do that by leaving a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp.

If you enjoyed this episode and you’d like to support the podcast, then you are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

As well as this special episode, The Ski Podcast is going to run a series of ‘Chamonix Stories’, which will feature extended versions of some of the conversations featured here, plus others that I wasn’t able to include here.

Look out for the first of those – a chat with Chamonix-based brand Zag Skis - coming up next week.

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Today’s special episode is an interview with Rachael Oakes-Ash – founder of the Southern Hemisphere’s leading snowsports website, Snowsbest.com.

Rachael – aka Miss Snow It All – is also a best-selling author, publicist, documentary producer, social media guru and podcaster.

In this interview, we speak about her experiences reporting from the Winter Olympics in Italy, raising $200,000 for Snow Aid Australia, her work to promote women in the snow industry and her journey from novice to ski expert.

This episode is the latest in an ongoing series of interviews with high-achieving women in the world of snowsports. Previous episodes in this series have included conversations with Vicky Gosling, CEO of GB Snowsport, BBC Ski Sunday’s Chemmy Alcott, the first person to ski the seven summits, Kit DesLauriers, founder of YSE Ski, Fiona Easdale, as well as the Team GB freestyle skiers Zoe Atkin and Kirsty Muir.

SHOW NOTES
Winter Olympics mention-itis (2:30)
Comparing Livigno with Pyeongchang in 2018 (4:30)
Empty slopes in Livigno (7:30)
Working alongside Team Australia (10:00)
Why were Australia so successful at the Winter Olympics? (14:00)
Working with Dame Edna Everage (17:00)
In 2000 Rachael wrote the book ‘Good Girls Do Swallow’ (19:00)
Rachael’s second book was ‘Anything she can do, I can do better (19:00)
Skiing with the prime minister of New Zealand (24:00)
Becoming Miss Snow It All (26:00)
Starting Snowsbest.com (26:45)
Running consumer webinars (30:00)
‘Women of Winter Snow Australia’ working group (30:30)
Advice for anyone wanting to get into ski journalism (32:30)
‘Snow Aid Australia’ (34:00)
Selwyn Snowfield burnt down during the 2020 bushfires (34:30)
Snow Travel Expo (37:00)
The threat of climate change (38:30)
Thredbo and Coronet Peak have added ‘Snowfactory’ facilities (39:00)
Will ‘Snowtunnel’ open at some point? (41:30)
Will Australia see a post-Olympics bump attendance (44:00)

FeedbackYou can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp.

Mike Greenland: “Listened for years. Always excellent.”
You are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

We have over 300 episodes in our back catalog – all available at theskipodcast.com. Just have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find something of interest.

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We find out what it’s like heliskiing in Albania, learn about the ski resort of Champoluc in Italy, and hear about the last ski day of the season in Chamonix.

We also have snow reports from Cervinia in Italy and Les 2 Alpes and Tignes in France.

Host Iain Martin was joined by freelance journalist Katie Bamber and Editor of Snow Magazine, Tris Kennedy.

SHOW NOTES
Katie previously shared her experience of touring the Alps in a camper van (in Episode 167), the Haute Route (in Episode 172) and Geilo in Norway in Episode 204 (1:30)
She recently skied on the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier in Austria (2:45)
Tris skied at Passo Tonale, which stays open until 03 May (4:15)
Iain was at the Grands Montets for the closing day party (6:00)
Check out the Pond Skim event video (7:00)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching is in Les 2 Alpes (7:45)
Floss Cockle from the YouTube channel FreeFloFloss is in Tignes (8:30)
Dave Burrows from SnoPros Ski School was in Cervinia (10:30)
Samuel Equy & Mathéo Jacquemoud set a new ski FKT for Chamonix to the top of Mont Blanc and back (13:30)
You can watch their video here
Jaquemoud set a time of of 13h27m49s for the Haute Route earlier in April (14:00)
Where is Champoluc? (16:45)
What’s the ski area like? (19:00)
Ski 2 went out of business in 2021 (23:00)
Al Morgan reported from the SIGB ski test in Champoluc in Episode 303 (23:30)
Tris travelled with Heliski Albania (26:00)
Where is Albania? (26:30)
Who is Norman Wisdom? (28:00)
How to get there? (29:00)
Pristina has statues of Tony Blair and Bill Clinton (29:00)
Valbona is in the ‘Accursed Mountains’ (31:00)
You don’t (normally) need to jump out of the helicopter (32:00)
What’s the terrain like? (33:30)
Best time to go (35:30)
Check Tris’s article in National Geographic (37:00)

FeedbackYou can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp

Anon (Spotify): "309 was another fabulous episode bringing the mountains ever closer to all of us. Despite living in a ski resort myself [Morgins] I never fail to learn something new about life in my own backyard."

Lucy Kings: "I’ve been an avid listener for some time. I’m particularly interested in your commitment to sustainable travel, championing the female voice and above all I love that The Ski Podcast has highlighted the issues of disability and improving access to skiing for young people by fundraising for Snow Camp."

Antonia Simpson: "I was delighted to see Vars and Risoul featured in Episode 310. We’ve been going to the area for years. It’s a massively underrated region and it’s brilliant.”
There are now 311 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with in our back catalog – all available at theskipodcast.com. Just have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find something of interest to get you through until next winter.

You can buy Iain a coffee at BuyMeACoffee.com

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Today we find out about the ski resorts of Risoul and Vars in France, report from the Dynastar X3 Triathlon in Courchevel and look at how you can improve your ski mindset.

Host Iain Martin was joined by ski mindset coach, Lou Pode, and COO of The Ski Club of Great Britain and organiser of the London Snow Show, James Gambrill.

SHOW NOTES
Iain recently skied in Verbier (5:30)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching is in Les 2 Alpes (6:30)
Floss Cockle from the YouTube channel FreeFloFloss has been skiing in Val Thorens (7:00)
Jen Tsang runs the website ThatsLaPlagne.com (9:30)
Iain took part in the Dynastar X3 Triathlon in Courchevel (11:30)
Lou learned to ski using the ski évolutif system in Les Arcs (15:00)
Listen to Episode 229 for further discussion about female participation in skiing (18:00)
Find out about Lou’s Ski Mindset Coaching (19:30)
Lou can prepare you before their holiday (20:00)
How to get there (26:00)
Iain skied in Roccaraso, flying out to Naples (26:45)
Size of the ski area (28:45)
Who is it suitable for (33:00)
James has been skiing twice this winter in Risoul and Vars (33:30)The Fashion Show is back at the London Snow Show for 2026 (35:00)
There are also plans for to make Sunday a ‘Legends’ day (37:30)
Find out more about the London Snow Show on their website (40:00)

FeedbackIf you’ve enjoyed this episode you can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

You can also join our WhatsApp channel for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast

Helen Keast: "I just wanted to say how much I’ve been enjoying the podcast — I’ve listened to every episode and look forward to each new one. I especially love the features on different resorts, and I really enjoyed the equipment reviews at the start of the season and the Olympic coverage!"

Emily Ruth Givens: "Love the podcast"

Colin Tierney: "Gausta is another area in Norway I am looking at didn’t realise that was the area heavy water was made."
Anna: "Thank you for the podcast! Just discovered and binged it driving across Newfoundland for a ski at Marble Mountain. I love the ski safari idea in Episode 307."

Jan Claeren: "Thank you for the podcast - it's great to listen to and to travel with you and your guests"
There are now 310 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’d like to get some insight on a particular destination or the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find something of interest to get you through until next winter.

Please do subscribe – it helps other people find us and you’ll never miss an episode. If you enjoy the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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We visit La Clusaz and find out about local freeride skier Candide Thovex’s new range of skis. We also go to Verbier to learn what it was like to become the first woman to work on their ski patrol.

We have snow reports from Flaine in France, Via Lattea in Italy and St Anton in Austria, news on the class action lawsuit going on in the States and there’s a Team GB update as well.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Victoria Jamieson, the first woman to join the Verbier ski patrol, and Tony McWilliam, the founder of Faction Skis and designer of Candide Thovex’s new line of skis.

SHOW NOTES
Tony McWilliam is the founder of Faction Skis (2:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Tony about his story
Simon Burgess reports from Flaine (5:00)
James and Sinead from Sauze Online are in the Via Lattea (7:00)
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Travel is in St Anton (8:30)A class action lawsuit has been filed against Vail Resorts and Alterra (11:00)
Read the excellent analysis by Stuart Winchester from the Storm Skiing Podcast (11:15)
Kirsty Muir, Charlotte Bankes & Zoe Atkin won Crystal Globes in Ski Slopestyle, Snowboard Cross and Ski Halfpipe (12:00)
Jim Duncombe lives in La Clusaz and was co-founder of The Ski Podcast (12:30)
The new black run is named after home town hero Candide Thovex (16:20)
Check out Candide on YouTube… (16:30)
Candide has said that La Balme taught him everything and shaped his skiing (16:45)
Philippine Bories works for the La Clusaz tourist office (18:00)
Listen to Iain’s previous interview with Tony (22:30)
Tony first met Candide when he was 16 and signed him to Faction Skis later (23:30)
Faction supplied him with 27 sets of skis for his epic ‘Ski The World’ video (25:00)
Tony worked with Candide on his own range of skis (27:00)
The design of the top sheets are very minimalist (29:00)
Only 100 of the limited edition La Clusaz 101 were made (29:30)
The construction of the skis (30:00)
Tony now runs Forward Outdoor (32:30)
Angelika Kaufmann spoke about her job blasting avalanches in Lech in Episode 270 (33:00)
Victoria was the first woman to join the Verbier ski patrol in 2008 (34:00)
The exams or qualifications required (37:00)
Why blasting avalanches is so important (38:30)

FeedbackYou can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop Iain an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow us on our WhatsApp channel.

andrewdickson: "Great interview with Tim Wall (Episode 299). I love the Ski Lodge and all the bands that have played there over the years. We will be back for our 21st visit next year.”
James Rice: "Just downloaded Episode 308 (about Chamonix). Really looking forward to it."
Sean Burton: “I just wanted to reiterate how much I enjoy the podcast.I discovered it after my first ski trip in January 2024 and have been listening avidly ever since.”
There are now 309 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’d like to get some insight on a particular destination or the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find something of interest.

If you enjoy the podcast, you can always buy Iain a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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We go on a ski touring adventure in Chamonix, staying an unmanned refuge at 3000m, and also take a closer look at some of the most spectacular Alpine refuges in the world. Plus we find out about the ski resort synonymous with Robert Redford – Sundance in Utah.

We also learn of a post-Olympic spike in visitors to the UK’s snow centres, plus we have snow reports from Madesimo, Gausta and Les 2 Alpes, plus your feedback.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.
--------- SHOW NOTES
Katja Gaskell was last on the show in Episode 242 when she reported on Saint Gervais (1:30)
Aaron Rolph is founder of the British Adventure Collective (1:45)
Aaron skied on the Dome de Miage (4:00)Claire Harrison reported from Madesimo in Italy (5:30)
Mike Richards was in Gausta in Norway (6:45)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching is in Les 2 Alpes (9:00)The new Entry/Exit System EES with the EU will scale up to 100% on 10 April (09:15)
Freddy Carrick Smith picked up the silver in the slalom at the Junior World Championships (9:30)
Ian Brown, MD of The Snow Centre, reports on a bump in traffic in both Hemel Hempstead & Manchester (10:00)
Iain was guided by Brad Carlson on a ski mountaineering 101 trip (14:30)
Iain stayed in the Bivouac de l'Envers des Dorées (17:30)
Brad was on the podcast in Episode 240 discussing the impact of global warming on the Mer de Glace (18:30)
The kit you need for ski mountaineering adventure (20:45)
Aaron’s bookis ‘Alpine Refuges: The Architecture and Culture of Mountain Shelters’ (25:45)
What is a bothy in Scotland? (26:45)
What is an Alpine refuge? (28:30)
Choosing the 30 refuges featured in the book (29:20)
The Bivacco Gervasutti is one of Aaron’s favourites (31:00)
The Hannibal Bivouac (32:00)
Aaron has visited around 60 refuges (34:00)
Aaron is the founder of the British Adventure Collective (34:30)
European refuges v. North America (35:30)
Sundance is famous for the film festival (38:00)
Films that launched at Sundance include Reservoir Dogs, The Blair Witch Project, Get Out and Memento (39:00)
Robert Redford bought it in 1968 (39:40)
There is a focus on conservation (41:00)
Redford felt it should be ‘“developed a little, preserved a lot” (41:30)
The skiing (42:00)
His ownership meant it developed as a hub for the arts (44:00)
Who is Sundance suitable for? (47:00)
FeedbackYou can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Martyn Crawshaw: “I'm currently skiing in Champery, Switzerland which can be reached by rail direct via a funicular from the mainline station at Aigle”

seanski: "It’s such a great podcast and look forward to it every week, I've been particularly inspired by your series on the Tirol, and as I write I'm en route by train to Landeck"

Linley Lewis: "Just wanted to drop you a line let you know I greatly enjoyed your Ste Foy episode. Ste Foy has become an annual pilgrimage for my family. It's an absolute gem and I think you summed up its joy perfectly."

Claire: "We have just returned from a week in Fugen in the Zillertal after listening to your feature in Episode 272. We were very impressed with the ski area: the efficiency of the transport, range of slopes, wonderful mountain "hutte" and friendly hospitality everywhere. We will be back for sure!"
Colin Tierney: “I love skiing in Austria: you could do a different resort every winter without ever having to repeat.”
There are now 308 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 187 of those have been listened to in the last week, including interviews with Winter Olympians such as Andrew Musgrave, Eddie The Eagle, Dave Ryding, Graham Bell, both Izzy and Zoe Atkin, Chemmy Alcott, Bode Miller and Kirsty Muir.

If you’d like to listen to an interview with an athlete, get some insight on a particular destination, or find out about the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest to listen to.

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:
- follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
- give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
- save yourself some money by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book using this link

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Today we cover three countries: in France, we find out about Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise; we hear about a ski safari across the Dolomites in Italy; and about a ‘ski touring for softies’ adventure in Austria.

Iain was joined in the studio by Ireland’s leading ski specialist, Catherine Murphy and freelance journalist, Simon Miller.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.
--------- SHOW NOTES
Simon spoke about Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis in Episode 291
We featured Deer Valley in the podcast in Episode 272 (2:20)
Iain reported on his stay in Brides-les-Bains in Episode 306 (3:30)
Betony Garner reported from St Gervais (5:45)
Jen Tsang runs the website ThatsLaPlagne.com (7:00)
Dave Burrows from SnoPros Ski School was in Lélex Crozet, France (8:50)
Floss Cockle from the YouTube channel FreeFloFloss reported from Tignes (11:10)
Neil Simpson has picked up Silver in the Men’s VI combined at the Paralympics (13:00)
Zak Carrick-Smith made his World Cup debut in the slalom in Kranjska Gora (13:15)
Iain visited Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise by train (14:00)
Iain is writing an article about backcountry skiing for Fall Line Magazine (14:15)
The British chalet company, Premiere Neige is a Sainte Foy specialist (14:40)
Fiona Harvey-Jordan is the founder of Premiere Neige (15:00)
Iain’s guide in Sainte-Foy was Nicholas Barel (24:00)
Rachel Pilkington is the owner of Llama Llama in Sainte Foy (24:20)
The backcountry in Sainte-Foy is amazing (27:15)
Catherine went on the Specialismo Ski Safari with Inspired Italy (27:45)
The route was Ortisei-Val Gardena-Passo San Pellegrino-Civetta-Lagazuoi-Alta Badia-Marmolada-Colfosco-Ortisei (29:00)
Italian Rifugio are very different from what some people might think of when they think of refuges (29:45)
The Dolomiti Superski pass is included in the Ikon Pass (31:30)
Who’s it suitable for? (34:15)
Simon was ski touring on the ‘Nockberge Trail’ in Carinthia, Austria (37:15)
Travel was in and out of Graz (37:45)
‘Ski touring as if it was designed by people who dream up aromatherapy marketing material’ (38:15)
Simon’s trip was organised by Trail Angels (38:45)
It could be described as ‘ski touring for softies’ (41:45)

Feedback (46:00)You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Paul Bond: "Winter Olympics pods were great. Games were fantastic. Great stuff from Team GB with much future promise."
Poppy Porteus: "I really want to be an Olympic champ and love listening to your podcast"Nicolas: “Loved your recent episode about cat skiing in Georgia. It brought back great memories of previous cat skiing adventures.”
There are now 307 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’d like to get some insight on a particular destination, listen to an interview with an athlete or find out about the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest to listen to.

And don’t forget you can save yourself some money on ski hire if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you when you book at intersportrent.com.

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We find out about one of Austria’s most famous ski resorts, Kitzbühel, plus go cat skiing in Georgia and consider if Brides-Les-Bains is the way to ski in Les 3 Vallées without breaking the bank.

We also have snow reports from Courchevel, Les 2 Alpes and the Via Lattea and an Olympic catch up with Chemmy Alcott.

Iain was joined in the studio by Anna Nirkow from Kitzbühel Tourism and freelance journalist Mike ‘The Snow’ Richards.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

SHOW NOTES
Mike was last on the show in Episode 294, discussing skiing in Pra Loup (1:45)
Skiing on Hay Bluff in Wales (4:00)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching is in Les 2 Alpes (5:00)
Alex Irwin from YouTube’s ‘150 Days of Winter’ is in Courchevel (5:45)
James and Sinead from Sauze Online are in the Via Lattea (7:15)
This year was the 86th edition of the Hahnenkamm race in Kitzbühel (9:30)
Around 80,000 spectators attend across the three days of racing (10:30)
Every year there’s a slalom race as well (12:30)
Dave Ryding won in 2022 (13:30)
There’s a gondola in Kitzbühel with Ryding’s name on it (14:00)
You can visit the ‘starthaus’ at the top of the Streif (15:45)
The ski area has 233km across 90 pistes (16:45)
Bergbahn Kitzbühel is a regular winner of ‘World’s Best Ski Resort Company’ (17:00)
The KitzSkiWelt Tour offers 88km of skiing in the world’s longest ski safari (18:00)
Travel by train to Kitzbühel (20:00)
Cross country and ski touring options (20:45)
Anna’s favourite mountain huts include the Bärenbadalm, Melkalm, Rasmushof, Panorama Alm, Sonnenrast and BichlAlm (22:45)
And for apres ski try the Legendencafe and The Londoner (23:15)
Emily Sarsfield – Olympian & TNT Sport commentator – joined Iain for our Winter Olympic specials (25:00)
Guests included gold medal winners, Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Bankes, as well as Chemmy Alcott, Graham Bell, Ed Leigh, Eddie The Eagle
BBC presenter Chemmy Alcott shares her thoughts on the Games (25:30)
Zak, Luca and Freddy Carrick-Smith share their thoughts on the future (29:15)An epic trip on a four-day Interrail from Rail Europe (31:00)
Iain stayed for the first time in Brides-Les-Bains, connected by the Olympe gondola directly to Meribel (32:00)
Mike talked about a trip to Guadari in Georgia in Episode 37 (33:30)
Mike booked with the Powder Project (36:00)
Bakhmaro is 1900m with cat served skiing up to 2750m (37:00)

FeedbackYou can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Colin Tierney:“The joy of having to work is being able to record the Olympics and fast forward through the bits that don’t entertain me and Sweden (Episode303) sounds great.”
Richard Baker: “Listening to Episode 305 and I agree that Zoe Atkin may have deserved the silver”

If you’d like to get some insight on a particular destination, listen to an interview with an athlete or find out about the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest to listen to.

Don’t forget you can save yourself some money on ski hire if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com

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In our 10th and final Winter Olympics Special, Emily and Iain celebrate a bronze medal for Zoe Atkin in the Ski Halfpipe, discuss a photo-finish in the Men’s Skier Cross and look at the potential legacy from the Games for British snowsports.

We also pick our highlights from the Games, with contributions from Rachael Oakes-Ash, Betony Garner and Zak, Luca and Freddy Carrick Smith.

SHOW NOTES
Zoe Atkin won Bronze in the Women’s Ski Half Pipe (1:00)
This is GB Snowsports best ever return in a Winter Olympics (3:00)
Men's Ski Cross (4:15)
The photo finish for silver (7:30)
Team GB is one only three countries that don't pay for gold medals (9:30)
Ed Leigh and Tim Warwood on the legacy for GB snowsports (10:45)
The closing ceremony (13:45)
Olympic tattoos (15:00)
The highlights of the Games…
Rachael Oakes-Ash reported from Livigno for Snowsbest.com in Australia (17:00)
Betony Garner was working for Team GB (21:00)
Zak, Luca and Freddy Carrick-Smith (25:00)

Finally, many of the athletes will be going home now as Olympians and will have memories that will last forever. There’s something lese that will last forever – an Olympic rings Tattoo? I think I’m right in saying that you’ve got one Emily – now tell us, is this something they offer in the Olympic village? FeedbackSo if you enjoyed this episode I would love to know. Just leave us a on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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Iain and Emily discuss the Women’s Ski Cross, Michaela Shiffrin’s dominating performance in the Slalom and a best ever Team GB performance in cross country, plus we look ahead to Zoe Atkin’s chances of a medal in the Ski Half Pipe and reflect just how tough Skimo looks!

Iain Martin was joined by Olympian and former Team GB Skier X athlete Emily Sarsfield.

SHOW NOTES
Emily commentates for TNT Sport on Skier Cross (0:30)
Silver medallist Fanny Smith could have been winning a medal for Team GB (1:00)
Ollie Davies is representing Team GB in the Men’s Skier Cross (2:45)
Michaela Shiffrin’s margin of 1.5 seconds was the largest in Olympic alpine since 1998 (9:00)
She is the winningest World Cup skier of all time with 108 wins (9:15)
Andrew Musgrave and James Clugnet finished 5th in the Team Sprint Relay – Britain’s highest ever finish in cross country (10:00)
Is Skimo ‘snow’s answer to triathlon’ (12:00)
Emily Harrop won silver for France, but is another Brit that got away (13:30)
The Men’s Ski Halfpipe features Gus Kenworthy, who qualified for the final in 9th place (14:00)
Zoe Atkin goes for a medal in the Women’s Ski Half Pipe on Saturday, having qualified in 1st place (14:15)

FeedbackIf you enjoyed this episode I would love to know. Just leave us a on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

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We find out about the ski resorts of Isola 2000 in France - combined with a city break in Nice - and Stöten in Sweden.

We also learn about ‘un/para/ld’ - a new project to improve outdoor clothing for disabled people and we hear how the recent SIGB ski test went with our equipment expert, Al Morgan.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Ben Nyberg, MD at Ski Scandinavia, and Alice Sainsbury, founder of ‘un/para/ld’

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

SHOW NOTES
Ben Nyberg was on the show in Episode 221, discussing skiing in Sweden (1:30)
Ben skied in Trysil in Norway (4:30)
Tim Hudson from Inspired Italy reports Val Gardena (5:00)
Jen Tsang from That’s La Plagne is in La Plagne (6:40)
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Ski is in St Anton (8:20)
Huw Nightingale, Charlotte Bankes, Chemmy Alcott, Graham Bell, Ed Leigh, Eddie The Eagle have all featured in our Winter Olympic Special Episodes (10:00)
Chapeau to Dave Ryding – listen to Iain’s interview with Dave in Episode 199 (10:45)
Iain took the night train from Paris to Nice, spent a day in Nice, then went to the ski resort of Isola 2000 (11:45)
Incredible views from the train on the Cote d’Azur (12:15)
Caterina Prochilo speaks of the long history between Britain and Nice (13:00)
After Nice Iain went to Isola 2000 (16:00)
Iain was guided by Manon Degli Innocenti to the Tete Merciere (16:30)Ben is MD of Ski Scandinavia (17:00)Norway and Sweden are experiencing a surge in interest from British skiers (18:15)
Ben is based in Stoten (19:00)
Who’s Stoten suitable for? (21:45)
The transfer from the airport is only 25 minutes (22:45)
Is Sweden more expensive than the Alps? (24:00)
Try ‘fika’… (25:00)
Alice Sainsbury is founder of 'un/para/ld' (27:30)
"The outdoor clothing industry has failed disabled people. It is time for something new."
Iain spoke with Heather Davies from the Re-Action Collective in Episode 255 (31:00)
Working with Re-Action on a film shoot (33:30)
Alice and the 'un/para/ld' project will be at the Paralympic Winter Games (34:00)
How can people get support UN/PARA/LD and get involved? (35:15)
Al Morgan reports from the annual SIGB (Snowsports Industries of Great Britain) ski test in Champoluc (37:40)
Listen to our previous equipment special episodes

Glyn: "I really enjoyed your interview with Tim Wall! (Episode 299) I discovered the Ski Lodge in its first year, stayed in La Tania for the last 27 years, including many full seasons. Got to know Debbie and Tim pretty well - wonderful people and hosts!"

There are now 303 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’d like to get some insight on a particular destination, listen to an interview with an athlete or find out about the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest to listen to.

if you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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In our latest Winter Olympics Special, we discuss Kirsty Muir just missing out on a medal in the Ski Big Air, plus Chemmy Alcott shares her predictions for the Women’s Slalom. We also find out what life is like in an Olympic Village, plus we look at the new sport of SkiMo.

Host, Iain Martin, was joined by Olympian and former Team GB Skier X athlete Emily Sarsfield.

SHOW NOTES
Kirsty Muir finished 4th in the Ski Big Air (1:00)
Why Kirsty opted to go big for her final trick (2:00)

“The judges have ranges for tricks. She had already nearly maxed out the available score for trick A and while the score for trick B was high, it wasn’t that clean a jump, so had more scope to increase. That trick has scored in the 96/7 range before. Plus on run three she tried to add in a new grab that, had she landed, would have asked serious questions of the judges.”

Listen to Iain’s interview with Kirsty Muir (3:30)
#pintrading (5:30)
Spare a thought for Atle Lie McGrath (8:00)
Chemmy Alcott shares her predictions for the Women’s Slalom (8:30)
Zoe Atkin is taking place in the Women's ski half pipe (10:30)
The SkiMo is a new event, look out for it on Thursday (11:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with British SkiMo athlete Iain Innes (11:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Andrew Musgrave (12:00) FeedbackIf you’ve enjoyed this episode I would love to know. You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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In our latest Winter Olympics Special, we discuss the first ever gold medal for Team GB on snow, after the win in the Team Snowboard Cross, plus we review Dave ‘The Rocket’ Ryding’s final slalom race.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Olympian and former Team GB Skier X athlete Emily Sarsfield.

SHOW NOTES
Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale won Gold in the Team Snowboard Cross(2:00)
Medals = Funding (5:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with GB Snowsport CEO, Vicky Gosling (6:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with GB Snowsport Head Coach Pat Sharples (7:30)
Billy Major and Dave Ryding finished 16th and 17th in the Men’s Slalom (8:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Dave Ryding in Episode 199 (8:30)
Kirsty Muir qualified in 4th place for the Women’s Ski Big Air (10:15)
Mia Brookes failed to qualify for the Snowboard Slopestyle final (11:00)

FeedbackIf you’ve enjoyed this episode I would love to know. You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com.

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

If you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

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We preview Dave Ryding’s last Olympics in the Men’s Slalom, including an interview with Laurie Taylor, plus look ahead to the Mixed Snowboard Cross with Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Bankes.

Host Iain Martin was joined by ex-Olympian and Team GB Skier X athlete Emily Sarsfield for our latest Winter Olympics Special Episode.

SHOW NOTES
Women’s Snowboard Cross (2:45)
The Mixed Snowboard Cross is on Sunday 15 Feb (4:45)
Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Bankes spoke with Iain (5:00)
Kirsty Muir takes part in the Women's Ski Big Air: qualifiers on Sat, final on Mon (8:30)
Mia Brookes is back for the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle: qualifers on Mon, final on Tue (8:45)
According to the BBC, a lot of people are finding the drone sound annoying (9:15)
Laurie Taylor interview (11:30)
Dave Ryding’s chances (15:30)
The Ski Podcast sponsors the Carrick Smith brothers
Zak & Luca’s Slalom predictions (17:00)

FeedbackYou can contact us via Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com you’ll get an extra discount. Take this link for your discount to be automatically applied]

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Today’s episode is a special interview with Tim Wall, owner of Pub Le Ski Lodge in La Tania in France’s Les 3 Vallées ski area.

During our conversation Tim shares his experience of running one the most famous bars in Les 3 Vallées for over 30 years. He reveals his favourite apres-ski bands; the annual opportunity to ‘Toss The Boss’; and some of the other businesses that he has run, including La Taiga, Lodge du Village and the Pit Stop.

We find out how the La Tania charity day grew from to a massive event, hosted by Radio One’s Jo Whiley and the truth behind Tim’s appearance on ‘Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares’.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

SHOW NOTES
Pub Le Ski Lodge opened in December 1993 (2:30)
Tim and Debbie previously worked in Val Morel for Neilson (3:30)
Skiing in Valmorel (4:30)
Building the Ski Lodge (6:30)
Live music at the Ski Lodge, inc ‘Shibboleth’ and ‘Wild Turkey’ (10:30)
‘Superfly’…and ‘The Feeling’ (11:30)
‘Bring Your Sisters’ (13:30)
‘Toss the Boss’ (14:30)
Tim blowing the horn (14:15)
Slebs, including Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex (17:30)
La Tania Charity Day (18:45)
The move to Meribel Village (21:00)
Toffa from latania.co.uk was on the podcast in Episode 95 (22:30)
Snow reports (24:15)
“Get yourselves out here!” (24:30)
Going to the FIFA World Cup (26:30)
The Ski Lodge England flag (26:45)
‘The Pit Stop’ (28:30)
Lodge du Village (29:00)
La Taiga (31:00)
Hotel Montana (34:00)
Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares (35:15)
Living in south-west France (41:00)
Debbie (41:30)

FeedbackYou can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow us on WhatsApp.

Rob Fogg: “It’s great to hear about the Tirol - we are in the process of planning next year’s trip to either the Arlberg or Zillertal regions by train and all your episodes have been assisting us greatly.”
Jack Harvey: “I visited Sauze last March and loved it. You can get a whole margherita cooked to order at Mavie’s in Sansicario for €8 with great views towards the French border. I’d avoid the busy cafe at the top of Cessna/Claviere on your way to Montgenevre though.”
There are now 299 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’d like to get some insight on a particular destination, listen to an interview with an Olympian or find out about the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something there of interest.

Don’t forget, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, you can save yourself some money by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com or use this link for that discount to be automatically applied.

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We discuss Mia Brookes ballsy attempt at winning a medal in the Snowboard Big Air, whether Lindsey Vonn is in denial and look at Charlotte Bankes’ chances of winning a medal in the Snowboard Cross.

Host Iain Martin was joined by ex-Olympian and Team GB Skier X athlete Emily Sarsfield for our latest Winter Olympics Special Episode.

SHOW NOTES
Iain skied today in Isola 2000 (1:00)
Mia Brookes finished in 4th in the Snowboard Big Air, attempting a backside 1620 (2:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Ed Leigh in #296 to understand the language behind freestyle tricks (2:20)

Mia Brookes:

“It’s not like it’s a trick that I could do. I’ve only ever done it on the airbag and the last time I tried it was five months ago. So that was the first time I’ve ever tried it on snow. I think everyone will be just as stoked about me trying a 16 than me getting a medal.”

Lindsey Vonn has a complex tibia fracture requiring multiple surgeries (4:00)
“My ACL and past injuries had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever” (4:00)
Makayla Guerke Schofield finished in 18th in the Women’s Moguls qualification (6:15)
Watch the TNT documentary ‘She Who Dares’ (6:45)
Charlotte Bankes competes in the Women’s Snowboard Cross on Friday (8:30)
Interview with Charlotte Bankes (10:00)

FeedbackIf you’ve enjoyed this episode – or even if you didn’t like it – I would love to know. You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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Today Iain and Emily review Men & Women’s Downhill, plus Kirsty Muir’s 4th place in the Ski Slopestyle. We have contributions from Chemmy Alcott and Ed Leigh.

SHOW NOTES

Lindsey Vonn broke her leg in the Women’s Downhill (1:00)
Graham Bell’s predictions in Episode 293 were spot on (4:00)
BBC’s Chemmy Alcott analyses the Men’s Downhill (4:40)
Iain has been enjoying the split screen feature from Discovery+ (7:15)
Kirsty Muir finished 4th in the Women’s Ski Slopestyle
Ed Leigh on the Women’s Snowboard Big Air (11:30)
Listen to Ed Leigh in Episode 296
Chemmy Alcott on the Opening Ceremony (18:30)
Snoop Dogg at the curling

If you enjoyed this episode and you want to help the podcast, don’t forget that if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com you’ll save yourself some money. Simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

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BBC’s Ed Leigh explains the terms used to describe freestyle tricks, as well as how the judges come up with their scores, in the third of our Winter Olympics special episodes.

With Kirsty Muir competing in the final of the Women’s Ski Slopestyle tomorrow (Mon 09 Feb) and Mia Brookes taking part in the Women’s Snowboard Big Air qualifying today (Sun 08 Feb) and, hopefully, the final tomorrow, there’s no better time to get up to date with all the key terms.

SHOW NOTES
Direction of spin (1:30)
Axis of Rotation (2:15)
Number of rotations (3:00)
Type of grab (5:00)
The scoring system in slopestyle (8:45)
PAVED = Progression, Amplitude, Variety, Execution, Difficulty (9:15)

Listen to our previous Winter Olympic special episodes, including our downhill preview with Graham Bell and exclusive interview with Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to help the podcast, don’t forget that if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com you’ll save yourself some money. Simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

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Host Iain Martin is joined by Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards – who at the 1988 Calgary Games became famous across the world for having the courage and determination to take on the challenge of Olympic ski jumping.

His story was made into a movie in 2015, starring Hugh Jackman and Taron Edgerton.

Eddie tells us about flying to movie premieres in private jets, how he’s disappointed that Team GB seem to disown him and the parallels he sees in the determination to compete shown by Lindsey Vonn.

SHOW NOTES
Listen to Iain’s previous interview with Eddie from 2019 (1:00)
Eddie has watched the ‘Eddie The Eagle’ movie over 150 times (1:30)
Taron Edgerton nailed Eddie’s mannerisms and voice (2:15)
Hugh Jackman asking for a selfie with Eddie (3:30)
Memories of the Opening Ceremony at Calgary in 1988 (5:30)
Readly - the digital magazine and newspaper app – has launched a retro Winter Olympics Games series (8:00)
Readly’s survey placed Eddie 3rd behind the Jamaican bobsleigh team Torville and Dean in 1984 in a list of most memorable winter Olympic moments (8:30)
GB Snowsports CEO Vicky Gosling said ‘The Eddie the Eagle days are over’ (10:00)
Can British athletes draw lessons from Eddie’s experience? (10:30)
Eddie on Lindsey Vonn (13:00)

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We find out about Sauze d’Oulx and the Via Lattea ski area in Italy, as well as the resort of Pra Loup in the southern French Alps.

We also get excited about the Olympics, hearing Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards’ thoughts on Lindsey Vonn – and go ‘Down Under’ to look at Australia chances of bringing home a record medal haul. Plus we have your feedback and our regular snow reports from around the mountains.

Iain was joined in the studio by James and Sinead from SauzeOnline and by Mike ‘The Snow’ Richards.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

SHOW NOTES

Mike was in Crans Montana for the World Cup racing (3:45)
Lindsey Vonn crashed in the Downhill and ruptured her ACL (5:00)
Claire Harrison reports from the Aosta Valley (6:30)Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching is in Les 2 Alpes (7:45)
Jim Duncombe is in La Clusaz (8:30)
Betony Garner reported from Livigno, where she is working for Team GB (10:20)
The first of our Special Olympics episodes was released on Wednesday (11:00)
Former Team GB Skier X athlete Emily Sarsfield will be joining Iain for those episodes (11:30)
Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards on Lindsey Vonn (13:00)
Rachael Oakes-Ash is THE expert on skiing in Australia and New Zealand and is Livigno reporting for snowsbest.com (14:45)
Australian team chances (15:00)
Watch ‘Pipe Dream’ – Scotty James’ story (17:30)
Indra Brown (19:15)
James and Sinead run SauzeOnline (24:00)
Visit the official ‘Via Lattea’ website (25:30)
The ski area has 400km of pistes (26:30)
Sauze d’Oulx used to have a reputation as a party destination (29:00)
A UK company now owns lift systems in the Vialattea and Bardonecchia (27:15)
Who is the area suitable for? (30:30)
Gastronomy in Via Lattea…and low prices! (32:00)
Mike visited Pra Loup in December 2025 (34:00)
The Pra Loup ski area has 180km of pistes (37:30)
Ski touring tracks in Pra Loup (38:00)
The Mercantour National Park (41:30)
Pra Loup is a ‘dark sky reserve’ (42:00)
Wolves are in the logo and in the park (43:00)
Find out about the proposed new slope in Merthyr Tydfil (44:00)

FeedbackYou can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Xomorph: “Enjoying the pod, but could you do an episode on what to do when you are bored with all the pistes in your area... I can ski all the slopes in my local resorts and now I don't know how to keep on having fun”

Ian Brown: "Avid listener of the podcast. I just finished the Serfaus episode this morning, it’s an area on our list that we’d like to explore for sure"
If you’d like to get some insight on a particular destination or the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find interesting to listen to.

if you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

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In the first of our special Winter Olympics episodes covering Milan-Cortina 2026, we preview this weekend’s big events - the men and women’s downhill - and look ahead to the Women's Ski Slopestyle.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by special guest Emily Sarsfield and down the line by BBC commentator Graham Bell and Ski Sunday's Ed Leigh.

SHOW NOTES
Emily Sarsfield first appeared on the podcast in Episode 3 (0:45)
She represented Team GB in Skier X including at Pyeongchang 2018 (2:00)
The opening ceremony takes place at the San Siro in Milan on Friday (4:00)
Team GB’s flag bearers are Brad Hall and Lilah Fear (5:00)
Download the ski/snowboard schedule - all the dates and timings for the skiing and snowboarding events (5:20)
Graham Bell shares his predictions for the Men and Women’s Downhill (6:45)
Lindsey Vonn has stated that she has an ACL injury, but will still compete (12:30)
The Women's Freeski Slopestyle qualifications are on Saturday, with the final on Monday
Ed Leigh shared his thoughts on Kirsty Muir’s chances (14:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Kirsty Muir in Episode 171 (14:30)

Simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

Cover Photo (c) Milano-Cortina 2026

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Today we find out about La Tzoumaz in Switzerland and Jasna in Slovakia, plus we preview the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics including interviews with Vicky Gosling, CEO of GB Snowsports and Zak, Luca and Freddy Carrick Smith.

We also have our regular snow reports and share our downloadable schedule for all the skiing and snowboarding events at Milan-Cortina.

Iain was joined in the studio by Irish ski journalist, Catherine Murphy and Slovakia resident, Richard Patey.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

SHOW NOTES
Dave Burrows from Snowpros Ski School reported from Morgins (3:45)
James Cove from planetski.eu reports from Revelstoke and Kicking Horse in Canada (5:00)
Guy Beatson has been in Furano in Japan (6:00)
The Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics start on 06 February (7:30)
Download the skiing and snowboarding schedule (8:00)Team GB athletes picked up a stunning five medals at the X Games in Aspen (8:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Kirsty Muir (9:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Zoe Atkin (9:15)
Mia Brookes spoke to Iain in Episode 188 (9:15)
Vicky Gosling is CEO of GB Snowsport (9:30)
Watch the documentary ‘She Who Dares’ on Discovery+ (16:00)
Watch the Carrick-Smith documentary ‘Beyond the Gate’ on Amazon Prime or YouTube (20:30)
Catherine shared her knowledge of Innsbruck in Episode 257 (21:00)
Find out more about La Tzoumaz in Switzerland (21:15)
The name comes from Valaisan dialect (21:45)
How to get there (22:15)
Catherine stayed at the Hotel Papillon (27:45)
We featured Slovakia on the podcast once before, back in Episode 243 covering ‘Going East’ (29:00)
Where is Slovakia? (29:30)
Read Richard’s blog post about the transformation going on in the High Tatras (31:00)
‘Slovakia is entering its “Austria-in-the-90s” phase’
Jasna is the biggest resort (33:30)
Richard (and the ‘Going East’ crew’ skied at Stary Smokovec (35:00)
The GoPass covers all resorts as well as other benefits (36:30)
Tatranska Lomnica and Štrbské Pleso are also in Slovakia
Follow Richard on Instagram

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

David Flynn: “I’m an Irish/French listener, love the podcast. It's become a stable diet in my household and are a life-saver for the walks with the dogs on the beach”

Gavin Marsden: “I love each and every episode.”

Andrew Wilson: "I am a regular listener. I only took up skiing at the age of 50, 4 years ago and love it."

Andrew Brannan: “Iain, your podcast is excellent. Thank you for going to the trouble and not just reading out the latest press releases from Crystal.”
There are now 292 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 149 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’d like to get some insight on a particular destination or the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find interesting to listen to.

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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In this episode, we learn more about the resorts of Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis in the Tirol region of Austria, how Swedish clothing brand, Peak Performance, design their garments and check in on the new Chenus lift in Courchevel.

Host Iain Martin was joined by freelance journalist, Simon Miller and Ski Designer at Peak Performance, Marie Andersson

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

SHOW NOTES
Simon has been skiing across Les 3 Vallees (2:45)
Iain reported from Val Garden in Episode 242 (3:45)
Marie will be skiing in Are, Sweden (4:45)
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Travel is in St Anton (6:15)
James from Sauze Online was in Bardoneccia (7:50)
Chris from Freeride Republic is in Meribel (9:30)
Why we are renumbering the podcasts (11:00)
The Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics start on 04 February (12:00)
The Winter XGames take place in Aspen this weekend (12:30)
Simlon was in Serfaus, staying at the Hotel Cervosa (13:15)
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is known as a family friendly resort (15:00)
‘We are Family’ (15:10)
Find out about the Serfaus subway (17:00)
Safe skiing and slow skiing was discussed in Episode 270 (18:45)
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is actually three separate villages
The ski area has 214km of pistes and 69 lifts (20:00)
Simon enjoyed the spectacular night show (22:30)
Simon also tried the toboggan runs (23:30)
Try the Schalber Alm for Kaiserscharnn (24:30)
Simon also recommends the SkiHütte Masner (25:00)
How to get there (25:45)
The Apres-Ski in Serfaus is also excellent (27:00)
Try the Patschi Bar or George’s Bar (27:30)
Iain spoke with Philippe Mottier, General Manager of 3SV – the Courchevel lift company – about the new Chenus lift (29:45)
Marion Guillemot from the Courchevel Tourist Office acted as translator
Read Iain’s article on the Chenus lift on welove2ski.com (34:15)
Marie’s journey into design (34:45)
Working for Peak Perforrmance (36:00)
How does the process of design work (36:45)
What is the lead time for products (37:15)
The R&D Helium Loop Anorak recently won an award at ISPO (38:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUeSelbRyb0
What is ISPO?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hTZS_gae84
Peak Performance published their sustainability report last year (41:00)
FLO stands for ‘fabric leftovers’ (41:15)
Iain upgraded to a Vislight shell jacket this year (44:00)

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Lara Rosenbaum: “I hope you’re feeling better after your fracture. I admire your spirit and love the podcast!”

Claire Harrison [Mentioned last week had asked about Zillertal]: “A great piece on the Zillertal, thank you! Particularly looking forward to the Tirolean cuisine! Thank you for a great podcast: it’s endlessly interesting. I loved 267 the episode on gloves and socks and bought a pair of the Level Iris glove on Al's recommendation”

Ed Hopkins: “Absolutely loved episode 270 on St Anton, Lech, sustainability and slow skiing. So interesting and learnt a lot!”

Ross: “I just discovered The Ski Podcast - really enjoying the insights on snowsports!”

There are now 291 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’d like to find out more about a particular destination, would like to listen to an interview with an athlete, or get advice on what kit to buy, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something that will tick that box.

if you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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We find all about the Zillertal region in the Austrian Tirol, as well as the new expansion in Deer Valley, Utah.

We also hear how Val d’Isere are helping skiers to feel safer, and have snow reports from Japan, La Plagne and…Wales!

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Katie Seiringer, owner of Kate Seiringer International Language Service in Mayrhofen and Emily Summers from Deer Valley Ski Resort.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

SHOW NOTES
Robin Shah reported from Japan (5:15)
Robin is staying at Yukiumi House
Jen Tsang runs the website That’sLaPlagne (7:00)
Mike Richards is the UK’s Wales ski expert (9:15)
It is now three weeks until the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics start (12:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Kirsty Muir (13:00)
Kirsty won her second event of the season at the Slopestyle in Aspen
https://x.com/skipedia/status/2009716157398548971
Zoe Atkin came second in the ski halfpipe, also in Aspen (13:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Zoe in Episode 238 (13:45)
Visit the official Zillertal website (14:30)
The Zillertal ski area consists of Fügen-Kaltenbach, Zell-Gerlos, Mayrhofen-Hippach and Tux-Finkenberg (18:30)
All 548km of pists and 180 lifts are covered on the Zillertal Superskipass (19:00)
The Hintertux glacier is open from October to early summer (19:45)
For non-skiers there are 460km of winter hiking trails, 113km cross-country trails and 48 km toboggan runs (21:15)
Find out more about ‘Snowbombing’ (22:45)
Mayrhofen hosts ‘The Brits’ - British Snowboard & Freeski Championships in March (23:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Brits’ organiser Stu Brass in Episode 245
Try the Tristenbachalm mountain hut (24:00)
Kate also recommends the Bichlalm in Tux (25:00)
She also suggests you try the Holzknechtkrapfen
Utah has ‘The Greatest Snow on Earth’ (26:30)
The average snowfall at Deer Valley is 762cm/300 inches (27:00)
Find out more about the new lift expansion (29:45)
Coming up with the names of new runs (34:00)
The new East Village Express gondola is designed by Doppelmayr (37:00)
Deer Valley East Village will have seven luxury hotels (39:00)
Deer Valley is on the Ikon Pass (39:50)
The 2034 Winter Olympics will be hosted in Utah (40:20)
Nicole Feliciano spoke about the ‘Slow Skiers Club’ in Episode 270 (41:30)
Cecile Ferrando from Val d’isere speaks about their new ‘Ski Tranquille’ zones (41:45)

Feedback (47:30)You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Colin Tierney: “Episode 270 was interesting: I always go at a speed that I feel safe with for me and people around me”
Stuart Campbell: “The podcasts are brilliant, and I've enjoyed the range of topics. The ability to pull so many different people from different countries together is what makes it brilliant. I've just found your piece on St Anton by train so hoping to repeat something similar if I make it out in the spring.”

Robert Fogg: “Been catching up on all the podcasts I have missed. Thanks from a wet Cairns in Australia”

Jim Duncombe: “I was on the cable car in La Clusaz this morning, and ended up chatting with a Norwegian who lives in Annecy. Turns out he is a fan of the podcast.”
There are now 290 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’d like to get some insight on a particular destination or the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find interesting to listen to.

if you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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Today is a special interview with Kirsty Muir – the World Cup winning British slopestyle and Big Air freestyle skier.

Host Iain Martin spoke with Kirsty about her comeback from ACL and shoulder surgery to her first World Cup win last winter. We also discuss her journey from a dry ski slope in Aberdeen to becoming Britain’s youngest competitor at the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022 and look forward to the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.

This episode is the latest in a series of interviews with high-achieving women in the world of snowsports.

Previous episodes in this series have included interviews with Vicky Gosling, CEO of GB Snowsport, BBC Ski Sunday’s Chemmy Alcott, Kit DesLauriers – first person to ski the Seven Summits - as well as fellow Team GB freestyle skier Zoe Atkin.

SHOW NOTES
Listen to Iain’s previous interview with Kirsty in Episode 174 (2:00)
Kirsty was on the show in Episode 242 after her slopestyle win in Tignes (2:30)
Kirsty tore her ACL in Dec 2023 at the Big Air at Copper Mountain (3:15) https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9yJucQDxfUQ
Coming back from injury (5:45)
Using the Red Bull recovery centres (8:15)
The psychological side of recovery (10:30)
Training again after coming back from injury (12:30)
Kirsty was Britain's youngest competitor at Beijing Olympics at just 17 (14:30)
Starting skiing at Aberdeen Snowsports Centre (14:45)
Discovering freestyle skiing (15:30)
Being mentor to Sandra Caune – winner of the Big Air at THE European Youth Olympics (16:45)
Competing at the Beijing Winter Olympics (18:00)
Taking part at Milano-Cortina (19:15)
The coaching team (20:15)
Learning new tricks (22:15)
Training in the gym (23:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Reece Bell (25:00)
Plans for this season (26:00)
Do you keep your high-value tricks hidden? (26:30)

FeedbackYou can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

There are now 289 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, then go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find plenty more to listen to.

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you save money on your ski hire with an additional discount by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com. Simply take this link in the show notes for your discount to be automatically applied.

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Today we find out more about the Arlberg ski area in Tirol, Austria – focussing on St Anton and Lech – plus we look at the rise of the ‘Slow Skiing’ movement.

Austria for sponsoring The Ski Podcast and making this winter’s episodes possible. If this is your first time listening, you’ve already missed out on some great conversations about Tirol.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Nicole Feliciano, founder of Ski Moms.

SHOW NOTES
Nicole skied at Catamount in New England (2:00)
Tim Hudson from Inspired Italy reported from the Dolomites, Italy (5:15)
Jen Tsang from That’s La Plagne reported from La Plagne (6:45)
Floss Cockle, aka FreeFloFloss on YouTube, reported from Tignes (8:30)
Next week’s episode will be an interview with GB freestyle skier Kirsty Muir (10:15)
Iain revealed in Episode 269 that he broke his scapula while skiing in St Anton (10:45)
Find out more about the museum in St Anton (11:45)
Yannick Rumler works for the St Anton Tourist Office
Hannes Schneider founded the first ski school in the world (14:30)
Find out about St Anton’s annual race ‘The Weisse Rausche’ (16:15)
Gerhard Eichhorn is Sustainability Officer at the St. Anton Tourism Board (17:30)
Iain travelled to St Anton by train (18:30)
Lech is actually in the Vorarlberg region of Austria, but both resorts are part of the huge Arlberg ski area (21:30)
Iain stayed in the family run Hotel Stafeli (22:15)
The Stafeli is part of the ChangeMaker network of hotels
Julia Fenneberg is from the Lech-Zurs tourist office (23:00)
The annual ‘White Ring’ race (24:30)
Discover the amazing Lech Skyspace (26:30)
Iain spoke with Angelika Kaufmann about avalanche blasting (28:00)~
Iain tried Kaiserschmarn at the Sennhutte in St Anton (34:00)
He also has a superb Gröstl at the magnificent Verwallestube at the top of the Galzigbahn (34:30)
In Episode 225 Nicole shared the results of your ‘Ski Moms Happiness Survey’(36:30)
Earlier this year Nicole founded the ‘Slow Skiers Club’ (36:45)
Nicole’s Instagram post launching the club went viral (38:30)
Why does slow skiing matter? (39:00)
Nicole conducted a survey to find out more (43:00)
Listen to Episode 229 Kimberley Kay & Carol Porter discuss ‘The Fear Project’ (46:00)
Nicole spoke to Chemmy Alcott on her SkiMoms podcast
The First Rule of Slow Skiers Club (49:00)

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Judy Matthews: “Thank you for all your wonderful work, been really enjoying your pod.”

Colin: “267 was another great episode: I’ve been considering a trip to Sauze and Livigno was already on my wish list”
Chris Weer: “Thanks for the podcast. Wishing you a speedy recovery!”
There are now 288 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up. If you’d like to get some insight on a particular destination or the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find interesting to listen to.

if you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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Today is a special episode covering the latest snow conditions in Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland and in Canada, plus we reveal the results and the lucky winner from our 2025 Listener Survey.

SHOW NOTES
View results of our 2025 Listener Survey (1:00)
James Fletcher was the winner of the prize draw (1:45)Zoe Atkin won the half pipe at Copper Mountain in the States (2:00)
Jasmin Taylor took her first telemark win of the season in Pinzolo
Lindsey Vonn became the oldest skier – at 41 years old - to win a World Cup race, in the Downhill in St Moritz (2:!5)
I have picked up my own injury (2:30)
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Travel is in St Anton (3:50)Listen to Iain’s interview with James Cove in Episode 261 (5:40)
James Cove from planetski.eu is spending this winter in Canada (5:50)
James & Sinead from Sauze Online are in Via Lattea (8:!5)
Tim Hudson from Inspired Italy is in the Dolomites (9:20)
James Webb was in Selva Val Gardena (11:15)
Dave Burrows from SnoPros Ski School was in Les Crosets (13:20)
Al Judge from Alikats chalet company is in Morzine (14:40)
Jim Duncombe is in La Clusaz (15:45)
Betony Garner reported from St Gervais (17:20)
Jen Tsang from That’s La Plagne is in La Plagne (19:10)
Alex Irwin from the YouTube channel ‘150 Days of Winter’ is in Courchevel (20:40)
Nicholas from Freeride Republic is in Meribel (21:20)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching reports from Les 2 Alpes (23:00)
Mike Richards was out in Pra Loup (23:30)

Matt Hayes: "Episode 267 was great. I appreciate all the work that goes into these."
You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

There is so much in our back catalogue if you would like to get some insight on a particular destination or the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find interesting to listen to.

if you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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This is a special interview with Kit DesLauriers – the person to ski the Seven Summits – the highest mountains on each of the planet’s seven continents.

I read Kit’s book ‘Higher Love’ in the summer of 2025 and was blown away by her bravery, courage, determination and, quite frankly, by her incredible organisation.

During our conversation Kit covers her background in skiing as a former Freeride World Tour champion, as well as explaining the logistical, physical and physiological challenges she faced while tackling the Seven Summits.

This episode is the latest in a series of interviews with high-achieving women in the world of snowsports. Previous episodes in this series have included interviews with Vicky Gosling, CEO of GB Snowsport, BBC Ski Sunday’s Chemmy Alcott and founder of YSE Ski Fiona Easdale, as well as the Team GB freestyle skiers Zoe Atkin and Kirsty Muir.

SHOW NOTES
Read Kit’s book: ‘Higher Love: Climbing and Skiing the Seven Summits’
Kit learned cross country skiing first (7:00)
Skiing in Verbier (9:00)
Chamonix and Alagna (13:00)
Kit worked on the ski patrol at Telluride (14:00)
Moving to Jackson Hole (16:15)
Joining the World Freeski Tour (17:30)
Being sponsored by The North Face (19:00)
Dick Bass gifting his book (21:00)
Mt Elbrus (27:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Dan Egan (28:00)
Vinson Massif, Antarctica (29:00)
Using neoprene over boots (30:00)
Aconcagua (31:00)
Mount Kilimanjaro (35:00)
Was Everest always going to be last? (38:00)
‘Complete autonomy’ contract with Dave Hahn (40:30)
Buddhist blessings (44:00)
A call from Megan Carney (47:30)
Jimmy Chin (52:00)
Skiing from the summit of Everest (53:00)
Skiing the Lhotse Face (54:00)
Becoming a parent (58:00)
The Brooks Range of Alaska (59:00)

FeedbackYou can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Take part in our 2025 Listener Survey and you could win £400 worth of prizes.

There are now 286 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, then go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find plenty more to listen to.

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you save money on your ski hire with an additional discount by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com. Simply take this link in the show notes for your discount to be automatically applied.

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In this episode, we find out more about Livigno, the host resort for the freestyle events for the 2026 Winter Olympics, plus we make our recommendations for the best ski gloves and ski socks for this winter.

We also have snow reports from across the Alps plus the early results from our 2025 Listener Survey.

Iain was joined in the studio by Betony Garner and Al Morgan.

SHOW NOTESBetony was last on the show in Episode 256 discussing ski touring in Tromso (1:00)
Listen to our episodes on the Best Skis, Ski Boots, Helmets and Goggles for this winter (2:00)
Dave Burrows from Snowpros Ski School reported from Pila, Italy (5:15)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Snow Coaching is in Les 2 Alpes, France (6:20)
James and Sinead Hanson from Sauzeonline are in the Via Lattea / Milky Way ski region in Italy (6:50)
Complete our 2025 Listener Survey and you could win £400 of prizes (8:00)
‘The Secret Ski Seasonaire’ is a good stocking filler for anyone who worked in Chamonix, Tignes or Alpe d’Huez in the 2000s (9:00)
Mia Brookes took first place in the Snowboard Big Air in China (9:15)
Txema Mazet-Brown was 7th in the men’s Snowboard Big Air - a career best (9:30)
Betony will be working for Team GB in Livigno during the Winter Olympics (10:15)
Find out more about which events are taking place in which resort (11:45)
Find out about Livigno (14:00)
Aquagrande leisure centre in Livigno (14:45)
Team GB best chance of medals (16:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Vicky Gosling (18:00)
What to look for when buying ski gloves (19:00)
For more technical info, listen to our 2024 episode on gloves (22:15)
Glove v. mitten v. lobster claw (22:30)

THE BEST SKI GLOVES | WINTER 2026
Kombi Tactical Gore-Tex Leather Glove, £180 (23:45)

Level Iris Glove, £110 (26:00)

Dare2b Indicator Index Waterproof Gloves (3-Finger), £70 (but currently on sale at £35) (27:30)

THE BEST SKI SOCKS | WINTER 2026
Sidas Ski Protect V2, £40 (29:30)

Darn Tough Edge Over-the-Calf Midweight, £37 (31:30)

Stance Jimmy Chin Ultralight Ski Socks, £27 (33:15)
Find out more about heated gloves and socks in last year’s ‘Best Ski Socks’ episode (35:00)

Feedback (36:45)If you’ve enjoyed this episode – or even if you didn’t like it – I would love to know. You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Henry Smith: “Thank you for your dedication to bringing us the pod every week, it’s much appreciated. As a resident in the Canary Islands, we normally ski in Andorra or the Northern Spanish resorts.”

Judy Mathews: “Thank you for this wonderful podcast! Absolutely love it and hope to get to meet you one day on or off the slopes.”
Rachel Maffeis: "I loved the interview with Krishan in Episode 266. I enjoyed his approach is to creating ski experiences in Gulmarg, rooted in a sense of place. That mixture of extreme altitude...but not yet hugely developed makes it sound intriguing."
Colin Tierney: “I enjoyed Episode 264. It was great to hear Al again.”
There are now 285 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’d like to get some insight on a particular destination or the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find interesting to listen to.

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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Today we learn about the Ski Juwel region of the Austrian Tirol, plus we find out about skiing in Gulmarg in the Indian Himalayas.

We also have snow reports from Verbier, Zermatt, Megeve and Ischgl, plus we reveal news of a new competition, exclusively for listeners to The Ski Podcast, in which you can win goodies worth over £400.

Iain was joined by Joey Pearson from Alpback and Krishan Anand from Secret Ski Party in Jammu, India.

COMPLETE OUR 2025 LISTENER SURVEY
You could win over £400 or prizes including a full Terrawest backcountry pack with shovel and probe, Vallon Eyewear sunnies, as well as goodies from Les Arcs, Ikon Pass and more. It only takes a minute or two to complete, so just take this link now

SHOW NOTES
Betony Garner reported from Megeve (5:00)
Robin Shah was in Verbier: check his Instagram here (6:00)
Marco Ladner reported from the opening weekend in Ischgl (8:30)
Find out more about Ischgl in Episode 263 of The Ski Podcast
Complete the 2025 Listener Survey (9:30)
Kirsty Muir won the first Ski Big Air of the season in China (10:00)
Listen out for Iain’s interview with Kirsty going live next month (10:30)
The full name of Ski Juwel is ‘Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau’ (12:00)
Joey Pearson is Secretary of the Alpbach Visitors Ski Club (14:00)
‘Ski Juwel’ was created in 2012 when the gondola linking Alpbach to Wildschonau opened (16:00)
The ski area includes 114km of pistes (16:30)
How to get to Ski Juwel (17:15)
Check the Ski Juwel piste map (18:30)
Alpbach: Austria’s most beautiful village (19:00)
Try Night Skiing in Ski Juwel (19:30)
Try the views from Hornbahn 2000 (20:15)
Auffach (21:00)
Try Joe’s Salettl in Inneralpbach for apres-ski (24:00)
Gulmarg resort is much higher than resorts in Europe (25:30)
The ski market in India (26:30)
Krishan is founder of the Secret Ski Party in Gulmarg (32:00)
Indians often travel to ski overseas in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and in Georgia (35:30)

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Paul Bond: “Loving the Tyrol focus. ‘Let’s give it a visit’ we said, 50 trips later. Friendly, great ski infrastructure and Kaiserschmarm!”

uteelo: “Love the show — there’s genuinely nothing else like it. I just skip the environmental segments most of the time: I’m here to hear people talk about skiing!”
There are now 284 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up. If you’d like to get some insight on a particular destination or the latest kit, just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find interesting to listen to.

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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Today we find out about Carv - ‘the wearable ski coach’ - and learn about one of the world’s great ski resorts: Whistler Blackcomb in Canada. We also have snow reports from Tignes, Val Thorens and Cervinia.

Iain was joined in the studio by Alex Jackson from Carv and Lauren Everest from Tourism Whistler, and down the line by Floss Cockle, Alex Irwin and Alex Armand.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast. We’ve already covered Innsbruck, Ischgl, Tirol West, St Johann in Tirol and the SkiWelt area this winter, with more to come. Catch up now to learn about the different areas and the ‘‘Lebensgefühl’ – that Austrian way of life that connects them all together.

SHOW NOTES
Floss Cockle from FreeFlo Ski Coaching reported from Tignes (3:45)
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter skied in Val Thorens (5:30)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching was in Cervinia in the Aosta Valley, Italy
Listen to interviews recorded at The London Snow Show (8:30)
What is the Carv? (10:00)
How does Carv work? (11:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Carv co-founder Jamie Grant (12:30)
The Carv dataset covers over a billion turns (14:00)
How your Ski:IQ is calculated (14:30)
The gamification aspects (19:30)
New developments for this year: Ski:IQ™ Wasatch (21:30)
Carv costs £199 for an annual subscription, or £99 for a single week (26:00)
Where is Whistler? (28:00)
Whistler is biggest ski resort in North America with 8171 skiable acres? (28:30)
There are 200+ runs in Whistler Blackcomb (29:20)
Whistler is celebrating its 60th anniversary (30:00)
Hosting the 2010 Vancouver Olympics (32:00)
Find out about the Peak to Valley Race (33:45)
Can you tell us about the ‘Seven Wonder Routes’ (34:30)
Whistler is owned by Vail Resorts and included in the Epic Pass (35:00)
Buy your Epic Pass before the deadline (36:00)
Try the Garibaldi Lift Company (GLC) for an apres ski drink (38:00)

Matt Hayes: “The Bladon Lines episode is such a great story. A must listen.”

Wayne Reeder: “Really enjoy your shows, guests and great information.” He also asked about the ‘Ski à la Carte’ pass

Phil Shotton: “Long time listener to your podcast. I really enjoyed them in the closed season – they helped keep me in the ski mood”
Make sure you subscribe to the Skipedia YouTube channel and find out how to carry skis properly!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9ZALXFwR34

There are now 283 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and when I looked this morning, the stats say that 175 of those were listened to in the last week. Go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find interesting to listen to.

f you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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Today we find out about the Tirol West region in Austria, plus we look at the best new ski helmets and goggles this winter.

We also have an update from the Sheffield Ski Festival, news from Madonna di Campiglio and we hear about a best-ever British performance in the World Cup slalom in Levi.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Simone Zangerl from Tirol West Tourism and ski equipment expert Al Morgan.

SHOW NOTES
Dave Ryding finished 7th in the slalom at the World Cup in Levi, Finland (4:30)
Laurie Taylor recorded the fastest second run to finish in 4th place, just 4/100th of a second off the podium (5:00)
Iain spoke with Andrea Busignani about the plan to cap skier numbers in Madonna di Campiglio (6:20)
Sam Croft is from the Revive Sheffield Ski Village campaign (9:00)
The Sheffield Ski Festival took place on 14-15 November
Visit the Tirol West website (10:00)
You can travel by train via Zurich to Landeck (10:45)
How to travel to Tirol West (11:00)
Tirol West includes the towns and villages of Landeck, Zams, Fliess, Tobadill, Grins and Stanz (11:30)
Venet is the Tirol West ‘house’ resort (12:15)
Tirol West is great for ski touring (13:00)
You can book a €10 for a return bus transfer to any of St Anton, Lech/Zurs, Ischgl, Serfaus Fiss Ladis and the Kaunertaler Glacier (14:00)
There are plenty of walking trails and snow shoeing (16:30)
Try ice bathing at Tramser Weiher (17:00)
You can enjoy a lot of free activities with the free TirolWest card (17:45)
Simone recommends a Tyrolean Groestl (21:00)
You can also try the Tiroler Edle local chocolate (21:30)
Ski Helmets: ‘Fit is Key’ (23:00)
For more details on all of the key terms and jargon for helmets, listen to last year’s episode (23:30)
What does ‘MIPS’ mean? (24:00)
“If you’ve got a cheap head, buy a cheap helmet” (30:30)
Listen to last year’s goggles episode for a breakdown of the key terminology (31:00)
What does S1, S2 or S3 lenses mean? (31:15)
The Best Skis for Winter 2026 (39:30)
The Best Ski Boots for Winter 2026 (39:30)

Smith Vantage 2, £235 (26:00)

Available in a range of colours, especially the matte black, ultraviolet and Emerald City options. This is a hybrid construction with Koroyd inside, improving shock absorbency, strength and lightweight. These hollow tubes allow a mass of airflow, complemented by the huge number of vents. Add in Mips, the magnetic buckle, Smith’s superb AirEvac system, BOA fit adjustment, anti-microbe lining and audio ready earpads, and you’re onto a winner.

Atomic Revent AMID, £160 (27:30)

This series of helmets has a far more contemporary aesthetic than Atomic helmets of recent seasons. It has an in-mold dual shell, so is light with active venting. It has a removable and washable merino and 3m X-Static liner so doesn’t develop the smell some helmets can. It has audio ready earpads and the new AMID (Atomic Multi-directional Impact Deflector) tech, combined with a Holo Core EPS liner for enhanced safety.

Bollé Keystone Mips, £120 (29:30)

The Keystone is a new model, available in several colours. The minimalist aesthetic looks fab, and in testing we found it very comfortable. It doesn’t have loads of vents, but at £120 it’s great value. It’s available without Mips for £90, but we recommend the added safety of Mips for £30 more.

Oakley Flow Scape L Snow Goggles, £325 (32:30)

The Flow Scape has a new conical lens shape giving a dramatically increased field of view (FOV). The lens tilts in towards the face at the base, and is wider and further away from the face at the top. They’ve even changed the design of the Switchlock lens quick-release system, removing the need for magnets which would have encroached on the FOV. The Vision Rapt face foam is an ultra-memory foam, giving incredible comfort. Even the sliders on the strap have been tweaked to reduce their profile. Each Flow Scape comes with two lenses, one for brighter conditions and the second is the Prizm Iced Iridium, which is one of the best lenses you can get for flat light or stormy conditions. The only downside with this goggle, apart from the cost, is that it will be too large for some.

Head Neves Sunscreen, £330 (34:20)

Wow. When we first tried this, we were blown away. The lens tech is next-level. This tint-changing tech covers categories S1-S3 and is solar powered. The solar panel generates a voltage, activating a microprocessor which controls the LCD to darken the lens. It changes tint almost instantly as you move from shade to light and back again.

Scott Ambit LS, £135 (36:00)

Ambit is a new goggle design from Scott, including this medium to large fit, as well as the Ambit Compact, which suits smaller face shapes. Scott sells more photochromic lenses, as they cover a range of conditions, saving the hassle of swapping lenses. This Amplifier lens tech provides superb clarity and definition, and we’ve tested it in stinking, and stellar, conditions, and it always delivers.

Bliz G001, £79 (37:!5)

The Bliz Scandinavian minimalist design, married with affordable quality, has impressed us. The G001 and G002 goggles are new for this season, available in adult and small sizes, and the lens is magnetic, for quick swaps. The G001’s full frame construction looks almost frameless, whilst the G002 is more traditional, with a chunkier frame. The Smoke S3 lens is a fab choice when the sun’s out and looks sensational in this black on white colourway. Mega comfy and excellent value.

FeedbackIf you’ve enjoyed this episode – or even if you didn’t like it – then we'd love to hear from you. You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop Iain an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Antonia Simpson: “I first came across the Ski Podcast at the Snow Show - really enjoyed hearing about Mount Etna! Since then I have listened to lots of episodes: Bladon Lines (252) and James Cove (261) being my favourites. I love your focus on train travel, and in fact will be getting the train in a couple of weeks to Embrun.”
Colin Tierney: “I enjoyed episode 263 about Ischgl”
Richard Birlton: "I listen to every podcast and can’t wait for it to drop every week"
If you’re excited about winter, why not visit theskipodcast.com – we have episodes on so many different subjects, interviews with so many people and reviews of so many resorts.

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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Today we find out about Ischgl in Tirol, plus we learning about the new ‘Clean Miles’ campaign from Protect Our Winters.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Cat Ainsworth, CEO at Protect Our Winters UK, and three-time Winter Olympian and Ischgl resident, Marco Ladner.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

SHOW NOTES
Cat skied in Valle Nevado in Chile and Ushuaia in Patagonia (1:30)
Marco had an early opportunity to ski in Ischgl (2:30)
Val Thorens will open on 22 Nov, followed by Les 2 Alpes, Val d’Isere, Zermatt and Ischgl the following weekend (4:00)
Luca Carrick-Smith will make his World Cup debut at Levi in Finland (4:15)
https://x.com/skipedia/status/1987897332348957133
Marco took part in the half-pipe at Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022 (5:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Zoe Atkin (8:00)
Ischgl is located in the west of Tirol (8:30)
You can travel by train from Zurich to Landeck (9:00)
Ischgl is located at 1400m going up to 2800m (09:30)
Ischgl opens and closes each winter with a MASSIVE concert (10:00)
Take a look at acts who’ve played at the Top of the Mountain concerts previously (11:30)
Rita Ora is playing the opening of Ischgl this year (12:30)
The ski area (13:15)
Who does Ischgl suit? (13:45)
This winter there are three new lifts (14:45)
What’s it like for families? (15:30)
Find out about Lego winter fun (16:00)
Marco recommends a classic ‘Kaiserschmarrn’ (18:00)
Ischgl is very famous for after ski (18:30)
The Silvretta Therme is a fantastic wellness centre (19:00)
What is the role of Protect Our Winters (20:30)
Cat is a BASI qualified ski instructor (24:30)
Find out about the POW ‘Clean Miles’ campaign (25:45)
Sign the POW ‘Clean Miles’ petition (27:30)
Iain set up Ski Flight Free in 2019 (28:45)
Watch some of the POW Mobility videos

Feedback (30:00)You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast. Look in the Show Notes for that link.

Leon Butler: “I have such a soft spot for the whole of the Tirol, but Wilder Kaiser [Episode 262] is stunning.”
Stan: "Love the podcast, it’s a great way to stay connected to the world of skiing between my annual holiday trips, in particular the kit reviews with Al Morgan and stories like Bladon Lines."
There is so much in our back catalog: just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find interesting about our wonderful world of skiing and snowboarding.

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can get an additional discount if you use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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Today we find out about SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental in Tirol, plus we look at a new women only ski touring to Iceland

We also have snow reports from the opening day of the season in Verbier and Sunshine Valley – the first ski resort to open in Canada.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means that this winter we’ll be able to find out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with ‘Lebensgefühl’ - the wonderful ‘feeling of life’ you can find there.

SHOW NOTES
Nickie Mabey is founder of Mabey Ski (1:45)
Rob Rees reported on Slovenia in Episode 207 (3:00)
Listen to Episode 186 for tips on autumn skiing in Austria (5:45)
Robin Shah reported from Verbier (6:00)
Check out Xavier De La Rue’s Insta from opening weekend (7:45)
Kendra Scurfield reported from Sunshine Valley in Canada (8:20)
In Episode 219, Laax was strongly linked as possible acquisition by Vail Resorts (11:00)
Laax has now bought its own lifts as defensive measure (11:15)
Where is SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental (12:15)
How to get to SkiWelt (12:30)
It’s easy to travel to by train – there is a Nightjet package (13:00)
There are 275km pistes and over 80 lifts (14:00)
Ski resorts in the SkiWelt include Brixen im Thale, Ellmau, Going, Hopfgarten, Itter, Scheffau, Söll and Westendorf
The SkiWelt region was created in 1977 (14:45)
You can ski the SkiWelt Tour circuit (15:45)
Children up to the age of 15 get free lift tickets in low season (16:45)
Another great idea is the Young Family Ski Pass
SkiWelt uses 100% green electricity from hydro power (17:45)
There are over 80 mountain huts in the SkiWelt (18:30)
Austria's highest revolving restaurant is at the Hohe Salve (19:00)
In Episode 256 Betony Garner told us about her all female ski touring trip to Tromso (22:00)
Nickie’s connection to skiing goes back to 1912 (22:30)
She founded Mabey Ski in 2017 (25:00)
Maybe Ski is putting on a women’s only ski touring tripto Iceland (25:30)
Sara Sigurdardottir is an Icelandair pilot (26:00)
The Troll Peninsula (27:30)
Iceland is famous for its geothermal pools (29:30)

Feedback (31:45)You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. You can also also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Immanuel John: “Loved the Innsbruck in Tirol episode”
Matt Hayes: “Keep up the great work on the podcast”Ster at Snowheads: “The Bladon Lines and Fiona Easdale episodes are some of the most interesting and engaging I have heard, but the ‘How to become a Ski Patroller’ episode with Tom Greenall must be the best of the lot.”
There are now 280 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. There is so much in our back catalogue - just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll find interesting about our wonderful world of skiing and snowboarding.

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
if you’re booking ski hire, you can save money on your ski hire with Intersport Ski Hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied

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A special interview with ski journalist, James Cove, founder of planetski.eu.

We discuss his background working for the BBC, first in local radio, then political news, before he helped to develop their first digital coverage.

James has also worked at the Ski Club of Great Britain, is a qualified instructor and has skied in literally hundreds of resorts around the world.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means that this winter we’ll be able to find out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the wonderful ‘feeling of life’ there.

SHOW NOTES
Find out about skiing in Greece in Episode 101 (3:00)
James was a researcher at Madame Tussauds (4:00)
He worked at BBC Radio Sussex in Brighton in the 1980s (4:40)
James worked on three General Elections (9:00)
He was based in Salt Lake City for the 2002 Winter Olympics (11:00)
Alain Baxter won (and lost) Team GB’s first ever medal on snow (13:00)
James first skied in Gargellen in Austria (17:15)
He has skied in over 400 different resorts (18:45)
James’ final years at BBC overlapped with the Ski Club of Great Britain (21:30)
‘Stocking filler’ films (22:30)
Working on the new BBC website (23:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with ski journalist Arnie Wilson (23:30)
James used to be a Ski Club Rep (24:00)
Planetski.eu started in 2008 (28:00)
Impact of climate change (35:00)
The impact of collective passes, like Epic, Ikon and Magic (37:00)
Spending ‘seasons’ in the Alps (39:00)
Six weeks in Japan (41:00)
James is spending 2026 winter in Canada (44:30)

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you save money on your ski hire with an additional discount by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’. Simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

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Today is a Snow Show special, recorded live at the London Snow Show at Kensington Olympia. Interviews include the UK’s no.1 racer Dave Ryding, BBC Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott, GB Snowsport Head Coach, Pat Sharples.

You’ll hear from the Carrick-Smith brothers, BBC commentator Tim Warwood, Snowcamp, Carv and plenty of other exhibitors from the show.

SHOW NOTES
In Episode 248, we looked at plans to redevelop the closed Sheffield Ski Village (1:45)
Revive Rewild are bringing skiing back to Sheffield in November (2:00)
Dave Ryding is entering his final season as a professional ski racer (4:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with ski racer Reece Bell (5:00)
BBC Ski Sunday’s Chemmy Alcott was enthusiastic about the show (6:30)
Freddy Carrick-Smith will make his World Cup debut this weekend in Solden (9:15)
Chemmy interviewed Zac, Freddy and Luca Carrick Smith on the Sunday (10:00)
The Ski Podcast is supporting the Carrick-Smith brothers in their journey
Pat Sharples is Head Coach for GB Snowsports (12:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Pat about his career (14:00)
The BBC’s Tim Warwood will be commentating on the freestyle events from Livigno (14:20)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Tim about his journey from Tamworth to the Olympics (16:30)
Listen to our ‘Best Ski Boots of 2026’ episode (16:45)
Tord Nilson told us about the Stance Socks range (18:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Carv founder Jamie Grant (21:00)
Iain spoke with Carv co-founder and VP of marketing, Alex Jackson (21:15)
Check out the Carv highlights reel filmed in Chile (22:30)
Dan Keeley told is about the new Snowcamp Futures project (24:00)
Ian Brown is MD at The Snow Centre (25:30)
Frazer Shand from Profeet was a guest on our ‘Best Ski Boots’ episode (27:30)
Erin Flynn from clothing brand Ruanua featured in Episode 234 (29:30)
Jenny O’Farrell from the Ikon Pass spoke about why they were targeting the UK market (31:00)
Iain moderated panels about diversity and sustainability at LISTEX and the London Show (33:00)
He also presented about driving electric cars to the Alps (33:15)
James Gambrill is the organiser of the London Snow Show (33:45)

Feedback (35:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show and love to hear what you think, so please do contact me via Facebook or Instagram or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow us on WhatsApp.

Toby Freeborn: “Really enjoyed Episode 259 and looking forward to hearing about Austria in the future, especially as I am planning to head there next winter”
Aileen Eglington: “Love St.Johann in Tirol: I’ve been going there for a very long time. It’s a great town and Georg, Hupsi and Hannes and co in The Blue Ski School are legends.”
grimpeur: “As I was watching the ‘Best Ski Boots’ episode [on the Skipedia YouTube channel], I heard the thud of the Fall-Line 2026 Gear Guide dropping through my letter box - comprehensive as always, but it was great to hear about it as well!”

There are now 278 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up. 158 of those were listened to in the last week. There is so much to listen to in our previous episode, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you save money on your ski hire with an additional discount by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com. Simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

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Today we find out about the ski resort of St Johann in Tirol, plus we celebrate all things après ski, with a look at the fashions and styles of après over the years, some of the best spots to visit and even how to make your own après cocktails.

We also have updates from Freddy, Zac and Luca Carrick-Smith – the GB Snowsport skiers that we sponsor – a report from the Icebreaker City Skim and your feedback.

Iain was joined by Erin Isakov, founder of the clothing brand Erin Snow and author of the new book ‘Après Ski: The Scene, the Style, the Menu’, and St Johann in Tirol local, Fritz Minhard, owner of the tour operator Active World Holidays,

SHOW NOTES
Deer Valley is going through a terrain expansion (2:45)
Fritz skied on the glacier in Hintertux (4:00)
Solden will host the the first World Cup races of the season (4:30)
Freddy Carrick-Smith will become the youngest male GB skier to race in the World Cup for 40 years (4:45)
Zak Carrick-Smith is training in Solden (6:00)
Luca Carrick-Smith is training in Pitztal (6:45)
Find out more about the London Snow Show (7:30)
Get free tickets to the London Snow Show (8:20)
Amelie from Jibworx was on the podcast in Episode 245 (8:45)
Find out about the Icebreaker City Skim in London (9:00)
Fritz Minhard has lived in St Johann in Tirol all his life (11:45)
Travel to St Johann in Tirol is easy, either by plane or by train (12:45)
"Best Tourism Village - only location in Austria to receive an award from UN Tourism (14:30)
My Yapadu means “happiness on your holiday” (15:00)
St Johann in Tirol is great for families (16:30)
There are 18 mountain huts (17:00)
Dumplings are a speciality (17:45)
Try the ‘Kaiserschmarrn’ (18:15)
There are 3 free beginners ski areas (19:30)
There are 170km of cross-country trails (20:15)
The Dynafit Ski Touring Park is also open on some evenings (21:15)
Hiking and snowshoeing (23:00)
Try the Flying Fox zipwire (23:30)
Adults may enjoy the Schnapps Distillery (24:15)
St Johann in Tirol is “a living town” (25:30)
Erin first skied in Mammoth Mtn in California (26:45)
The clothing brand Erin Snow started in the early 2000s (29:30)
‘A nostalgia-fueled visual celebration of all things après-ski’ (34:00)
How the book came about (35:00)
The arrival of nylon (40:00)
The ’vintage revival’ (41:45)
Erin researched apres drinks such as Bombardino (43:00)
Après Ski: The Scene, the Style, the Menu is available at Waterstones (44:30)

Feedback (44:45)I always enjoy listener feedback and I love to hear what you think about the show. You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast. Look in the Show Notes for that link.

Gareth Ebbage: “Episode 252 was great: one of the best you’ve done. Very insightful look back to the glory days of the 80’s and early 90’s!”
Rob Smith: “I think Episode 252 is my favourite so far. It brought back some great memories from when I started to ski.”

Richard Patey: “I've been enjoying your podcasts as I drive across Europe to where I’m living now in the high Tatras of Slovakia.”
There are now 277 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. All you need to do is go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you save money on your ski hire with an additional discount by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com. Simply take this link in the show notes for your discount to be automatically applied.

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We review the Best Ski Boots for the new 2026 winter season, covering the best piste, all mountain and freeride ski boots.

Host Iain Martin was joined by The Ski Podcast’s equipment expert Al Morgan and Frazer Shand, Operations Manager at Profeet.

This special episode has been made possible by the Profeet Ski Boot Lab, based in south-west London. Profeet offer expert ski boot fitting, custom insoles and ski boot modifications.

SHOW NOTES
Watch our ‘Best Skis of 2026’ video
Ski Boot definitions and terms…
Shell (4:00)
Last (4:30)
Mondopoint (5:45)
Flex (7:15)
Liner (8:45)
BOA (10:15)
Powerstrap (12:30)
Walk mode and Grip Walk (13:30)
Sustainability (16:30)
Function, Fit and Footbeds (18:15)
Find out about the fitting process at the Profeet Ski Boot Lab (18:45)
Profeet start with a biomechanical analysis and foot scan (19:45)
Custom insoles (23:00)
Customisation (24:00)
Visiting the Dalbello factory (34:00)
Get your free tickets to the London Snow Show (55:45)
Profeet will be exhibiting at the London Snow Show (56:30)

**THE BEST SKI BOOTS OF 2026

Piste and All-Mountain Ski Boots**K2 Cortex Zonal 120 BOA(26:30)
£625
SIZES (MP): 24.5 - 28.5
VOLUME: Low
LAST (mm): 96 – 98
WEIGHT (per boot): 2,179g (26.5MP)

These are incredible boots, delivering a ton of support and superb hold, in a flex that will work far better for most skiers. K2 has offered single BOA on higher-volume boots previously, but the Cortex is the slimmest profile they’ve integrated this into, and this time you get the benefit of the dial and cable system on the shell and cuff, on the Zonal models.

Non-Zonal Cortex models have BOA only over the foot. The softer material over the instep makes it a tad easier to get into the boot, and aids shell wrapping, when you dial in the snugness. The heel has a slimmer internal profile than their other boots, and the lace-up liner adds to the excellent hold you get.

You also get a cam power strap, which is not that common on 120 flex boots, and I much prefer this strap to a Velcro option. There are two bolts on the spine, and you can remove the top one if you want a more forgiving flex profile. They offer the Cortex range right up to the £725, all-singing, all-dancing 140 flex model, which is the only one with pin inserts in the toe.

Dalbello Veloce Space 120 Dual(32:00)
£580
SIZES (MP): 24.5 - 30.5
VOLUME: Medium
LAST (mm): 101
FLEX: 120
WEIGHT (per boot): 2,050g (27.5MP)

This is the first season Dalbello has offered BOA on their boots, and they’ve added Dual and Single BOA models to their range, in this new Veloce Space line. Dual BOA is available on the 105, 120 and 130 flex models.

The shell and cuff on the 120 are made of PU. They inject differing hardnesses of plastic, to take advantage of the phenomenal wrap you get with the BOA system. It also makes the boots easier to get on. The mouldable liner is beautifully comfortable, and the Adaptive Tongue construction, integrating memory foam, is so nice for the shins, also helping with instep comfort. The pre-shaped Ankle Sense zones enhance the heel hold.

The 120 is also available in a single BOA (£540), with regular cuff buckle closure, like the 110, 100, 95 and 85. These single BOA versions get a lever you can release on the spine, allowing an easier walking motion.

Head Kalibre 110 MV BOA 2(36:00)
£510
SIZES (MP): 25.0 - 30.5
VOLUME: Medium
LAST (mm): 100
WEIGHT (per boot): No stated weights

This is Head’s Dual BOA offering and is totally new. The Kalibre boots have a clean aesthetic. They inject different hardnesses or plastic into the shell, to take advantage of the superb wrap of the BOA H+i1 system.

Kaliber, like many BOA offerings, is a medium volume fit, with 100mm last. They have a new liner for this range too, called Synapse. They weave in Graphene for tech-level temperature regulation.

The 110 has a Velcro power strap, although £600 130 flex has a claw strap. The Kaliber line features a greater range of flexes in single BOA and four clip versions, but the BOA2 models are pretty awesome. This is the only 110 flex dual BOA model we know of for this season.

Freeride Ski BootsRossignol Alltrack 130 Elite LV LT GW(40:30)
£625
SIZES (MP): 24.0 – 29.5
WALK MODE: Y, no stated ROM
VOLUME: Low
LAST (mm): 98
FLEX: 130
WEIGHT (per boot): 1,825g (no stated size)
The Alltrack line has been redesigned for this season. They’ve added BOA to shell of the 102mm HV models, but we tested the narrow-last Elite LT model, which has tech inserts in the toe and heel.
Even though these are 98mm last, low-volume boots, they have more room inside than some other LV boots in this category. They look sensational, have heat-mouldable liners and an innovative ski-walk mode, inspired by the work done developing the Vizion easy (rear) entry boots.
Flip the ski-walk mode lever up, and the rear of the boot can tilt back, with the liner attached to the rear of the cuff with a loop to hold it in place, in order that you can easily slide in. Fasten the buckles, flex forward and the walk mode locks into the ski position, ready for the descent. To tour, flip the rear lever up, loosen the cuff buckles and power strap, and off you go.
This boot skied beautifully, and I just love the way the Dual Core shells flex.
Armada AR One 130 (43:00)
£580
SIZES (MP): 24.5 - 29.5
WALK MODE: N
VOLUME: Medium
LAST (mm): 100
FLEX: 130
WEIGHT (per boot):100g (26.5MP)

The AR One is Armada’s first ever ski boot and it’s a very impressive hybrid cabrio design blending Alpine and freeski design. Designed by Armada, it’s built in partnership with their sister company, Atomic.

It’s a medium volume unisex boot, with a 100mm last in a size 26.5MP, in 5 flexes. The 120 and 130 are only available from 24.5MP and up, whilst the 90, 100 and 110 go down to 23.5MP.

The heat mouldable shell and liner, along with excellent out-of-the-box shaping, ensures a very comfy, and customisable, fit. A tool free volume adjuster lets you create space for pressured calves, and most parts are user replaceable, improving sustainability. The top three flexes are pure PU shell, cuff and tongue, for a smooth ride. The rubber boot board does a fab job of smoothing landings and judders. The buckle setup is very different, especially the instep buckle and cable Y-configuration, securely holding you in the heel pocket.

The 130 and 110 share the Team liner, whilst the others have the Pro Liner, which lacks the repositionable tongue, which allows you to adjust volume and fit over the foot. The elasticate claw power-strap on these two flexes is a superb, but the others only get a Velcro strap. Toe pin inserts on the 130 allows use with hybrid bindings like the Shift, Duke PT and the new ATK Hy.

This is a fabulous downhill ski boot, with excellent lateral response, impressive power, it’s smooth with great damping and superb heel hold.

Scarpa 4 Quattro GT Woman(45:45)
£580
SIZES (MP): 22.5 – 27.0
WALK MODE: Y, 61° ROM
VOLUME: Medium
LAST (mm): 101
FLEX: 90 / 110
WEIGHT (per boot): 1,510g (25.0MP)

The 4-Quattro range has been an incredible success, especially the XT model which has been a benchmark freeride touring boot in recent seasons. Scarpa’s dropped the XT for this winter, but they’ve updated the SL, they still have the 4-Quattro Pro, which Nikolai Schirmer uses and helped develop, and they’ve added in a new GT model in a woman’s and man’s version.
The GT has a roomier fit, has a new 4Pro Flex GT Intuition liner, and is the warmest 4-Quattro model. You get a Velcro power strap, rather than a claw version seen on the others, and it’s made using Desmopan plastic for the shell and cuff, rather than Pebax Renew, although all Quattro models have a Pebax tongue. The Desmopan CQ MBC uses bio-circular TPU, enhancing the sustainability, and reducing the CO2 footprint. You don’t get the Carbon Core construction of the SL or Pro, but the GT skis better.

They’re an easier flex for lighter or less aggressive riders, and the fact these are such great value is a bonus.
PROFEET’S CHOICE
Technica Mach1 LV 130, £550 (48:30)Updated for this season with a fully redesigned shell and liner, offering a touch more instep depth but still an excellent low volume fit. From a boot fitter point of view, they are also a pleasure to work on with design features allowing for easier customisation of the shell.

Feedback (51:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show, so if you enjoyed this episode, or if you have any questions about skis we didn’t cover, then please let us know by leaving a comment at Instagram or Facebook – we are @theskipodcast – or by dropping me an email theskipodcast@gmail.com.

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Adam Matthews on Instagram enjoyed our ‘Best Skis’ episode: “Great podcast. Been looking forward to this since last year’s episode”
Rick on YouTube loved Al’s choice of the Volkl V.Werks 100: “I rode this a lot last winter, so much that I crashed and busted my knee. But seriously, it´s an absolutely amazing ski.”
There are now 276 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. You can do that too, there is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com. You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

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Today we meet Reece Bell - one of the rising talents in British alpine ski racing - plus we find out about Armana, a new company that see a future where ski lifts are autonomous vehicles and have no cables.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Reece Bell and Dennis Hettema, and down the line by Rachael Oakes-Ash in Australia and Guy Beatson in New Zealand.

SHOW NOTES
Miss SnowItAll, Rachael Oakes-Ash runs the Snowsbest.com website (5:30)
Guy Beatson, who finished off his season with a week at Whakapapa in NZ (6:30)
Listen to our ‘Best Skis of 2026’ episode (7:30)
You can also watch this episode on YouTube (7:45)
The London Snow Show is at Olympia on 18-19 October (8:00)
See the full agenda for the show here
Use the code ‘TSPSSLMTN25’ for free tickets to the London Snow Show (8:30)
Martin Bell recorded the best ever GB Olympic alpine ski result (8th at Calgary 88)(8:45)
Ski Sunday’s Graham Bell took part in 5 Winter Olympics (9:00)
Reece finished 20th at the 2025 World Championships in Saalbach (10:00)
Find out about Big Sky resort (11:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Zoe Atkin (12:00)
Dealing with ACL injuries (12:30)
Cardio and Conditioning training (14:00)
Coaches (15:30)Reece is sponsored by APEX 2100 in Tignes (16:00)
Dave Ryding acts as a mentor to Reece (17:00)How to break through into the top 30 (19:00)
Take a look at this photo of the proposed Armana prototype (22:30)
Find out more about Armana
The Armana timeline (23:30)
Robert Redford starred in ‘Downhill Racer’ in 1969

Feedback (32:30)Please do let us know your feedback on the podcast. You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com.

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

Mark Thomasson: “I enjoyed Episode 256 and was ski touring in Tromsø in June. Great snow, amazing views.”
James Rice: “I really enjoyed Episode 257, as always. I was glad to hear you mention Robert Redford’s recent death and his role in Downhill Racer. However, Redford’s influence on American skiing extends beyond that film…He bought Sundance ski resort and set up the film festival there. I’ve had the chance to stay and ski at Sundance, and it truly is a distinctive and special place.”
John: “Loved the Innsbruck in Tirol episode”
Mary Frazer: “I enjoyed listening to Episode 257 this morning, particularly the sections on Innsbruck (thank you for reminding me how much I enjoyed the series The Jump!)”
There are now 275 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, then why not go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find plenty more to listen to.

If you’d like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you save money on your ski hire with an additional discount by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com. Simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

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We review the Best Skis for the new 2026 winter season, covering the best piste skis, best all mountain skis and freeride skis. Host Iain Martin was joined by The Ski Podcast’s equipment expert Al Morgan.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means that this winter we'll be able to find out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the wonderful ‘feeling of life’ there.

SHOW NOTES

Iain and Al will be at the London Snow Show in October (3:00)
Best Skis of 2026 means the best skis of winter 2025/26 (4:00)
What are the different types of skis (4:15)
How important is that figure for width under your foot? (7:45)
What is meant by ‘side cut’?(10:00)
What is a ‘rocker? (12:00)
How long should your skis be? (15:15)
Is sustainability still important in ski production? (18:45)
The Ski Sustainability Forum is organised by POW, Atomic and FESI (21:00)
When and where did testing take place? (22:15)
SIGB is the Snowsport Industries of Great Britain (22:45)
Most testing takes place at SIGB’s annual ski test in La Clusaz (23:15)
How much do bindings cost? (25:00)

THE BEST PISTE SKIS OF WINTER 2026

K2 Blur 74 W (women) (26:30)
£600 / 148cm-169cm

Blur is K2’s new piste ski range for winter 25/26. The 74W has a little lift through the front and back, is built around their aspen wood core and uses Flax with channels milled into it.

They only do this in this ski and the Blur 79W to enhance agility. It should also save a little weight, although the 74 is about performance and a perfect partner for advanced and expert female skiers shredding the groomers.

It has a 13.9m radius in the longest length and testers reported it as silky smooth, easy to ski yet snappy, with great boost turn-to-turn. It’s super reactive underfoot, quick to pivot and rotate for short turns.

Nordica Dobermann Multipista DC FDT (29:00)
£930 including binding, 160cm-185cm

The Multipista is new for this season, focussed equally on fun and performance. It may look similar to the Steadfast skis in its outline, but there’s a lot more going on than simply a curvy figure.
It has Dobermann in the name, which hints at this ski’s powerful drive, and when you open the throttle you’re rewarded by the bucketload!
The rise though the front and back, paired with the taper at each end, means you never feel like your locked into a turn. It can lay trenches on the groomers, but if you want to nip off the side, take on some slush or get a little airtime, it's as composed as you could ask for.

It’s built around their Energy 2 Ti Double Core (DC) construction. An elastomer layer is sandwiched between two beech and poplar wood cores, beefed up by two layers of Titanal metal, one above the wood-elastomer sandwich and one below.
Even though Nordica states the ski as having a Full Camber Profile, it has a longer rise through the shovel and tail than a regular full camber ski. This rocker profile is part of the Multipista’s magic, bringing a delightfully versatile nature. The tapered profile through the shovel and tail further adds to its performance across a range of conditions. The 74mm waist width, in all lengths, partners with their race on-piste shape underfoot for confidence-rocketing grip. This width is bang-on the money, with plenty of punch through the edge and enough float and stability to tackle a broad array of terrain and snow conditions.
THE BEST ALL MOUNTAIN SKIS OF WINTER 2026
Völkl V.Werks 100(32:00)
£1,750 flat, 170cm-186cm

Völkl has taken all they’ve learnt from ski manufacturing and turned the dial up to eleven with this ski! The company was founded in 1923, and in honour of this they have made exactly 1923 of these skis, with a retail price of €1923.

This ski is see-through. If you place your hand behind the ski, when holding it up to the light, you can see where your hand is. It’s quite spectacular. It also highlights the complex structure they’ve perfected for the fibre placement.
They combine carbon and natural flax fibres, which work in harmony with the superb 3D H-Woodcore. This is made of two enviro friendly FSC-certified poplar and beech cores, with a central reinforcement, and this all has a very noticeable and technical 3D shape.
The fibres, translucent layer and wood core allows the designers to transfer the movements and forces from the skier through the ski and to the edges, for a ridiculously intuitive control. You get a regular camber underfoot but enough rocker in the shovel and tail for a mega-versatile shape.
Atomic Maven 88 CTI (Women) (35:00)
£570 without bindings, 147cm-172cm

This ski is based around an ash and poplar wood core, boosted by the addition of carbon and Titanal. These laminates add greater damping and energy to the ski, whilst helping to keep the ski light.
The change of shape through the shovel, as we saw in the wider Maverick and Maven models last season, keeps this ski incredibly playful. This HRZN 3D Maverick/Maven tech sees the wood core extend right up to the very front of the ski, designed to improve stability and smoothness when charging hard.
These skis can certainly be skied fast, but the thing you notice most with all skis with HRZN tech is just how much it enhances the fun nature of the skis. They are not twin-tips, and have a directional shape, although the rise in the back means you can ski switch if you really want to. Atomic builds in a 15% rocker through the shovel and a 10% rocker at the back, with standard camber in the middle of the ski.
Salomon Stance Pro 86(Unisex) (38:00)
£640 flat, 151cm-185cm

Salomon’s Stance range sees significant change, taking what were already great skis and making them industry leading.
It has a full poplar wood core, with the Powerflex Ti metal layer sitting full width underfoot and tapering out in front of and behind the binding. The metal edge is made thicker to aid grip and power, and will endure more services, therefore lasting longer. The base has a 50% recycled content. The profile delivers regular camber underfoot with a 15% rocker through the front and a milder 12% rocker at the rear.
THE BEST FREERIDE SKIS OF WINTER 2026 (40:00)
Head Kore 99 Ti W(Women) (40:30)
£650 without bindings, 156cm-177cm

The Kore skis are redesigned for this season. This 99mm underfoot model has the same length options as the women’s Kore 97 of last season, but otherwise it’s a very different ski.
Where the men’s new Kore skis use beech and karuba, the women’s Kore models combine poplar with PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which is a thermoplastic polyester polymer. Think of your favourite fleece, and the chances are it’s made of the same material.
This is complimented by a layer of Titanal, using at least 40% recycled material, above and below the core, along with a Graphene layer between the metal and top of the core. They add a damping layer between the bottom metal layer and the edges of the ski, to further smoothen the ride.
Again, as in the men’s, they add flax to the boundary of the topsheet to improve durability. Rocker front and back, with standard camber underfoot, gives the ski it’s undeniable freeride profile.

Salomon QST 100(Unisex) (43:30)
£570 without bindings, 148cm-188cm
New for this season in widths ranging from 92 through to 106, the 100 is an incredible freeride ski and was a hit with everyone at testing. It’s a unisex model, offered in a choice of two colours.
The new QST’s have full poplar wood cores with basalt and glass fibres, as well as Salomon’s proven Cork Damplifier, where they inlay a cork and TPU border at the tip and tail to dampen vibrations. The 106 has a 22% rocker up front and 18% rocker in the tail. As you step down in width to 100 then 94, they reduce the rocker proportion by 1% at each end, for each drop in width.

FEEDBACKI enjoy all feedback about the show, so if you enjoyed this episode, or if you have any questions about skis we didn’t cover, then please let us know by leaving a comment at Instagram or Facebook – we are @theskipodcast – or by dropping me an email theskipodcast@gmail.com

There are now 273 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

Follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
Give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
Help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com. You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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Iain speaks with ‘Repair Claire’, who heads up the excellent repair service at outdoor brand Montane.

This continues the discussion from Episode 255 about sustainability and the importance of extending the life of our outdoor kit.

Rather like Arcteryx’s ‘Rebird’ project, featured in Episode 218, it’s important to highlight the great work on sustainability that brands like Montane are doing. In this chat, Claire tells us which are the most common repairs, what happens if a garment is beyond help and why she doesn’t like patches in different colours!

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means that this winter we’ll be able to find out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the wonderful ‘feeling of life’ there.

FEEDBACK
Why not let me know what you think by leaving a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop Iain an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you enjoyed this episode, why not follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode.

Or if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com.

You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

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We find out all about Innsbruck in Austria, look at the Northern Snow Show and learn why ski company Peak Retreats is handing over ownership to its staff.

Host Iain Martin was joined by journalist Catherine Murphy; MD of The Snow Centre, Ian Brown; founder of the UK tour operator Peak Retreats, Xavier Schouller; and the company’s new MD Alison Willis.

SHOW NOTES
Catherine joined us in Episode 232 to discuss the new Jandri 3S lift in Les 2 Alpes (1:00)
Miss SnowItAll, Rachael Oakes-Ash runs the Snowsbest.com website (6:00)
Robert Redford starred in ‘Downhill Racer’ in 1969 (7:30)Chill Factore in Manchester and The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead are the same company (8:30)
The Northern Snow Show takes place in October at The Snow Centre Manchester (9:45)
Listeners to the podcast can get free tickets for the show here (13:00)
Iain visited Innsbruck in 2017 after a trip to Kuhtai (13:30)
There are many sites to see in Innsbruck (14:00)
The most famous site is the Golden Roof (14:45)
Catherine loved the Hofkirche (15:45)
British architect Zaha Hadid designed the spectacular funicular stations in the city (18:00)
Hadid also designed the Bergesil ski jump (19:15)
Rob Rees reported in Episode XX on the ‘Four Hills Ski Jumping Competiiton’ (21:15)
Innsbruck serves 12 ski areas (21:20)
You can go night skiing in Kuhtai (22:00)
Find out about the ‘SKI plus CITY Pass’ (23:00)
Find out about Axamer Lizum (24:00)
Nordkette ski area is immediately above Innsbruck, with amazing views (24:30)
Peak Retreats are becoming the only UK ski company to be employee-owned (25:30)
The company was set up in 2002 (27:00)
The decision to pass on the company to the employees rather than sell it (29:30)
Listen to ‘The Rise and Fall of Bladon Lines’ (31:00)
Find out about the Alpe d’Huez bike challenge (35:00)

Feedback (36:00)I always enjoy listener feedback and I love to hear what you think about the show. You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

Colin Slater: "Just discovered the podcast and listened to loads now, loved the Bladon Lines one!”

Glenn Westrup: “I’ve really enjoyed Rachel’s snow reports from Australia and NZ”
There are now 272 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, then why not go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll want to listen to too.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
And, if you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can help The Ski Podcast and save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com. You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

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Today we find out what it’s like to ski - and surf - in Nova Scotia, Canada. We discuss the new Valléen lift in Saint-Gervais, learn about Tromsø in Norway and we have all the latest news about the London Snow Show.

There’s also snow reports from Down Under, your feedback and we exciting news about a new sponsor.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Betony Garner and James Gambrill, CEO at SCGB and organiser of the London Snow Show.

SHOW NOTES
Betony was last on the show in Episode 65 (0:45)
James was based in the White Haus in London for the recording of the show (2:45)
Miss SnowItAll, Rachael Oakes-Ash runs the Snowsbest.com website (4:30)
Guy Beatson reported from New Zealand (6:00)
Tirol in Austria will be sponsoring The Ski Podcast this winter (7:00)
Find out more about Ski Launch 2025 (8:45)
Peak Retreats is now employee-owned (11:30)
Is season four of The White Lotus going to be filmed in Megeve? (12:00)
Find out more about Le Valléen gondola – the new lift connecting St Gervais (13:00)
Find out about the spa – Les Thermes – in Saint-Gervais Le Fayet (15:00)
The Thermes lift is powered by wastewater (17:00)
James visited Nova Scotia (18:20)
How about surfing in water that’s zero degrees? (23:00)
Find out more about the London Snow Show
Look out for Dave Ryding on the Saturday and the Carrick-Smith brothers on Sunday (26:30)
Equipment expert, Al Morgan, and Iain will be talking about this year’s new kit (27:00)
Iain will also be presenting on driving an EV to the Alps and what it’s like to ski on a live volcano
Listeners to the podcast can get free tickets for the show using the code here (27:45)
Betony went ski touring in Tromsø (28:00)

FeedbackI always enjoy listener feedback and I love to hear what you think about the show. You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

Joseph Childs: "I also caught up on the Bladon Lines episode and really enjoyed it. Seems like it was an amazing time to be in the industry."
There are now 271 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 143 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, then why not go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll want to listen to too.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast. Look in the Show Notes for that link.

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

Follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
Give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
Save yourself some money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com

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We find out what it’s like walking to the Alps in ski boots, plus we have a focus on sustainability, looking at how different ski businesses are working together; what the UTMB are doing to reduce their impact; plus we have an interview with ‘Repair Claire’ from Montane.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Heather Davies from the Re-Action Collective and by Reuben Gray and Matt Brinkley from King of the Hill, and down the line by Rachael Oakes-Ash in Australia.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeIf you’re booking ski hire this winter, don’t forget that you can help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com.

That applies to any ski hire booked in their massive network across France, Austria and Switzerland. You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

SHOW NOTES

Miss SnowItAll, Rachael Oakes-Ash runs the Snowsbest.com website (3:30)
Details of the apres ski bands for the London Snow Show have been announced (5:15)
Iain and our equipment expert, Al Morgan, will be talking about this year’s new kit on Saturday
Listeners to the podcast can get free tickets for the show (6:00)
Iain took part in the OCC ultra marathon (6:30)
UTMB have introduced some impressive new policies on sustainability (7:00)
Iain spoke with Fabrice Perren, head of sustainability at UTMB (7:00)
Find out about The Green Runners (7:45)
UTMB are introducing a new system of compulsory offsetting (8:15)
Iain used a Minimus Lite running jacket from Montane at the OCC (9:00)
Listen to Episode 218 for more on Arcteryx’s repair work (9:45)
Iain spoke to ‘Repair Claire’ from Montane (9:45
Heather is a co-founder of the Re-Action Collective (13:15)
One Tree at a Time was set up by Gavin Ferney-Jones (13:30)
Check out back catalog for interviews with Cirkel Supply, Montagne Verte, EcoSki and Whitestorm
Find out about Tentshare (21:30)
Find out about the new film ‘Actionism’ (23:00)Reuben and Matt walked in ski boots to the Alps (25:30)
Look out for their new app King of the Hill (27:00)
The boys used Sidas Boot Traction to protect their boots (31:30)
It took them 50 days to walk 690 miles (32:15)
Follow the boys on Instagram(36:30)
They have raised money for Snowcamp and McMillan Cancer Research (37:00)

Feedback (37:00)I always enjoy listener feedback and I love to hear what you think about the show. You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

Lynsey: "Always listen to the podcast and it's been a lovely escape in the recent hot weather! Bring on the winter!"
Adam Fisher: "Keep up the good work!"
Dennis: “I'm a big fan of your podcast and I thoroughly enjoyed your appearance on Stuart Winchester’s Storm podcast.”

Comment on Spotify:“Hi, I'm 13 and love skiing. This podcast is helping me get through the summer. I’m from Germany by the way!”
David Musson enjoyed my interview with Mark Smith, The Man in Seat 61, in Episode 233

There are now 270 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 136 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, then why not go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll want to listen to too.

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast. Look in the Show Notes for that link.

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:
- you can follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
- you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
- (both of those actions help other listeners to find us)
- Or you can book your ski hire at Intersportrent.com using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’

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In this ‘flashback’ episode, Iain speaks with ‘ski instructor to the stars’ Warren Smith, from the Warren Smith Ski Academy.

We talk about how Warren got into skiing and his journey to Verbier via the Hemel Hempstead dry ski slope and Seefeld in Austria.

There’s plenty about the early days of the UK freestyle scene, working with many of the youngsters who have now become Olympians, as well as the celebrities that he’s taught over the years, including Laurence Dallaglio, Prince Harry, Princess Eugenie, Louis Smith, Bradley Wiggins and more.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeAs we are looking ahead to this winter, don’t forget that if you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money this winter…just use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com.

SHOW NOTES
* Warren learned to ski at the Hemel Hempstead dry ski slope, before it was recreated as The Snow Centre – an indoor snow slope * His first snow experience was on a school trip to Saalbach in Austria, when the coach broke down * Phil Gordon presents the ‘Legends of the Brand’ podcast (3:30) * Warren’s first qualification was as a UK dry slope instuctor (4:45) * He first taught on snow in Seefeld in Austria, before moving to Verbier in 1994 (5:00) * Joyce Read from Ski Verbier was an early mentor (6:00) * You can watch ‘Blizzard of Aaaahs’ – the famous ‘extreme’ ski movie – on YouTube * Jamie Strachan designed top sheets for Volkl and brought Warren on their team in winter 1998/99 (8:45) * Strachan also designed many of the legendary ChamJam posters (9:30) * Listen to Iain’s interview with GB Snowsports coach Pat Sharples in this bonus episode of The Ski Podcast (10:15) * Stu Brass and Spencer Claridge were behind the AIM Series of events and built the freestyle features for events like the London Ski Show and The Jump (11:00) * Iain launched Natives.co.uk in April 1999 (12:00) * Other early freestyle projects that Warren set up were the British Freestyle Camps and the Ride Series * Pat talks about the impact of the Salomon 1080 on the freestyle scene in this interview, as does Jim Adlington (founder of Planks) in our bonus episode with him (14:00) * Paddy Graham came out of the Sheffield dry slope scene and is still producing award-winning movies with the ‘Legs of Steel’ crew (17:30) * Warren also produced movies such as the ‘Snow’s In The House’ series and ‘Snow Odyssey’ featuring a 16-year-old Candide Thovex (19:00) * Warren’s ‘Go Ski’ technique book and DVD is available online (25:00) * Rob Sawyer from the Farinet Bar in Verbier recommended Warren to England rugby player Laurence Dallaglio (28:00) * Other celebrities that Warren has skied with or instructed in Verbier include James Blunt, Princess Eugenie and Prince Harry (33:00) * Listen to Peter Hardy’s anecdotes about James Blunt in our special episode * Louis Smith, Spencer Matthews and Jason Robinson were among the quickest learners that Warren coached for the wintersports reality show ‘The Jump’ (35:00) * The Warren Smith Ski Academy now has a team of 15 instructors with key focus on biomechanics (39:00) * Find out about the Carv device here (45:00) * The Academy also offers ‘Gap Year’ Instructor Qualification courses, having changed from BASI to the Irish IASI qualification in 2013 (45:30) * The Warren Smith Ski Academy will be at the National Snow Show at the Birmingham NEC on 15/16 October 2022 (48:00) * Courses start in Cervinia from 06 November for five weeks, then on to Verbier. Warren will be leading a trip to Japan in February (50:00) * Listen to how Iain got on in Verbier in March 2023 in Episode 172

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
‘buy me a coffee’ at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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We look at Les Arcs in summer, find out about La Plagne’s new lifts and the ‘Flocon Vert’ – the sustainability award for ski resorts in France.

There’s snow reports from Australia and New Zealand, as well as a special report on the new Soho Basin area in Cardrona from Ski Sunday’s Ed Leigh, plus we find out what it was like when the Tour de France came to the Alps.

Host Iain Martin was joined by La Plagne expert, Jen Tsang and Claire Tollis from the Mountain Riders association in France.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeWe haven’t quite started up winter yet in Europe, but I know people are booking their holidays, so if you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money on your ski hire this winter…just use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book at intersportrent.com.

SHOW NOTES
Find out more about SnowCamp in Episode 249 (2:15)
Miss SnowItAll, Rachael Oakes-Ash from Snowsbest.com reported from Down Under (3:45)
Guy Beatson sent in his snow report from New Zealand (5:45)
Listened to Iain’s interview with Ed Leigh in Episode 236 (7:15)
Ed has been riding the new Soho Basin ski area at Cardrona, NZ (7:30)
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter was in Courchevel for the Tour de France (10:15)
Stage 19 went from Albertville to La Plagne (12:00)
A new gondola has been proposed from Aime to La Plagne (19:15)
The 2030 Winter Olympics will be held in France (20:00)
The new Roche de Mio gondola will open this winter (24:30)
Iain was in Les Arcs for ‘Le Trail des Arcs’ (27:30)
There’s a lot to do in Les Arcs in summer, including chilling at Nama Springs (28:30)
Find out about the ‘Hero Pass’ and ‘Hero Camp’ (28:45)
Everyone loves the sound of cow bells (30:30)
Iain stayed at the Refuge du Mont Pourri (32:00)
25% of all visitors to Les Arcs come by train (33:45)
Les Arcs is the only ski resort in Europe with B Corp status (34:00)
Visit the 'Mountain Riders' website (34:30)
Find out more about the 'Flocon Vert' (36:30) and Montagne Zero Dechet (38:45)

Feedback (42:00)I always enjoy listener feedback and I love to hear what you think about the show. You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you haven’t listened to Episode 252 yet, I strongly recommend that you do. It’s the story of Bladon Lines – in my opinion it’s the best episode I’ve ever produced (42:30)

Thanks to all of the following for their kind words about it: Nicola Anderson, Debbie Marshall, Jilly Hooper, Nico Stanford, Victoria Clay, Kirsten Nicholl, Matt Hayes Lesley Glass, Fiona Parkhurst, Colin Barnett, Craig Mayhew, Giles Helbert, Diane Palumbo, Joanna Yellowlees-Bound, Martin Carver, Alex Irwin, Andrew Brannan, Mike Greenland, James Buist and Snowheads MikePow and Kenzie.

I was most touched to receive this message from George Lines, son of co-founder Mark Lines, who tragically died in a car accident in 1990:

"I very much enjoyed this, Iain. I still ski each year in my dad’s parrot onesie and regularly get pulled over by people keen to share fond BL memories. A couple of years ago in Val D’Isere, one group told me that they are all friends because their parents had met doing seasons with BL and they still all ski together now. You and the contributors captured that sense of community so well."

There are now 268 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you enjoyed this episode, then go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you’ll want to listen to too.

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast. Look in the Show Notes for that link.

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

Follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
Give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
Book your ski hire at Intersportrent.com using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’

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In this special ‘Flashback’ episode, Iain speaks with Tony McWilliam - founder of one of the world's leading snowsports brands - Faction Skis.

We find out what inspired Tony to start Faction, how he smuggled his first batch of 44 skis across the Swiss border to Verbier, meeting freeski legend Candide Thovex when he was just 16 years old and how he grew Faction to become one of the most famous ski brands in the world.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeIf you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money this winter…just use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com.

SHOW NOTES
* Tony designed my first brochure for my first business, Natives.co.uk * You can listen to our Ski Podcast Special with Pat Sharples here * Faction skis started in 2003 * BoardX took place in Battersea for several years * You can listen to our Ski Podcast with Jim Adlington here * Other key contacts for Tony in the early years were Phil Martin, Gordy Hughes and Matt Reardon * He worked closely with Peter Bauer, founder of Amplid * The first range of Faction skis had a waist of 80-110mm * Initially the skis were made in Annecy before production moved to Austria * Skis like the Seth Pistol were an inspiration * Jamie Strachan’s designs for Volkl were another influence * The first run of Faction skis was just 44 pairs – they now sell 35,000 pairs every year globally * Sam Smoothy is a NZ freeride skier * Ski Service in Verbier was the first store to stock Faction Skis * Tony first met Candide Thovex as a 16-year-old rider in Les Arcs * Check out Candide in China here (he took 27 pairs of skis with him for that shoot!) * Tony launched an eco-friendly outerwear brand, GHOSTS, on Kickstarter in 2019 * He also worked with Eric Pollard – ex-Line Skis – on the launch of the new ski and snowboard range Season Eqpt * Find out about Candide’s outerwear brand

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeYou can help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com. Alternatively, simply take the link in the Show Notes and your discount will automatically be applied.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – helps listeners find us
2) Subscribe –it every episode will automatically be downloaded for you, so you can catch up at your leisure
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast or WhatsApp

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In today’s episode Iain speaks with Fiona Easdale, managing director and co-founder of the Val d’Isere chalet specialist YSE Ski.

She was racing downhill in the Winter Olympics at just 16 years old, then worked in sports management with World Cup winning footballers, before her return to the ski industry with Bladon Lines.

There, she rose through the ranks to become managing director, before going off on her own to set up YSE Ski with John Yates-Smith – a company that’s now been in business for over 30 years.

This episode is the latest in a series of podcasts I’ve been publishing focussing on women in the snowsports industry. Previous episodes have included BBC Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott, GB Snowsport CEO, Vicky Gosling and former-Erna Low MD, Joanna Yellowlees-Bound.

SHOW NOTES
Listen to Iain’s interview with John Yates-Smith in Episode 231 (3:45)
Read Iain’s summary of the latest Mountain Trade Network research (5:45)
Fiona competed in the 1976 Winter Olympics at just 16 years old (7:00)
Seba Johnson is the youngest Alpine skier to compete in the Olympics at 14 (7:30)
Fiona joined the Downhill Only Ski Club in Wengen (8:30)
Fiona finished 34th in Downhill, 37th in GS, 18th in Slalom and 10th in the Combined (11:30)
“Nobody gives us a chance. Why should they against the Alpine countries? But we’re having a go!” (13:30)
Konrad Bartelski was also at Innsbruck (15:00)
John Curry won gold for Team GB in the ice skating (16:00)
Fiona was injured in an Europa Cup race in Flaine (18:30)
IMG is a sports management agency (20:15)
Listen to Episode 252 about the Rise and Fall of Bladon Lines (21:45)
Fiona rose from Contracts Manager to MD (23:00)
How did it end at Bladon Lines? (29:00)
The founding of YSE (30:00)Of 30 resorts offered by Bladon Lines, 60% of profits were in Val d'Isere (31:00)
YSE is a Val d’Isere specialist (33:45)
Dealing with global crises (35:00)

Feedback
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe –it every episode will automatically be downloaded for you
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast or WhatsApp

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In this special ‘Flashback’ episode, Iain speaks with Tom Greenall, one of the few British members of the ski patrol in France.

Tom explains the long journey he had to go through to qualify as a ‘pisteur’ (ski patroller in France), starting off with racing against 11-year-olds (having had some training from Glenn Plake!) to learning how to ski with a blood wagon in his hands.

SHOW NOTES
* Tom Greenall is founder of Idris Skis * He ran a cat skiing operation in Japan for three years * The first qualification required to become a ski patroller is a Fleche Vermillion * Glen Plake has been coming to Chamonix since 1987 * Tom passed the Test Technique on his fourth attempt at Puy St Vincent * ‘Premiere Secours Equipe Niveau 1 & 2’ is the rescue industry first aid course * Tom’s Pisteur Course cost €3000 and took place in Les Orres * The course included knowledge of middle mountain environment; weather and snow awareness; Rules and Regulations; taking the PSE2 first aid to the ski patrol environment; sled (‘bloodwagon’ practice); avalanche practice * The course concluded with exams on rescue sleds; an avalanche beeper search; and first aid cases * Listen to our interview with the producers of ‘Ski A&E’ in Val Thorens in Episode 43

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeDon’t forget that if you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money…all you need to do is to use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com.

So simply use that code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

Follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
Give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
‘Buy me a coffee’ at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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In this special episode we look at the rise and fall of Bladon Lines – a British chalet company who in the mid-80s were the biggest ski company in the UK, but by the mid-90s had completely disappeared.

It’s the story of two young men, who met at university and were sure that they could do ski holidays better. It’s about how their company rode the 80s boom and grew exponentially to become ‘the’ name in British skiing. Then new competitors came in and the market changed.

The last glass of ‘Parrot Claret’ was served over 30 years ago now, but the Bladon Lines continues to hold a special place in the hearts of British skiers…

SHOW NOTES
Mark Lines died in a car crash in 1990 (2:00)
Simon Bladon met Mark Lines on his first day at Exeter University in 1971 (3:15)
In July 1978 Simon was sacked from his job, leading to the start of ‘Bladon Lines’ (6:00)
In year three, the company made a profit of £80,000 (9:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with John Yates Smith in Episode 231 (9:30)
The famous red, yellow and blue Bladon Lines jackets led to the parrot logo (11:00)
Bladon Lines offered ‘Parrot Claret’ and ‘Parrot Vin’ wines in their chalets (12:00)
Alastair Scott from the Sunday Times, found the jackets ‘hideously recognisable’ (12:30)
Amin Momen founded Momentum Ski – a corporate ski specialist (12:45)
The dotted Ski West jackets were also famous (13:30)
Ed Mannix is now owner of the Zermatt specialist, Matterhorn Chalets (13:40)
Nick Morgan founded the chalet company Le Ski in 1982 (15:15)What are ‘Sloane Rangers’?
John Yates-Smith: “It was the days of glorious amateurishness” (17:30)
‘The Bladon Lines Chalet Girls Cookbook’ is occasionally available on ebay (22:00)
The standard of chalets in the 80s… (22:45)
Simon Hoskyns worked for Bladon Lines before going on to co-found Alpine Answers (24:00)
There were no mobile phones in the 80s… (23:30)
Gareth Crump is now Sales and Marketing Director at VIP Ski (26:30)
The days of the Telex… (27:00)
Ed Mannix was the only member of staff with a ‘mobile phone’ (28:15)
Simon Bladon sold his 50% share to family friend Christopher Needler (29:00)Christopher Needler kept Bladon Lines afloat as the market changed (29:45)Crystal Ski were an aggressive new competitor (32:00)
Chalet rents went ‘out of control’ (32:30)
In 1991, the company sacked Fiona Easdale as managing director (33:15)
John Yates-Smith and Easdale formed their own chalet company, YSE Ski (33:30)
Inghams bought Bladon Lines in 1995 (36:00)
Simon Bladon offered to come back to help run the new Bladon Lines division of Inghams (37:15)
The skills you develop when working ski seasons… (38:30)
The Bladon Lines community… (42:00)
In 2020 Crystal Ski announced it was cancelling its entire chalet programme (44:00)
Seasonal Businesses in Travel report a 50% reduction in chalet capacity this decade (44:00)
The Bladon Lines ‘Chalet Girl’ races (45:00)

Credits
This episode was written, narrated and edited by Iain Martin.

Thanks go to Andy Wadsworth for reading the additional clippings, quotes and excerpts and to everyone who contributed to this episode including Simon Bladon, John Yates-Smith, Amin Momen, Ed Mannix, Gareth Crump, Nick Morgan and Simon Hoskyns.

Share this episode
If you enjoyed this episode and you know someone who worked or took holidays with Bladon Lines back in the 80s or 90s, or simply likes a good ski industry story, then I would really appreciate it if you shared this episode with them.

Feedback
If you want to share your own memories of Bladon Lines or just let me know what you thought about this episode, then please contact me via Facebook or Instagram @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow us on WhatsApp.

There are over 260 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with – just go theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something you like.

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Today we discuss ‘Homeland’ – a ski touring only ‘resort’ in Italy, we ask what should be on Rob Katz’s ‘to do’ list as he takes up the reins again at Vail Resorts, plus we find out about skiing along the Mississippi.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by freelance journalist Sam Haddad and host of the Storm Skiing Podcast, Stuart Winchester, as well as down the line with snow reports by Rachael Oakes-Ash in Australia and Guy Beatson in New Zealand.

SHOW NOTES
Sam was last on the show talking about La Grave in Episode 214 (1:15)
Stuart was last on the show in Episode 235 (1:30)
Find out about La Sarenne in Alpe d’Huez (4:00)
Stuart’s last day of skiing was at Arapahoe Basin in Colorado (5:00)
Guy Beatson reported from New Zealand (9:30)
Rachael Oakes-Ash from Snowsbest reported from Australia (11:00)
Homeland is a ski touring ‘resort’ in Italy (13:00)
Read Sam’s Substack ‘Climate and Board Sports’ (14:00)
Read Sam’s article for the Guardian
We featured Madesimo in Episode 165 (18:00)
Read Stuart’s Storm Skiing Journal Substack (23:30)
”Everyone’s searching for skiing’s soul. I’m trying to find its brains”We covered the Ikon Pass, Indy Pass, Mountain Collective & Epic Pass in Episode 265
We discussed how the Epic Pass is making a difference in Australia in Episode 250 (25:45)
Vail launched the Epic Pass in 2008 (26:00)
Sales of the Epic Pass were down for the first time in 2024/25 (28:30)
The ski patrol strike in Park City was a PR disaster for Vail Resorts (30:00)
The CEO of Vail Resort Kirsten Lynch resigned in May 2025 (32:00)
She was replaced by Rob Katz (32:30)
What should be on Rob Katz's 'to do' list (32:45)
“Walk-up lift ticket prices that would embarrass a luxury handbag store!”
“Wait, There's a Limit to What People Will Pay to Ski 7 Hours on a Tuesday in a Highly Competitive Market?”
Skiing in Alabama (37:00)

FeedbackI always enjoy listener feedback. Please leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram and Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

Guy Beatson: "I really enjoy the podcast – it helped prepare for my trip to Big Sky and Grand Targhee in late January"
You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

Follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode
Give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify
‘Buy me a coffee’ at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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Today we focus on the new ski season in Australia and New Zealand, especially the new chairlift in Perisher and ski area extension in Cardrona. Plus could ski ballet be making a comeback? We find out about this iconic sport from the 80s

Host Iain Martin was joined by the expert on skiing in Australia and New Zealand, founder of the Snowsbest website, Rachael Oakes-Ash, and the founder of MGG clothing, and the man single-handedly behind the ski ballet revival, Tom Bata.

SHOW NOTES
Rachael enjoyed great conditionsat the Australia opening weekend (1:30)
Iain skied all five of the UK’s indoor snowdomes in May (2:45)
Big Sky featured in Episode 235 of The Ski Podcast (3:00)
Svalbard featured in Episode 218 of The Ski Podcast (5:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Xavier De Le Rue (7:00)
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter reported from the opening weekend in Tignes (8:00)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching reported from Les 2 Alpes (9:15)
The new AUD26 million chairlift in Perisher (10:45)
Listen to Iain’s report from Australia in Episode 182 (12:45)
The Epic Pass in Australia (15:00)
The new 4 day pass in in Australia (17:00
The Thredbo Alpine Coaster (19:30)
The Soho ski area in Cardona will make it the largest NZ ski area (21:20)
Cardrona is opening a new freestyle training centre (23:20)
Mt Dobson and Ohau are for sale (27:00)
MGG (Mont Gele Gear) is based in Verbier (28:45)
MGG incorporate a Radical Transparency Label (30:45)Take a look at one of the RTL labels (32:00)
What is ‘ski ballet’? (33:30)
Watch MGG’s film about ski ballet (34:45)
Did Tanner Hall made his start in ski ballet? (35:00)
Will ski ballet ever come back into the mainstream (40:00)

Feedback (41:30)
I love to hear what you think about the show – what you like, or don’t like – just leave me a comment on Spotify or Instagram and Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

skiiingPostie (on Episode 249): “I get people’s apprehension (about starting skiing)…I started learning at 47 and the main thing I was worried about was hurting myself or others”
Alex: “I've recently got into listening to your podcast and am really enjoying all the skiing chat.”
There are now 262 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 229 of those were listened to in the last week. Go to theskipodcast.com and have a look around our back catalog - you’re bound to find something of interest.

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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This week we look at how to inprove diversity within the ski industry and ways that under-representation is being addressed.

Iain was joined by Amirra Blackwood and Dan Keeley from Snow Camp, Zahia Shaw from Skimigos and Burhan Ali from the Muslim Ski Club.

SHOW NOTES
Dan was last on the show in Episode 98 (1:20)
Find out about Dan’s epic run to Rome (2:20)
Amirra and Dan were at the AJ Bell Three Valley Challenge in Val Thorens (4:00)
Dave Ryding has announced that he will retire at the end of the 25/26 winter (6:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Dave in Episode 199 (8:00)
Find out how Iain’s ’25 in 25 Snow Camp Challenge went (8:30)
You can donate at Iain’s JustGiving page (9:00)
Around 1000 inner city young people join Snow Camp each July (10:45)
Amirra’s journey with Snow Camp started in 2001 (12:00)
Snow Camp are taking on 16 apprentices this year
Amirra’s first placement was with Ellis Brigham
She has just finished working at the Ski Club of Great Britain (14:45)
Skimigos took 100 people to Les 2 Alpes in March (18:00)
Zahia (Zee) Shaw set up Skimigos in 2019 (19:45)
Zee uses the Skimigos Instagram to tackle objections people come up with (22:00)
Addressing “it’s not for people like us” (22:45)
Skimigos apres ski is off the charts… (25:00)
Burhan is the founder of the Muslim Ski Club (27:30)
This year the club travelled to Erciyes in Turkey (30:00)
“Apres-tea over apres-ski” (30:25)
The club is organising ‘Eid in the Alps’ in Avoriaz in 2026 (32:30)
Snow Camp has been organising indoor taster sessions for young Muslims (34:00)

FeedbackI always enjoy listener feedback. Couple since our last episode.

Ben: "Love the podcast"
Pete: “248 was a great episode...loving the grass roots vibe"
You can contact me with your feedback via our social channels @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

There’s so much to catch up with in our back catalog just to theskipodcast.com and have a look around the tags and categories.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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Today we look at a new project to help first-time skiers, find out about the Women’s World Snowsports Summit and learn about plans to reopen of the UK’s most iconic dry ski slopes, Sheffield Ski Village.

Host Iain Martin was joined live by guests Kimberley Kay and James Gambrill and down the line by Tim Justice, Alex Armand and Luca, Zak and Freddy Carrick-Smith.

SHOW NOTES
Kim was last on the podcast in Episode 229 (0:30)
James Gambrill is COO of the Ski Club of Great Britain
The Mountain Travel Symposium took place at Aspen Snowmass this year (4:00)
Find out more about Iain’s ‘25 in 25 Snow Camp Challenge’ (5:00)
He will be skiing all the UK’s indoor snow centres in a single day to raise funds for Snow Camp
You can sponsor Iain on his JustGiving page (7:45)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching reported from Les 2 Alpes (8:20)Listen to our Ski Jobs Special Episode to find out more about the ‘Youth Experience Scheme’ (9:30)
The Ski Podcast sponsors ‘Team Carrick Smith’ (10:00)
Iain spoke with Luca, Zak and Freddy on their end of season surfing break (10:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Team GB skier Molly Butler (19:15)
Tim Justice is chairman of the Sheffield Sharks Ski Club (22:20)
Sheffield Ski Village closed in 2012 (23:00)
There are plans to redevelop Sheffield Ski Village (25:00)
Find out more about the Revive Sheffield Ski Village campaign (29:00)
Find out more about the new ‘Way2Snow’ initiative (31:00)
Kimberley’s ‘Ski A-Z book’ is a great intro for newcomers to the sport (39:30)
James Gambrill is also organiser of the London Snow Show (40:00)
The show takes place at Olympia in West London in October (41:00)
Iain will be presenting at the show with our equipment expert Al Morgan (43:00)
Find out about apres-ski at the show (44:00)
Kimberley was atthe inaugural World Women’s Snowsports Organization (WWS0) Summit (45:30)
It was held at Kitzsteinhornin Austria, near Kaprun in April 2025
54 women from 12 countries attended (47:00)
We covered 'Project Fear' in Episode 229 – looking at the extent to which fear is a factor in snowsport gender imbalance (50:00)
You can sponsor Iain on the ‘25in25’ on his JustGiving page (58:00)

FeedbackYou can contact me with your feedback via our social channels @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

gordymission1035:"Thank you for a great episode (#247). So much great info."
There are now 260 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’re missing your skiing over the summer, then this is the perfect time to go to theskipodcast.com and have a look around our back catalog.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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This episode is an equipment special, tackling essential questions about kit such as the best way to carry skis, the ‘right’ way to do up your ski boots and how to store your gear through the summer?

We also look at the effect of tariffs on the US retail market and discuss the latest developments in BOA ski boot technology.

Host Iain Martin was joined by our equipment expert, Al Morgan.

Watch this podcast on video on the Skipedia YouTube channel

This Special Episode of The Ski Podcast has been made possible by them. Ellis Brigham are the winter sports specialists, with 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for next winter. Alternatively, simply go to their website at ellis-brigham.com and you can buy online now.

SHOW NOTES
Al was last on the show in Episode 235, reporting from the SIGB Ski Test in La Clusaz (0:50)
This episode is also available on the Skipedia YouTube channel
Al last skied in Tignes (1:10)
Find out more about Iain’s ’25 in 25 Snow Camp Challenge’ (4:30)
Listen to Dan Keeley explaining more about the work that Snow Camp do in Episode 246
Sponsor Iain at Just Giving
How are tariffs going to affect prices in the States & exports from Europe? (7:00)
What are multi-BOA ski boots? (10:00)
How much does BOA affect the cost of a ski boot? (13:30)
[Video] How many BOAs does a skier need? (14:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-inNniPEpRQ
How should you do up ski boots? (14:45)
Phaenom suggest putting the liners on first outside the boot (17:30)
How to take out and put back liners (19:45)
Find out about Boot Bib (23:00)
Listen to our Ski Boot Special Episode #161 (24:00)
How to store skis over the summer (26:30)
Wind down your DIN settings (27:30)
How to carry skis (33:00)
How to attach skis to a backpack (37:15)
How to attach skis to an airbag (40:45)
How to avoid the helmet gap? (49:00)
How to clean and re-proof outerwear? (51:30)
Listen to our Arcteryx ReBird episode #218 (53:45)

FeedbackIf you’ve found this episode helpful, or you have any feedback on other episodes, please do let me know. You can contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

LJ@99 (Apple Podcasts): "Just the best ski and snow sports podcast going. Always listen and learn something new from the interviews and reports from all over the world. Plus there's a great back catalog."
Sarah Lewis (LI): “Lots of interesting and valuable information for listeners!”
There are now 260 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. This is the perfect time to go to theskipodcast.com and have a look around.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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We look at how to make your dreams come true and find a ski job, including what jobs are available, what skills you need, when to apply and how the market has changed in the last few years.

We also consider the ski instructor qualifications available and where they entitle you to work, and we also find out more about the possible new ‘Youth Mobility Scheme’.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Jenny Greenwood, HR Director at Skiworld, George Gray, co-founder of ski job recruitment specialists SZN and Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School in Switzerland.

SHOW NOTES
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching reports from Les 2 Alpes (5:45)
Floss Cockle from the FreeFloFloss YouTube channel is in Tignes (6:45)Find out more about Snow Camp (8:45)
Iain is trying to raise £2500 in the ‘25 for 25 Snow Camp Challenge’ to give 25 inner-city young people the chance to experience snowsports for the very first time in 2025 (9:00)
Dan Keeley is community and events director for Snow Camp (9:20)
You can sponsor Iain on his JustGiving page here (11:30)
George Gray is co-founder of SZN (12:15)
Iain founded the recruitment website Natives in 1999 (15:30)
What ski jobs are available? (16:00)
Skiworld is the UK’s largest chalet company, recruiting almost 200 staff (18:15)
SBiT’s reseach shows that since Brexit there are 56% fewer chalets & 69% fewer workers
Last winter, Skiworld had 5000 applications
How do you make your application stand out? (21:30)
When do interviews happen? (23:30)
Do you need an EU passport? (25:15)
How does an employer secure a visa for you? (26:00)
Charlie Owen is the MD of SBiT and European Pubs (29:30)
Find out more about developments in the Youth Mobility Scheme
When should people apply for jobs? (36:00)
When do staff go out to resort? (40:00)
Can people still apply during the season? (41:00)
Dave did his instructor qualification via the Warren Smith Ski Academy (44:15)
Are instructor qualifications portable across countries? (46:45)
How to qualify as a French ski instructor (49:15)
Dave hosts the Ski Instructor Podcast (54:45)
Feedback (55:00)I really enjoy finding out from listeners what you think of the show. I’m always interested to hear from you, so please do contact Iain on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Robbie Milne: “Great recent episodes - keeping the stoke well and truly alive! I’m getting married this summer meaning I couldn’t get out for spring skiing but this podcast makes it not so bad”
Steve from York: “Love the variety of topics covered in this podcast. It really gets you revved up for your next trip to the mountains”
Paul1608: “I’ve recently found the podcast and am working my way through the back catalog. I can’t make it to the mountains this year, but the podcast is the next best thing”
Rob Olliff: “I’ve enjoyed listening to The Ski Podcast since lockdown when it helped me keep going during those dark days…I recently found the episode on taking an EV to the Alps particularly useful. We drove to Les Menuires in an EV in Feb and Iain’s advice and tips definitely helped smooth the journey and calmed the nerves about charging in France. Keep up the great work.”
There are now 258 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 127 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com, have a search around and there is so much in there you’re bound to find something to keep your snow fix going over the summer.

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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We find out about this year’s ‘Brits’ – the GB freestyle champs in Mayrhofen, get to know Jibworx and their new community for girls in snowsport, and learn about the Italian ski resort of Passo Tonale.

We also have our regular snow reports, we announce the winner of our Vallon sunnies competition and Iain reveals a new UK snow challenge for May.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Amelie Cockburn from JibWorx, regular guest Mike ‘The Snow’ Richards and Stu Brass, co-founder and organiser of ‘The Brits’.

SHOW NOTES
Listen to Iain’s deep-dive interview with Stu Brass in Episode 213 (2:30)
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter YouTube channel reported from Courchevel (5:45)
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Ski is in St Anton (7:30)
Floss Cockle from the FreeFloFloss YT channel reports from Tignes (10:00)
Find out about Iain’s ’25 in 25 Snow Camp Challenge’(12:30)
Find out more about Snow Camp (13:15)
There was success for Team Carrick Smith at the British Alpine Ski Championships (13:20)
Team Carrick-Smith are sponsored by The Ski Podcast
The Brits 2025 took place in Mayhofen, Austria (19:30)
The last person under 12 to win a Brits title was Mia Brookes (21:00)
Riley Sharp won the Slopestyle and big air titles at just 10 years old (24:00)
Riley won’t be eligible for the Winter Olympics the 2034 Games (24:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Lesley McKenna (26:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Ed Leigh (26:30)
What is Jibworx? (29:00)
They put on 30-40 events each winter (29:30)
Amelie’s dissertation was about women in snowsports (33:30)
Find out about The Girls’ Archive (34:00)
Sandra Caune won gold at the European Winter Olympic Festival (37:30)The Jibworx event vehicle is an adapted American school bus (38:00)
Mike was in Passo Tonale (40:00)
Presena Glacier offers skiing up to 3069m (43:15)
Listen to our ‘Best Ski Boots of 2025’ episode (46:00)
Night skiing is possible in Passo Tonale (47:00)
Vallon’s End of Season Ski Sale is on right now with 25-35% off their ski eyewear range (51:15)

Feedback (49:00)I really enjoy finding out from listeners what you think of the show. I’m always interested to hear from you, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Skiing Postie: "Episode 243 was very interesting combining my two loves - skiing & train travel. You definitely need to be organised for a trip like that!"

Nigel Winters: "Episode 243 was another great podcast. I loved the story behind this epic trip: train travel, skiing, different out of the way places even a skiing cat!"

Elizabeth Rose: “This is a lifesaver podcast getting me through to my next ski trip. I’m enjoying listening to the back catalog. I love the snow reports, specials, features and the equipment reviews. Thanks also for raising awareness of climate change and the focus on women in snowsport.”
Brae Estate: “I’ve been a follower since the pandemic. It kept my passion for skiing going through the restrictive years and has added to my knowledge ever since. There’s always something new and interesting.”
The winner of the Vallon competition was NorsKSarah on Apple Podcasts: “I have been a listener for the last year or so and love it when a new episode drops. Topics strike a good balance between the most experienced and newcomers to the sport.”
There are now 257 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 140 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com, look around the tags and categories – there is so much in there you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Follow us. Just take a look for that button and press it now
2) Give us a review or just leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

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In this episode we speak with two British athletes having a breakthrough season in their different disciplines, plus we celebrate a new British world champion.

As well as that we also have our regular snow reports, an update from European Gay Ski Week, competition news and your feedback.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Team GB slalom ski racer Molly Butler and Skimo athlete Iain Innes and down the line by freestyle skier Zoe Atkin.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeUse the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

SHOW NOTES
Molly was in Bormio for the British Championships (0:45)
Iain is based in Chamonix (2:45)Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching is in Les 2 Alpes (3:15)
Catherine Murphy reported from Courchevel (4:00)
Robin (Big_Mauntain_Bob) is ski touring in the Lyngen Alps in Norway (5:15)Win Vallon Watchtower sunglasses by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or write a comment on Spotify or Instagram (7:30)
Our next episode - E245 - will go live on 18 April (7:45)
Matt Ware reported from European Gay Ski Week in Val Thorens (8:00)
Zoe Atkin won gold in Ski Halfpipe at the Freestyle World Champ in St Moritz last week (9:45)
Zoe discusses her second run strategy (10:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Zoe in Episode 238 (11:45)
The Carrick-Smith brothers are supported by The Ski Podcast (12:45)
Molly Butler is currently ranked around 150 in the world (13:00)
Molly was selected for the World Championships in Saalbach (14:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Martin Bell (17:15)
Molly’s coach is Emma Carrick-Anderson (17:45)
She was brought up in Megeve in France (18:30)
Intervals on the bike is a big part of Molly’s training (21:30)
The challenge of funding (24:00)
Iain Innes previously raced slalom and GS for Team GB (30:00)
Iain took Chemmy Alcott for a Skimo lesson Ski Sunday earlier this winter (29:00)
What is Skimo? (29:15)
Why Skimo? (31:30)
Iain took part in the Courchevel X3 triathlon (cycling/running/ski touring) in 2022 (33:00)
Qualifying for the Olympics (36:30)
Iain races with Claudia Chmielowska in the Mixed Team events (38:00)
Listen to Iain being interviewed on the Storm Skiing podcast (40:00)

Feedback (39:30)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com Billy Mohan: “Loved Episode 243: great work!”
Shon Douglas: "Hugely appreciate your work to keep across all the sustainability improvements taking place across Europe"
Andrew Routledge: "Love that the show is so much more than "This is a nice place to ski". Keep on keeping is informed, inspired as well as entertained."

James Rice: "Just wanted to shoot you a quick note and say that I also enjoyed your episode with Stuart on his Storm Skiing podcast"
There are now 256 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 130 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com, look around the tags and categories – there is so much in there you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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Today we find out about ‘Going East’ – a new ski film from Arc'teryx – which sees a team of four skiers make their way to ski in Italy, Austria, then Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey– all by public transport with not a single flight!
In total they took 35 trains, 24 buses, 7 metro, 2 trams and spend over 140 hours travelling. They had to deal with language differences, connections and passport checks in the middle of the night. At one point they lost one member of their team completely!

Yet, when you listen to our conversation, you’ll find out why they think "the journey was as important as the skiing itself" and why they’d do it again.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Silvia Moser and Joi Hoffman, two of the athletes who made the film.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

SHOW NOTES
Win a pair of Watchtower sunnies from Vallon – simply leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or write a comment on Spotify or Instagram (1:15)
Vallon’s End of Season Ski Sale is on now with 25-35% off (1:30)
Silvia is based in Cortina, Italy (2:30)
Iain travelled by train back from Selva Val Gardena (3:15)
Joi is based in Innsbruck, Austria (4:30)
Watch 'Going East' – the new film from Arc'teryx (5:00)
The journey involved taking 35 trains, 24 buses, 7 metro, 2 trams and 140 hours of travelling (8:30)
The team used Interrail tickets for their train travel (9:15)
How did you carry so much camera kit? (11:30)
What about backing up? (12:45)
The other two athletes in the film are Loic Islikerand Max Kroneck (14:00)
The first stop was Tarvisio, Italy (14:30)
Next up was Semmering, Austria (15:30)
Find out more about Stary Smokovec in Slovakia (18:15)
The team stopped in Caransebeș, Romania (22:15)
Arriving in Borovets, Bulgaria was a culture shock (24:30)
Travelling on the night train from Sofia to Istanbul (26:45)
Max went missing in Ankara! (29:30)
In Turkey, the team finished their trip on Mt Hasan (32:00)
The editing process (35:45)
Watch the movie on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/yzHgzoPEJp4

Feedback
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

There are now 255 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com, look around the tags and categories – there is so much in there you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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We find out more about Selva Val Gardena in the Italian Dolomites, Saint Gervais in the Haute Savoie region of France and the world’s steepest cable car inMurren, Switzerland.

Host Iain Martin was joined by freelance journalist Katja Gaskell and Alan Ramsey, sales manager for Schilthorn Cableway - the Murren lift company.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeDon’t forget that if you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money this winter…all you need to do is to use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com.

So simply use that code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

SHOW NOTES
Katja was last on the show in Episode 207 (1:00)
Alan was last on the show in Episode 70 discussing the Inferno ski race (1:30)
Andy Butterworth (Kaluma Ski) is in St Anton, Austria (6:00)
Alex Irwin (150 Days of Winter) reported from Courchevel, France (7:30)
Ben Nyberg (Ski Scandinavia) reported from Trysil, Norway (8:30)
Moncler hosted a fashion show in Courchevel last week (9:45)Luca Carrick-Smith took gold in the GS at the recent World Jr Champs (10:30)
The Ski Podcast is giving Team Carrick Smith financial support this winter (11:15)
Billy Major recorded his first ever World Cup Top 10, with 9th at Hajfell in Norway (11:15)
Jasmin Taylor currently leads in the Overall, Sprint, and Classic Telemark standings (11:30)
Mia Brookes (Big Air & Slopestyle), Charlotte Bankes (SnowboardX) and Zoe Atkin (Half Pipe) have already won the Crystal Globes in their disciplines (11:45)
Kirsty Muir take her first World Cup victory in Ski Slopestyle last week in Tignes (12:00)
Betony Garner spoke with Kirsty in Tignes (12:30)
Sandra Caune won two medals at the European Youth Olympics (16:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Kirsty recorded in April 2023 (18:00)
Find out more about the European Sleeper in Episode 237 (18:30)
Iain was in Selva Val Gardena in the Italian Dolomites (20:45)
Local guide Gunter Costa showed Iain around the ‘Legendary 8’ runs around Val Gardena (21:00)
Katja visited Val Gardena with 80-year-old father (22:00)
Iain skied the famous ‘Sella Ronda’, travelling via Arabba, Val di Fassa and Alta Badia (22:30)
Christina Demetz works at the Val Gardena Tourist Office (25:15)
Find out about the GSTC accreditation that Val Gardena has been awarded (26:30)
The Italian Dolomites are included in the Ikon Pass (28:30)
Katja travelled to St Gervais Le Fayet by train (31:00)
Find out about the new ‘Le Valléen’ lift (32:30)
St Gervais is on the Domain Evasion Mont Blanc lift pass (35:15)
Iain was at the Kandahar Slalom race in Les Houches in Episode 200 (36:30)
There is a thermal spa in St Gervais (39:30)
Find out more about the water-powered Thermes lift (39:45)
Read Katja’s article for Sunday PostListen to our Inferno Special Episode (40:30)
Sir Arnold Lunn invented alpine ski racing in Murren (42:30)
Murren has opened the 'world's steepest cable car' (44:00)
It goes from Stechelberg 866m to Murren 1,640m in 4 mins (44:30)
It's the first part of a CHF130m project (45:00)
Mürren (1640m) to Birg (2670m) opened in December 2024 (46:00)
The second track will open in a year’s time (46:30)
Birg to the Schilthorn at 2970m opened in March 2025 (47:00)
‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ was filmed at the Schilthorn in 1969 (50:00)
The view from Murren to the Eiger, Munch and Jungfrau is incredible (51:00)

Feedback (52:30)
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Wells Jones: "Listening to your latest episode, I was fascinated by your ski touring adventure on Mount Etna. Your vivid descriptions transported me right there, amidst the eruptions. It’s intriguing how you combined skiing with a unique rail ferry trip in Italy."
Ian Simpson: “We are currently touring in our motorhome and inspired by your podcast to visit Val Cenis. Well worth it and managed a day in Bonneval Sur Arc which is very different and amazing especially for those that like off piste. Keep up the great work.”
There are now 254 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 128 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com, look around the tags and categories – there is so much in there you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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Iain is joined by adventurer Elise Wortley. In the last 7 years, Elise has taken on some hugely challenging projects to highlight some of the original – and largely forgotten - female mountaineers and explorers.

What makes her ‘Woman With Altitude’ project unique is that she has climbed and trekked in places such as the Himalayas, the Alps and the Cairngorms using the same equipment and clothing that was available to her female predecessors at the time.

We discuss what it’s like trying to summit Mt Blanc in hobnail boots, how you source a wooden-framed backpack and the challenges of hiking in woollen knickerbockers.

Elise also featured in the Channel 4 programme ‘Alone’ where she spend over a month in the Canadian wilderness completely alone.

Discount Code for Intersport Ski Hire
If you are heading to the snow then don’t forget that you can save money when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com and use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’

You’ll get a guaranteed discount for ski hire in France, Austria and Switzerland and to make it even simpler you don’t even need to use the code, just take this link and your basket will automatically be reduced.

SHOW NOTES
Listen to Iain’s previous interviews with:

· BBC Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott
· GB Snowsport CEO, Vicky Gosling
· Former Erna Low MD Joanna Yellowlees-Bound
· Team GB freestyle skier, Zoe Atkin

Inghams are celebrating their 90th anniversary this winter (2:45)
Take a look at Elise’s website ‘Woman With Altitude’ (3:30)
Elise was inspired by Alexandra David-Neel’s book ‘My Journey to Lhasa’ (4:00)
Nan Sheperd wrote ‘The Living Mountain’ after hiking in the Cairngorms (11:30)
Find out more about Iain’s ski touring trip to Ben Lawers in Scotland (15:15)
Find out more about Elise’s Scottish adventure (15:30)
Jane Inglis-Clarke founded the Ladies' Scottish Climbing Club in 1908 (17:00)
Henriette d'Angeville was the first woman to climb Mont Blanc solo (17:30)
Look out for Henriette on the mural in the centre of Chamonix (18:15)
Elise’s hobnail boots were supplied by shoe specialists Trickers (20:15)
Dorothy Pilley wrote the book ‘Climbing Days’ and was the co-founder of the Pinnacle Club (24:00)
Elise travelled from Bastia to Monte Cinto in Corsica in February 2025 (24:30)
Watch the Channel 4 series ‘Alone’ (26:15)
[Spoiler] Elise came second after spending 34 days in the Canadian wilderness (32:00)
Elise will be returning to Chamonix in June 2025 to try and complete her recreation of Henriette d'Angeville’s historic climb (33:00)
Hotelplan are funding Elise’s 2025 attempt on Mont Blanc (34:15)
Only 2% of mountain guides are women (35:30)
FEEDBACK (37:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so if you enjoyed this episode, please do let me know on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

We’ve had a couple of items of feedback since the last podcast:

Emma Budget: “Fantastic podcast! My husband and I have been listening religiously since before Covid. Now that we’re taking our first holidays as a young family, it’s been so useful picking up tips and tricks from your episodes about skiing with kids! It’s unbelievably rewarding skiing the slopes for the first time with them. Thanks for the podcast, we love it!”

Ian Simpson: "Great podcast. Gives me so many travelling ideas especially by train. Any chance you could do one exploring by motorhome? Small community type resorts working together for the van people who like exploring the mountains in Europe."
[Try this episode, Ian]

There are now 253 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 166 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com and take a look around the tags and categories – you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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Today is a sustainability special, looking at train travel to Morzine, the impact of global warming on the Mer de Glace in Chamonix, plus we take a closer look at Patagonia’s decision to become a company for ‘purpose, not profit’.

We also have our regular snow reports, the latest news from GB Snowsports and your feedback.

Iain Martin was joined Sara Burton from Montagne Verte in Morzine and Matt Barr from the Looking Sideways Podcast.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeDon’t forget that if you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money this winter all you need to do is to use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com or take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

SHOW NOTES
Sara was last on the podcast in Episode 74 (0:45)
Listen to Iain’s experience of staying in an unmanned refuge in Meribel (3:00)
Catherine Murphy is in Kaprun, Austria (6:15)
Betony Garner reported from Combloux, France (8:10)
Floss Cockle from FreeFlo Ski reported from Tignes, France (9:15)Charlotte Bankes is on course for the Snowboard Cross Crystal Globe (10:45)
Jasmin Taylor could win the Crystal Globe in Telemark Spint and Telemark overall (11:00)
Montagne Verte was formed in 2019 (12:00)
They run their own pre-loved shop in Morzine (14:00)
You can buy and sell second-hand ski wear at WhoSki (16:40)
Other initiatives include collection of food waste (17:00)
Find out about Verbier Green in Episode 206 (17:45)
The AlpinExpress Pass offers discounts to those travelling to resort by train (19:30)
Vialattea (the ‘Milky Way’) in Italy offer discounts for travelling by train (21:45)
Montagne Verte have published a very detailed Train Travel guide (22:00)Matt has been mentioned in my interviews with Ed Leigh, Chris Moran and Stu Brass (27:00)
He is a previous editor of WhiteLines and runs his own agency, All Conditions Media
He is the host of the Looking Sideways Podcast (28:00)
Listen to 'The Announcement' (32:00)
Patagonia’s announced in September 2022 that it was ‘going purpose, not public’ (32:30)
Patagonia’s famous ‘Don't buy this jacket’
Bernie Sanders: “Billionaires in both parties should not be able to buy elections” (37:30)
Watch Iain’s video about the new €23m Mer de Glace gondola (42:45)
Read Iain’s article about Montenvers and the Mer de Glace at welove2ski (42:45)
The Mer de Glace has thinned 160m since 1990 and lost 3km in length since 1820
By 2019, there were 580 steps to make it back to Chamonix (43:30)
Brad Carlson is a mountain guide in Chamonix (43:45)
Check out the Glacorium if you visit Montenvers (53:15)

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Julian Holland: "Episode 237 was great as always! Keeping my fingers crossed for a few more dumps in Austria before my two weeks in Lech"

Skiingpostie (Spotify): "3 Zinnen sounds great and I will definitely be looking at a train ski trip soon."
Reid Aiton: "Another great episode"
There are now 252 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 137 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com and take a look around the tags and categories – there is so much in there you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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We discuss ski touring on Mt Etna in Sicily, the mountains of Catalonia and Borovets in Bulgaria.

Host Iain Martin was joined by guests Becs Miles and Mike Richards.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeDon’t forget that if you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money this winter all you need to do is to use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com or simply take this link and your discount will automatically be applied.

SHOW NOTES
Becs was last on the show in Episode 209, when she was telling us about Trysil in Norway (0:45)
Mike Richards was last on the show as a guest in Episode 226 discussing Hokkaido in Japan (1:15)
He has also been on the show discussing Bosnia, Madesimo, Turkey, North Macedonia, Georgia, Montenegro and Wales (1:30)
Mike called in from Erciyes in Turkey (2:00)
Katja Gaskell reported from Japan (3:30)
Alex Armand (Tip Top Ski Coaching) is in Les 2 Alpes (5:40)
Jen Tsang (That’s LaPlagne) is in La Plagne (6:00)
Freddy Carrick-Smith took gold in the GS & Zak Carrick-Smith took bronze in the Slalom at the European Youth Olympic Festival (8:30)
In freestyle Sandra Caune won gold in ski Big air and bronze in slopestyle and Emily Rothney won gold in the Snowboard Big Air
The Ski Podcast sponsors Team Carrick Smith (9:20)
Find out more about Iain’s train travel journey to Sicily, using an Interrail from Rail Europe (12:30)
The trip involved taking the unique rail ferry from the southern tip of Italy to Messina (13:00)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1ysMVLaA6Jc
Iain saw an Italian football match at Empoli on his return journey (16:00)
Mirto Monaco is one of three UAIGM guides on Sicily (17:30)
Ski touring was on Etna Nord out of Piano Provenzala - Etna’s ‘ski resort’ (17:45)
https://youtu.be/7bkj_m-5d6Y
Etna was erupting on the south side of the volcano (19:00)
In 2002, both ski resorts were destroyed by eruptions (25:00)
Iain hiked up to the source of the current eruption to view the lava flow (25:30)
Iain went ski touring in Morrocco in 2019 (27:30)
Becs as ‘glamping’ in Catalonia at Forest Days (28:30)
She did ski touring at the resort of Port del Comte (32:00)
You can try cross country sking in Tuixant (32:30)
Other activities included truffle hunting (33:00)
Becs learned how to search for fire kindling (34:00)
Iain recently drove to Courmayeur and Chamonix in an electric car (35:45)
Mike travelled to Borovets in Bulgaria (38:30)
He stayed at the Hotel Lion (42:15)
Take a look at the piste map for Borovets (44:00)
FeedbackPlease send your feedback on the show on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Matt Sylvestre: "Just wanted to say hello from Pleasant Mountain in Maine, USA. I am obsessed with skiing, kit and technique and enjoyed Episode 235 with Stuart Winchester from the Storm Skiing Podcast.”

Chris Howie: "Loved Episode 235 of the Ski Podcast today as always. It was super to hear more about the Ikon/Epic passes and how the USA model for skiing is completely different from Europe.”

Jane Gotts: “Really enjoy listening to the podcast”

Anon: “Loving the ski podcast in the car from wet and windy Dublin”
Anon: "Great podcast, Iain. I’ve enjoyed it for ages and attended your talks at The Snow Show. Skiing has generally poor coverage on TV, so podcasts like yours help keep ski enthusiasts like me stoked in between ski trips and seasons. Keep it up!"
The winner of our Vallon goggles competition is Dominic Hales: “Loved listening to Episode 237 about the Dolomites. We just got our photos from a trip in Val Gardena and surely can’t be a more photogenic place.”

There are now 251 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 185 of those were listened to in the last week. You can find old episodes in our back catalog at theskipodcast.com where you can find your next podcast to listen to.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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Team GB freestyle skier Zoe Atkin has won multiple medals at the X-Games, World Cup and World Championships and is a hot prospect for a podium at next year's Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

This season the 21-year-old has three World Cup podiums in five competitions, including a win and two second place finishes in her last three events. She will next be in action at next month’s Freestyle World Championships in St Moritz.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
If you are heading to the snow, then don’t forget that you can save money when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com and use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’

SHOW NOTES
Listen to Iain’s interview with BBC Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott, GB Snowsport CEO Vicky Gosling and former Erna Low MD Joanna Yellowlees-Bound
Zoe did her autumn training in Kitzsteinhorn, Austria (3:30)
Why half-pipe? (5:30)
Training with your competitors (10:00)
Strategy in competition (11:30)
Bringing new tricks into competition (13:00)
Strength and conditioning training (15:30)
Zoe won the half-pipe at the X-Games in 2023 (16:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with refer Kirsty Muir (18:00)
Zoe recorded back-to-back X-Games podiums with silver in 2024
Listen to Iain’s interview with Vicky Gosling, CEO of GB Snowsport (19:00)
Zoe finished 9th in the half pipe at Beijing 2022 (19:00)
The challenges of testing during the Games (21:00)Zoe’s sister is Izzy Atkin, who was Britain’s first skier to win a medal at the Olympics (22:30)
Travels after the Winter Olympics (24:15)
Zoe was brought up in Maine and skied from the age of two (25:00)
Her base in now Park City, Utah (26:00)
Zoe is now studying at Stanford University (27:30)Zoe finished on the podium for six consecutive events after Beijing (29:30)
The plan for winter 24/25 (33:00)

SELECTED RESULTS: FIS WORLD CUP
2025 Women's Freeski Halfpipe, Calgary – 2nd
2025 Women's Freeski Halfpipe, Aspen – 1st
2024 Women's Freeski Halfpipe, Copper Mountain - 3rd
2023 World Championships Women's Ski Superpipe - 2nd
2021 World Championships Women's Ski Superpipe - 3rd
2019 Women's Freeski Halfpipe, Copper Mountain - 1st (16 years old)

SELECTED RESULTS: X-GAMES2024 Women's Ski Superpipe – 4th
2024 Women's Ski Superpipe - 2nd
2023 Women's Ski Superpipe - 1st
2020 Women's Ski Superpipe - 5th

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

There are now 250 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 190 of those were listened to in the last week. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com and take a look around the tags and categories – you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

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We find out about 3 Zinnen in the Italian Dolomites, plus we have a train travel focus: looking at the European Sleeper to Italy and trains to Serre Chevalier.

We also have our regular snow reports, gold medal news for Team GB and your ski Valentines stories, plus the chance to win some super-cool Vallon goggles.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Babsi Lapwood from the Mountain Trade Network and Dom Winter from Protect Our Winters UK.

That applies to any ski hire booked in their massive network across France, Austria and Switzerland – that’s hundreds of resorts. You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

SHOW NOTES
Babsi recently skied in Risoul (1:45)
Lou Newton from Iglu Ski reported from Bansko in Bulgaria (4:00)
Mike Richards reported from Uludag and Dorukkaya in Turkey (5:15)
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Ski reported from St Anton (6:30)
Win Vallon Ski Goggles worth £137 – just leave us a comment on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts (8:15)
Freddy Carrick-Smith took gold in the Giant Slalom (9:15)
The Ski Podcast supports Team Carrick-Smith
Mia Bookes retained the Big Air Crystal Globe (9:40)
Listen to my interview with Ski Sunday’s Ed Leigh (10:00)
Babsi has been to 3 Zinnen six times already (11:00)
Iain and Babsi both stayed in Innichen San Candido (12:30)
Piste map of the ski area in 3 Zinnen (14:30)
Try night skiing in Innichen (17:00)
Iain tried snow shoeing for the first time in 3 Zinnen (18:00)
The heating in Innichen is powered by woodchip and sawdust (20:45)
Atto and Botanic are two great family owned restaurants in Innichen (21:30)
Iain stayed at the Hotel Tyrol in Innichen (21:45)
Dom was last on the show in our London Ski Show special (23:00)
Find out about the WSF/POW video challenge on eco ways to get to the slopes (24:00)
There is also information on Instagram
Dom travelled by train to Serre Chevalier (25:00)
Serre Chevalier has a great record on sustainability (28:00)
Iain travelled to 3 Zinnen on the European Sleeper service from Belgium (30:00)
Iain interviewed Chris Engelsman from European Sleeper back in Episode 221 (30:30)
Read Iain’s review of the journey on Ski Flight Free (33:30)
Find out more about the European Sleeper here (36:30)
Thanks to Ed,Sasha, Ian and Mike for their Ski Valentine’s stories

Feedback (41:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Oliver Padgett: “Thanks for all the time and effort you put into making a great podcast. Keep up the great work.”

Will Cursham: “I’ve just started listening to your podcast at the ripe old age of 49. I love it! Lots of interesting stuff about skiing. Being a bit of a geek, I love the behind-the-scenes stuff, I’d love to hear more about how resorts work, maintaining the infrastructure etc. Keep going with the podcast, and I’ll keep listening!”

There are now 249 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com and take a look around the tags and categories – you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast.

View Details

This special episode of The Ski Podcast is an exclusive interview with BBC presenter Ed Leigh.

Ed tells us how the ‘Ski Sunday’ season has gone so far, including why his co-presenter, Chemmy Alcott, was a natural when it came to snowboarding.

We cover his journey from Turin 2006 to Paris 2024, where he commentated on the BMX and skateboarding, before discussing the ridiculous talent of Mia Brookes, Britain’s 18-year-old world champion snowboarder.

Finally, I asked Ed about the Natural Selection Tour. We talk about the format, how it’s evolved and where you can watch it this winter.

SHOW NOTESEd was last on the show in Episode 169 (2:30)
He was last on snow at Zugspitze above Garmisch (3:15)
Working with the Ski Sunday team (5:00)
Was Chemmy really a natural snowboarder? (10:00)
Listen to Warren Smith talking about coaching Louis Smith on ‘The Jump’ (10:30)
Ed on his ski racing lessons (12:00)
Presenting Ski Sunday with a serious injury (13:30)
Ed’s first BBC work was at the 2006 Turin Olympics (15:30)
Starting on Ski Sunday (17:15)
Filming ‘High Altitude’ (17:45)
Commentating on the BMX and Skateboarding in Paris 2024 (22:00)
“Every time I heard you or Tim Warwood’s voice I knew there’d be something fun to watch!” (25:00)
Is skateboarding selling out? (27:00)
Why don’t we see more freestyle snowboarding and skiing on Ski Sunday? (30:00)
Mia Brookes’ amazing season (32:30)
Is she stronger at slopestyle or big air? (33:00)
Charlotte Bankes as another potential medallist at Cortina 2026? (34:45)
Maisie Hill’s prospects (36:45)
Who is Txema Mazet Brown? (38:15)
What is the Natural Selection Tour? (40:30)
‘Designed for athletes, not spectators’ (40:45)
The Natural Selection Tour includes mountain biking, surfing, skiing and snowboarding (43:00)
It was founded by Travis Rice in Jackson Hole (43:45)
What's the format? (47:45)
The snowboarding takes place in Revelstoke from 10-17 March (50:45)
You can watch the Natural Selection Tour on RedBull TV (51:00)
Can you compare the X-Games and Natural Selection Tour (51:00)
Does the X-Games use AI judging? (53:15)

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Dave Mills and James Rice very kindly bought me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Dave: “Iain, love your podcast. It’s essential listening all year round, but never more so than during the ski season. Bravo!”
James: “I’m a huge fan of The Storm Skiing Podcast, so it was great to have him on your show. As an American, one of the things I really enjoy about your podcast is that it offers me a glimpse into a completely different ski and travel culture. I often listen to The Ski Podcast and inevitably add a resort or experience to my dream list of ski holidays.”
There are now 248 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 152 of those were listened to in the last week.

If you enjoyed this episode, then go to theskipodcast.com where you’ll find plenty of other interviews, destinations, experiences and adventures to entertain you on your commute, run, gym workout or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp.

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We find out about Big Sky Resort in Montana and look into the multipass options in the States, including the Epic, Ikon, Indy and Mountain Collective passes.

We also have our regular snow reports, your feedback, Team GB news and equipment expert Al Morgan reports from the SIGB Ski Test in La Clusaz.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Nancy Shiel, Head of Ski Patrol at Big Sky Resort in Montana, and Stuart Winchester, host of the Storm Skiing Podcast.

SHOW NOTES
Tim Hudson from Inspired Italy is in the Dolomites (5:45)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching is in Les 2 Alpes (7:00)
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter is in Courchevel (7:30)Mia Brookes finished 3rd at the X Games Slopestyle in Aspen (9:15)
Jasmin Taylor now has three wins this season in the Telemark World Cup (9:30)
Laurie Taylor tied with Dave Ryding for 15th at Kitzbuhel (9:40)
Freddy and Zak Carrick Smith will be taking part in the European Youth Olympics (9:45)
Ski kit expert Al Morgan was out at the SIGB Ski Test in La Clusaz (10:20)Listen to our equipment episodes or watch them on YouTube (12:45)
Nancy has been working on the ski patrol at Big Sky for over 20 years (13:15)
Watch the Big Sky Ski Patrol in action (15:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f896Bsukqi0
“Big Sky is titanic, sprawling, impossible” (16:15)
Big Sky is in south-west Montana (16:45)
You can visit Yellowstone National Park in winter from Big Sky (17:30)The resort has 5850 acres of skiable terrain and has 400 inches annual of snowfall (18:45)
The Lone Peak Tram is a standout lift (20:00)
Peter Landsman in Episode 181 described it one of the lifts you must ride (20:15)
Stuart is host of the Storm Skiing Podcast (24:00)
“Everyone’s searching for skiing’s soul. I’m trying to find its brains” (24:15)
The Epic Pass started in 2008 (28:00)
The issue of overcrowding in US ski resorts (32:00)
The Ikon Pass has introduced ‘reservations’ to limit overcrowding (33:00)
The Indy Pass is “the coolest thing going” (34:15)
Glencoe and The Snow Centre in the UK are both on the Indy Pass (37:30)
Will there be mergers between the multipasses? (37:45)
Find out about the Mountain Collective Pass (38:30)
Epic Pass sales were down 2% for the 24/25 winter (39:00)
Vail Resorts had to deal with a ski patrol strike in Park City in December (39:15)
Vail Resorts have acquired Andermatt and Crans Montana in Europe (41:00)
If you visit Big Sky, you need to try Uncle Dan’s Cookies (41:30)
You can follow The Ski Podcast on WhatsApp (44:00)

Feedback (42:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Charlie Owen: "I enjoyed your interview with Mark Smith – the Man in Seat61"
Charlie Henry Mack: "Episode 232 was great"

Marcus: "I just wanted to drop you a note to say that I have started listening to the podcast on my drive into work and it’s great! Brilliant to have such a good UK-based ski podcast."
There are now 247 episodes of The Ski Podcast. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com and take a look around the tags and categories – there is so much in there and you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast or WhatsApp

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We finding out about driving to the Alps in an electric vehicle, discuss Courmayeur in Italy, plus we have an entrepreneur focus talking to the founders of two snowsports companies.

We also have our regular snow reports, your feedback, news on more World Cup wins for Team GB plus an update from Dave Ryding ahead of the World Champs in Saalbach.

Iain was joined by Erin Flynn, founder of the clothing company Ruanua and Simon Hooper, founder of Whitestorm, the ski hire company in Courchevel and Meribel.

SHOW NOTES
Iain was in Les 2 Alpes in April 2024 (1:30)
Catherine Murphy reported on the new Jandri 3S lift in Episode 232 (2:30)
Iain reported on snow conditions in Chamonix last weekend (4:30)
Before that he was skiing in Courmayeur, Italy (5:00)
Mike Richards reported from Erciyes in Turkey (5:30)
Floss Cockle reported from Tignes (6:45)
Mia Brookes won the Slopestyle at the Laax Open (8:00)
Jasmin Taylor took a gold and silver in the Telemark World Cup (8:45)
Dave Ryding was talking about the World Champs coming up in Saalbach (9:00)
Regular listeners may recall I took the Flight Free UK pledge in 2024
Iain is taking the Flight Free Pledge again in 2025 (12:15)
Iain founded Ski Flight Free in 2019 (12:00)
Iain drove a BMW iX M60 electric vehicle to Courmayeur and Chamonix (13:00)
For charging, Iain used the Ionity network all the way (15:00)
For more advice on EVs in the Alps there’s an excellent page on SNO.co.uk website (16:00)
Ruanua is a newresortwear brand (18:00)
Erin worked as a ski instructor in Saalbach (19:30)
Ruanua uses stock fabric which is already made and unused (22:45)
Garments are made PFC-free with RDS certified Down (24:45)
Ruanua launched in autumn 2024 (27:00)
Simon founded Whitestorm in 2012 in Courchevel 1850 (30:00)
He now employs 21 staff (33:00)
The trend to ski rental as baggage fees have increased (34:45)
Iain reported on the new Courchevel Saulire cable car in Episode 229 (36:30)
Watch Iain’s video about the Skyway Monte Bianco lift in Courmayeur (37:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V055PF5enZA
Join The Ski Podcast WhatsApp channel (41:00)
FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Jack Kelly: "Love the show!"

Kosta: "The equipment specials have been very good this year and Al communicates the nuances of design very well. The interviews also have been interesting and have shown the work that happens behind most people’s one week holiday. Keep up the good work"

Helen Keast (Spotify): "Really enjoyed Episode 232 with Mark Smith”
There are now 244 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up. There is so much to listen to in our previous episodes, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Today is a special interview with Mark Smith – the train travel expert also known as ‘The Man in Seat 61’.

We discuss his background; how he came to set up his website seat61.com; his views on the best routes to the Alps by train; the trend towards night trains; plus whether there will ever be competition for Eurostar on the cross-channel line.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeIf you’re heading to the Alps this winter, then you can save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Seat61.com is a multiple award-winning website with more than 1m visitors per month (2:00)
Why is it called ‘Seat 61’? (2:30)
What prompted you to start the site in 2001? (4:15)
Mark has worked full time on Seat61.com since 2007 (7:00)
Iain took the ‘Flight Free Pledge’ to take no flights in 2024 (8:45)
Why should people travel by train? (9:00)
Come for the carbon savings, stay for the joy of travelling by train (9:15)

“We're in danger of creating a world where every single journey is an identical non-experience at 30,000 feet and life's too short not to grab every experience when you get the chance.” (11:30)

Listen to Iain’s report on the Eurostar Snow Train (13:00)
Will Eurostar ever bring back that direct service? (13:30)
Or that they might increase the number of rotations? (15:45)
Will we see competition to Eurostar on the cross-channel HS1 line? (18:00)
Virgin are interested in starting as a competitor to Eurostar (18:30)
When will the line from Paris to Turin open again? (21:00)
Taking the train to Italian ski resorts (23:00)
Taking the train to Austria (24:00)
Taking the train to Norway (25:00)
The Caledonian Sleeper is ‘Best train in the UK’ according to Mark (26:00)
Simon Calder and Mark raced to Edinburgh in a plane v. train race (27:30)
Night trains are becoming more popular (28:30)
OBB’s ‘Nightjet’ service is the biggest operator of night trains in Europe (29:30)
The Nightjet to Innsbruck departs from Amsterdam (31:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Chris Engelsman, co-founder of European Sleeper (31:30)
Mark will be on the inaugural European Sleeper service (32:30)
Boutique operators include Snälltåget and European Sleeper (33:30)
How do you keep the costs of train travel down? (35:00)
When is Interrail better value than point-to-point tickets? (37:00)
Why do you have to wait to three months beforehand until you can book trains? (38:30)
Iain will be travelling to Sicily on the only train ferry left in Europe (40:45)Is it possible to travel from Portugal to Singapore by train? (42:00)
Take the plunge, you’ll love it! (44:00)

“Collectively we are racing through spectacular landscapes, covering a mile every 40 seconds, using Victorian infrastructure to the full and causing minimal environment harm. The rail traveller is in touch with the world.”
FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com Dan Trapp: "Keep up the great work. And have a great season!"
Alex Nevill (BMAC): "Love this podcast, always gets me in the mood for the ski season"
There are now 245 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and a whopping 202 of those were listened to in the last week.

There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and have a look around - you’re bound to find something that sparks your interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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We find out about skiing in Montenegro and Tignes, what it’s like at European Gay Ski Week and we look at the new Jandri 3S lift in Les 2 Alpes.

We also have our regular snow reports, your feedback and news on World Cup wins for Team GB.

Host Iain Martin is joined by freelance journalist Mary Novakovich, Matt Ware from European Gay Ski Week and regular guest, Catherine Murphy.

SHOW NOTES
Catherine on the show in Episode 230 telling us about the WhamWalk in Saas Fee (2:00)
Find out about slope safety in Episode 229 (3:45)
Matt will be at Swiss Gay Ski Week in Arosa (4:45)Mike Greenland reported from Jahorina, Bosnia (6:00)
Jen Tsang, That’s La Plagne, La Plagne, France (7:20)
Andy Butterworth, Kaluma Ski, St Anton, Austria (10:00)
There has been skiing in England at Weardale and the Lake District (13:00)
https://x.com/skipedia/status/1877261678758318563
Mia Brookes took her 2nd win of the season at Klagenfurt (13:30)
Txema Mazet-Brown came 9th at Klagenfurt and is one to watch out for (14:00)
Dave Ryding was 10th in Madonna di Campiglio (14:45)
The Team GB bobsleigh team won the Winterberg World Cup race (15:00)
The Carrick Smith boys update us on training and recovery from injury (15:20)
Iain used his Carv 2 for the first time in Tignes (19:45)
Iain travelled to Tignes in a luxury splitter van from Vans for Bands (21:45)
There was a lot of snow on the roof! (22:00)
Iain ran across ‘le lac’ in Tignes (23:00)
Catherine tried ice floating in Tignes (23:30)
The ESF ‘Fleche’ race was great fun (24:45)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okczVRVdwtk
Iain spoke with Olivier Duch, deputy mayor of Tignes (26:00)
Find out more about sustainability in Tignes (27:00)
The snow groomers in Tignes all run on HVO rather than diesel (27:30)
The Mountain Shaker takes place from 08-14 March in Tignes (29:15)
Tignes will host the Paralpine World Championships in 2027 (31:30)
Read Mary’s article about skiing in Montenegro (34:00)
Fly into Podgorica and stay in Kolasin (36:00)
European Gay Ski Week takes place inVal Thorens from 22-29 March (42:00)
Find out more about ‘Le Board’ in VT in Episode 165 (44:00)
Packages start from €159 for event pass and accom sharing (46:30)
Sharing options make it very affordable for solo travellers
The Jandri 3S lift opened in December (48:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz0hrmQgVGg
Find out about the ‘Last Ride Project’ in Episode 230 (55:30)
We are the lookout for Ski Valentines...did you meet your partner on a ski holiday or doing a ski season, and do you fancy sharing your story? Drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Joseph Childs: "Thank you for the podcast, I always look forward to the episodes!" plus book suggestion (Higher Love, Kit Deslauriers)

Katie Waddington: “Enjoyed listening to the John Yates-Smith episode (233)”

Ed Clapham: "I’m really enjoying the ski podcast. It’s got a great mix of guests and for someone who’s been skiing for nearly 40 years, I still find myself learning something new when listening to it."
There are now 244 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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We focus on ski touring in this equipment special. Iain and Al look at the best skis and ski boots for people wanting an ‘all-rounder’ set up or a dedicated lightweight touring set up, as well as discussing layers and the different bindings available.

This Special Episode of The Ski Podcast has been made possible by Ellis Brigham. They are the winter sports specialists, with 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for this winter. Alternatively, simply go to their website at ellis-brigham.com and you can buy online now.

SHOW NOTES
What is ski touring? (5:30)
What are ‘skins’? (6:00)
How are the bindings different? (7:30)
Iain went ski touring in Morocco (9:30)
How important is weight? (11:00)
Al’s weight comparison example (11:45)

*A 95mm freeride ski will weigh upwards of 1,650g per ski in a 175cm length
An equivalent touring ski would be 200-400g lighter per ski. In this case, we’ll use 300g per ski
A regular freeride binding would be around 1,000g per binding
An equivalent Kingpin is around 300g lighter per binding
A regular Alpine boot is around 2,000g per boot (in a 26.5MP)
An equivalent freeride touring boot can be 500g lighter per boot

For skis, binding and boots, a ‘lightweight’ set up could be 2.8kg lighter overall: equivalent to saving 14kg off your backpack
The Best ‘All Round’ Touring Skis – Salomon QST98 - £550 (18:30)
The Best ‘Lightweight’ Touring Skis – Atomic Backland 88 - £500 (20:30)
What is a Split Board? (23:45)
Buy your snowboard kit at The Snowboard Asylum
The Best ‘All Round’ Touring Boots – K2 Mindbender BOA - £625 (26:00)
The Best ‘All Round’ Lightweight’ Touring Boots - Scarpa Gea/Maestrale RS - £670 (29:00)
How important are layers? (32:00)
Listen to our ‘Best Ski Jackets of 2025’ episode (32:30)
Montane have a range of ski touring layers (34:15)
Iain uses Montane for his trail running races (35:00)
Al uses the Rab Mythic G down jacket - £450 (36:00)
How to use poles when ski touring (37:00)
What sort of gloves should you take? (39:30)
Helmets for ski touring (40:00)
Listen to our ‘Best Ski Helmets of 2025’ episode
Iain uses the Oakley Mod BC helmet* (£220)
Eric Button is the founder of the Zoa Portable lift(41:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Blair Aitken from British Backcountry Skiing (49:45)
The Wild Ski Weekend is at the Glenmore Lodge in March 2025 (50:30)
Iain used the Carv in Tignes (53:30)Al recommends Nunchucks as a good option for audio while wearing a helmet (54:30)

ELLIS BRIGHAM’S CHOICE (47:15)Matt Brown works for Ellis Brigham in Aviemore

FEEDBACKI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Episode 231 with John Yates Smith produced a lot of comment:

Paul Bond: "Of all the topics that could be on the podcast, the choice of pellets for a shot gun wasn’t one I had on my bingo card!"
David Bell: “Hi Iain, I must say I enjoyed your interview with John so much , what a great character with a great life story to tell, and a refreshingly honest outlook. I was laughing along with you.”

Anthony Benson: “John you’re a legend! You taught me a lot about life working for you when I was 19 in Val and Corsica and also working for your brother Dick. They were the best years of my life and I remember the time the Corsicans tried to burn the Valinco down!”

Quin R: “Absolutely loved the podcast with John Yates-Smith.”

David Lindsay: "Only just listened to the ski boot special. What an excellent podcast - Al really knows his stuff."
If you like the podcast, there are thre things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – helps listeners find us
2) Subscribe, so you never miss an episode
3) Or you can Buy Me A Coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

We now have 243 episodes to catch up with. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you might not end up listening to every episode, but you’re bound to find something of interest to you.

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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This special episode of The Ski Podcast featuring Val d'Isère legend John Yates-Smith.

John is just starting his 50th winter in the resort. He started in the 70s in the early years of the British ski industry and went on to run Bladon Lines’ operations in Val d'Isère for a decade.

In 1991, he co-founded his own chalet company, YSE Ski, which has now been offering ski holidays in VDI for over 30 years.

SHOW NOTES
Read Iain’s article about Bladon Lines (2:00)
YSE is a Val d'Isère specialist founded in 1991 (2:45)
“YSE is run by hyper-efficient ladies” (3:00)
Fiona Easdale is the ‘E’ of ‘YSE’
“Brexit has been a nightmare for us” (4:00)
John’s first ski season was with John Morgan in 1975/76 (8:00)
“The best skiing in the world and a lot of very pretty chalet girls” (8:15)
Is being a KP the best job in the Alps? (9:00)
John’s brother opened ‘Dick’s Tea Bar’ (12:30)In 1982, John started working for Bladon Lines (16:00)
The company was founded by Mark Lines and Simon Bladon in 1978 (16:30)
Bladon Lines staff jackets were so colourful they became known as the ‘Parrots’ (18:00)
“I hated my parrot jacket and refused to wear it!” (18:15)
Telex was the typical mode of communication (21:00)
Transfers before the Geneva-Albertville motorway could take up to 13 hours (26:00)
In 1991 John started YSE with Fiona Easdale after Bladon Lines sacked her (33:00)
In 1995, Inghams bought the brand for next to nothing (35:30)
“I was absolutely delighted to see Bladon Lines go” (35:30)John set up the Bladon Lines summer operation in Corsica (37:00)
The Hotel Valinco was built with sand from the beach (38:00)
John had some attention from the Corsican mafia? (39:15)
“There are no honest people in Corsica!” (39:45)
John’s car was set on fire… (41:00)
“What gun have you got?” (42:30)

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I’m always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Dave Mills: "Great podcast and adds to the excitement of another ski season"

Adam Fisher: "Good work with the podcast. I really enjoyed the Japan and Joanna Lees episodes.”
Mike Greenland: "Always entertaining!”
There are now 241 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. There is so much to listen to in our previous episode, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

Cover Photo courtesy of Felice Hardy, Action Packed Travel

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Our special Christmas Episode is the present of snow reports for you from across the Alps, including Tignes, Les 2 Alpes, La Plagne, Courchevel, Combloux, Val Gardena, St Anton, Grimentz…and the Brecon Beacons in Wales!

SHOW NOTES

Iain is currently in Tignes (0:30)
Alex Armand, Tip Top Ski Coaching, Les 2 Alpes, France (1:30)
Jen Tsang, That’s La Plagne, La Plagne, France (2:00)
Alex Irwin, 150 Days of Winter, Courchevel, France (3:50)
Betony Garner, Combloux, France (5:20)
Tim Hudson, Inspired Italy, Val Gardena, Italy (6:55)
Andy, Kaluma Ski, St Anton, Austria (8:25)
Simon Burgess, Grimentz, Switzerland (10:30)
Dave Burrows, SnowPros Ski School, Les Crozets, Switzerland (12:00)
Mike Richards, Brecon Beacons, Wales (13:50)

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Today we look at the iconic resort of Jackson Hole, find out how Saas Fee are celebrating the 40th anniversary of Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ and learn about ‘The Last Ride’ film project.

We also have snow reports from Verbier, Les 2 Alpes and La Plagne, an update on the latest ski racing action from Matt Garcka and your feedback.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Jess McMillan from Jackson Hole and Jon Moy from ‘The Last Ride’ project.

SHOW NOTES
Jon was skiing on sand dunes in the Atacama Desert in Chile (2:00)
Iain will be in Tignes for Christmas (3:00)
He will be travelling in a luxury minibus from Vans For Bands (3:15)
Jen Tsang from That’s La Plagne reported from La Plagne (4:00)
Dave from SnoPros Ski School was in Verbier (6:40)Alexandra Armand from TipTop Snow Coaching in Les 2 Alpes (8:45)
Find out more about the new Jandri 3S gondola (9:15)
Matt Garcka is host of from the ‘Skiing is Believing’ podcast (10:00)
It is the 40th anniversary of Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ (12:30)
‘Last Christmas’ by Wham! is #1 in the UK charts right now
Laila Zurbriggen is from the Saas Fee Tourist Office
The Capra offers a special ‘Last Christmas’ package for CHF 1170 (16:00)
Email ‘Whamtastic!’ to reservation@capra.ch
Catherine Murphy had just done the WhamWalk (17:30)
Did you meet your partner on a ski holiday or doing a ski season, and do you fancy sharing your story? Drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com (21:00)
Jess McMillan is Director of Events & Partnerships at Jackson Hole (21:30)
Jackson is located in the Grand Teton National Park
Find out more about the Mountain Collective pass (28:45)
Corbets’ Couloir is perhaps the most famous couloir in the world (25:00)
Check out Doug Combs taking it on
Jackson Hole has a limit on ski ticket sales (26:45)
The Golden Ticket means that if you have a season pass you get a 50% discount (27:30)
Jackson has featured in ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘The Last of Us’ (28:45)
Jackson Hole recent broke the world record for the most skiers in jeans (29:30)
Our Twitter poll was NOT in favour of ‘double denim on the mountain’ (30:15)
Jon Moy is the Director of ‘The Last Ride’ project (32:30)
The team have climbed and skied Mt Elbrus, Denali, Aconcagua & Mt McKinley (33:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Arnie Wilson (35:45)
Next on the list is Puncak Jaya in Western Papua (36:00)
Has altitude sickness been an issue? (37:30)
How to keep camera equipment working at low temperatures (39:00)
‘The Last Ride’ are using offsetting to counter the carbon footprint of the project (40:15)
Louise Paley is a co-founder of the ‘Piste X Code’ (44:30)
Feedback (43:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Jane Michotte: "Love the podcast, the range of topics and different types of people interviewed. My 12-year-old son (just getting into racing) really enjoys the updates from the Carrick-Smiths."

Sean Burton: "Thank you Iain for your amazing podcast. I only got back into skiing last January after a 35-year gap! and I cannot get enough of it. Your equipment specials are particularly informative.”
Andrea Dalton: “Just listened to this week’s episode and loved it as always.”

There are now 240 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. Just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In this episode we discuss how to ski safely on the slopes, and why that’s important. Plus we find out about the opening weekend of the season in Les 3 Vallées and take a look at the new venue for the London Snow Show.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Kimberley Kay and Dr Carol Porter, authors of the ‘Project Fear’ study and Louise Paley and Amie Henderson, co-founders of the ‘Piste X Code’.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeAll podcast listeners can save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Betony Garner reported from Verbier (4:00)Floss from FreeFloSki is based in Tignes and Val d’Isere in the Espace Killy (5:00)
Tim Hudson from Inspired Italy is based in the Dolomites (6:15)
Mia Brookes won the snowboard Big Air in China (8:15)
Lyndsey Vonn returns to World Cup action at Beaver Creek (8:30)
Marcel Hirscher’s return is over due to injury (8:45)
Follow the latest racing news with Matt Garcka on the Skiing is Believing podcast
The 2025 London Ski Show is returning back to its old home of Olympia
James Gambrill is founder of Mountain Trade Network, organisers of the show (9:30)
Iain was in Les 3 Vallées for the opening of the season (16:30)
Read Iain’s review of the weekend on Welove2Ski.com
The new Saulire cable car opened on 12 December (17:00)
Landry Tirard is head of ski for the lift company S3V
Listen to Iain’s interview with Peter Landsman from liftblog.com in Episode 181 (19:45)
The Cime de Caron cable car in Val Thorens is currently out of action (20:00)
Read the main findings of ‘Project Fear’ (20:45)
62% of UK female respondents said fear or anxiety impact on their enjoyment of snowsports (21:15)
The main fears are of injury and other skiers/snowboarders going too fast (22:15)
Find out about the ‘Piste X Code’ project (25:00)
A British five-year-old died in an accident in Flaine in 2022 (25:15)
Watch the ‘Piste X Code’ video (27:45)
Take the ‘Piste X Code’ quiz (31:30)
Find out about the Snow Angel Foundation (39:00)
Take a look at Kimberley’s illustration of the FIS code of conduct for skiers

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Alexander Summers: “The best ski podcast I have heard”
JustPat: "Episode 226 was fantastic. I could listen to Mike for hours: he has total knowledge about skiing in Japan."
Lee Thompson "It’s a really interesting podcast: there’s something informative in every episode."

There are now 238 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Today’s episode celebrates the release of the new film from The North Face, ‘Of A Lifetime’, featuring Xavier De Le Rue, his brother Victor and his daughter Mila.

The film covers an expedition the three of them took to Antarctica. Not only is the scenery breathtakingly beautiful, but you will be gripping your seat when you see some of the insane faces that Xavier and Victor take on.

The trip was also a rite of passage for Xavier’s daughter Mila, who turned 18 while they were in Antarctica.

Watch the movie ‘Of A Lifetime’ on YouTube here

In my extended interview with Xavier (previously released as Episode 208), we discuss his competitive past, the cliff named after him in Verbier, his move into film making and adventures in places such as Alaska, Svalbard and, of course, Antarctica.

We also discuss his almost fatal avalanche and how it changed his views about risk-taking. Finally, we talk about his views on sustainability and the future of our sport.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES

Xavier broke his ribs while taking time off from filming in Lobufen (7:30)
FIS bought the Freeride World Tour in 2022 (9:30)
Watch the Freeride World Tour on YouTube
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Verbier Extrme this amazing night shot was captured (11:00)
Xavier went to Antarctica in November 2023 (12:30)
The trip involved crossing Drake’s Passage (15:00)
The Svalbard adventure took place in 2016 (17:30)
Xavier took brother Victor with him to Alaska (20:30)
Victor won the Freeride World Tour for the third time in 2024 (21:30)
Xavier’s daughter Mila is also on the Challenger Tour (21:15)
Xavier is from St Lary in the French Pyrénées (23:30)
Iain skied in the Bruson sector of Verbier in March 2024 (25:30)
Watch Xavier’s ‘How to’ videos on YouTube (26:45)
Learn how to ski on ice! (27:15)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjfh9F9eT34
We discuss Xavier’s avalanche experience (29:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6EXW_e2ETU
“Paranoia can be a good thing” (30:30)
Xavier has clear views on air bags (33:00)
Listen to Xavier’s sustainability podcasts (38:00)
Find out about the Audi Experience camps (38:30)

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In this special episode, Iain speaks with Lucy Aspden-Kean, Ski & Snowboard Editor at The Telegraph.

We discuss Lucy’s journey from the Blackpool Gazette to an MA in Journalism and how she beat 300 other applicants to win a ski internship at the Telegraph.

Lucy shares her advice for aspiring travel journalists, what it was like working on the travel desk during Covid, plus we also discuss how a trip to Nepal was prompted by an interview with Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

Intersport Ski HireYou can save money when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com and use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’. To make it even simpler you don’t even need to use the code, just take the link in the Show Notes and your basket will automatically be reduced.

SHOW NOTES
The London Snow Show will take place on 18/19 October 2025 at Olympia (1:00)
Lucy previously shared her experiences of Gausta in Norway and heliskiskiing in Chile (3:00)
Lucy was also on the show in the dark days of lockdown (3:00)
A trip to Nepal started from an interview with Ranulph Fiennes (4:00)
Lucy walked to Everest Base Camp and then the 6119m peak of Lobuche East (6:30)
Her training was mainly in the Lake District (9:00)
Read about Lucy’s trip in this Telegraph article (13:15)
Is Everest suffering from overtourism (15:00)
There are significant dangers of climbing Everest (16:30)
Are too many climbers under-trained? (16:30)
We discuss ‘overtourism’ more generally (17:00)
Lucy has skied in the Lakes (18:30)
Her first ski holidays were to Rauris in Austria (20:00)
Listen to Iain’s interviews with ski journalists Peter Hardy, Arnie Wilson & Frank Baldwin (21:00)
Lucy did an English literature degree, followed by an MA in Magazine Journalism at University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) (22:30)
Lucy beat 300 applicants to win a ski internship at the Telegraph (24:00)
She won ‘Best Social Media Campaign of the Year’ in the PPA awards in 2017 (30:00)
Covid was a ‘career defining moment’ as a travel journalist (31:45)
Telegraph model has shifted to subscription (34:45)
Longer form content is becoming more popular (35:15)
The role of a commissioning editor (36:45)
Do journalists need to have video editing skills as well as writing? (39:00)
Advice for freelance journalists (40:30)
Is AI a threat to journalism? (42:00)
The impact of the climate crisis on skiing (43:15)
Lucy’s favourite trip was to Chile (46:30)

Feedback

I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Andre As: “Thank you for making another enjoyable podcast! It really shines through that you enjoy skiing and nature.”
If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

There are now 237 episodes of The Ski Podcast. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog: just go to theskipodcast.com and search the tags and categories.

All our Equipment Special episodes are available on the Skipedia YouTube channel

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Today we find out what it’s like skiing down Mont Blanc, learn about skiing in Hokkaido in Japan, plus we cover a drugs bust in Verbier, a cable car crash in Val Thorens and get an update on the Alpine World Cup.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Floss Cockle, from FreeFlo Ski Coaching in Tignes and ski journalist and photographer, Mike Richards.

SHOW NOTES
Mike last appeared reporting from the Northern Ski Show in Episode 224
Mike skied in Wales this month (3:30)
Listen to Mike talking about skiing in the Brecon Beacons in Episode 65 (4:30)
Alex Irwin from ‘150 Days of Winter’ reported from Tignes and Val Thorens (6:00)
We discussed drug dealers in ski resorts back in Episode 33 (8:00)
Police have arrested 15 dealers in Verbier (8:30)
The Cime de Caron cable car in VT was damaged in an accident (8:45)
Lyndsey Vonn has announced that she plans to return to the racing circuit (9:30)
Matt Garcka is host of the ‘Skiing is Believing’ podcast (10:00)
Mikaela Shiffrin is chasing down her 100th World Cup win (11:45)
Listen out for Iain’s interview with British half-pipe skier Zoe Atkin later this winter (13:00)
All of our equipment episodes are available on the Skipedia YouTube channel (13:45)
The winners of our listener survey competition are Oliver Rutman & Faye Morton (14:00)
Follow ‘The Ski Podcast’ on our WhatsApp channel (14:30)
Floss has 5000 followers on her YouTube channel (15:00)
In 2021, Floss climbed and skied down the North face of Mont Blanc (21:00)
Watch Floss’ playlist about the climb (31:45)
Mike told us about Rusutsu in Japan in Episode 170 (32:15)
Find out more about the JR Train Pass in Japan (35:00)
Mike suggests Hakodate as possible first base in Hokkaido (36:00)
Mike’s favourite base in Japan is Otaru (41:00)
Asahikawa in the centre of Hokkaido is another option (44:15)
Excellent article from Fall Line magazine about train travel in Japan
More info about Omo Hotels Asahikawa (45:00)

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Rob Smith: “Episode 225 was a great listen, really enjoyed it. I’m aiming for Austria with the kids, so that advice on skiing for families was great.”

Judy Matthews: “Thank you for continuing your fantastic podcast. Not a day goes by that I don't think about the mountains or skiing. Think I live in the wrong country.”

Ella Purvis: "I’ve been loving the podcast - it’s getting me hyped for the season ahead! I was just listening to the interview with Chemmy Alcott — it was such an inspiring, uplifting episode for women in snowsports, she is just incredible!”

RichB: “There's been some great content recently. The interview with Chemmy Alcott was really interesting, I didn't know her backstory. Wow what a woman!”
There are 236 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. Just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

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In our fifth of this winter’s equipment specials, Iain is joined by equipment expert Al Morgan to look at two vital areas of your winter wardrobe – ski gloves and socks.

Previous episodes in this series have included the Best Skis, Ski Boots, Jackets and Helmets and Goggles for winter 2025.

This Special Episode of The Ski Podcast has been made possible by Ellis Brigham.
Ellis Brigham are the winter sports specialists, with 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for this winter. Alternatively, simply go to their website at ellis-brigham.com where you can buy online now.

SHOW NOTES
Try before you buy (3:00)
If you’re a skier, go grab a ski pole (4:30)
Glove v. mitt v. lobster claw (6:00)
How does sizing work for gloves? (8:30)
Will my glove work with a touch screen? (9:30)
Will wearing a liner keep your hands warm? (10:45)
What is a ‘Shell mitt’? (12:00)
What is the little strip of fabric across the back of one finger on each glove for?
Wool is sustainable, natural and works (15:00)
Smartwool are collecting old socks and reclaiming yarn (15:30)
For snowboarding gloves, head to The Snowboard Asylum (16:30)
Tube socks! (32:30)
Do thicker socks keep your feet warmer? (34:00)
Is natural better than synthetic fibres? (35:15)

THE BEST SKI GLOVES FOR 2025 (17:00)
* Therm-ic Heat Boot Boost Glove (men and women), £300 (18:00)
The ultimate in warmth * Black Diamond Guide Gore-Tex glove, £160 (19:45)
If you want the best in foul weather protection for big powder days, the Guide is hard to beat * Hestra Fall Line Women’s Glove, £120 (22:16)
The white women’s glove looks stunning * Reusch Storm R-Tex XT Men’s Glove, £100 (23:45)
Traditional racing-inspired ski glove aesthetic with foam knuckle and finger protection * Salomon Propeller Gore-Tex gloves, £75 (25:00)
A superb unisex glove with a clean aesthetic, for piste and all-mountain skiing * The North Face Montana Kids Ski Gloves, £45 (26:00)
Gives kids superb hand protection and features you often don’t get on kids’ gloves

Ellis Brigham’s Choice (28:30)

Harry Cavill is Ellis Brigham’s Glove buyer. She chose the Men’s Hestra Army Leather GTX Glove and the Women’s Reusch Cozy Down Mitt.

THE BEST SKI SOCKS FOR 2025 (36:30)
* Therm-ic Powersocks Set - Heat Fusion+ S-pack 1400 BT - £280 (36:45)
If you suffer from cold feet, these are a total blessing * Smartwool Targeted Cushion Women's Ski Socks - £28 (39:30)
Padding where you want a little extra protection, but still thin, so they work in well-fitted, snug boots. * Sidas SUREfit Ski Sock - £25 (40:15)
Padding for the shin, toes and heel, in a specific right and left anatomy. * Ellis Brigham Wintersport Ski Socks - Twin Pack - £20 (41:00)
Two pairs of socks for less than one of the others above. Outstanding value.

This Special Episode of The Ski Podcast has very kindly been made possible by Ellis Brigham. Ellis Brigham are the winter sports specialists, with 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for this winter at ellis-brigham.com where you can buy online now.

FEEDBACK
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Adam Matthews: "Love the podcast. Many thanks for all the content! I’ve especially enjoyed episodes with Al about kit."
Colin: “Goggles and Helmets was another great podcast. I use Zeiss anti-fog spray for my glasses to stop them fogging up while skiing."
If you like the podcast, there are two things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – helps listeners find us
2) Subscribe, so you never miss an episode
3) Or you can Buy Me A Coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Andrew Brannan: "Through your podcast I blagged a Snow Show ticket for my daughter who is studying down in London. She met Dave Ryding, our household hero. Unbelievable, really can't thank you enough.”
Paul Bond: “Thanks for the Helmet & Googles episode with Al’s expert reviews. I went to Ellis Brigham, good service. Got home to a comment of ‘What? More ski kit?’
We now have 235 episodes to catch up with. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest to you.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In this episode we discuss how to get more families skiing and how resorts can help parents, plus we look at what’s coming up on the World Cup ski racing circuit this winter.

We have our first snow report of the season and there’s an update from the Carrick-Smith boys as their first race of the season gets closer.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Nicole Feliciano from the Ski Moms podcast and Matt Garcka, host of the Skiing is Believing podcast.

SHOW NOTES
Nicole was in Aleyska in Alaska in April (3:00)
Matt was skiing at the Chill Factore in Manchester (5:00)
White Stuff – sold for £40m (6:00)
La Plagne and Courchevel feature in the 2025 Tour de France (6:30)
Our Equipment Episodes for the best skis, boots, jackets, helmets and goggles are now available as podcasts or on YouTube (7:00)
The survey has now closed and the winners will be announced in Episode 226 (7:30)
Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School reported from Glacier 3000, Switzerland (8:20)
Nicole set up momtrends.com in 2007 (11:30)
“Our site is the girlfriend you always look forward to bumping into at yoga class; she always makes you feel better about yourself”
Nicole published the inaugural Ski Moms 'Happiness Survey' earlier this year (13:15)
The median age of US skiers is 35 (15:00)
94% would have skied/boarded more often with better access to affordable kids lessons (16:00)
There’s a need for more on-mountain childcare and space for children (18:00)
"We don’t need more high-speed lifts. We need toilets that are close to the learning areas"
The survey shows only 44% of moms thinks the industry cares about supporting families (21:00)Matt is host of the Skiing is Believing podcast (26:15)
The first slalom races of the World Cup season take place in Levi this weekend (27:45)
How will British skiers Dave Ryding, Billy Major and Laurie Taylor get on? (29:00)
Will Marcel Hirscher and Lucas Braathan podium this year? (30:00)
Marc Giradelli was recently on Matt’s podcast (32:00)
The Ski Podcast and the Skiing is Believing podcast are teaming up to form ‘The Ski Podcast Network’ (33:45)
Carrick-Smith Boys update (34:00)
Listen to our episode focussing on Killington (38:00)

Feedback (39:30)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Sebastian Forsberg: "I wanted to send some feedback from Sweden. I've listened to all your episodes and love the show! You have some great conversations and features, especially during the off season. I love that in Episode 221 you spoke about skiing in Sweden. We got some great ski resorts here, so there’s plenty more to cover. Keep up the good work.”

Billy Mohan: “Amazing work Iain, you’ve had some epic guests recently!”

Chris Howie: “I think you do a fabulous job - your enthusiasm and drive is to be applauded!”

Sarah Lewis: "May I commend you on your podcast; I’ve listened to most of the episodes and really enjoy the variety of interviews"

There are now 234 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up. Just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In the fourth of this winter’s equipment specials, Iain is joined by Al Morgan to look at two really important areas of your winter wardrobe – helmets and goggles.

Previous episodes in this series have included the Best Skis, Best Ski Boots and Best Ski Jackets for winter 2025.

SHOW NOTES

‘Fit is King’
Safety Standards (6:00)
‘Multi norm’ helmets (6:30)
EPS foam (8:45)
MIPS (9:30)
Fidlock buckle (11:45)
Venting (12:00)
Visor Helmets (14:15)
Sustainability features (16:00)
UV Protection (28:45)
Fogging (29:45)
How to use a lens cloth (30:45)
When to change your lens (32:30)
Photochromic lenses (33:45)
Colour handling (34:30)

The Best Ski and Snowboard Helmets for 2025

· Giro Tor Spherical Helmet, £250 (17:45)
· Atomic Savor Visor Helmet, £180 (19:15)
· Bern Watts 2.0 MIPS, £160 (21:15)
· Salomon Brigade Index Helmet, £110 (23:15)
· Oakley Mod1 Helmet, £85 (24:30)
ELLIS BRIGHAM’S CHOICE (26:30)
Chrissy from Ellis Brigham in Braehead Garden chose the Smith Method Pro MIPS helmet

The Best Ski and Snowboard Goggles for 2025
· Julbo Launcher Reactiv, £280 (36:30)
· Oakley Line Miner Pro, £259 (39:30)
· 100% Snowcraft, £179 (41:30)
· Smith Squad S, £125 (42:45)
· Bloc Boa Recycle, £48 (44:30) ELLIS BRIGHAM’S CHOICE (45:30)
Chrissy from Ellis Brigham in Braehead chose the Dragon DX3 Plus

Feedback (48:15)Please contact us on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

James Rice: "Just listened to the Ski Boot episode: excellent, as always. Keep up the great work"
Colin: "I got all excited after the ski boot episode and bought my first pair of ski boots: a pair Nordica Speedmachine 3s"
David Faller: "Enjoyed Episode 219 about the history of Ellis Brigham"

Andrew Greenwood:"Great show guys, very informative about Ski jackets"
Try the Picture Organic Naikoon for as a men’s version of the Haakon

Stephen Street: “I can’t believe that the subject of ‘pit zips’ were not brought up in the description of these jackets! They are one of the most important ways of controlling heat!”

If you like the podcast, there are two things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – helps listeners find us
2) Subscribe, so you never miss an episode
3) Listen to our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest to you

You can also view these equipment specials on the Skipedia YouTube channel

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In this special episode Iain and Al look at the best ski jackets for 2025. It’s the third in our series of looking at the best snowsports equipment available for winter 2025.

In our first two episodes, we looked at the best skis and the ski boots. In later episodes, we’ll look at the best helmets, goggles, gloves and socks, plus there will be a special episode focusing on ski touring equipment.

This Special Episode of The Ski Podcast has been made possible by Ellis Brigham.

Ellis Brigham are the winter sports specialists, with 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for this winter. Alternatively, simply go to their website at ellis-brigham.com and you can buy online now.

SHOW NOTES
Waterproofing (3:00)
Taping (7:30)
Breathability (8:30)
MVTR (9:30)
Gore-Tex (10:15)
3-layer (shell) v. 2-layer jackets (11:00)
Membranes and Insulation eg PrimaLoft, Thinsulate (13:00)
What is a ‘powder skirt’? (15:15)
What is ‘Recco’? (16:45)
What is DWR? (19:40)
Gore-tex EPe (20:00)
Mono-material garments (20:30)
Find out more about the danger of PFCs (21:00)
Iain visited the Arc’teryx repair shop in Covent Garden (22:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Arc’teryx in Episode 218
Al recommends NikWax for cleaning your technical clothing
Find out more about Patagonia’s donations to fight climate change (35:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Picture Organic Clothing (37:45)

THE BEST SKI JACKETS OF 2025 (25:00)
Descente Women’s Welded Down Jacket, £789(25:45) * The North Face Men’s Summit Verbier GORE-TEX Jacket, £630 (28:00) * Henri Duvillard Women’s Alicia Ski Jacket, £539 (30:15) * Patagonia Storm Shift Jacket, £449(32:45, available for men & women) * Picture Women’s Haakon Jacket*, £350 (36:30)

ELLIS BRIGHAM’S CHOICE (38:00)Harry Cavill is Ellis Brigham’s skiwear buyer. Her choice for the Best Ski Jacket of the year is the Goldberg Women’s Porter Jacket, £530

Ellis Brigham are the winter sports specialists, with 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for this winter at ellis-brigham.com where you can buy online now.

FEEDBACK (42:30)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Chalets Direct:“Very good overview of the design and material technology of the latest skis and how they perform on the mountain. Fun to listen too.”
n-da-bunka2650:“Custom bootfitters sometimes focus on what they have in stock rather than a boot the client may have been interested in.”

chrisbristol: “Thanks Iain, enjoying the podcast”
If you like the podcast, there are two things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe, so you never miss an episode
3) Share with your friends

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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This episode is a Snow Show special, including interviews with Dave Ryding, Chemmy Alcott and others at the 2024 London Snow Show, Northern Snow Show and the industry event LISTEX.

We discuss the upcoming World Cup season, the Alpine Ski World Championships in Saalbach, the growth of the Magic Pass and there’s big news about the future of the London Snow Show itself. Plus we have a new competition where you can win some great prizes.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Jamie Grant – the founder of Carv.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeIf you are heading to the snow, listener, then don’t forget that you can save money when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com and use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’

SHOW NOTES
Jamie was first on the podcast in Episode 193 (1:00)
The Carv team were testing the Carv 2 in Valle Nevado, Chile in September (1:30)Glencoe is planning a new £26 million gondola (3:00)
Listen to Iain’s report from Glencoe earlier this year in Episode 203
GB Snowsport athlete Mia Brookes came 5th in the Snowboard Big Air at Chur (3:30)
The new GB Alpine Foundation has already raised over £160,000 (4:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with GB Snowsport CEO Vicky Gosling in Episode 222
Dave Ryding chat (5:15)
Dave has moved to Head Skis (6:00)
Chemmy Alcott chat (7:00)
Marcel Hirscher is back representing the Netherlands (8:15)
Could Lindsey Vonn make a comeback (8:45)
Ski Sunday schedule for 2025 (9:00)
Neil McQuoid, Racer Ready Magazine (11:00)
Julia Eder, Salzburgerland (13:45)
The World Champs will take place from 04-16 February in Saalbach (14:15)
The Ski Podcast sponsors the Carrick-Smith brothers – Zak, Freddy and Luca (16:15)
Zak Carrick-Smith (16:30)
Luca Carrick-Smith with Phil Smith (18:30)
Freddy Carrick-Smith (21:20)
Iain presented at the London Show about ‘How to Ski Flight Free' (22:15)
Iain has taken a Flight Free Pledge for 2024 (22:30)
Dom Winter, Protect Our Winters (23:00)
Find out about POW’s Carbon Literacy Courses (25:00)
Inghams are celebrating their 90th anniversary this year
Helen Taylor, Inghams (25:30)
Listen to Iain’s special interview with Lesley McKenna
Lesley McKenna, Wandering Workshops, Aviemore (27:45)
Mike Richards reported from the new Northern Snow Show (31:00)
LISTEX is a B2B event that took just before show, organised by MTN (32:30)
Iain moderated a panel on how the industry can help skiers make better choices (33:00)
The Mountain Travel Network is taking over the London Snow Show (33:15)
James Gambrill from MTN (33:45)
Jamie Grant, founder of Carv (37:00)
Carv 2 launched on 14 October (37:15)
Buddy Passes mean that the Carv can now be shared with friends (41:45)
Carv uses data from over 500 million turns (43:00)
The algorithm for 24/25 is 6% more accurate than last year (45:45)
Ski IQ is now different values for different terrains (46:30)
Carv 2 is available at £159 until 28 October (51:00)
Sebastien Travelletti, Vice President at Magic Pass (52:00)

COMPETITION – WIN A CARV 2 and more (57:45)

Simply complete our short survey to be included in the draw to win prizes including a Carv 2, Vallon Aviator Sunglasses, Wild Caper underlayer, Atomic Atom Hydrogen water bottle, Verbier beanie, Val d'Isère Opinel and more.

The survey is open until the end of November, so just take this to get your name in the draw.
FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show so please contact us on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Ed Parkinson: "Thanks for the pod. I find it brilliant and very informative. I’m an avid skier and I love gear."

Rachel: "Great podcast, thanks guys! Just moved to Revelstoke from the UK for my first season and now feel way more prepped to go buy my first pair of skis’"
If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Joanna Yellowlees-Bound joins Iain for this special episode as we cover her 40-year career in the ski industry, graduating from resort rep to managing director of Erna Low - one of the oldest ski companies in the UK.

Joanna is one of the most experienced professionals in the UK ski industry, with a career that spans the first halcyon days of the ski business in the 80s to our post-Brexit world today, including a key role in the development of Arc 1950.

We also discuss her new role working with her husband, Mensun Bound, the marine archaeologist who discovered the wreck of Shackleton’s ‘Endurance’ under the Antarctic ice.
Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeSave money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Currency restrictions applied on foreign holidays (2:30)
Club Med beads are back! (3:00)
Joanna started working for Erna Low in 1982 (7:00)
It was the days of the Telex (12:45)
Erna Low’s original advert appeared in The Times in 1932 (15:00)
Erna Low represented La Plagne in the UK market in the 1980s (21:00)
Joanna became MD of the company in 1996 (23:30)
The ERM collapse led to large currency losses (24:30)
Joanna took over ownership of Erna Low in 2002 (27:00)
In 2003, Joanna founded Erna Low Property (27:30)
The Arc 1950 project was developed by Intrawest (29:45)
In 2023, Joanna sold Erna Low Property to Francois Marchand in a MBO (31:00)
2012 was the 80th anniversary of Erna Low (31:30)
Listen to our special podcast episode on Erna Low with Mark Frary (31:45)
Take a look at some of Erna Low's vintage film footage (34:30)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5B02thqhkQ
In 2019, Joanna sold Erna Low Travel to NUCO Travel (35:30)
Mensun is a marine archaeologist who found the ‘Endurance’ in March 2022 (37:30)
Look out for ‘Endurance’ coming out on Disney+ later this year (39:15)
Mensun’s book is called ‘The Ship Beneath The Ice’ (39:45)
Feedback (41:30)

I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

robsmith0179 (IG): “Listened to Episode 217 this morning...I’m now adding St Martin to my visit list!”

mattmglx: “I finally got round to clicking 5 stars on Spotify! Thanks for keeping me sane on my commute to work”

Pat from Ireland (BMAC): “I really enjoy the podcasts. I mix current episodes with those from your back catalogue. As someone who found skiing in middle age I am completely hooked. Keep up the brilliant work and here's to winter.”

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

There are now 230 episodes of The Ski Podcast. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog: just go to theskipodcast.com and search the tags and categories.

Our equipment specials are being published on the Skipedia YouTube channel.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Iain and Al reveal the ‘Best Ski Boots for 2025’, plus we also cover all the jargon you need to know about ski boots, including what Mondopoint and BOA mean, plus the differences between the shell, liner and last.

We’ve already covered the best skis, and in later episodes, we’ll be covering the best ski jackets, helmets, goggles, gloves and socks, as well as a special episode focussing on ski touring equipment.

This Special Episode of The Ski Podcast has been made possible by Ellis Brigham.

SHOW NOTES
Don't buy to match your outfit (2:30)
The benefits of footbeds (5:00)
What is the ‘shell’? (7:00)
What is the ‘liner’? (8:00)
How to store your ski boots (10:30)
What is the ‘Last’? (11:30)
What is ‘Mondopoint’? (12:30)
Chat about buckles and BOA (14:00)
What is a ‘Powerstrap’? (18:00)
What is ‘Flex’? (19:00)
What is ‘GripWalk’? (21:00)
Find out about the new Phaenom boot range from Faction (26:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Bode Miller (49:00)

THE BEST SKI BOOTS OF 2025
Nordica Speed Machine 3 Boa 120 (28:00)‘An excellent boot for advanced piste and all-mountain skiers’, £530Head Edge 95 W HV GW (32:00)
‘Brilliant boot if you value comfort and ease of use’, £370

K2 BFC 120 BOA GW(35:45)
‘Built For Comfort’ with enough power for advanced skiers’, £525

Atomic Hawx Prime XTD 105 GW (39:30)
Freeride Hybrid Women’s boot with ‘amazing downhill performance’, £590

Scarpa 4Quattro XT(45:15)One of the best freeride boots on the market’, £700

ELLIS BRIGHAM’S CHOICE
Toby from Ellis Brigham in Covent Garden chose the Salomon Shift Alpha BOA 130 (49:00) at £700

Feedback (53:30)
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

@rosbifsa660 (YouTube) asked about the thin edge on the Nordica Enforcer, included in our ‘Best Skis’ episode, which Al answers (54:00)

BigMountainBob (Instagram) asked about the Atomic Bents and DPS freeride skis and adds “The DPS Lotus 124 carbon is my all-time favourite pow ski.” (57:00)

James Rice: “Just finished the "Best Skis for 2025" episode. Like all your episodes, this one was outstanding. Al has an excellent command of the subject, and he explains the basic foundational factors that go in to ski selection in an enjoyable and understandable way.”
If you like the podcast, there are two things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – helps listeners find us
2) Subscribe, so you never miss an episode
3) Share with your friends

You can follow Iaiun @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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GB Snowsport CEO Vicky Gosling joins Iain for this special episode of The Ski Podcast. We go behind the scenes of British skiing and snowboarding to find out what goes into running an organisation like GB Snowsports and how a country with no mountains outperforms countries from across the world.

We also find out about Vicky’s background in the RAF, what it was like working alongside Prince Harry on the Invictus Games and the link between snowsports and surfing.

This episode is part of a series of podcasts I’m ublishing this winter focusing on women in the snowsports industry.

SHOW NOTES
In 2022/23 GB Snowsport recorded 50 World Cup, World Champs, X Games podiums
That included a podium in every single discipline (4:00)
Pat Sharples is Head Coach of the GB Snowsports (6:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Pat Sharples (33:15)
Vicky and Pat had to sleep in their car in St Moritz (8:30)
Vicky was a Group Captain in the RAF, deployed to the Gulf (10:30)
In 2014, she became Military Exec Lead for first Invictus Games in London (12:30)
Vicky was appointed CEO for the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando (14:00)
Herding Morgan Freeman and Michelle Obama at the opening ceremony (15:00)
Appointed CEO of GB Snowsport in 2018 (15:30)
‘British Ski and Snowboard’ was re-branded to ‘GB Snowsport’ (16:30)
The goal to become a top five snowsport nation by 2030 (18:00)
Funding from UK Sport went up after Pyeongchang, but was cut after Beijing (20:15)
Team GB won one medal at Sochi 2014 (Jenny Jones) and two at Pyeongchang 2018 (Billy Morgan & Izzy Atkin) (21:30)
Kirsty Muir was the highest-placed Briton on snow with 5th in Big Air (23:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Kirsty Muir in Episode 174
Listen to Iain’s interview with Dave Ryding in Episode 199 (29:30)
Dave shares his ring-fenced funding with Billy Major and Laurie Taylor (29:30)
Dave Ryding’s coach Tris Glasse-Davies has left to work for US skiing (30:00)
The Alpine Team ranked 6th in world in 2023/24, ahead of USA, Italy, Canada (31:30)
Jim Ratcliffe donated £11m to help fund new clubhouse for the Courchevel race club (32:00)
Mia Brookes is the youngest ever world champion (33:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Zak Carrick-Smith in Episode 200 (33:15)
In 2022 Vicky became Chair of GB Surfing (35:45)
Skateboarding medallist Sky Brown just failed to qualify in surfing for the Paris Olympics (37:30)
The effect of Brexit on GB Snowsports (39:30)
Listen to Stu Brass talking in Episode 213 about how he first met Jenny Jones in Tignes (40:30)
Chamonix 2024 saw the first global warming determined slalom (41:00)
FIS are under pressure to change their schedule to reduce emissions (41:30)

Feedback

I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

robsmith0179: "It was really interesting to listen to [Chemmy Alcott’s] determination and drive from such a young age. I thought I was brave at 10 years old setting off into the hills on my own on a mountain bike...never mind going to New Zealand training.”
Victoria Bushnell: “My new Sunday listening is The Ski Podcast hosted by Iain Martin”
mc2_woodwork:"I truly love skiing and you bring together so much amazing content and extremely helpful information. After holidays in Tignes the last two winters my 6-year-old is hooked too.”
If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

There are now 228 episodes of The Ski Podcast and 138 were listened to in the last week. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog - we have covered so many destinations and stories - just go to theskipodcast.com, search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest to you.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Iain and Al reveal the ‘Best Skis for 2025’, including Piste skis, All Mountain skis and Freeride skis, plus we help you understand what length skis to buy, as well as what 'rocker' and 'side cut' mean.

In later episodes, we’ll be covering the best ski boots, jackets, helmets, goggles, gloves and socks, as well as a special episode focussing on ski touring equipment.

This Special Episode of The Ski Podcast has been made possible by Ellis Brigham.

SHOW NOTES
What are the different categories of skis? (2:40)
What’s the relevance of width? (4:30)
What do we mean by ‘side cut’? (6:00)
What is a ‘rocker? (7:30)
How long should your skis be? (9:25)
Sustainability trends in skis (12:30)
Find out more about ADN Skis (14:30)
The SIGB Ski Test took place in La Clusaz in January 2024 (16:20)
Al regularly does testing at the Glenmore Lodge in Aviemore
Listen to Iain’s experience in Scotland in Episode 203 (18:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Bode Miller (20:15)
The difference between men’s and women’s skis (20:45)

THE BEST SKIS OF WINTER 2024 (18:30)

Atomic Cloud C9(19:00)
“For an intermediate skier this is a beautiful piste ski”
£500 including bindings. Width 72mm. Length 143cm-164cm

Salomon Addikt Pro 76 (22:00)
“The Addikt Pro 76 is a sensational piste ski for holiday skiers”
£780 including bindings. Width 76mm. Length 156cm-177cm

Blizzard Anomaly 88(24:30)
“All Mountain skis that grip like piste skis and when you turn up the throttle, they are amazing”
£660 excluding bindings. Width 88mm. Length 164cm-188cm

Nordica Enforcer 94 (26:30)
“So useable off-piste. Brilliant in the bumps, brilliant in variable terrain”
£610 excluding bindings. Width 94mm. Length 167cm-185cm

Volkl Secret 96 and Volkl M7 Mantra (29:30)
“Sensational freeride skis for off-piste or in powder”
£750 excluding bindings. Width 96mm. 149-177cm (Secret), 163-191cm (M7)

ELLIS BRIGHAM’S CHOICE
Alex from Ellis Brigham in Milton Keynes has his say

Rossignol Arcade 84 (33:30)
“Probably one of the best skis on the market for that all mountain carving ski”
£700 including bindings. Width 84mm. Length 152cm-184cm

FEEDBACK (37:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Wayne Hall: "I’ve been a long-time listener of The Ski Podcast—I’ve been tuning in since before the pandemic—and I religiously listen to the pod, especially as I gear up for a ski trip. I really appreciate how you cover the latest in ski gear, travel, and sustainability."

David Faller: “Enjoyed the Ellis Brigham episode. Thank you.”

There are now 227 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. Just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

If you like the podcast, there are two things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – it genuinely helps other listeners find us
2) Subscribe – so you never miss an episode

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Today we look at skiing in Sweden and Hemsedal in Norway and we find out what it's like coaching your kids to be pro skiers. Plus we find out more about the European Sleeper service to Innsbruck and the Dolomites, as well as discovering what Crans Montana is like in September.

Iain Martin was joined by four-time Winter Olympian and ski coach Emma Carrick-Anderson and Ben Nyberg, Managing Director at skiScandinavia.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount CodeIf you’re starting to plan your skiing for this winter, then I am delighted to confirm that Intersport are sponsoring The Ski Podcast for a second winter. That means that all podcast listeners can save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTESEmma was on the slopes in Saas Fee for our call (1:00)
Mike Goar was the Keynote Speaker at Ski Launch (3:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Mike in Episode 204
Our equipment episodes start next week…with the ‘Best New Skis of 2024/25’
Look out for Iain’s interview with Vicky Gosling, CEO GB Snowsport coming in October (4:00)
Mia Brookes took 2nd in the Snowboard Slopestyle at Cardrona, NZ (4:15)
Chris Engelsman is the co-founder of European Sleeper (4:45)
Find out how to travel to Crans Montana on Ski Flight Free (12:30)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egi96baRhjQ
Iain took part in the Wildstrubel UTMB trail race (13:00)
You can watch his race report here
There was a lot of early snow on the mountains (14:00)
Crans Montana’s acquisition by Vail Resorts went through in May
Iain spoke with Pierre Henri Mainetti (14:30)
In 2027 Crans Montana will host the Alpine Ski World Championships (16:00)
In September 2025 the resort hosts the Mountain Bike World Championships (16:30)Listen to Iain’s interview withZak Carrick-Smith in Episode 200 (18:15)
Emma took competed for Great Britain in four Olympics at Albertville, Lillehammer, Nagano and Salt Lake City (21:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Dave Ryding (22:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Lesley McKenna (24:30)
Find out about Alain Baxter’s non-bronze medal (25:00)
The Ski Podcast is going to be supporting the Carrick-Smith boys this winter (27:30)Trysil in Norway featured in Episode 209 (32:00)
There is a new direct weekly flight from LHR to Scandinavian Mountain Airport (32:45)
Hundfjallet may be the shortest transfer in world at just 10 minutes (33:45)
Other Swedish resorts include Salen Stöten, Sälen Lindvallen, Kläppen (36:00)
Hemsedal in Norway is three hours from the airport (38:00)
Feedback (40:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

AD: "Great pod Iain. Thanks for keeping this going over the summer, when most other ski related podcasts stop…roll on the autumn!"
Camilla: “You are brilliant at drawing people out with great questions, creating really enjoyable podcasts.”

Mark Wakeling: “Really enjoyed the Chemmy interview. From an early age just wouldn’t take no for an answer and her infectious enthusiasm is inspiring.”
Jim: “I was listening to the podcast the other day while hiking up a mountain. You were talking about where to get second-hand skis. At the beginning of the season, a lot of resorts organise Braderies where the local shops pool ex-hire or last season kit to sell in one convenient place. Another great option is shops like Trocsport which sell secondhand skis on behalf of individuals. There are loads of small shops like this.”
There are now 226 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 121 of those were listened to in the last week. You can do that too, there is so much to listen to in our previous episode, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

In that last week, 60% of our listeners were in the UK, 11% were in the States and everyone else spread as far and wide as Turkey, Greenland and Mexico.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Chemmy Alcott is probably the most well-known woman in snowsports in the UK. After a racing career that took her to four Winter Olympics, she now balances presenting Ski Sunday on the BBC, with bringing up her young family and coaching new aspiring racers.

This special episode is part of an occasional set of podcasts I’m going to be publishing this winter focussing particularly on women in the snowsports industry.

SHOW NOTES
Chemmy’s given name is Chemine (2:45)
In Dec 2010 Chemmy suffered a double fracture of her right leg at Lake Louise (5:00)
Shortly after Chemmy learned her funding had been withdrawn by BSS (8:45)
Third Space helped Chemmy with funding (9:45)
Chemmy took part in ‘Dancing on Ice’ in 2012, finishing 5th (11:45)
BSS said Chemmy’s participation was an ‘acceptable’ risk (13:00)
Chemmy has broken over 40 bones in her career (16:00)
Injuries include a dislocated jaw, broken neck, broken back, broken ribs, groin tears, two ACLs, compound tibia/fibula fracture and a broken ankle
Chemmy learned to ski in Flaine and takes her family there now (22:00)
Her first race was when she was 3 years old (although she didn’t win!) (23:30)
Chemmy made her FIS debut at Coronet Peak in 1997 (27:30)
She won medals at the European Youth Olympics in 1999 in SuperG and GS (28:45)
In 2002 Chemmy beat Lyndsey Vonn in Junior Worlds and was 4th overall (29:00)
Chemmy took part in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics (29:45)
Chemmy competed in all five disciplines: Downhill, Super G, GS, slalom and combined
Alain Baxter ‘won’ the bronze in Slalom at Salt Lake (31:00)
Chemmy finished 11th in the Downhilll at the 2006 Turin Olympics (32:00)
At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Chemmy finished 11th in the super-combined (37:00)
Chemmy broke her leg again in the summer of 2013 in Saas Fee (39:30)
Sochi in 2014 was Chemmy’s fourth Winter Olympics (43:00)
She finished 19th in the Downhill, which ‘felt like a gold’ (43:15)
Lady Gaga is an inspiration (44:00)
Chemmy retired in 2014 and started working on ‘Ski Sunday’ in 2015 (46:00)
Working on the 2018 Winter Olympics, Chemmy teamed up with Claire Balding (46:45)
In 2020 Chemmy joined Ed Leigh as one of the presenters of ‘Ski Sunday’ (47:15)
Listen to Iain’s in-depth interview with Chemmy while she was based in Laax (47:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Ed Leigh (49:00)
Why isn’t there more freestyle coverage on ‘Ski Sunday’? (51:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Zac Carrick-Smith (52:30)
On how women take those decisions to find time for themselves (58:00)
Listen to Chemmy explaining about her downhill POV camera runs (59:30)

Leonardo Da Vinci:

"Once you've tasted flight you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

Feedback
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe so every episode will automatically be downloaded for you
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

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Today we find out what’s new at Banff Sunshine Village in Canada and we look into the history of one of the UK’s oldest snowsport retailers, Ellis Brigham. Plus, we have the latest gossip on which European destination Vail Resorts are planning to buy next.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Kendra Scurfield, VP Brand and Communications at Banff Sunshine Village ski resort and Mark Brigham, Marketing Director at Ellis Brigham.

SHOW NOTES
Vail Resorts have been linked strongly with Laax (3:45)
Vail Resorts are ‘not buying Verbier’ (4:45)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GZD8jeQKjr8
POWDR are selling several resorts (4:45)
There have been serious floods in St Anton in Austria (6:30)
The new European Sleeper service from Brussels to Innsbruck & Bolzano (7:00)
Ellis Brigham is 90 years old and still family owned (8:30)
The business was founded in 1933 by Frederick Ellis Brigham (9:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Awe-sKyNhm8
In Episode 218 Arcteryx told us about their ReBird programme (10:45)
Sons Bob & Ellis took over in the 1950s
The first store in Manchester and first catalog 'The Mountaineers Gadgeteer' (13:15)
The Ellis Brigham ‘White Book' first appeared in the 1980s (15:15)
The Snowboard Asylum was created in 1989 (16:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Stu Brass (19:30)
Ellis Brigham won ‘Outdoor retailer Of The Year‘ 2024 (21:00)
Our Equipment special episodes with Al Morgan start on 27 September
Banff Sunshine Village had snow in August (21:30)
There are just two snow cannons! (22:30)
Their new heated 6-person Poma chairlift will be the first in North America (23:30)
The Mountain Collective pass is a great option for a road trip in Canada (25:30)
Find out more about the Ikon Pass (26:30)
Ski Big 3 will be at the Ikon stand at London Show (27:30)

Feedback (28:30)
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Shazza: “Love these conversations to get us excited for the ski season! We went to the Dolomites with Inspired Italy last season. It was an amazing adventure; great terrain, food, and people."

Jay Roh: "Excellent interview with Bode Miller"

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Today we find out what it’s like skiing in Arctic circle in Svalbard and look into some of the great work that the clothing brand Arcteryx are doing on sustainability. Plus we report on Tignes' decision to split with Compagnie des Alpes.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Dominique Showers from Arcteryx Clothing and Verbier local and regular snow reporter Robin Shah.

SHOW NOTES
Mt Seymour in BC is just 10 minutes from the Arcteryx offices (2:30)
Robin skied on Doufourspitze above Verbier (3:00)
Missing the Olympics? It’s only 540 days to Milano-Cortina 2026 (3:45)
BikePark Wales are going to rewild 400 acres of Welsh mountainside (4:30)
Tignes is splitting from Compagnie des Alpes (5:00)
Verbier has denied that Vail Resorts is planning to buy them (5:15)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GZD8jeQKjr8
Tignes previously discussed building an indoor slope (6:30)
A new indoor slope has been proposed in Bosnia (6:30)
Dominique is VP of ReBIRD™ and Circular Planning at Arcteryx
Find out how the Acteryx logo came about? (8:00)
‘65% of the environmental impact of one of our jackets is caused by its creation’ (8:45)
Find out about the Arcteryx ReBird programme (‘Waste Less. By Design.’) (9:00)
ReCare is about educating consumer how to look after their kit (9:45)
What is DWR? (11:00)
Look out for the ReGear programme work coming to the UK (13:15)
https://youtu.be/9UgAteHZE9I
ReCut is Arcteryx’s commitment to upcycling (14:30)
The company has a net zero goal of 2050 (or earlier) (16:30)
Chris Howie joined us to talk Svalbard in Episode 94 (18:00)
Xavier de la Rue also spoke about his visit to the area in Episode 208 (18:15)
Svalbard is in the Arctic circle, east of Greenland and north of Norway (20:00)
Robin booked his trip with Arctic Guides
Take a look at Robin’s photos on his video on Instagram (26:00)

Feedback (31:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Paul Langley: "Hope you are well, loving the podcasts, they’re getting me through until next season starts!"
Paul asks if there’s somewhere to buy last year’s rental skis? Chris Moran from Intersport advises that this happens on a per shop basis and that Intersport’s rental skis are used for a max of 45 days before they’re sold on

ShakeyJack: "Episode 195 was a great pod: Really interesting to hear about what Les Arcs are up to with their green credentials"

Susan Hurst: "Episode 192 was great, especially the piece on the Dolomites Ski Safari by Inspired Italy. I’ve been lucky enough to go on two and hoping to go again in 2025."

Katie Bamber: “Listening to the La Grave section with Sam in Episode 214. Super interesting.”

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe
3) Buy Me A Coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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We find out about the ski resort of St Martin de Belleville in Les 3 Vallées, what it’s like driving an electric car up the 21 hairpin bends that take you to Alpe d’Huez, plus we look at a brilliant new initiative to raise funds for British skiers.

Iain was joined by Vanessa Fisher and Simon McIntyre, MD at Igluski.com and down the line by Scott Dobson from Alpine 100.

SHOW NOTES
Vanessa shared what it’s like taking part in the Inferno Downhill race in Murren in Episode 70 (1:00)
We featured the London and Northern ski shows in Episodes 215 and 216 (3:45)
To get free tickets to the London show, use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ (4:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Dave Ryding (4:20)
Scott Dobson is one of the founders of the Alpine 100 project (4:30)
Find out more about the Alpine 100 project (9:30)
Visit the official website of St Martin de Belleville (10:00)
Jerusalem is one of many people’s favourite run in Les 3 Vallées (13:00)
‘La Belle Ville’ is a new sports centre with an outdoor pool (14:00)
Le Brelin is an award-winning piece of architecture (18:00)
Les Menuires holds a Yoga Festival every year (20:30)
Listen to Iain’s report from the Yoga Festival from 2019 (21:30)
Simon was previously in Episode 176, talking about driving an EV to Val d'Isère (22:00)
Ionity is one of the main suppliers of electric chargers in Europe (25:00)
Iain drove out to the Alps in a Tesla Y in 2022 (28:00)
Regenerative charging adds miles to your range when going downhill (31:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xthOeIsk3Mc
Iglu’s survey shows being ‘snowsure’ is the most important factor in choosing a resort (32:45)
It also shows that 57% of people rent skis, but that 83% own their own boots (35:00)

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com Jonny Richards: "Keep up the good work"
Zero_cool: "As always an amazing interview [with Paddy Graham]. I learnt so much from this episode that I completely missed from the early 2000’s, despite being there in it all."

David Lindsay: "Another great episode with Paddy Graham: what a star he is!"
Pablo: "It was great to hear about Scotland [in Episode 203]”
If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribing is a great idea. If you’re listening online now, just click that button now
3) Buy me a coffee at BuyMeACoffee.com/theskipodcast

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In this episode we focus on Courchevel, including an update on the Saulire cable car and how the resort is surviving without Russians, plus we discuss summer in Les 2 Alpes and find out about the new Northern Snow Show.

Iain was joined live by Alex Armand, from Tip Top Ski Coaching in Les 2 Alpes and YouTuber Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter as well as down the line by Ian Brown from Chill Factore, Manchester.

SHOW NOTES
Find out more about the new Jandri 3S lift in Les 2 Alpes in Episode 209 (3:45)
The Les 2 Alpes glacier has an excellent snow park (4:30)
Saharan sand has been regularly seen in France in recent years (8:00)
The snow is looking much better in Australia and New Zealand (9:00)
Ian Brown is MD at Chill Factore in Manchester (10:00)
Find out about the Northern Snow Snow here (12:45)
The village of La Berarde was severely damaged by floods (13:30)
The Mountain of Hell is a mountain biking event unlike any other! (20:00)
https://youtu.be/b8D8wrF8d0Q
Sam Haddad spoke about the new lift in La Grave in Episode 214 (21:30)
Alex Irwin runs the YouTube channel, 150 Days of Winter (22:00)
The Saulire cable car in Courchevel will reopen in December 2024 (24:00)
The cabins were damaged in testing in 2021 (25:00)
https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1446031205976186886
Watch Candide Thovex ski the Courchevel couloirs (27:30)
The 2023 Winter Olympics are coming to France (28:30)
Opposition to the Games is coming from the 'NoJo' campaign
Watch Alex’s video of the Val Thorens ice cave (30:30)
Is Courchevel collapsing now the Russians have left? (32:00)
Discover the gondola graveyard (33:45)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a884-2JgdsY
Listen to Iain’s interview with Peter Landsman from LiftBlog (34:45)
Alex volunteered to be a test subject for avalanche dogs (35:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyqgShN1z1I
You can buy Alex’s tshirts on his website

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

I’d like to thank Sasha Ryazantsev for buying me a coffee: "Thanks for the podcasts. I always listen to them as they remind me of all the places we've skied and boarded over the years."

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe so you never miss an episode
3) Buy Me A Coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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We discuss the latest ski news from Australia, get an update on summer skiing in Tignes and Val d’Isere and find out about this autumn’s London Snow Show.

We also look into how SBIT are lobbying for more trains to the Alps and the possible Youth Mobility Scheme, which would be good news for young people wanting to do a ski season.

Iain was joined by Australia specialist and founder of the Snowbest.com website, Rachael Oakes-Ash and Diane Palumbo, Sales and Marketing Director at Skiworld and down the line by Alex Irwin, John Yates-Smith and Lindsey Coleman.

SHOW NOTES
Rachael’s vote goes to Whitewater in Canada (2:20)
Diane is voting for Jackson Hole (2:45)
Check out Corbet’s Couloir (3:15)
Alex from the YouTube channel 150 Days of Winter was in Tignes (5:20)
John Yates Smith from YSE Ski is based in Val d'Isère (7:00)
There has been major flooding in Zermatt, which was cut off for 24 hours (8:00)
The village of Berarde, in the Ecrins National Park, was devastated by floods (8:15)
Lindsey Coleman is Event Director of the National Snow Show (9:15)
The show will take place at Excel in London from 19-20 October (10:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Bode Miller (10:45)
You can still secure free tickets using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’
Snow Travel Expo takes place in Sydney and Melbourne in May each year (14:00)
SBiT stands for Seasonal Businesses in Travel (15:45)
Find out more about train travel at Ski Flight Free (18:45)
Skiworld offer 68 catered chalets and employ 120 staff (20:45)
Why we have seen price inflation in UK ski holidays (22:00)
Listen to Episode 180 to find out more about how to get a ski job in a ski resort (23:00)
A Youth Mobility Scheme has been suggested within the EU (24:00)
Rachael was last on the show in Episode 97 (27:45)
For info about skiing in Australia check out Rachael’s website Snowsbest
Australia and New Zealand have seen fresh snowfall this week (30:30)
Listen to Iain’s episode about Perisher and Thredbo (32:00)
Thredbo have opened their new luge (32:30)
There’s also a new Olympic half-pipe (33:15)
Scotty James is an Olympic medal winning Australian snowboarder (34:00)
Perisher is owned by Vail Resorts (37:00)
Lift queue memes in Perisher (38:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Mike Goar from Vail Resorts (39:45)
Climate change is affecting Australian ski resorts (40:00)
The slow Aldi ski sale reflects the cost of living pressure on Australian skiing

Feedback (44:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Lozza (Apple Podcasts): "Every episode is a little ski holiday"

Richard Sideways (Snowheads): "Good interview with Stu Brass. I remember the old SCUK forum days.”
Alex Hayman: "Really enjoyed the chat with Paddy Graham last month."

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe
3) Buy Me A Coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

There are 220 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. Just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest to you.

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We find out about the off-piste resort of La Grave and the state of the snowsports market in the USA, including ways to tackle climate change and bring newcomers to the sport.

Iain was joined by freelance journalist, Sam Haddad and Nick Sergant, President of the SIA (Snowsports Industries America).

SHOW NOTES
Utah offers ‘The Greatest Snow on Earth’ (3:30)Marcel Hirscher is coming out of retirement to compete for Netherlands (4:30)
LISTEX Luxury took place last week in London (5:15)
Research by The Ski Club of Great Britain showed that luxury ski trips represent 4% of the market by pax, 21% by trips and 50% by value (7:30)
The new Northern Snow Show will take place at Chill Factore in October (8:00)
Nick previously worked as a boot fitter on the World Cup race circuit, working with skiers such as Alberto Tomba (11:00)
Find out more about the SIA (Snowsports Industries America) (12:30)
The number of skier visits in the States went down 7.6% last winter (14:30)
https://x.com/skipedia/status/1803779843412160532
There are roughly 60m skier days in the States v. 2m active skiers in the UK (16:00)
The Share Winter campaign is bringing newcomers to skiing and snowboarding (19:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Stu Brass about the AIM series schools education (21:00)
“Climate change is the no.1 threat to the sport in the States” (21:00)
Find out about the SIA’s ‘Climate United’ initiative (22:00)
Iain spoke with Mike Goar from Vail Resorts Europe in Episode 204 (25:00
The importance of Epic/Ikon passes (28:00)
Epic revenue was up last winter
Sam was on the show discussing the impact of climate change in Episode 179 (29:00)
Sam’s blog is called ‘Climate and Board Sports’(29:30)
Find out about ‘NoJO’ (30:30)
The 2030 Winter Olympics are due to be held in the French Alps (31:00)
Link to the official La Grave website (33:00)
Read Sam’s article about La Grave on The Guardian (33:30)
Liste to Iain’s interviews with Peter Hardy and Arnie Wilson (37:30)
The top lift in La Grave is due to be replaced with a new cable car (39:30)
Find out about the new Jandri lift in Les 2 Alpes in Episode 209 (40:30)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz0hrmQgVGg

Feedback
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

James Rice: "Episode 204 was another great episode. Love the podcast, thanks! "

Adam Fisher: "Episode 213 (with Stu Brass) was great"

Steve Holding: "Really love the podcast, especially the equipment episodes and the features on different resorts"
Bobnmillsy (Apple Podcasts): “Excellent podcast covering an incredible range of topics. The special episodes are particularly good giving fascinating insights into the worlds of the ski industry A list from a very well researched and skilled interviewer”

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe
3) Buy Me A Coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com

There are 219 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to www.theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest to you.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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This is a special interview with Stu Brass - co-founder of ‘The Brits’, snowboard advisor to film & TV (including ‘Chalet Girl’ and ‘The Jump’) and ex-pro snowboarder.

If you have followed skiing or snowboarding in the UK in the last two decades you will have seen Stu’s work. He co-founded ‘The Brits’ – the British freestyle championships – and his expertise in running events has meant that he worked on the movie ‘Chalet Girl’, the Channel 4 series ‘The Jump’ and has built pretty much every kicker you’ve seen at a UK ski show.

SHOW NOTES
Watch Alex’s video on the ice tunnel in Val Thorens (2:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Chris Moran (2:30)
The 2024 Brits took place at Tamworth Snowdome (3:00)
View images from the event on the Brits Facebook page (4:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Tim Warwood (5:00)
The Brits will take place in Mayrhofen, Austria in 2025 (7:40)
Stu learned to snowboard at Rossendale Dry Slope (11:15)
Stu’s first season was in Les Arcs with his brother Russ, @chrismoran_hbt, Steve Bailey and @markkent35
Stu’s cliff drop pic was featured in Transworld, Onboard, Snow Surf (16:00)
In 1998 Stu won the British Halfpipe Championships in Saas Fee (17:30)
Snowboarding first featured in the Winter Olympics at Nagano in 1998 (18:00)
Stu met Jenny Jones in Tignes and encouraged her to come to the British Champs (20:00)
On a career direction change to becoming an agent (22:00)
‘Show me the money’ (22:40)
Damian Norman encouraged more snowboarding and features at the Ski Show (26:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Jim Adlington (27:30)
Stu created the AIM Series (29:00)
Creating slopes with real snow at the ski shows (33:00)
Shipping snow from Holland to Austria for ‘The Greatest Snowman’ (35:00)
Working on the movie ‘Chalet Girl’ (36:00)
The TV programme ‘The Jump’ ran on Channel 4 for four seasons (39:00)
Competitors included Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Bradley Wiggins, Rebecca Adlington and Louis Smith
Find out about The Brits on their website (50:00)

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Subscribe, so you never miss an episode
2) You can review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or leave us a comment on Facebook, Insta, Twitter or YouTube.
3) You are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

There are now 218 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest to you.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In Episode 212 we find out about Valle Nevado and Portillo in Chile, what it’s like being a resort rep for the Ski Club of Great Britain and check in on a possible direct London-Geneva train.

Iain Martin was joined by freelance jounalist, Lou Cameron-Hall and artist and snowsports blogger, Martina Diez-Routh.

SHOW NOTES
Katie Bamber wrote this article on summer ski options (2:00)
Iain skied in Saas Fee in the summer of 2020, covered in Episode 57 (3:20)
Australia and NZ have had their first snow (3:30)
Chalet company Alpine Action has ceased trading (4:00)
Listen to Episode 180 to find out more about the impact of Brexit on recruitment (4:30)
In Episode 95, Iain spoke with Diane Palumbo from Skiworld, who is on the SBiT committee (4:45)
Find out more about the Ski Club Consumer Survey in this blog post on Skipedia (5:00)
The Youth Mobility Scheme has not been welcomed by UK politicians(5:15)The flight represents 60-70% of the carbon footprint of your ski holiday (5:45)
You can find out more about Inghams’ sustainability plans in Episode 185 and Episode 160 (6:00)
Nadine McCormick set up the petition calling for London-Geneva direct train service (6:00)
You can sign the petition here (13:45)
Eurostar also confirmed last week that they going to increase their fleet size by 30% (14:00)
The Brits took place last weekend at SnowDome Tamworth (14:00)
Iain interviewed Paddy Graham in Episode 211 to find out how ski movies like this were made (24:45)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbqHK8i-HdA
Martina joined us for Episode 87 and Episode 50 covering the Aosta Valley (15:30)
Valle Nevado and Portillo are the two main ski resorts in Chile
There’s only one accommodation option in Portillo (18:30)
The sling-shot lift in Portillo takes some practice… (21:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRN9gKUDNa
Valle Nevado links to El Colorado and La Parva (23:30)
Mountain Capital Partners have bought La Parva (24:00)
Valle Nevado is on the Ikon Pass (25:00)
Listen to our feature on Perisher and Thredbo in Episode (27:00)
Lou went on the Ski Club of Great Britain reps course (27:45)
The Ski Club of Great Britain celebrated their 120th birthday in 2023 (35:00)
Find out more about the Les 2 Alpes-Alpe d'Huez gondola link in Episode 93 (39:43)

Feedback (38:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com
Robert Stone: "I recently discovered your podcast and found it very enjoyable. I skimmed previous episodes and was surprised to see you've never covered the Brit favourite of Sauze d'Oulx. It suffered an unfair reputation as a Benidorm-on-snow resort in the 90s, particularly after a very sneering Wish You Were Here episode. It's actually a charming old town and has a fabulous ski area linking to the huge Vialattea"

Paul Bond: "Episode 210 was as ever great listening. I've skied all over Europe and finally skied in Baqueira in March. Plenty of challenge with a unique vibe but also easy for a mixed ability family to ski the same mountains and meet up. My top tip: Hire a car from Toulouse and stay in Vielha in valley: a great old town with lots of accommodation and good value eateries."

Hayder Fekaiki from www.myskibuddy.app: "I hope it’s been a successful season and thank you for a very enjoyable podcast."
If you like the podcast, I’d really appreciate it if you could give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

‘Every Nickname is taken’ recently gave us a review on Apple Podcasts: “I like listening to the Ski Podcast when I’m driving up and down the country: there’s a great variety of guests and tons of useful information. It also reminds me of all the places we’ve skied and boarded over the years, while also giving me new ideas where to target next. Keep going and maybe one day we’ll meet on the slopes!”
There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest to you.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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This special episode is an interview with pro-skier and filmmaker Paddy Graham. Paddy was one of the first wave of British freeskiers who burst out of the UK dry slope and indoor scene into the international arena in the early-2000s.
Paddy is an extremely accomplished freeride and freestyle skier, but is best known for the incredibly creative ski films that he's starred in and produced, as co-founder of the legendary production company Legs of Steel.
SHOW NOTES
Legs of Steel started in 2009 (2:45)
Paddy learned to ski at Sheffield Ski Village (6:00)
Sheffield Ski Village had its own ‘fun park’ (8:00)
Natives organised ‘The New Breed’ quarter-pipe comp at the Birmingham Ski Show
Listen to Iain’s interview with Pat Sharples (10:00)
Stu Brass organised the AIM series (11:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Jim Adlington, founder of Planks Clothing (12:15)
Paddy went to Serre Chevalier with Ben Hawker and Noddy Gowans (13:30)
He followed that with a trip to the States to film ‘Rad’ (16:00)
Murray Buchan, James Kilner, James Carr and Laura Berry, Adam Gendle, Ed Leigh, Tim Warwood, Matt Barr and Jonny Verity were also on the trip (17:45)
Red Bull asked Paddy to go for the Sochi Olympics (19:30)
The ski movie ‘Same Difference’ in 2017 featured THE kicker (22:00)
The kicker was created in Livigno (23:30)
They needed to hit the kicker between 110-117 km/h (26:30)
“It was like being shot out of a cannon!” (28:30)
The second attempt at jumping did not go so well (31:00)
‘Action Men’ came out in 2020 (33:30)
Legs of Steel crew produced ‘The Ultimate Run’ with Markus Eder in 2021 (33:45)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbqHK8i-HdA
Paddy shot in Sheffield in 2023 after Storm Larissa (38:30)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb9lZlLMLUk
Watch Paddy’s ‘How To’ features for Red Bull (45:00)
'Skiers Jump over chairlift' was filmed for Red Bull at Mammoth Mountain (45:30)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1P0SeYt2TA
Listen to Iain’s interview with Kirsty Muir (48:00)
Paddy has been on some very long bike rides! (49:45)
Find out more about Stance Ski Socks (52:00)
Advice for aspiring filmmakers and skiers (57:00)
For winter 2024, Paddy will be wearing a range of Stance socks which all feature Freshtek and Infiknit™ technology; Sargent Snow (RRP £26.99), Flynn Snow (RRP £22.99) and Baron Snow (RRP £26.99).
Freshtek Performance Mesh keeps you cool with maximised airflow and breathability, whilst Stance’s Infiknit™ technology never rips, never tears.

FEEDBACK
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or theskipodcast@gmail.com

Tim Boyse: "I think I was “that guy“ you recently mentioned who listened to your very first episode. I retired to the Swiss Alps in 2017 and have listening since then. I loved the early episodes with Jim, but I have to say the podcast has gone from strength to strength since you took it on alone. Keep up the good work - you keep giving me so many ideas I can’t keep up."
rms1765 (Apple Podcasts): “I love the mix of guests on this podcast and everything you are doing to raise awareness about issues facing skiing.”

If you like the podcast, there are a couple of things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe and every episode will automatically be downloaded for you

There are now 216 episodes to catch up with, and 91 were listened to in the last week. 50% of our listeners were in the UK, 18% in the States and the remaining 32% across the world, including Portugal, Taiwan and Brazil.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

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We discuss Baqueira Beret in Spain and finding out about skiing in China – the fastest growing ski market in the world.

Iain was joined by freelance journalist, Gabriella Le Breton and Justin Downes, President of Axis Leisure, who specialise in resort development in China.

SHOW NOTES

Gaby last skied in Andermatt (1:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Mike Goar, CEO of Vail Resorts in Andermatt (2:00)
[Video] Things Americans find shocking about skiing in Europe! (3:30)
Justin was last on snow at the indoor slope in Wuhan, China (4:15)
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Ski skied in St Anton and Ischgl (5:00)
The Black Eyed Peas are playing at Ischgl’s closing party (6:45)
Susie Burt reported from Chamonix (8:00)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching is in Les 2 Alpes (9:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview in Episode 209 about the new Jandri 3S lift (11:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz0hrmQgVGg
Les 2 Alpes will remain open until 07 July
Huge thank you to Messy Weekend for replacing the ski goggles I lost in Verbier (14:30)
Take a look at the Vallon vizors here (15:15)
Gaby visited Baqueira Beret in the Spanish Pyrénées (16:14)
Heliskiing is possible in Baqueira (25:00)
Justin previously worked at Whistler and Kicking Horse in Canada (28:00)
He then managed Hotham in Australia (30:00)
Justin is now President of Axis Leisure (31:45)
China has more indoor snowdomes than the rest of the world combined (32:15)
There were around 30m skier days in China in 23/24, compared with around 50m in the USA (33:30)
Justin expects China will become the biggest snowsports market in the world in 2025 (34:15)
Eileen Gu and Su Yuming are huge influences on the growth of Chinese skiing (43:15)

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com Oliver Rutman:"Really great episode with Xavier De La Rue"
Quin Rescigno: "I found your podcast recently and have enjoyed listening."
Darren Jer: "Congrats on getting the new Vail Resorts executive of Andermatt on your show."

If you like the podcast, there are two things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe (find all the links here at PodFollow)

There are 215 episodes to catch up with and 134 were listened to in the last week. In the last week, 56% of our listeners were in the UK, 13% in the States and the remaining 31% across the world, including Turkey, Vietnam and Japan.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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We discuss Les 2 Alpes in France, Trysil in Norway and find out more about a great new way of travelling to the snow on your ski holiday.

Iain was joined by freelance journalist, Rebecca Miles and Tarrant Anderson, founder of Vans For Bands.

SHOW NOTES
David George joined me to discuss the impact of climate change on ski resorts in Episode 206 (3:30)
Simon Burgess was in Flaine (3:45)
Steve Angus reported from Val d'Isère (4:45)
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter reported from Courchevel (6:20)
Iain took part in the X3 Triathlon in Courchevel in 2022 (7:00)
It was the warmest start to April ever in France, hitting 29C in Grenoble & 27C in Albertville (8:15)
This winter was already the third warmest winter in France (8:30)
Lobbying is underway for a direct Train from London to GVA (8:45)
Take a look at this year’s ski April Fools in this Skipedia blog post (9:15)
Vail Resorts themed April Fools including Disney buying Vail Resorts & Vail buys Alterra(12:30)
Les 2 Alpes is a great trip for older teens looking for apres-ski! (13:30)
Highly recommended is the Umbrella Bar (14:00)
Anthony Guzman is Sales & Marketing Director at Les 2 Alpes lift company AEON (14:15)
SATA has rebranded as AEON (15:15)
You can find out more about the new Jandri 3S lift here (17:00)
Iain drove to Les 2 Alpes in a 9-seater luxury splitter minivans from Vans For Bands (23:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tYRSizJYAE
Vans For Bands was founded in 2006 (23:15)
The VFB coaches are like ‘hotels on wheels’ (26:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Bode Miller (27:00)
There is SO MUCH storage space (31:00)
Vans cost from £145pd to rent, including insurance, breakdown cover & snow chains
You can drive a splitter van on a regular driving licence (33:15)
Read Bec’s article about Trysil in The Telegraph (34:30)
Becs flew into Scandinavian Mountain Airport (35:30)
Find out more about Trysil ski resort (39:00)
Have a look at the piste map for Trysil (40:30)
Is Salen the closest ski resort to an airport? (42:15)
Find out more about train travel to ski resorts at Ski Flight Free (46:00)
Becs booked group train travel with Eurostar and SNCF at a good discount (46:45)

Feedback (43:30)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com
Adam Fisher: "Really enjoy listening to the podcast, you're doing a great job. It helps me out with a bit of research. I'll just let you know that I am your English but Mexican listener as I spend a bit of time over there"

Michael Hart: "Enjoyed listening to The Ski Podcast as usual. I appreciate the work you do both on sustainability, but mindful of the difficulties that skiers in the north/Scotland have with train travel. I have taken the decision to offset my carbon to mitigate air travel, but the lack of economically viable train option from Manchester and similar areas remains a problem."

Andy Aitkenhead: "I found the recent episode on Andermatt and Vail Resorts of interest - I was in Andermatt just before the deal was announced. I'm heading to Engelberg in just over a week. I'm currently wrestling over travel - given my concerns around climate change. Currently my calculations are that it will be cheaper to fly. I wondered whether you have any tips for reducing the cost over the Eurostar and SNCF published prices. Keep up the good work with the podcast."

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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This episode is a special interview with professional snowboarder Xavier De La Rue. We speak about his competitive past, the cliff named after him in Verbier, his move into film making and adventures in places such as Alaska, Svalbard and Antarctica.

We also discuss his almost fatal avalanche and how it changed his views about risk-taking. Finally, we talk about sustainability and his Audi Experience Camps taking place in Verbier this winter.

SHOW NOTES
Xavier broke his ribs while taking time off from filming in Lobufen (1:00)
FIS bought the Freeride World Tour in 2022 (3:00)
Watch the Freeride World Tour on YouTube
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Verbier Extrme this amazing night shot was captured (4:30)
Xavier went to Antarctica in November 2023 (6:00)
The trip involved crossing Drake’s Passage (8:30)
The Svalbard adventure took place in 2016 (11:00)
Xavier took brother Victor with him to Alaska (14:00)
Victor won the Freeride World Tour for the third time in 2024 (15:00)
Xavier’s daughter Mila is also on the Challenger Tour (15:45)
Xavier is from St Lary in the French Pyrénées (17:00)
Iain skied in the Bruson sector of Verbier in March 2024 (19:00)
Watch Xavier’s ‘How to’ videos on YouTube (20:15)
Learn how to ski on ice! (20:45)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjfh9F9eT34
We discuss Xavier’s avalanche experience (22:30)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6EXW_e2ETU
“Paranoia can be a good thing” (24:00)
Xavier has clear views on air bags (26:30)
Listen to Xavier’s sustainability podcasts (31:30)
Find out about the Audi Experience camps (32:00)

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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We find out more about Val Cenis and the Haute Maurienne area of France as well as discoving what the skiing in Slovenia is like.

Iain was joined by freelance journalists Katja Gaskell and Rob Rees.

SHOW NOTES
Katja was last on the show in Episode 197, sharing her tips on skiing with children (0:30)
Rob was last on the show in Episode 186, discussing glacier skiing in Austria (1:00)
Find out more about the Dolomites in Episode 192 (1:30)
Tim from Inspired Italy reported from the Italian Dolomites (3:45)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching is in Les 2 Alpes (5:20)
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Ski is in St Anton (5:30)
Team GB telemarker Jasmin Taylor was last on the show in Episode 200 (8:30)
Jasmin won two Crystal Globes at the World Cup Finals - with 11 podiums and 5 wins this season
British Slalom Champion Reece Bell is Martin Bell’s daughter and Graham Bell’s niece (9:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Martin Bell here
Freddie Carrick-Smith (just) beat twin brother Zac Carrick-Smith the Junior Slalom and Senior GS (9:45)
Iain interviewed Zac in Episode 200 about his double gold at the Youth Olympic Games (10:15)
Katja was in Val Cenis in the Haute Maurienne area of France (10:30)
Bonneval-sur-Arc has lots of ski touring options for both novice and advanced (12:30)
Bessans is a centre for biathlon and cross-country skiing (15:00)
Iain travelled to Orelle by train from Paris to Modane and covered this in Episode 165 (20:15)
Rob flew to Lublijana in Slovenia (22:15)
Rob skied at Krvavec, Vogel and Rogla ski resorts (24:30)
Listen to Iain’s experience of skiing in Abruzzo in Episode (29:00)
Rob visited the Elan Skis museum (31:15)
Elan introduced the first ‘parabolic’ ski in 1993/94 (33:00)
Find out more about the Julian Alps International Ski Pass (34:15)

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Andrew Brannan: "I enjoyed today's interview with Frank Baldwin. I am sure you could get him back on, sounds like he has a hundred more stories in him."

James: "Love the podcast. I was keenly interested in your interview with Mike Goar from Vail Resorts. I also found the two recent episodes discussing the resorts in Norway fascinating. Keep up the good work."

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In this episode, we discuss Verbier, Saalbach Hinterglemm and the impact of climate change on ski resorts. Plus we have a lot of feedback on Vail Resorts and the Epic Pass, which we covered in Episode 204.

Iain was joined by freelance journalist and regular guest Catherine Murphy and David George, founder of the PisteHors.com website

SHOW NOTES
Catherine was last on the show in Episode 173, when she was telling us about Pays de Gex
Jen Tsang from ‘That’s La Plagne’ reported from…La Plagne (3:00)
Betony reports on the latest conditions in the Mont Blanc valley (5:45)
Alex from 150 Days of Winter covered the latest conditions in Courchevel (7:15)
Iain rented skis from Philippe Roux Intersport on his Verbier trip (8:45)
Charlotte Bankes has taken 5 consecutive podiums in World Cup Snowboard Cross (9:00)
Dave Ryding finished 7th overall in the World Cup slalom rankings
Jasmin Taylor picked up 3 more podiums in Telemark and goes into the Finals in 1st place (9:15)
Catherine was in Saalbach HinterglemmSaalbach will host the Alpine Ski World Championships in 2025 (10:15)
Read the case study on train travel to Saalbach on Ski Flight Free (14:00)
Iain’s guides in Verbier were Anthony Voute from European Snowsport and Bertrand Lovey from ski school La Fantastique (18:00)
Try the ‘Canadian Trees’ in the Bruson sector of Verbier (18:15)
Verbier has so many backcountry options off the back of Mont Fort (19:30)
Victor de la Rue clinched the snowboard Freeride World Tour title for the third time (20:30)
Iain spoke with older brother and three-time champion Xavier de la Rue (21:00)
Iain travelled by train to Verbier – a very straightforward journey (21:30)
Protect Our Winters research shows that ski kit represents 12% of the carbon footprint of a ski holiday (22:00)
Cirkel Supply is a new ski clothing rental company, founded by Anders Bergenstrand (22:45)
Anna Smoothy has done some research that shows renting clothing has a 76% smaller carbon footprint than buying
Josh Speller is the founder of Verbier Green (30:00)
David founded PisteHors.com in 2004 (34:00)
You can read David’s blog about the effect of climate change on ski resorts here (44:00)
66% of the carbon footprint of a ski holiday comes from the your flight (45:30)
Find out more about low-carbon ski holidays at Ski Flight Free (46:00)
More than half of American skiers buy an Epic or Ikon pass (49:00)
The Magic Pass has seen a 9% increase in sales this winter (49:00)
Laurent Vauchet, CEO of Televerbier, is equivocal that Vail Resorts is not buying Verbier (49:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Mike Goar, MD of Andermatt in Episode 204 (51:00)
Find out more about the Ikon Pass (52:00)

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Adam Horsfield: "I have been an avid listener of the ski podcast since 2018. After 6 years of listening, I’ve finally taken the decision to take the train to the Alps and am very much looking forward to it."
Episode 204 about Vail Resorts prompted a LOT of feedback:

Simon Burgess: "Really enjoyed the last episode on the Epic Pass. As someone who has used it a lot it’s exciting what’s on offer and what could develop. I still think some of the partner agreements are a rip off with special lodging needed to get a pass, but for Andermatt, 3 Valleys and the Dolomites it’s been brilliant. It was fantastic in Andermatt: show the Epic Pass and they give you a season pass which I’m pretty sure is sold for more”

Andrew Brannan: "Eye watering ticket prices, all the top management jobs taken out of resort, all teh restaurants and hotels, shops and even estate agents bought up by the same monopoly, aggressive property development, workers forced to live down the valley"

Chris Howie: "It feels as if Vail Resorts are trying to wring every last penny out of resorts while providing the very minimum in return. In most of the Vail Resorts-owned resorts prices have gone sky high so only the rich can ski. Ski passes are almost three times the price of a European ski resort. Lift lines are unbelievably long. The local staff are removed to bring in centralised American staff, ripping the heart out of the resort. I will do my best to never ski at a resort owned by the Vail Resort organisation"
Jane Henderson: “You should've given him a bit of a grilling on the negative impact of Epic/Ikon passes”
If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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This episode is a special interview with Frank ‘Scoop’ Baldwin - one of the leading ski journalists in the UK. Frank is best known as editor and publisher of Skier & Snowboarder Magazine.

After over three decades in the industry, he knows more the world of skiing than almost anyone else and so I was delighted to find out more about his career and the history of UK ski magazines.

SHOW NOTES
On the Les Arcs – La Plagne link (1:30)
Sale of ‘Skier & Snowboarder’ Magazine (2:15)
On becoming editor of the mag (3:30)
Skiing with a broken foot (6:45)
The founding of ‘The Skier’ magazine (9:00)
When WH Smith had a ‘Ski Magazines’ section (12:00)
Early days in Fleet Street (12:45)
First ever ski holiday (15:30)
Buying an apartment in Les 2 Alpes (17:15)
Buying the magazine (19:00)
Becoming ‘The Skier and Snowboarder’ (20:15)
Becoming a free magazine (21:45)
What about new mediums like podcasts (26:00)
What advice would you give to a budding ski journalist (27:00)
How many resorts have you skied in? (28:00)
Frank’s favourite resort (29:00)
Favourite celebrity interviewee (29:30)

Feedback
I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest to you.

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In Episode 204, we discuss Vail Resorts - the company that owns over 40 ski destinations, including both Andermatt and Crans Montana in Switzerland. We look at their Epic Pass and their future expansion strategy in Europe. We also find out about skiing in Geilo, Norway.

Iain was joined by Katie Bamber, Online Editor at Fall Line Magazine and Mike Goar, MD of the Andermatt-Sedrun ski area.

SHOW NOTES
Andermatt has had 80cm of new snow in the last week (3:30)
Dave Burrows from Snow Pros Ski School reported from Villars in Switzerland (4:00)
Tim from Inspired Italy reported from the Dolomites in Italy (5:15)
Al Judge from AliKats Mountain Holidays reported from Morzine in France (6:45)
Charlotte Bankes won gold at the Sierra Nevada Snowboard Cross World Cup (9:00)
Laurie Taylor recorded a career PB of 8th at Aspen (9:15)
Listen to Iain’s interviews with Laurie and Dave after their race in Chamonix in Episode 200 (9:30)
The audio in our Scotland Special was like Scotland itself, not always perfect, but worth it! (9:45)
Mike Goar is MD at Andermatt Sedrun
He has worked for Vail Resorts for 40 years (10:30)‘Vail Resorts’ was formed in 1997 (11:15)
The Epic Pass launched in 2008 (12:15)
Vail Resorts went international with the addition of Perisher and then Whistler in 2016 (16:30)
The first European resort to join the Vail Resorts group was Andermatt (17:30)
Iain reported from Andermatt in Episode 92 (19:45)
In 2023, it was announced that Crans Montana would be joining the next acquisition (22:15)
What changes can we expect to see in the Swiss resorts? (25:15)
Will Verbier be the next acquisition? (27:45)
Vail Resorts hit their goal of 100% renewable electricity for the 2nd year in a row (29:00)
Episode 201 was a Norway Special (31:00)
Katie was in Geilo in Norway (31:15)
Geilo is known for its apres-ski reputation (34:45)
Night skiing in Geilo (36:30)
The Ski Podcast was recently no.1 in the Apple Podcast chart (42:45)

Feedback (40:30)
Kostas Doudoulakis: "Thank you for the inspiring content. I first started listening to the podcast during lockdown. We’re now ready to take our first skiing holiday with our 4-year-old and I partly attribute this to the enthusiasm you manage to convey with each episode of the podcast. It is brilliant listening to someone who has such passion - please keep up the good work!"

Grant (Apple Podcasts): “Love this podcast! It covers a wide range of ski subjects in lots of detail! It’s a must listen! Keep up the good work.”

Anon (Apple Podcasts): “I am a listener from the United States, and I follow several ski-oriented podcasts. I enjoy The Ski Podcast due to its wide geographic areas of focus, and I'm fascinated to hear the perspective of the primarily British and European hosts. Having had an opportunity to ski in Switzerland, I greatly enjoy and celebrate the differences in the ski culture there versus what I have grown up with here in the United States, just as I enjoy the wide range of topics covered by the podcast.”
If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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This episode is a Scotland Special, looking at resort skiing and backcountry options, some of this season’s events, as well as how to travel there by train.

Iain was joined by Amy Marwick, a freelance journalist, marketing consultant and qualified Ski Instructor.

SHOW NOTES
Amy was on the show in Episode 198, in conversation with our equipment expert Al Morgan at the Ski Test
Listen to Katie from Ski Goddess in Episode 183 (2:15)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching reported from Les 2 Alpes (2:30)
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Ski reported from St Anton (3:00)
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter reported from Courchevel (5:00)

Zoe Atkin took 2nd & 3rd at the women's Halfpipe WC Calgary (6:30)
Jasmin Taylor was 3rd in Aal, Norway – her 51st podium (6:45)
Listen to my interview with Jaz in Episode 200
I was based in Killin in Perthshire (7:00)
My mother learned to ski on the slopes of Ben Lawers (8:00)
The first Scottish Ski Club hut was built there in 1932 (8:45)
Helen Cole is the Senior Ranger for the National Trust, who own the Ben Lawers Nature Reserve (9:00)
Iain interviewed Blair Aitken in Episode 202 (11:30)
The clouds parted to give us some exceptional views (12:00)
Iain skied at Glencoe when it was pretty windy! (14:45)
Andy Meldrum is the MD at Glencoe Mountain Resort (15:45)
Amy previously raced on the Scottish Freeride circuit (21:00)
The ‘Flypaper’ at Glencoe is steep! (22:30)
Watch Amy’s ski movie ‘LATE’
The Wild Ski Weekend is at Cairn Gorm on 16/17 March (23:45)
The event is based at Glenmore Lodge (24:15)
The clouds parted on Ben Lawers to offer some superb views (27:44)
The Brits took place at Aviemore in April 2023 (28:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Kirsty Muir (29:45)
The Mighty Coe takes place on 01 and 02 March (31:00)
The Brits will place place at Tamworth Snowdome
Iain travelled to Scotland on the Caledonian Sleeper (32:00)
Blair Aitken has seen more customers taking the Caledonian Sleeper (33:30)
The Upbattle – a snowboarding touring event takes place in Cairngorm on 16/17 March (34:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Jamie Grant, founder of Carv, in Episode 193 (37:30)
Al Morgan shared his thoughts on audio options for helmets (37:45)

Feedback (36:00)
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Anne Pedersen: "The Norway episode (201) wasexcellent"

Borre Wickstrom: "Great podcast about Norway, but Beitostolen is amazing. We had a week there in Jan: super slopes, amazing for families. They been having an influx of happy British skiers this year.”
Robin: "Enjoyed the Norwegian episode! Sunmore is certainly on the ski touring list after seeing some of the terrain in films by Jacob Webster and Nikolai Schirmer"
Mark Woods: "I have now listened to every past episode, and am finally up-to-date. This is great content Iain, with excellent contributions from interesting guests (special mention to Al). Please keep up the great work."

Grant Adam: "Love the podcast! Discovered it late last year and I’m working my way through the episodes. Keep up the good work.”
If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

There are 208 episodes to catch up with and 166 were listened to in the last week. That even includes some of our Olympic Specials from PyeongChang 2018

The Ski Podcast is almost always in the Top 10 in the Apple Podcast charts – that’s in the ‘Wilderness’ category.

There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest to you.

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Episode 202 is a special interview with Blair Aitken, British Backcountry ski expert.

Blair is a former alpine national ski champion who has been backcountry skiing in Scotland since the mid-nineties.

He now offers British skiers guided courses, introducing them to the Scottish highlands through his business British Backcountry. He is also the author of the book ‘Ski Touring in the Northern Cairngorms’.

SHOW NOTES
Blair was previously on the podcast in Episode 173 when we discussed the film ’10 in a Weekend’ (2:00)
Blair skied on Hillend as a junior racer (4:00)
Listen to our Dave Ryding special episode (5:00)
Iain spoke with Zak Carrick-Smith in Episode 200 (5:45)
Blair ran the New Generation Ski School in Val d'Isère (6:45)
Starting British Backcountry (14:15)
Gav Carruthers is Blair’s business partner (14:30)
The impact of global warming on Scottish skiing (16:00)
Cairngorm have introduced a ski touring pass (16:45)
Watch Iain’s windy, raining ski touring experience at Glencoe (18:30)
Travel by the Caledonian Sleeper to the Scottish ski fields is more popular (19:15)
Blair’s book ‘Ski Touring in the Northern Cairngorms’ (20:45)
Find out more about Iain’s trip to Scotland in Episode 203, going live on 01 March (25:45)

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. Alternatively send your feedback about the show to theskipodcast@gmail.com

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This episode is a Norway special, featuring the resorts of Gausta, Strandafjellet and Fjellsetra. Iain was joined by Lucy Aspden, Ski Editor at The Telegraph and Rich Astley live from Norway.

SHOW NOTES
Ian Williams reported from Les Arcs (2:30)
Martha Wells was in Big White, Canada (3:45)
Simon Burgess reported from Flaine (4:30)
Pip bought ski boots and had them fitted at Michel Croz Intersport in Chamonix (6:45)
Andrew Musgrave who finished 7th in the 20km Cross Country in Canmore (7:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Zak Carrick-Smith in Episode 200 (7:15)
Twin brother Freddie Carrick-Smith won gold in the u18 Slalom in the European Champs
Sadly, both Esprit Ski + Powderwhite will not operate next winter (7:30)
Iain has taken the Flight Free UK pledge not to take any flights in 2024 (10:15)
Find out about Iain’s train journey to Chamonix on Ski Flight Free
Lucy travelled to Gausta in Norway (10:30)
Find out about the Gaustatoppen funicular and links with WWII (14:45)
Watch the film ‘Heroes of Telemark’ (18:45)
Find out about the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) (23:00)
Rich is based in the Sunnmores Alps (25:30)
Previously he has been ski touring with Uteguiden (25:45)
Rich fell in love with the area on a trip to the Kilsti compact lodges (29:00)
(29:00)
He bought land in the area, and built a property, now available to rent (31:00)
Fjellsetra is a great family resort (32:00)
Strandafjellet has more freeride ski options (32:15)

Feedback
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Andrew Petch: "Episode 199 with Dave Ryding was another great pod"
Miranda Walsh: "Another cracking episode thank you. Mr Ryding is a legend!"
Matthew: "Loving your work. Just wondering if you’d ever done a pod on helmet headphones? I’m going to go in on the Carv, so thinking about the audio element too"
We’ll ask Al for an answer on that. In the meantime you can enjoy our Equipment Specials in our back catalog.

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

Helen kindly Bought Me A Coffee: "Thank you. I have been listening to all the previous episodes and just love it!"
There are 206 episodes to catch up with and 180 were listened to in the last week. 53% of our listeners are in the UK, with 47% across the rest of the world, including listeners in the last week from Colombia, India, Kenya and Malaysia.

There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest to you.

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

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This episode is a Chamonix special. We look at the different ski areas, who they're best for (and who they're not) and explore the history of this famous resort.

Iain also reports on the Kandahar World Cup Slalom race, where he spoke with British skiers, Dave Ryding, Billy Major and Laurie Taylor. Plus there’s a chat with best of the next generation, Zak Carrick-Smith, who won three medals at the Youth Olympic Games last month.

Iain was joined by Britain’s most successful ever World Cup skier, telemarker Jasmin Taylor. Jasmin is currently enjoying one of her best seasons.

SHOW NOTES
Jasmin was last on the show in Episode 94 (1:00)
Tim Hudson from Inspired Italy reported from the Dolomites in Italy (2:20)
Jen Tsang runs the website That’s La Plagne (4:00)
Dave Burrows from SnoPros Ski School reported from Les Crosets (6:30)
Watch Iain’s video snow reports on the Skipedia YouTube channel (9:00)
Iain managed a Ski IQ of 149 on his Carv (9:15)
https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1753424786049368108
The Chamonix ski areas: Brevent/Flegere (11:00)
The Chamonix ski areas: Argentière/Grand Montets (12:30)
There was a fire in the Grands Montets mid-station in 2018 (13:45)
The Chamonix ski areas: Le Tour (16:00)
The Aiguille du Midi and the Vallée Blanche (19:45)
The walk down the arête to the start of the Vallée Blanche (22:00)
A new gondola from the Mer de Glace to Montenvers has opened (23:30)
The QC Terme spa is so impressive (25:00)
Iain visited the Rose du Pont (26:30)
The Maison Carrier is a beautiful traditional restaurant (27:00)
Jasmin is a fan of La Cha in Les Houches (27:30)
Iain booked accommodation via Chamonix All Year at Apt Lou Lou (28:30)

Jasmin has recorded 50 World Cup and 4 World Championship podiums (29:30)
Jasmin’s season to date has included 4 World Cup golds
You can contribute to Jasmin's Crowdfunder here
Mia Brookes won gold & Zoe Atkin silver at Xgames (37:30)
Charlotte Bankes won gold in Snowboard Cross in Guadari (37:45)
https://youtu.be/gQDgN0itu0w
The Kandahar World Cup Slalom was held in Chamonix (38:30)
Post Race Interviews: Dave Ryding (39:00)
Post Race Interviews: Billy Major (39:30)
Post Race Interviews: Laurie Taylor (41:00)
Listen to our exclusive interview with Dave Ryding in Episode 199 (42:00)
Interview with Zak Carrick-Smith (43:30)
Zak won three medals at the Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon
https://twitter.com/TeamGB/status/1749343320034451825
Zak’s mother is Olympian Emma Carrick-Anderson (46:00)
You can follow the ‘Carrick-Smith Boys’ on Facebook and Insta (48:45)
Mollie Butler also competed in Gangwon (49:30)
Chamonix is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first Winter Olympic Games (53:00)
Interview with Bernadette Tsuda, Heritage Guide in Chamonix (53:15)

Feedback (56:30)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Miranda Slater: "Your podcast gets better and better"
Robin: "Enjoyed the interview with Preet"
Oliver Rutman: "Throughly enjoyed the South Pole expedition episode: what an extreme adventure!"
Alan Pinegur: "Just listening to the Dave Ryding interview. Great content, as ever!"Nick Careless: "Love the podcast and really enjoyed the interview with Preet Chandi. Any podcasts on monoskis?"

Watch ‘Apocalypse Snow’ on YouTube (57:45)

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or by taking this link

There are now 205 episodes to catch up with and 143 were listened to in the last week. 52% of you are in the UK, 49% across the rest of the world, including Qatar, Indonesia, Korea and Brazil.

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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An exclusive interview with Britain’s most successful Alpine skier, Dave ‘The Rocket’ Ryding. Dave is the only Briton to win a World Cup Alpine Ski race, as well as being the oldest skier ever to achieve that feat. With seven World Cup podiums to his name, he is leading the way for the next generation of British skiers.

In this chat we discuss the new talent that is breaking through, his training, his team mates (including Laurie Taylor’s controversial moustache!) and what it’s really like on race day.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Dave was last on the podcast in Episode 54 during the Covid lockdown (1:30)
Dave next race will be in Chamonix (2:00)
It was raining heavily at the Schladming Night Race (3:00)
Dave is the oldest ever winner of a World Cup slalom race (4:45)
He made his debut at Alta Badia in Dec 2011 (5:15)
Dave had a gondola named after him in Kitzbuhel (7:00)
Why does Dave do so well on the second run? (8:00)
What do you do in the gap between the first and second run (9:15)
Dave can average 119 bpm heart rate for an entire race day (11:30)
Dave has run sub-17 minutes in his local parkrun (14:00)
At Madonna di Campiglio Dave became the 2nd oldest to podium after Giuliano Razzoli (18:30)
At Kitzbuhel, there were 3 British skiers in the top 10 for the first time (19:00)
Check out Laurie's YouTube channel 'Behind the Brits' (22:45)
The team have to move around over 100 slalom gates and 50 pairs of skis (24:00)
The rest of the team are Tristan Glasse-Davies, Jai Geyer, Alain Baxter & Brad Morgan (25:45)
Listen to Lesley McKenna talking about Alain Baxter’s medal win in 2002
Should Laurie ever grow a moustache? (31:00)
Zak Carrick-Smith looks an amazing talent (32:00)
You can buy ‘Rocket’ merchandise at Ski Racing Supplies (36:00)

Cover photo courtesy of @chemmyski
FEEDBACK
I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent and get a guaranteed discount using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or by taking this link

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

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We discover what it’s like skiing to the South Pole, Iain takes the train to Les 2 Alpes to run a marathon on snow and Al updates us from the SIGB Ski Test in La Clusaz.

Iain was joined by Preet Chandi - the world’s fastest woman to complete a solo unsupported ski expedition to the South Pole.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Iain gave an update on ski conditions in Les 2 Alpes (1:45)
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Ski is in St Anton (2:30)
Betony Garner reported from La Clusaz (5:00)
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter is in Courchevel (6:15)
Congratulations to Andrea Dalton who wins our competition to win stuff (7:30)
Dave Ryding (5th), Billy Major (13th) and Laurie Taylor (19th) became the first three British athletes to all finish in the top-20 of an Alpine World Cup race (7:45)
Youth Olympic Winter Games in Gangwon, Zak Carrick-Smith won gold in Alpine Combined, delivering Britain's first ever gold medal at any Olympic competition in Alpine skiing (8:00)
Jaz Taylor won back-to-back golds in Telemark Sprint World Cup competition in Carezza Dolomites (8:45)
Iain had pledged to go Flight Free in 2024 (9:15)
Watch Iain’s panel on train travel at the Birmingham Ski Show
Find out more about train travel to Les 2 Alpes via Grenoble (9:30)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wE6bG9lVxU
Les Lumieres de la Muzelle is a marathon entirely on snow (11:15)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU31iRTq7n0
Katie Bamber was last on the show in Episode 172 (12:00)
Harpreet ‘Preet’ Chandi is the world’s fastest woman to complete a solo unsupported ski expedition to the South Pole (16:00)
Preet covered 1130km of Antarctic ice between 26 Nov and 28 Dec 2023 (16:30)
Preet used Alfa cross country skis and boots (17:30)
Her sled weighed around 75-80kg (22:00)
Her nutrition was provided by Base Camp Foods (25:00)
Temperatures went as low as -30C (27:30)
Preet loves her ‘pogies’ (30:00)
Al Morgan and Amy Marwick were at the SIGB Ski Test in La Clusaz (40:45)
Preet wore five layers of gloves at times! (45:00)

FEEDBACK (46:00)
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Dave Mills (FB): "The perfect podcast for a dog walk. The Ski Podcast just keeps getting better and better...What more could you possibly want before your next ski trip?”

Laura-Jane Shouldice: "I recently found your podcast and it is truly fantastic!"
Scott Grogan: "I’m a recent discoverer of the show. It's been a nice companion while tuning and waxing a huge pile of my kids’ skis"
If you enjoy the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast. Thanks to Ster and Charlotte for their coffees and kind words:

Ster: "Keep up the good work"
Charlotte (BMAC): "I discovered your podcast last week and have been really enjoying it! I went skiing for the first time this year, after wanting to go for years and fell in love with it. I’ve been listening through all your episodes since I got back, and they’ve really helped me learn more about the sport and relive the great memories from my holiday!"

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or by taking this link

There are now 203 episodes to catch up with and 169 were listened to in the last week. 59% of our listeners are in the UK, with 41% across the rest of the world, including places as diverse as Malaysia, Kazakstan, Mexico and Kenya.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

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Iain and Al pick the best ski gloves and socks for winter 2024, plus we explain what a ‘Lobster Claw’ glove is and why the two biggest ‘ski sock sins’ are wearing tube socks or wearing two pairs of socks!

This Special Episode of The Ski Podcast has been made possible by Ellis Brigham - the winter sports specialists.

They have 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for this winter. Alternatively, simply go to their website at ellis-brigham.com to buy online now.

SHOW NOTESListen to all of our equipment specials (on skis, ski boots, jackets, goggles and helmets)
Listen to Al sharing his thoughts on Slide 2024 in Episode 197 (1:00)Try before you buy (3:30)
What is a ‘Lobster Claw’? (4:30)
What are powder cuffs or powder gauntlets? (5:00)
Is ‘touch screen compatibility’ a must? (6:00)
Try the Thermic Heat Boost£300 if you’re looking for ‘electrically heated gloves’ (7:00)
Can you have ‘waterproof’ gloves? (8:00)
What’s a ‘liner glove’? (9:30)
What’s a ‘shell’ glove/mitt? (10:30)
What’s new in sustainability in gloves? (11:30)
Find out more about PFCs and DWR in our ski jackets episode (12:30)

The Best Ski Gloves for Winter 2024
Hestra Army Leather GORE-TEX 3 Finger Men's Gloves, £165 (14:30)
Hestra is an iconic glove brand. The Army Leather 3 finger gives fabulous warmth with decent dexterity, thanks to the lobster claw design and it has a long powder gauntlet. You get excellent breathable waterproofing thanks to the Gore-Tex membrane. It’s a unisex glove, only in black, with a white goat leather palm and thumb cover.

Black Diamond Women's Spark Gloves, £100 (15:15)
Redesigned for this season, this is available in men’s and women’s versions in various colours. It’s an under-cuff design using tough goat leather, with PrimaLoft Gold insulation for great warmth without loads of bulk. There’s foam padding across the back of the hand and the lining of this version has made it easier to get damp hands into. If want a real work-horse glove without breaking the bank, consider the £45 ‘Dirt Bag’ glove.

The North Face Montana Luxe FUTURELIGHT Men's Gloves, £90 (16:15)
TNF’s own Futurelight insert gives good waterproofing and excellent breathability. This great value glove has recycled material for the outer and lining, a PFC-free DWR and their own Heatseaker Eco insulation. It’s an under-cuff design with a pull loop for getting into the glove, and touch-screen compatible tips on the thumb and index finger.

Roxy Jetty Women’s Mitts, £60 (18:00)
These mitts use PFC-free water repellent, uses some recycled materials, and has Roxy’s DryFlight tech to keep the weather out. The palm is artificial PU leather, rather than real leather. Leather is typically more durable but this is a vegan option for those who don’t want to use animal products. This is excellent value, offering good warmth.

Salomon Propeller Glove, £55 (19:00)
This is a superb value glove, which uses a durable polyamide (?) shell, synthetic leather palm and synthetic insulation. The finger ends are wrapped, although this is a ski glove rather than a snowboard glove. It uses Salomon’s own waterproof, breathable membrane and has an under-cuff design. It’s a great value option, if you don’t suffer with cold fingers.

Why you should never buy tube socks… (20:00)
How important is ‘padding’? (21:00)
Should I wear two pairs of socks? (22:00)
Are thick ski socks warmer? (23:00)
Can you have snowboarding-specific socks? (23:30)

The Best Ski Socks of winter 2024
Therm-ic Powersocks Set - Heat Fusion+ S-pack 1400 BT, £270 (24:30)
An excellent, if expensive, option for anyone who suffers from cold feet. Offer up to 16 hours battery life, but even without heating, the wool and synthetic blend provides good warmth. Uses USB rechargeable batteries and can be controlled via Bluetooth and an app.

Smartwool Targeted Cushion Women's Ski Socks, £27 (26:15)
The Targeted Cushion has padding where you may want a little extra protection, but are still pretty thin, so they work in well-fitted, snug boots. Available in a big range of colours and designs, for men and women. Hard wearing but soft, using mainly Merino wool, combined with virgin and recycled synthetic fibres.

Sidas SUREfit Ski Sock, £25 (27:15)
The Sidas Surefit sock has padding for the shin, toes and heel, in a specific right and left anatomy. Mesh panels and channels help wicking and breathability, using mix of merino wool, virgin and recycled synthetic yarns.

Ellis Brigham Wintersport Ski Socks (twin pack), £20 (28:00)
There’s no Merino, but if you don’t want wool this is a great choice. These socks have padding for the foot, good height, and Coolmax to help wick moisture. Outstanding value.

Feedback (30:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Richard Patey: “I enjoyed your ski jacket episode: I’ve got an Ellis Brigham here in Bristol that I’ll be heading to soon.”
APNorthfields: "The goggles special was another great episode. I am curious about photochromic lenses in goggles that adjust to light levels. This was not discussed - are they a no-no or worth considering?"

What are photochromic lenses (30:45)
Bolle’s Phantom Plus lens tech ensures transition times of around 20 seconds when cold (31:30)

If you like the podcast, there are two things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – it helps listeners find us
2) Subscribe, so you never miss an episode.

We now have 202 episodes to catch up with and 161 were listened to in the last week.

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

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We look at tips for taking a ski holiday with your kids, find out the true cost of ski carriage and get an updated on the latest equipment trends.

Host Iain Martin was joined by journalist Katja Gaskell, Chris Moran and equipment expert Al Morgan.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Katja was on the show in Episode 167 discussing Ice Swimming (0:45)
Chris shared his knowledge of action cameras in Episode 171 (1:15)
Listen to our equipment specials about skis, ski boots, ski jackets and ski helmets & goggles
Tim Hudson from Inspired Italy reported from the Dolomites (4:00)
Simon Burgess reported from Flaine (5:15)
Jen Tsang from That’s La Plagne is in La Plagne (6:30)
Iain’s ‘Ski IQ’ of 144 puts him 7th on the Carv leaderboard in La Plagne and 1170th globally (9:00)
Enter our competition to win swag from Les 3 Vallées(9:45)
Would you buy an Electric snowboard? (10:00)
Al reported from Slide in Telford (12:30)
Listen to our equipment specials about skis, ski boots, ski jackets and ski helmets & goggles
Find out more about the BOA binding system (15:00)
Can you recycle a ski helmet? (16:30)

Dave Mills: "Great podcast on ski jackets with Iain and Al, giving a resounding performance as a Geordie version of Stanley Tucci"

Ski carriage with Ryanair & easyjet is £90 return if booked in advance (20:00)
You can swap skis during week when you rent with Intersport (21:00)Read Katja’s blog on family holidays: Globetotting (25:30)
The importance of snacks (30:00)
Morning v. Afternoon lesssons (30:45)
How to ski at half-term on a budget (35:00)
Morzine offers discounts if you travel by train (35:30)
Rent clothing from Ecoski (35:45)
Try skiing in the Pyrénées for good value at half term (36:30)
Or consider Roccaraso in Italy (36:45)

Feedback (38:00)Dave Mills: "Absolutely love the ski podcast, can’t wait to put some of this into action!"

GarnBet: "I feel like I come away from every episode learning something about the snowsports industry. Any keen snow lover should take a listen”

LianaF1234: "Always look forward to the newest episode. It's a fantastic listen with invaluable insight into resorts, the latest kit, and guest speakers. Really valued the Ski Train episode and your feature at this year's Birmingham Snow Show. It’s helped to debunk the unknowns around taking the train to the Alps and we’re excited to have booked the train to Tignes in January!”

You can buy Iain a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Paul Bond: "As ever Iain, great content and really liking the snow reports coming in"

Matt Gregory: "Thank you Iain and all of your contributors for such entertaining, educational and thrilling podcast episodes. Since I started listening in the 2020/2021 season as I watched our annual ski trip disappear in lockdown, I haven't missed an episode and have covered a lot of the back catalogue. Really looking forward to getting the boots snowy when I'm out in La Plagne"
Jon Herbert: "Loving the podcast and specifically the variety!"
If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or by taking this link

There are now 201 episodes to catch up with. 59% of our listeners are in the UK, 18% in the US and the other 24% all over the world, including places as diverse Taiwan, Tanzania, Iraq & Uruguay

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Iain and Al cover the best new ski helmets and goggles for winter 2024, plus we explain all the jargon, including MIPS

This Special Episode of The Ski Podcast has been made possible by Ellis Brigham - the winter sports specialists.

They have 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for this winter. Alternatively, simply go to their website at ellis-brigham.com to buy online now.

SHOW NOTESCatch up with our previous episodes on the best skis, ski boots and ski jackets

Helmet terminology:‘Fit is king’ (2:15)
Safety Standards (3:00)
What do EPS and MIPS stand for? (4:00)
The importance of the strap (5:45)
Passive v. active (adjustable) venting (6:00)
Visor Helmets (7:00)
The Spektrum Brunner helmet may be the greenest ever (8:45)
What is the natural life of a ski helmet? (17:00)

The Best Ski & Snowboard Helmets for Winter 2024
Sweet Protection Grimnir 2VI MIPS, £410 (10:00)This is expensive but beautifully made. The shell is made using pre-preg carbon fibre for incredible strength to weight, ten vents with grill covers and their own MIPS 2VI system. This is available in other Sweet helmets, including the £230 Sweet Ingiter. Visit the Sweet Protection website to learn more.

Giro Tor Spherical, £250 (11:45)
A very comfortable helmet that uses the MIPS Spherical system with a hybrid construction of hard-shell upper and in-mold lower. It has adjustable venting, a dial fit system, Fidlock magnetic buckle, Recco reflector.

Head Rachel and Head Radar – £200 (12:45)
A light, visor helmet with great functionality to fit with prescription glasses or lens can be removed. Uses Head’s Sphere Fit BOA system to adjust fit, adjustable venting, and excellent lens. Note that if you wear with goggles and no visor, there’s not goggle retainer. The Rev and Rita models are sold without the visor.

Salomon MTN Lab – £155 (14:00)A multi-purpose light (400g) helmet certified for climbing and skiing, so a superb choice for ski tourers. Passive venting, dial-fit system, removeable washable Merino liner, separate summer liner, head-torch clips and an elasticated goggle retainer at the rear. It uses Salomon’s EPS 4D liner, so the EPS core of the helmet provides crumple-zone like features, making it 30% safety than the European standard.

Oakley MOD 1 – £85 (16:00)
A super-clean skater-inspired design. Light, BOA fit, washable liner and ear pads and available in a massive range of colours. If you want this style but with a brim or peak, the dual cert (ski and bike) hard shell Smith Holt at £80 is an excellent choice, at around 150g heavier.

Goggle Terminology:UV protection (18:30)
What is VLT? (19:45)
When to change the lens (21:00)
How to clean the lens in goggles (23:00)
Cylindrical, spherical or toric lenses (24:30)

The Best Ski & Snowboard Goggles of Winter 2024
Smith 4D Mag - £320 (24:00)
Uses their ChromaPop lens, with magnetic lens swap feature from the S3 ChromaPop Sun Red Mirror and S1 ChromaPop Storm Yellow Flash low light lens. Comes with a zippered hard case, lens and a microfibre bag.

Dragon PXV Dennis Ranalter Signature Goggle– £165 (26:00)
The Lumalens Dark Smoke has a 23% VLT (S2) Toric lens, which works well for sunny days and when the clouds arrive. Comes with an extra Lumens Light Rose lens with 66% VLT.

Oakley Line Miner – £138 (27:15)
A medium fit product, also available in a Line Miner Large version. Available in a large range of frame and lens colour options, but the Prizm Saphire Iridium lens (Cat S3 13% VLT) is a stand-out. Silicon lined strap, triple layer face foam, microfibre bag and notches in the frame allow them to work over the legs of prescription glasses.

Bloc Boa – £45 (29:15)
The standard black has a Cat S2 spherical lens (19% VLT) and a silver mirror finish. For the price, with a UV400 lens, anti-fog coating, triple layer face foam and silicon lined strap, microfibre bag this is excellent value.

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show,so please contact us on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you like the podcast, there are two things you can do to help:
1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe, so you never miss an episode

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast and find all our back episodes at www.theskipodcast.com

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Our final episode of 2023 is a Snow Report Special, covering 10 resorts in 5 countries.

Thanks to all of our listeners who joined us this year and here’s to a wonderful 2024 packed full of snow.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Tim from Inspired Italy reported from the Dolomites (1:00)
Find out more about the Dolomites ski area in Episode 192 (1:45)
Andy from Kaluma Ski is based in St Anton (2:00)
Robin reported from Verbier (5:00)
Listen to Iain’s report from Verbier in March 2023 in Episode 172 (6:15)
Kendra Scurfield is based in Banff Sunshine (6:45)
Find out more about Banff Sunshine Village
Betony reported in from St Gervais, Tignes and Verbier (9:00)
Dave Burrows runs Snow Pros Ski School (9:45)
Listen to Dave’s interview in The Ski Instructor Podcast with Julian Griffiths (11:30)
Katja was in Morzine over Christmas (12:00)
Take a look at Katja’s family travel blog, Globetotting (13:00)
Simon Burgess was out in Flaine (13:15)
Listen to Simon’s experience of the Magic Pass in Episode 87 (14:30)
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching in Les 2 Alpes (14:45)
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter is in Courchevel (15:30)

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Iain and Al pick the best new ski jackets for winter 2024, plus we explain the difference between waterproofing, breathability and taping. We also look at the increased use of recycled materials in jackets and the phasing out of PFCs.

This Special Episode of The Ski Podcast has been made possible by Ellis Brigham - the winter sports specialists.

They have 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for this winter. Alternatively, simply go to their website at ellis-brigham.com to buy online now.

SHOW NOTES
Listen to our Best Skis of Winter 2024 episode
Listen to our Best Ski Boots of Winter 2024 episode
Waterproofing (2:45)
Breathability (3:45)
How important is taping? (5:00)
The difference between 3-layer and 2-layer jackets? (6:00)
Why a ‘powder skirt’ isn’t for powder (9:00)
What is ‘Recco’ (and why it’s not a replacement for a transceiver) (10:00)
Sustainability in ski jackets (11:15)
What is DWR? (11:30)
The danger of PFCs (12:00)
Increased use of recycled materials (13:45)
Al recommends NikWax for cleaning your technical clothing (15:45)
Listen to our special episode on Picture Organic Clothing (29:00)

THE BEST SKI JACKETS OF WINTER 2024 (17:00)

Spyder Vanqysh GORE-TEX Insulated Men's Jacket, £750 (17:30)
The Vanqysh uses a Gore-Tex membrane, delivering dynamic stretch for freedom of movement. It has PrimaLoft Gold insulation, include a Recco reflector, removable helmet compatible hood and removable powder skirt and a good selection of pockets and stowage.

The North Face Summit Verbier GORE-TEX Jacket (men and women), £629 (19:15)
A technical 3-layer shell for freeride type skiing. The face fabric is 100% recycled polyester and your your foul-weather protection is provided by the Gore-Tex membrane.

Schöffel Misurina Women’s jacket, £500 (21:00)
A flattering cut with removeable hood and powder skirt, which uses a stretchy Venturi waterproof/breathable membrane and has Responsible Down Standard down insulation paired with recycled PrimaLoft Gold Eco insulation with a 45% recycled material content.

Patagonia Women's Snowdrifter Jacket, £400 (23:00)
This 3-layer jacket uses Patagonia’s H2NO membrane and is completely PFC free, made using 100% recycled polyester fabric in a mono-material. You get a Recco reflector, fixed powder skirt, large helmet compatible hood and a range of pockets. If you want a technical shell but want to focus on being environmentally friendly it’s hard to beat.

Picture Men’s Stone Printed Jacket, £350 (26:00)
This uses Picture’s DryPlay membrane, a PFC-free DWR treatment, and recycled materials. It’s fully taped and has the same waterproof and breathability ratings as jackets costing around twice as much.

There are links above to all the boots we mentioned here today, all of which are available at Ellis Brigham - the winter sports specialists.

They have 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for this winter. Alternatively, simply go to their website at ellis-brigham.com to buy online now – however, please note that we do not recommend you buy ski boots online. Please do go to a store and get fitted properly.

I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you like the podcast, there are two things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – it genuinely helps other listeners find us
2) Subscribe – so you never miss an episode

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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There’s a sustainability focus this week as we look at the new Eurostar Snow Train, find out what Les Arcs is doing that sets them apart, plus Chemmy Alcott tells us about her experience of driving an electric car 5000 miles across the Alps.

Iain was joined by Helen Coffey, Travel Editor at The Independent.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Watch Iain’s snow report from Les Arcs (2:00)
Elena reported from Tirol in Austria (3:30)
Vanessa Fisher was in Les Menuires in France (5:00)
Dave Burrows from Snow Pros Ski School was skiing in Villars (6:00)
Was last weekend the best ever in British snowsport history? (8:30)
Mia Brookes won the Snowboard Big Air Crystal Globe and was voted BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year
Jasmin Taylor took first place at the Telemark Sprint in Pinzolo
Andrew Musgrave was second in the Cross Country in Trondheim – a career-best result
Listen to Iain’s interviews with Andrew, Jasmin and also Kirsty Muir and Zoe Atkin
Read more about the ski slope in the desert in Saudi Arabia (10:30)
Read Iain’s review of the new Eurostar Snow Train on The Telegraph (11:30)
Iain has also written up a review on Ski Flight Free
Seats had been set aside on Eurostar for baggage (14:00)
Buy tickets on the Eurostar Snow Train here (16:00)
The funicular to Les Arcs connects directly from the station in Bourg St Maurice (17:00)
Flying represents 50-80% of the carbon cost of a ski holiday (23:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Helen Coffey in this special episode (23:30)
Iain is taking the Flight Free Challenge in 2024 (24:00)
Anna Hughes founded Flight Free UK (24:30)
Helen is author of the book “Zero Altitude: How I Learned to Fly Less and Travel More” (27:00)
Les Arcs have recently been accredited as a B Corp company (28:00)
Les Arcs was one of the first resorts in France to be given ‘Flocon Vert’ accreditation (29:20)
Find out about the Mountain Animal Museum in Les Arcs (31:45)
Marie Clemence Vallier is Head of Quality, Safety & Environment at ADS (32:30)
Chemmy Alcott travelled 5000 miles last winter in her Skoda Enyaq EV (37:30)
At Easter, Iain will be travelling to the Alps in a van from ‘Vans for Bands’ (45:00)

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Neil Howlett: "Thanks for the pod, really enjoying the content and we have a shared passion for trains"
APNorthfields: "Loving the frequent podcast drops as we enter the new season! Keep up the great work"

wiigman: "Loved 192. You don't get quality chat regarding coach chassis lengths, and the best Italian rifugios anywhere else!"
Peter S: "Great interview with Lou about the Dolomites (in 192). She certainly knows her stuff."
Mike Greenland: "Always a good show"
Peter Til: "Thank you for the podcast. It has gotten me more and more excited for my first trip"

Martin Walliman: "I only recently discovered The Ski Podcast and really love it! I've been working my way slowly through the older 180+ episodes in the last few weeks and it’s such a pleasure on my daily commutes."
If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – it genuinely helps listeners find us
2) Subscribe, so you never miss an episode
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or taking this link

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

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Iain and Al pick the best new ski boots for winter 2024, plus we explain the difference between the cuff, shell and liner, demystify ‘Flex’, powerstraps and GripWalk, and cover why you shouldn’t buy ski boots to match your outfit!

This Special Episode of The Ski Podcast has been made possible by Ellis Brigham - the winter sports specialists.

They have 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for this winter. Alternatively, simply go to their website at ellis-brigham.com to buy online now.

SHOW NOTES
Listen to our Ski Boot Special Episode with Al and Colin Martin (2:00)
Don't buy to match your outfit (“They’re tools not jewels”)
Work with a bootfitter “Like a wand in Harry Potter, the ski boot chooses your foot" (3:00)
What is the difference between the cuff and the shell? (3:45)
What is the liner? (4:30)
Why is a footbed important (5:00)
How important are the buckles and what is BOA? (7:00)
Find out more about the BOA system in Episode 187 (7:30)
What is a powerstrap? (9:00)
What is ‘walk mode’? (10:00)
What is ‘Gripwalk’? (11:00)
What is ‘Flex’? (12:00)Sustainability trends in ski boots (13:45)
How are men’s and women’s ski boots designed differently? (19:15)
What is a hybrid ski boot? (33:00)

THE BEST SKI BOOTS OF WINTER 2024

Nordica Speedmachine 3 85 GW (18:00)A women’s boot with excellent technical features for just £320. A perfect first boot for an aspiring skier.

Nordica HF 110 GW (20:00)Nordica have nailed with this ‘rear entry’ boot, making it so easy to get in and out of (the HF stands for ‘hands free’), but without compromising on performance. £430

Salomon S/Pro Supra BOA 95 (23:30)Al’s pick as the ‘best looking ski boot out there’, but using the new BOA cable system to cinch your feet in place perfectly. £430

K2 Recon 120 BOA GW (25:30)K2 ‘puts a lot of fun into skiing’, according to Al. The positioning of the BOA has made a big difference, making this a great option for advanced skiers. £550

Atomic Backland XTD Carbon 120 (29:00)The ultimate option for ski touring. £700

There are links above to all the boots we mentioned here today, all of which are available at Ellis Brigham - the winter sports specialists.

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you like the podcast, there are two things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – it genuinely helps other listeners find us
2) Subscribe – so you never miss an episode

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Discovering Innsbruck in the Tirol, Austria, plus is heliskiing in Chile the ultimate bucket list trip?

Host Iain Martin was joined by Elena Protopopow (Tirol Tourist Board) and Lucy Aspden-Kean (Ski editor, The Telegraph) for this episode.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
We covered skiing in the Lake District in Episode 73 (3:00)
Tim (Inspired Italy) reports from the Dolomites, Italy (5:30)
Andy Butterworth (Kaluma Ski) reports from St Anton, Austria (7:00)
Alex Armand (Tip Top Ski Coaching) reports from Cervinia, Italy (9:45)
You’d need a Ski IQ of 153 to top the Carv Leaderboard in Italy this week (
Iain spoke to Charlotte Bankes about her World Championships win with Huw Nightingale in Episode 188 (11:45)
Kirsty Muir was 2nd in the Big Air in Beijing
Listen to Iain’s interview with Kirsty in Episode 174
Iain interviewed XC skiers Andrew Musgrave & Andrew Young in December 2021 (12:25)
Vail Resorts are buying Crans Montana (13:00)
Lucy travelled to Chile with Eleven Experience (16:00)
Heliskiing is not like this (from Ski Sunday) (29:30)
Take a look at the beautiful Zaha Hadid station designs in Innsbruck (32:00)
The Bergisil Ski Jump hosts the ‘Four Hills Ski Jumping’ competition in January (34:00)
Ski above Innsbruck at Nordkette, or nearby at Kuhtai, Stubai or Seefeld (36:00)
Listen to Hannah talking about the NightJet train via Amsterdam in Episode 176 (39:00)
The Ski Plus City Pass covers all 13 resorts around Innsbruck plus local attractions (42:00)

FeedbackI enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Lou Pode: "You do really innovative, interesting podcasts!"Andrew Dollery: "I just wanted to compliment you on recent episodes: you're on fine form!"
Andy A: "Really enjoying your podcasts over the last month and so looking forward to this winter."
Tim Raglan: "As an avid listener I wanted to thank you for the work you do. It was your podcast that gave me the push to work in Verbier last winter and it was one of the best decisions of my life!"
If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe so you never miss a podcast
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

There are now 195 episodes to catch up with: just go to www.theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Iain and Al pick the best new skis for winter 2024, plus help you understand what length skis to buy, what 'rocker' and 'side cut' mean and why lighter bindings aren't always better.

This Special Episode of The Ski Podcast has been made possible by Ellis Brigham - the winter sports specialists.

They have 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for this winter. Alternatively, simply go to their website at ellis-brigham.com to buy online now.

SHOW NOTESWhat’s the difference between different types of skis? (2:00)
Skis like the Line Blade, Black Crows Mirus Cor and Salomon Addikt Pro are bringing the fun back to ‘Piste’ skis (2:15)
What’s the difference between Big Mountain and Freeride skis? (3:00)
How important is the width under your foot? (3:45)
What are ‘All Mountain’ skis? (4:30)
What is a ‘rocker? (6:00)
What is ‘side cut’? (7:15)
How long should your skis be? (8:30)
‘Nose to forehead’ level is a good guideline for length (10:15)
What are the latest sustainability initiatives in skis (11:00)
Is the Rossignol Essential the most sustainable ski ever produced? (14:00)
Only 8% of a traditionally ski can be recycled, but the Essential is 77% recyclable and it is made from 34% recycled materials (14:15)
Al tested these skis at the SIGB Ski Test in February 2023 (17:15)
How much are bindings? (25:15)
Why lighter touring skis aren’t always the best option (33:30)

THE BEST SKIS OF WINTER 2024

Salomon Addikt Pro (19:00)A ‘Piste’ ski for upper intermediates to experts. £780 including bindings.

Nordica Belle 75 (21:30)A ‘Piste’ ski for women, ideal to those just getting into skiing and for intermediates. £385 including bindings

K2 Mindbender 90 C W (23:45)An ‘All Mountain’ women’s ski that’s perfect for performance on the groomers, but with a freeride feel. Great for intermediates wanting to go off the side up to more advanced and expert skiers. £455 without a binding.

Scott Pure Mission 98 Ti (26:15)A true do-it-all ‘Freeride' ski that suits advanced and expert skiers. £580 without a binding.

Elan Ripstick Tour 104 Glen Plake (30:00)
A ‘Touring’ ski that’s 104mm underfoot but works on piste. £720 without a binding.

All of these skis are available at Ellis Brigham - the winter sports specialists.

They have 16 shops around the UK where you can find all the kit you need for this winter. Alternatively, simply go to their website at ellis-brigham.com to buy online now.

Feedback
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you like the podcast, there are two things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – it genuinely helps other listeners find us
2) Subscribe – so you never miss an episode

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A special interview with Jamie Grant - the founder of a great British skiing success story: the Carv device.

We discuss how Jamie took his original idea of a ‘digital ski coach’ via China, some help from Dave Ryding and a record Kickstarter campaign to an award-winning multi-million dollar business with a database of over 340 million turns.

And it all started with a poster on a wall in Imperial College asking for help with coding...

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Iain interviewed Tony McWilliam, founder of Faction Skis
Iain interviewed Jim Adlington, founder of Planks Clothing
Iain reviewed the Carv in Episode 171
Carv has over 20,000 members across 58 countries (0:40)
Jamie was studying for a PhD at Imperial PhD (3:00)
Only 8% of skiers take a lesson in any year (6:00)
The first version of Carv was trialled with students on Varsity ski trip (8:00)
In 2015 Jamie moved to China to join an incubator fund (11:00)
Dave Ryding helped test the prototype (12:45)
The 2016 Carv Kickstarter was the biggest in sports to date, raising US$275,000 (16:00)
Carv was awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in 2021 (17:45)
The Carv insole uses a magnetometer, accelerometer, gyroscope and over 30 pressure sensors, measuring data 20 times per second (20:00)
Iain had custom insoles and the Carv fitted at the same time at Profeet in Fulham, London in Episode 161 (22:00)Metrics recorded includeEdge Similarity, Pressure Smoothness and Edge Angle (24:45)
Carv has a database of 348 million turns to work with (26:45)
The gamification means you can look at the Leaderboard at any time (28:00)The Carv costs £200 for the hardware and then £179pa subscription
David Lindsay in Episode 190 spoke of using the Carv in his Masterclasses (33:30)
Off-piste measurement is coming to the Carv this winter (36:00)

FEEDBACK

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – it genuinely helps other listeners find us
2) Subscribe – so you never miss an episode
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or take this link

There are now 193 episodes to catch up with and 134 were listened to in the last week. There is so much to listen to in our back catalogue, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around - you’re bound to find something of interest.

You can follow Iain on social media @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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We find out about the Dolomites in Italy, the days of ski trips by coach and discuss booking trends in the UK market.

Iain was joined by Lou Anderton from Inspired Italy and Dan Fox from Ski Weekends.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Alex Irwin of the YouTube channel 150 Days of Winter skied in Val Thorens (3:20)
Betony Garner was in Verbier (4:30)
Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School reported from Glacier 3000 (5:30)
Dan will be skiing in Verbier this weekend (7:30)
Listen to our interview with Warren Smith (8:00)
Dave Ryding finished 4th in Obergurgl by just 0.01s (9:00)
The Speed Opening races in Zermatt & Cervinia were cancelled again (9:30)
For a 20% discount on the best available rate at Banff Sunshine Village listeners should email hotelmanager@skibanff.com (10:15)
The Dolomites are in the north-east of Italy (11:30)
Fly to Innsbruck, Verona, Munich, Venice or Milan (12:00)
The Dolomiti Superski claims 1200km of skiing on one ski pass (14:00)
The Sella Ronda is the ‘Circle Line’ of the Dolomites (15:30)
The next Winter Olympics will be in Milan-Cortina in 2026 (18:00)
Inspired Italy offer ‘ski safaris’ across the region (21:30)
The Ikon Pass now includes Dolomiti Superski (25:00)
Harris Holidays were the original coach holidays specialists (26:00)
Dan took over Ski Weekends in 2007 (27:30)
Ski Weekends stopped offering the coach in 2016 (29:45)
Dan is based in St Gervais for the winter (37:00)
Ski Weekend’s chalet in Les Gets sleeps up to 38 people
Listen to Iain’s full episode interview with Eddie The Eagle (40:30)
Eddie will be on ‘Dancing On Ice’ on ITV this winter (41:00)

Feedback (44:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Thanks to everyone who contacted me about why Canadian airports start with a 'Y

BobinCH: "The Bode Miller interview was great! Super interesting guy & unbelievable skier."

Liv: "I’ve been listening to your amazing podcast and especially loved the episode with the ski companies talking about sustainability"

Ruth: "Thank you for all the great content which has been keeping me sane on many long drives recently. I really appreciate the work that goes into all the episodes."

Michael Oxley: "I've been absolutely loving your podcast, your guests, reviews and stories are fantastic and make for a really informative listen."

Joe Childs: "Thanks again for all the info you share on The Ski Podcast. I am still working my way through the earlier recordings and finding great stuff."

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe so you never miss an episode
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or taking this link

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Lesley Mckenna is a legendary snowboarder in the UK scene. She was the first British snowboarder to compete at the Winter Olympics and the first to win a World Cup Half-Pipe. She went on to become coach of the most successful GB Park and Pipe team ever, plus she’s a filmmaker, ski tourer and much more.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Lesley’s parents were both ski instructors (4:00)
Her grandfather was one of the original Scottish pioneers of skiing (5:30)
Lesley’s cousins are Alain and Noel Baxter, who both skied slalom for Team GB (8:00)
First ski season in Jackson Hole (8:30)
Racing on pair of 224cm skis (13:30)
Moving on to Breckenridge (16:00)
Kirsteen McGibbon tragically died during a training run in 1996 (17:45)
H&R Insurance were the main sponsors of Lesley’s early career (18:30)
Becci Malthouse helped Lesley’s transition to snowboarding (18:45)
The 1996 Brits took place in Meribel
Lesley started off racing slalom before moving onto freestyle (23:30)
The challenges of funding (28:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Bode Miller (30:30)
What was it like being with Alain Baxter when he won his Olympic medal (31:00)
Coaching at the British Ski Academy and for Roxy (35:00)
Lesley Worked through the 2014 & 2018 cycles as a coach (36:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Pat Sharples (38:00)
Jenny Jones won Britain’s first ever medal on snow at Sochi (39:00)
Billy Morgan won bronze in the Big Air at PyeongChang (40:00)
Wandering Workshops (43:30)
The Kendal Film Festival takes place from 16-19 November (46:00)
Patagonia’s film ‘Thrawn’ is about the cultural significance of snowsports in the Cairngorms (46:30)
Is haggis the Scottish version of ‘hygge’? (48:00)
The 2023 Brits took place in Scotland (50:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Kirsty Muir (51:30)
Watch ‘Dropstitch’ on YouTube (52:15)
Lesley won Sport Scotland Coach Developer of the Year (53:00)

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe, so you don’t miss another episode
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or by taking this link

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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We explore the history of Méribel and discover Banff Sunshine Village in Canada and Killington in the States.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Kendra Scurfield (Banff Sunshine Village), Kristel Killary (Killington) and David Lindsay (ESF Méribel and son of the resort’s founder Sir Peter Lindsay).

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Killington opened on 03 November (1:30)
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Ski is in St Anton (5:00)
Robin Shah has already been skiing in Verbier (8:45)
Jen Tsang is from That’s La Plagne (9:30)
Save money this winter when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com and use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ (11:30)
The first ever cross-border Alpine World Cup races take place this weekend in Zermatt and Cervinia (13:00)
You can read more about the debate about use of diggers on the course (13:15)
Sir Peter Lindsay is recognised as the founder of Méribel (14:30)
Jean-Marie Choffel is author of the book ‘Méribel since 1938’ (15:45)~
Lindsay’s business partner was the French Count, Jean Gaillard de la Valdenne (17:45)
In 1936 Lindsay and two guides climbed La Saulire on skins and skied down to Brides-les-Bains (21:00)
ESF Méribel are launching their ‘Master Classes’ for January 2024 (26:00)
Iain tested the Carv in Episode 171 (29:45)
Kendra has her own podcast: 'For The Love of Winter' (30:00)
Ski Big 3 is a joint venture between Banff Sunshine Village, Lake Louise and Mt Norquay (34:00)
Find out about Banff Sunshine Village (35:00)
Kendra skied with Robin Williams at Sunshine Village (39:00)
Killington is the largest resort in Eastern North America (41:00)
Killington’s partner is Pico Mountain (42:00)
Listen to Iain’s report on skiing in Australia in Episode 182
Over Thanksgiving Weekend (Nov 25/26) Killington is hosting the Women's World Cup (47:30)
Discover Cow Power in Killington (48:30)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQlsLiDjc_4

Feedback
Amy Stewart: "I’ve been a long time listener and got to listen to Episode 182 about Perisher and Thredbo. I love it, as a long time instructor over here it's awesome to finally hear about this unique ski area on an international level. This podcast was great through the pandemic when I was over here to keep me in touch with the winter season back in Europe!"

Oli: "It was great to meet you at London Snow Show. Great talk. Looking forward to listening to more episodes this winter!"

James: "I really enjoy the podcast, with the wide range of topics. Keep up the good work."

Hans Weeren: "I just started listening to your podcast. Nice work!"

Miranda Slater: "Very big congrats on being honoured with a finalist position. Keep up the good work as you are a great channel."

Matt Hayes: "Congratulations on a great achievement for the pod. Hopefully it serves as some compensation and recognition of the time, dedication and quality that you put in."

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Subscribe, so you don’t miss another episode
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ or by taking this link

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Bode Miller isthe most successful male American alpine ski racer of all time: an Olympic and World Championship gold medallist, he is also a two-time overall World Cup champion and one of just five men to win World Cup events in all five disciplines.

Iain spoke to Bode about his unique career as a racer and about Peak Skis – the new range of skis that he has designed and is launching for sale in Europe.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Chemmy Alcott told me “Bode is unique: he’s an icon, because he doesn’t fit any mould” (3:30)
Bode learned to ski at Cannon Mountain ski area in New Hampshire (4:00)At Carrabasset Valley Academy Bode had to snowmobile 6 miles and hitch 18 miles each day (5:45)
Bode initially showed promise as a snowboarder (8:00)
He cut a snowboard in half and put bindings on them (9:15)He started racing pro at 18 and by 1998 was at the Nagano Winter Olympics (10:00)
Bode’s first podium was in 2000 at Val d’Isere (10:30)
Bode won two silver medals at Salt Lake in 2002 (12:30)

“It's the Olympics. If I had backed off and I came in fifth or sixth place, I think I would have been really disappointed.”
Bode’s autobiography is called ‘Go Fast, Be Good, Have Fun’

“We should tell our kids to just have fun, participate and not get bent on winning or losing”

Bode lived in a 9-metre long RV for much of his time on the circuit (16:00)
Bode’s training was unconventional and included a 700-lb squat machine built by his uncle (17:00)
Other sessions included 15-minute runs through the streams (21:00)
Watch the famous ‘60 Minutes’ interview (26:00)At Vancouver in 2010 he became the first American to win Olympic medal in downhill since 1994 (30:30)In 2014 Bode became the oldest Olympic medalist in alpine ski history, winning bronze in super-G (34:00)

“Miller is skiing's mad scientist. There couldn't possibly be anyone who has thought more about what it takes to win a ski race” The Guardian, 2006

Bode set up Peak Skis in 2022 (38:00)
Race skis in Bode’s day looked ‘like a toothpick’ in comparison to today’s race skis (39:00)
Peak Skis use ‘Keyhole Technology’ (40:00)
Bode on ‘cooking’ skis to see how they are constructed (41:30)
View the full range of Peak Skis here (44:45)
Bode on ski radius (46:30)
Bode on ‘women’s skis’ (48:00)
Loc8 means Peak Skis can be tracked if lost (49:00)
Peak Skis are now on sale in Europe direct from the website (50:00)

Feedback

I enjoy all feedback about the show, so please let me what you thought via social @theskipodcast or email theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Buy me a coffee at BMAC/theskipodcast
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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This National Snow Week Special is packed full of interviews, including Mia Brookes, Ed Leigh, Chemmy Alcott, Charlotte Bankes, Warren Smith and more, all recorded at the consumer shows in Birmingham and London, and at trade networking event LISTEX.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
The Ski Podcast was a finalist in the ‘Best Broadcast Programme’ category at the 2023 Travel Media Awards (1:00)
Sam Haddad featured in our snowboard special episode (1:30)
Sam won the Travel Media award for ‘Best Sustainability Feature’ (1:40)
Save money when you book your ski hire with Intersport by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ (1:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Tim Warwood (2:45)
Mia Brookes became world champion in snowboard slopestyle earlier this year (4:45)
Charlotte Bankes won the mixed team Snowboard Cross with teammate Huw Nightingale (8:00)
Iain interviewed Charlotte when she first joined Team GB
Colin Martin appeared in our Ski Boot Special podcast (13:30)
Al Morgan discussed the BOA Fit System for ski boots in Episode 187
Listen to Iain’s interview with BBC Ski Sunday presenter Ed Leigh, recorded in Feb 2023 (18:30)
Tord Nilson is on the SIGB board (22:00)
Guy Fowles works at Wasteland Travel, specialists in ski trips for student and young professionals (25:15)
Ian Brown from The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead (27:15)
James Gambrill from The Ski Club of Great Britain, who are bringing back Ski Club reps to France (29:30)
Dan Keeley is from the charity Snowcamp (33:30)
Iain reported on his trip to Roccaraso in Abruzzo in Episode 170 (36:15)
Graeme is the owner of Ski Abruzzo (37:45)
Aaron is the founder of OOSC Clothing (39:00)
Iain led panels about train travel at both shows (41:00)
Krissie Roe from Inghams talked about their new train travel product in Episode 184 (44:00)
Listen to Iain’s ‘Behind the Scenes at Ski Sunday’ interview with Chemmy Alcott (44:15)
Richard Sinclair is MD at ski travel agency SNO Holidays (44:30)
SNO are reporting an increase in demand for train travel (45:00)
Richard appeared on our electric vehicle special podcast (49:00)
SNO has a page about electric car travel to the Alps in their website
Warren Smith has been taking the POW Carbon Literacy courses (49:45)
In Episode 183 we discussed the POW ‘Send It for Climate’ campaign (52:00)
Dom Winter is Head of Programmes for Protect Our Winters UK
Nathalie Davies is MD of Raccoon Media Group (54:00)
The 2024 London Snow Show will take place on 19-20 October at ExCel in London (55:00)

Iain was joined for The Ski Podcast Live by Mike Richards, Katie Bamber, James Wilcox, Catherine Murphy and Tristan Kennedy (speaking about Japan, Turkey, Iraq, Pays de Gex, Uzbekistan and Abruzzo respectively)

Feedback (57:00)
We have some great feedback from ‘Snowheads’ (57:30)

Fixx: "The Ski Podcast panel with Iain re. train travel to the slopes was very interesting"
wiigman: "The Ski Podcast panel stuff excellent and thought-provoking"
elzP: "I also really enjoyed the train travel session"
Tim: "I recently discovered The Ski Podcast and I have been binge listening! I'm impressed by the engaging content and captivating discussions on all things skiing and snow sports"

Inside Morzine: "We can’t wait for the new season to kick off but first there a little matter of the National Snow Show and meet someone who has not only got us through the pandemic but the all the months in between: Iain Martin from The Ski Podcast - a total legend!"

Andrea Dalton: "Just managed to catch up with this latest episode and fab to hear from Al always love listening to what he has to say."
If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
2) Buy me a coffee at BuyMeaCoffee.com/theskipodcast (thanks David)
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’

You can follow Iain on social @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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We find out about Copper Mountain in Colorado and look at look at this season’s equipment trends, including BOA ski boots, the Rossignol ‘Essential’ ski, the new Lange ‘Shadow’ innovation and look at clothing rental.

Iain was joined by Maria Fox, Director of Marketing at Copper Mountain, and podcast regular, Al Morgan, from SkiKitInfo.com

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Copper Mountain stayed open to 28 May last winter (2:00)
Intersport Rent is the new main partner of The Ski Podcast (3:45)
Use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com (4:00)
National Snow Week takes place between 14 and 22 October (5:00)
The shows are at the Birmingham NEC (14-15 Oct) and the London Excel (21-22 Oct)
Listeners can get a free ticket by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ (5:30)
LISTEX takes place at London Excel from 17-19 October (6:00)
The Ski Podcast is a finalist as ‘Best Broadcast Programme’ in the Travel Media Awards (6:15)
SNCF trains are now on sale for journeys up to 09 January (6:30)
Listen to Episode 185 for more info on Inghams train options (6:45)
Go to Ski Flight Free for all the info you need about train travel this winter
The Telegraph’s Bucket List poll showed 26% of people have a US Road Trip on their list (7:00)
Snowmaking started in Copper Mountain on 02 October (7:30)
Check all the facts about Copper here (9:00)
Downhill race training is on offer in Copper from 20 October (10:00)
Copper Mountain bills itself as the 'Athlete's Mountain' (12:30)
Copper is the Official Training Centre for the US Ski and Snowboard team
The Woodward Terrain Parks in Copper are a key feature (14:45)
Copper hosts the Colorado Special Olympics Winter Games (17:00)
Employees at Copper Mountain are also eligible for Athlete Sponsorship (18:00)
Find out more about the BOA binding system for ski boots (24:00)

https://youtu.be/fMCQuZvNm8U

Find out more about the Lange ‘Shadow’ system (29:00)
The Rossignol ‘Essential’ ski is the ‘most sustainable ski’ Al has ever seen (33:00)
Planks is very upfront that "We are not eco-friendly" (35:15)
Clothing rental trend is evident with Hurr, John Lewis, ecoski, Selfridges all offering ski clothing rental (36:00)

Feedback (39:00)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, so please contact me via social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Ian: “Just catching up on a few eps of the podcast. That 3 Valleys hike in Episode 184 sounds awesome!”
David: “Thanks so much for the podcast: my wife and I are keen listeners”

James Hawkins: “I love listening to every episode so keep up the good work. I enjoyed the conversation about golf in Episode 186 and wanted to mention the Kitzbuhel Golf Festival…they transform “The Streif” into a golf course for the day. The first tee shot is taken from the actual Hahnenkamm starting gate and you play the exact race track.”
Tom Kelly: “I've enjoyed listening to your podcasts. I also do a skiing pod, the Last Chair, for Ski Utah. The episode on rail travel to the Alps made me jealous that we really don't have that here in the USA.”

If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts (104 ratings) or Spotify (31 ratings)
2) Buy me a coffee at BMAC/theskipodcast (thanks David)
3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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We discuss autumn glacier skiing in Austria, what’s new in Aspen and whether golf is easier in the mountains.

Iain was joined by Rana Dershowitz, VP at Aspen Snowmass and journalist Rob Rees.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Rob was last on the show in Episode 179 discussing the Aosta Valley (1:15)
National Snow Week takes place from 14-22 October (3:30)
The Ski Podcast Live will feature at the shows on each Sunday at 1pm (3:45)
Secure a free ticket to the show using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ (4:15)
The Ski Podcast is a finalists at the Travel Media Awards (4:45)
Iain skied in Zermatt in August
Gethin James told us about skiing in Solden in October in Episode 159 (5:50)Stubai above Neustift is one of Rob’s favourites (6:45)
Find out more about the Intersport Schneetage (7:45)
Rob shared a lift with Hermann Maier in Pitztal
Iain spoke with Dave Ryding in Saas Fee in Episode 57 (11:30)
Find out about the ‘White 5’ lift pass (13:15)
Check out the lifts designed by Zara Hadid if you travel to Innsbruck (14:00)
Ski Launch took place in September 2023 (16:00)
The European Masters Golf takes place in Crans Montana (18:00)The new ‘Hero’s’ terrain expansion is the biggest in Aspen for 40 years (21:00)
The Ikon Pass includes Aspen Snowmass and more than 50 other resorts (26:30)
Aspen hosts the Winter X Games (28:00)
The Mountain Collective pass is another option for multiple resort skiing (32:00)
Find out about the 'Give A Flake' advocacy campaign (34:00)
Aspen’s Environment Foundation is a great campaign (36:45)
Take a look at the melting gondola sculpture (37:30)

Feedback (39:45)I enjoy all feedback about the show, so if you have any thoughts or ideas for features please contact me via social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Paul: "[Your] hard work and imagination is being rewarded"

Heather Hannam: "Still loving listening to your Podcasts with my daughter. Congratulations on your nomination by the way, we should be ably to buy you a glass of something fizzy, rather than just a coffee"

Paul Sonn: "I live in the US and really enjoy your podcast."

If you like the podcast, there are couple of things you can do to help:
1) Review us on Apple Podcasts (103 ratings) or Spotify (30 ratings)
2) Buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Podcast Stats

51% of listeners catch the podcast on Apple Podcasts and 34% on Spotify
Listens are up 20% over the last year.
There are 186 episodes to catch up with and 115 were listened to in the last week.
For the first time that more than half of our listeners were from outside the UK
21% of our listeners were in the USA

You can follow Iain at @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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We discuss new ways to take the train to the Alps and what it’s like skiing to the North Pole.

Iain was joined by Krissy Roe, Sustainability Manager at Inghams Ski and adventurer Sue Stockdale.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Save money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied at the checkout.

SHOW NOTES
Listen to our special about skiing in Thredbo and Perisher, Australia (2:00)
The Ski Podcast has been shortlisted as one of the finalists in the ‘Broadcast Programme of the Year’ category in the 2023 Travel Media Awards (5:00)
‘Ski Launch’ took place in early September (6:00)
Sandra Picard is Brand and Communications Director for Compagnie des Alpes (6:30)
You can view Sandra’s slidedeck here and CdA’s commitments here (8:45)
You can look at Iain’s slides about AI here (9:00)A new survey by Le Ski shows the snowsports market is expected to grow by 14% (9:15)
Nick Morgan is MD at Le Ski Chalets
You can find out more about ski jobs in ski resorts in our special episode (11:30)
National Snow Week will see ski shows at the Birmingham NEC and London Excel (13:30)
Listeners can get free entry using the discount code ‘SKIPODCAST’ before 01 October (13:45)
In winter 2008/09, over 30,000 people travelled by Eurostar on their ski holiday (20:45)
Find out about the new Eurostar Snow Train service to France at Ski Flight Free (22:00)
Listen to Iain’s review of the inaugural ‘old’ Eurostar ski train service from 2021 (23:00)
The Inghams train product is now on sale on their website (25:00)
Their packages are the same price in most cases as travelling by plane (29:30)
Listen to Prue Stone from Hotelplan discussing their commitment to sustainability in our special episode (31:30)
You can listen to Sue’s TED Talk here (33:30)
Sue is the first woman from the UK to ski to the Magnetic North Pole in 1996 (34:00)
Listen to our special about ski touring on the Haute Route (44:30)
Panache Cruises offer cruises including ski touring (46:00)

Feedback
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

BobinCH (snowheads): “I enjoyed Episode 182 that as it brought back fond memories of those gum trees in the Thredbo backcountry!”

Max Martin (Apple podcasts): “A year round fortnightly roundup of interviews and reports on all aspects of skiing and snowboarding. Always interesting and informative, The Ski Podcast keeps me in touch with the sport and lifestyle.”

Nick D (BuyMeACoffee): “Well deserved getting to the award finals. Keep up the great work. I was in Roccarasso the same week you visited and enjoyed the podcast on your trip.”

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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We find out what it's like hiking across Les 3 Vallées, about the new Alpine Crossing in Zermatt and an environmentally-focussed ski school in Méribel.

Iain was joined by Estelle Roy from the Les Menuires Tourist Office and Ollie Scott from the ski school Rhythm to Ride in Méribel.

SHOW NOTES
The zero isotherme went as high as 5300m in the Alps (01:00)
There has been new snow down to 2300m (2:00)
Ollie ski toured to La Grande Casse in May (3:00)
Iain skied in Zermatt last week (4:00)

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1695071076483477691

In recent episodes, we’ve heard about mountain biking, road cycling and family activities in Les 3 Vallées (5:00)
The Lac de Rosière is spectacular (5:45)
Florent Hazucka works for the Courchevel Tourist Office (6:15)
There are the remains of a plane, which crashed at Breche Portetta in 1969 (9:00)
Iain stayed at the Refuge du Grand Plan (11:00)
There’s also a refuge at Lac Merlet, both are in the Vanoise National Park (12:00)
Listen to Iain’s report on staying the night at the Refuge du Saut last winter (14:00)
Iain stayed on his second night at Refuge du Lac du Lou (15:45)
Listen to Iain’s experience of ski touring to the Refuge at night (19:30)
You can try ice diving in Les Menuires in winter (19:45)
Katya reported on ice swimming in Samoens in Episode 166 (23:00)
It's an easy walk from Chez Pepe Nicolas to Lac du Lou (23:30)
You can book the refuge via their website (24:30)
The Matterhorn Ultraks trail running weekend includes 5 different races (26:00)
Marc Lagger is Communications Manager for Zermatt Bergbahnen (27:00)
Read Iain’s article for Fall Line Magazine
This year’s races will take place on the weekends of 18/19 and 25/26 November (30:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with the organiser of the Speed Opening Downhill races, recorded in September 2022 (35:00)
Ollie Scott is a co-founder of Rhythm to Ride ski school in Méribel (35:45)
Any hours booked with Rhythm to Ride lead to seeds being planted in Africa (39:00)
Rhythm to Ride set up the the CarPool Tool (40:30)
They donate 3% of their income to Protect Our Winters (46:00)
Find out more about the new train services to the Alps at Ski Flight Free (47:00)
We discussed Thredbo’s lift pass cap in Episode 183 (48:00)

Feedback
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Joe Childs: “New Ski Podcast day is always a great day!”
Hocenski Hoc Dalibor: “Nice podcast”
Peter: “I've started listening to your podcast two days ago and am slowly listening to most of your old episodes. I am currently at Episode 24.”

If you like the podcast, there are couple of things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts
2) Buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

There are 184 episodes to catch up with and 134 were listened to in the last week.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In Episode 183 we find out what Val Thorens is like in summer, how Australian ski resorts are dealing with lift queues and all about the latest campaign from Protect Our Winters.

Iain was joined by Jen Tsang, based in La Plagne, and Lindsey Dixon from Protect our Winters.

SHOW NOTES

Lindsey was last on the show in Episode 168, talking about taking the train to Val d’Isere (1:00)

Lindsey skied at Skieasy in Chiswick (3:00)

Moving Mountains offers the same option in Sussex (4:30)

Listen to Iain’s report on skiing in Australia in Episode 182 (6:00)

Jen and her family took part in the VT Summit Games (8:45)

It snowed while Jen was in Les 3 Vallees (9:30)

https://twitter.com/3Vallees_france/status/1688461637164929024

Find out more about the new sports centre Le Board (11:00)

The soft play at Le Board sounds great fun (14:45)

Chez Pepe Nicholas is a wonderful mountain restaurant in Les Menuires (17:00)

Jen was in Les Gets for the Tour de France (21:00)

It's going to be WARM in the Alps this week (26:45)

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1692068589220626849

The ’Send It For Climate’ campaign from Protect Our Winters is due to launch very soon (28:00)

Postcards and postboxes will be available from partners such as Ellis Brigham and Patagonia (31:00)

It was the ninth warmest July in Australia (33:15)

Perisher has had some tough getting criticism on social, especially TikTok (33:45)

Thredbo have brought in a cap on lift pass sales (35:00)

Australia has ‘Lodges’ that work very much like our chalets (39:00)

Listen to Iain’s interview with Helen Coffey, the non-flying travel editor of The Independent (42:00)

Many offsetting projects have been discredited (42:30)

Iain donated to an organisation called ‘Cool Earth’ (43:00)

William MacAskill is the author of a book called ‘Doing Good Better’ and one of the founders of ‘Effective Altruism’ (43:30)

Feedback

I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Doug: "Listened to #182 on a run and loved it."

Simon Burgess: “I really enjoyed the Thredbo/Perisher episode. It brought back some really nice memories.”

Bo Spanding: “Truly enjoying the podcast, but I'm wondering why you're never talking about Scandinavian ski resorts. There are a lot of good areas in those countries (except for Denmark of course).”

We featured Svalbard in Episode 94 and Norway in Episode 58, plus our special interview with cross country skiers Andrew Musgrave and Andrew Young, who are based in Norway (47:00)

If you like the podcast, there are couple of things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts

2) Buy me a coffee at BuymeaCoffee.com/theskipodcast

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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This is a special episode focusing on the ski resorts of Perisher (Australia’s largest ski resort) and Thredbo (Australia’s ‘Best Ski Resort’), plus we find out what it was like when the Tour de France passed through Les 3 Vallées last month.

SHOW NOTES

Lucas Wilkinson has been skiing in Perisher for 34 years (1:30)

Perisher Valley, Smiggins Hole, Blue Cow joined in 1995 to form ‘Perisher’ (2:30)

Vail Resorts bought Perisher in 2015 (3:15)

The Epic Pass covers Perisher as well as Victoria’s Fall Creek and Hotham ski resorts (4:30)

Proposals to expand the resort have been under discussion for many years (7:00)

The ‘Ski Tube’ links the valley floor with Perisher (8:45)

Perisher has 165 snow cannons for 65km of pistes (10:30)

The season in Australia typically runs from June to October (12:00)

Kirsty Muir and Mia Brookes are both training in Perisher in 2023 (13:00)

Jen Mooney is the general manager of ‘The Man from Snowy River Hotel’ (15:30)

The hotel opened in 1960 (17:00)

‘The Man from Snowy River’ is a poem by Banjo Patterson (19:30)

Sunrise viewed from ‘The Man’ is pretty special (23:00)

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1681429482366959616

Ritchie Carroll is Brand and Marketing Manager at Thredbo (23:30)

Sophie Leicester is PR and Content Manager at Thredbo

Thredbo offers a special backcountry ski pass (25:15)

It's the only resort in Australia to have a gold ‘Earth Check’ accreditation in Australia (27:00)

The Thredbo Alpine Coaster is scheduled to open in 2024 (29:15)

You can see Reggae Ellis’ snowreports at Snowatch (32:00)

The Tour de France came to Les 3 Vallées on July 19 (38:45)

Thanks to Alex from 150 Days of Winter and Rich from Lodge du Village for their reports

FEEDBACK

Finally, I enjoy all feedback about the show, I always like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

I’d like to thank everyone who’s given us a review on Apple Podcasts. It does help people find the podcast, so it’s much appreciated. We are up to 102 reviews now – 84 of them are 5-star, although 6 people were mean-spirited enough to give us a 1-star review, which I find quite sad. I genuinely don’t think this is a bad podcast, but each to their own, I guess.

‘The Kribs’ (Apple Podcasts): "A very interesting and fun podcast to listen to, which is always the highlight of my day when I see a new episode land. A great selection of guests from all different ski and snowboard backgrounds. It always makes me feel like I’m in the mountains when I listen."

‘PipBigDogSeymour’ (Apple Podcasts): "Awesome podcast. Very varied topics and guests. Absolutely loved the last one with the lift fanatic. An absolute must listen if you love all things snowsports."

Eric Wilson (Facebook): “I just listened to your episode with Peter: it was a fantastic show”

Andrew Dollery (email): “I just wanted to say great job on the podcast, I've listened religiously for the past couple of years. It’s very well put together and keeps me going through these barren summer months!”

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A special interview with Peter Landsman, founder of the website liftblog.com. Peter has personally seen more than 3000 lifts in 720 resorts across North America.

Peter joined us from his home in Jackson Hole and we cover a wide range of topics including how his love for lifts started, his views on T-bars v. button lifts, what he though of skiing in Europe and quiz him on his favourite lifts.

SHOW NOTES· Peter has visited over 3000 lifts in 720 resorts

· Listen to our interview with ski journalist Arnie Wilson

· His first skiing was in Snowqualmie Pass near Seattle

· Peter currently works in Jackson Hole as a lift supervisor

· www.liftblog.com launched in 2015

· The site includes entire lists of new lifts by season

· Mt Eyak in Alaska was one of the hardest to visit

· Peter went to the Interalpin trade fair in Innsbruck in 2023

· In Europe Peter rode the Galzigbahn in St Anton, Austria

· Button lifts are known as ‘platter lifts’ in North America

· T-bars or button lifts are known as ‘surface lifts’ in the States

· Look out for the upside down chairlift in Big Snow indoor slope in New Jersey

· A moose walked by Peter’s apartment while we were recording!

· The Kumme lift in Zermatt is an unmanned station

· Peter’s recommendations of lifts you must try include the Peak to Peak in Whistler Blackcomb, and the Love Peak tram in Big Sky Montana

· You can follow Peter’s LiftBlog on Instagram

Feedback

I enjoy all feedback about the show. You can contact us via social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Henry J (Apple Podcasts): ‘Definitely worth a listen’

Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. And if you enjoy the pod, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

Thank to Les 3 Vallées for sponsoring the show

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Episode 180 is a Ski Jobs special, all about working in ski resorts. We find out what jobs are available, how to find them, when to apply, what you can expect and look at the effect of Brexit.

Iain was joined by four experts in ski recruitment: Steph Davidson from Le Ski, Jenny Greenwood, HR manager at Skiworld, Richard Lett from Après-Ski Bands and Charlie Owen, MD of SBiT (Seasonal Businesses in Travel).

SHOW NOTES

Ella from Après-Ski Bands told us about the best après-Ski venues in Episode 178 (1:50)

Rich was dialling in from the Lodge du Village in Méribel Village

The Ski Podcast is sponsored by Les 3 Vallees - the largest ski area in the world (7:00)

We discussed mountain biking in Episode 178 (7:00)

In mid-July, the Tour de France will be passing through Courchevel Le Praz, La Tania, Méribel Village, over the Col de la Loze at 2304m, and down to the finish at Courchevel altiport

Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter reported on the build up to the Tour's arrival (7:30)

Read about Iain’s journey on the overnight train to Nice on Ski Flight Free (12:30)

Iain will be taking part in the Ultraks Sky Race in Zermatt in August

SBiT’s most recent report shows the impact of Brexit on seasonal jobs (16:30)

The number of UK workers in the EU has gone down 69% since Brexit

What ski jobs are on offer? (22:30)

Le Ski offer 31 chalets and employ 70 staff (23:15)

Skiworld employ 170 staff (27:00)

When should you apply for a ski job? (27:45)

When do interviews happen? (30:30)

In 22/23, Skiworld had 5000 applications for 170 jobs (31:15)

When do staff travel out to resort? (36:00)

Iain founded the Season Workers’ website, Natives.co.uk

Bar jobs in ski resorts (38:30)

Charlie recruits 60-70 staff for European Pubs (39:00)

How can musicians work in the Alps (41:00)

Does an EU passport help you find a ski job? (43:00)

How does an employer secure a visa for you? (45:00)

What about ski jobs in Austria? (52:00)

Is there a 35-hour week? (57:00)

What is the Youth Mobility Scheme? (59:30)

FEEDBACK

I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so

please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Richard Bond:

"Really enjoying the podcast, bucket list now overflowing!”

Richard Sideways:

"I really enjoyed #178 - I'd never thought of Bosnia as a winter destination before but it sounds interesting."

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In Episode 179, Iain was joined by guests Sam Haddad and Rob Rees, to finding out about skiing in the Aosta Valley in Italy and discuss the effect of the climate crisis on board sports.

SHOW NOTES

Sam was last on the show in Episode 157, our snowboard special (0:30)

Rob reported from the Bergisel Ski Jumping comp in Austria in Episode 167

Val d'Isere opened for summer skiing last weekend (4:45)

Alex Armand from Tip Tip Ski Coaching reported from Les 2 Alpes (5:00)

Steve Angus reported from Val d'Isère (5:45)

For more on skiing in Australia & NZ, listen to Episode 97 – the ‘Down Under’ special (9:00)

LISTEX Luxury took place in London in June 2023 (9:30)

Rob visited the Aosta Valley (10:00)

Resorts in the Aosta Valley include Courmayeur, La Thuile, Cervinia, Aosta/Pila, Champoluc and Monterosa

Rob stayed in Champoluc (15:00)

He then moved on to Cervinia (16:00)

Rob also skied in Pila, based in Aosta (17:00)

There are Roman ruins in Aosta (18:30)

Read about the possible Champoluc-Cervinia lift here (21:15)

Find out about the Alpine Green Experience offer (22:00)

Sam’s new Substack is called 'Climate and Board Sports' (25:00)

Lauren MacCallum from POW was on Episode 168 (27:15)

Al Judge from Montagne Verte was on our sustainability special (28:00)

Read Sam’s interview with Just Stop Oil protestors at a FIS event in Norway (28:30)

FIS athletes have been lobbying the organisation (32:00)

FIS have been accused of greenwashing (33:00)

The number of steps from the Mer de Glace has increased over the years (35:00)

Feedback (37:00)

I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Adrian Cheeseman: "Love the podcast. Keeps me going, even listened to it while doing the Great North run last year."

If you like the podcast, there are couple of things you can do to help:

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts

2) Buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

Thanks to Les 3 Vallées for sponsoring the show

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In Episode 178, we find out about trends in après-ski, skiing in Bosnia and mountain biking in the French Alps.

Iain was joined by Ella Robinson from Apres Ski Bands, plus regular guests Mike

Richards (last on show in E170 talking about Rusutsu in Japan) and Chris Moran (last on in the action camera special in E171).

SHOW NOTES

Mike last skied in the Brecon Beacons National Park in April (2:00)

Find out more about skiing in Wales in Episode 65 (2:30)

Iain caught up with Chemmy Alcott, Graham Bell, Babsi Lapwood, Steve Morgan and Jasmin Taylor at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead (5:00)

Dan Keeley has completed his 1100 mile run from London to Rome (5:30)

The Ski Podcast is sponsored by Les 3 Vallees - the largest ski area in the world (6:30)

Chris spends a lot of time on his MTB in Méribel (8:00)

Find out about BikeParkWales (11:45)

Méribel has several Enduro trails (14:30)

The new Bozel lift is getting close to being greenlit (15:00)

Après Ski Bands booked at over 80 venues last winter (19:30)

Top après venues in Les 3 Vallées include the Rond Point and Jacks in Méribel, Lodge du Village in Méribel Village and The Ski Lodge in La Tania (28:30)

The Feeling played at Lodge du Village in April 2023 (31:00)

Back in the early 2000s they were a popular Alpine covers band known as ‘Superfly’ and regularly played at Natives parties (31:30)

Mike travelled to Bosnia with Crystal Holidays (38:30)

Mike was based in Jahorina (41:45)

Check out Mike’s Instagram photos

Mike will be joining Iain for ‘The Ski Podcast Live’ at the National Snow Show at the

Birmingham NEC in October (47:00)

You can get a free ticket for the show by using the code 'SKIPODCAST' (47:45)

We will publish the full interview with Peter Landsman from liftblog.com in July (48:00)

Feedback

I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Padster: "Great interview with Chemmy”Wiigman: "Loved Episode 176 about National Snow Week”

Richard Sideways: "Great interview with Tim Warwood in Episode 177"

Dave of the Marmottes: "[Episode 177] was a good insight into the accidental career of professional snowballers!"

Our three most listened to episodes of all time (50:45)

161: The Ski Boot Special (How to choose ski boots, custom insoles (Nov 2022)

86: Travel Bans, Olympic Tips & Stöckli skis (Jan 2022)

44: Gstaad, Val Thorens, Verbier, and your dream ski job! (Dec 2019)

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In Episode 177, Iain was joined by BBC snowboarding, skateboarding and BMX presenter and reporter, and generally ‘very loud voice’ (his words), Tim Warwood.

We discuss how snowboarding took him from Tamworth to Colorado to commentating around the world on the sport.

Among the many stories Tim shares, he tells us how he persuaded Bill Nighy to lipsync to Kim Wilde, what’s it’s like being a “professional snowballer” and the truth behind that infamous moment when Jenny Jones won bronze at Sochi.

SHOW NOTES
Tim is not 50 years old, despite what it says on FamousBirthdays.com
He started snowboarding at Britain’s first indoor snow centre, the Tamworth Snowdome (6:00)
Tim’s first season was in Winter Park in Colarado (8:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Pat Sharples, GB Snowsports Head Coach (9:00)
Listen to our interview with pioneer snowboarder Chris Moran (14:20)
He did definitely finish 3rd in the Banked Slalom at the 2023 Brits (14:50)
Tim may or may not be current British snowboard slalom champion… (15:00)
The Brits took place in Aviemore in April 2023 (16:00)
Tim was working in Vail when he started making snowboard movies (19:00)
Adam Gendle is Tim’s long-time film-making partner (21:30)
Jeremy Sladen at the Snowboard Asylum sponsored the first set of movies that Tim and Adam produced (23:00)
Titles includes ‘Proper’, ‘Big Ass Big Airs’, ‘Show Offs’ and ‘Terminal Ferocity’ (23:45)
Check out Tim’s 2006 Brits Video (25:00)
Watch the movie ‘Chalet Girl’ (26:45)
And definitely watch the closing credits… (28:30)
Tim presented ‘Freesports on 4’ (31:30)
Iain interviewed Ski Sunday’s Ed Leigh in Episode 169
It featured events the Xbox (Gumby’s) Big Day Out (33:00)
The London Freeze took place at Battersea Power Station (34:00)
In 2014, Tim was asked to join the BBC Sport team to cover the Sochi Winter Olympics (35:00)
Who wouldn’t want to be a “professional snowballer” (36:20)
Jenny Jones won Team GB’s first ever Olympic medal on snow in the snowboard slopestyle (37:45)
Ed Leigh, Aimee Fuller and Tim got rather excited… (38:30)
The ‘Daily Mail’ described the commentary team as “Immature idiots” (39:20)
Tim was a reporter for the BBC at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, held in 2021 (43:00)
Being a reporter is more than just an “eyes and teeth” role (47:00)
Tim also reported from the Commonwealth Games for the BBC (50:00)
Beijing was a different experience as Tim was located in Manchester (52:00)
Tim filmed a feature on splitboarding for Ski Sunday in Scotland (55:00)
Look out for the hare when Tim went snowboarding in Weardale (59:15)
Find out about Yad Moss in Episode 88 of The Ski Podcast (1:00:00)
Enjoy ‘Gravity Grandma’ on YouTube (1:01:45)
Catch up with more of Tim’s work on ‘The Indestructibles‘ (1:03:00)
Watch ‘The Nearly Men’ with Marc Webber (01:03:45)
Find out more about Tim’s ‘Famous First Words’ game show tour (01:05:00)

Read White Lines’ defence of the infamous Jenny Jones commentary

“Riding switch is like writing left-handed while wearing a chip hat and being attacked by seagulls” (01:08:30)

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In Episode 176 we find out about National Snow Week, train travel to Austria and driving in an EV to Val d'Isère.

Iain was joined live by Babsi Lapwood from the Mountain Trade Network and Stephen Morgan from Raccoon Events, organisers of the National Snow Week and ‘down the line’ by Hannah Zajic from the Austrian Tourist Board and Simon McIntyre from Iglu Ski.

SHOW NOTES
Babsi skied in Banff, Sunshine Village and Panorama in Canada (1:30)
The Ski Podcast is sponsored by Les 3 Vallées - the largest ski area in the world
Skiing continues in Val Thorens until La Grand Derniere on 08 May (05:00)
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter reported from Val Thorens (5:30)
The Tour de France comes to Les 3 Vallées in July
Dan Keeley from Snowcamp is running from the UK to Rome to raise funds for CALM (7:00)
Find out about Dan's run at hometorome.com (7:30)
The Ski Podcast was shortlisted in the 'Wilderness' category at the Sports Podcast Awards (8:00)
Doug Newman from Ski Weekend interviewed Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards (8:30)
LISTEX Luxury is a B2B event in London in July
National Snow Week is a consumer event taking place this October (11:15)
Steve was last on the show when Iain spoke to him at the NEC in Episode 158 (13:00)
The last London Ski Show was held at Battersea Evolution in 2019. We reported from there in Episode 42 (14:30)
The Ski Podcast did offer to become the new sponsors of the O2-Excel cable car (16:45)
The London Snow Show will take place at the Excel centre on 21/22 October (18:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Mia Brookes in Episode 158 (19:30)
The 13th edition of annual trade event LISTEX will also take place at Excel (24:45)
You can get free tickets to National Snow Week by using the code 'SKIPODCAST' at https://nationalsnowweek.com (26:30)
Iain will be at both the London and Bham Shows presenting ‘The Ski Podcast Live’
Hannah Zajic is from the Austrian National Tourist Office in London (27:00)
Yvonne Rosentstatter from Salzburgerland joined us in Episode 90 (27:45)
OBB's Nightjet service connects 25 European cities (28:00)
Accessible resorts from the Innsbruck train include Kuhtai & Solden, as well as St Johann and Mayrhofen with an earlier exit at Worgl (31:00)
Fares start at €49 with a couchette in 6-berth, €59 with a couchette in 4-berth, €89 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper or €129 with a single-bed sleeper all to yourself (34:00)
Iain has driven to the Alps in an EV several times (39:00)
Simon McIntyre from Iglu Ski travelled to Val d'Isère in a Mercedes with a ‘real range’ of 220-230 miles
Find out more about low-carbon travel options at Ski Flight Free (48:00)

Feedback
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Allen Foster: "Very much enjoy your podcast" Lynsey: "Episode 173 was a great podcast once again"
Joe: "Thanks very much for the interesting feature on action cameras"
There are over 170 episodes to catch up with and 117 were listened to in the last week. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. And if you enjoy the pod, you can Buy Me A Coffee.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In Episode 174, we go behind the scenes at BBC’s ‘Ski Sunday’ with presenter Chemmy Alcott. We discuss unscrewing 100-year-old skis from a wall so she could try them out on snow, wanting to go grass skiing with Dave Ryding and what’s it’s like taking on a downhill course a decade after you’re retired from racing.

We also discuss the many, MANY injuries she suffered over her 20-year racing career…

SHOW NOTES
Chemmy helped celebrate the centenary of Ladies Ski Club in Murren in February (03:00)
Chemmy interviewed Dave Ryding in Austria last summer (09:00)
Dave Ryding had a gondola named after him in Kitzbuhel (10:00)
Dave is a very fast Parkrun runner (13:30)
Watch out for Chemmy’s feature on Ski Joering next winter (14:45)
Watch Chemmy’s Meribel downhill run here (15:30)
The run took place at the Courchevel Meribel 2023 World Ski Championships
Chemmy took part in ‘Dancing on Ice’ in 2012 (22:30)

Chemmy’s injuries include a dislocated jaw, broken neck, broken back, broken ribs, groin tears, two ACLs, compound tibia/fibula fracture and a broken ankle (24:30)

Find out more about the Ski Mojo (30:45)
The new Ski Mojo designs (35:00)
This blog looks at the value you can get from the Ski Mojo (37:30)
Tignes is great in summer for families (38:45)
Tim Warwood travelled to Scotland for a Ski Sunday feature last winter (39:00)

There are over 170 episodes to catch up with and 118 were listened to in the last week. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. Follow Chemmy at @chemmyski

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In Episode 174 Iain was joined by Team GB freestyle skier Kirsty Muir. Kirsty has enjoyed an impressive first two senior seasons, including being Britain's youngest competitor at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, multiple World Cup podiums and medalling at the X Games.
SHOW NOTES
* Kirsty finished 6th in the final World Cup Slopestyle of the season in Silvaplana, Switzerland * Listen to our special episode with Izzy and Zoe Atkin * Iain interviewed GB Snowsports Head Coach Pat Sharples * Kirsty picked up two bronze medals at the X Games * Iain spoke to Mia Brookes at the Birmingham Snow Show in Episode 158 * Kirsty had to put her Highers on hold to go to Olympics * She was Britain's youngest competitor at the Beijing Winter Olympics, where she finished 5th in Big Air and 8th in the Slopestyle * Kirsty won silver at the World Youth Olympics in 2020 * The Aberdeen Snowsports Centre was Kirsty’s first opportunity to try skiing * The Lecht and Glenshee are the nearest resorts to Aberdeen * Joe Tyler has been Kirsty’s coach since she first went to the Brits * Kirsty was shortlisted for the 2022 Downdays Skier of the Year * Red Bull invited Kirsty to join their team in 2022 * Listen to Iain’s interview with Jim Adlington, founder of Planks Clothing * Kirsty wears the Planks men’s ‘Good Times’ ski pants & ‘Happy Days’ anorak * Check out the Woodsy signature range

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnfGUoeLtW9/?hl=en

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In Episode 173, we discuss backcountry skiing in Scotland, Pays de Gex in France and the Freeride World Tour final in Verbier.

Iain was joined by ski journalist Catherine Murphy, instructor and film-maker George Treble and founder of British Backcountry, Blair Aitken.

SHOW NOTES
You can vote for ‘The Ski Podcast’ as ‘Best Wilderness Podcast’ in the Sports Podcast Awards (0:30)
Catherine was last on the show in Episode 99 telling us about the ski scene in Ireland
George is based in Morzine and is an instructor at the Avoriaz Alpine Ski School
Dave Burrows (SnowPros Ski School) reported from Glacier 3000 in Switzerland (3:45)
Andy Butterworth (Kaluma Ski) is based in St Anton, Austria (5:15)
Rob Rees was out in the Aosta Valley in Italy (07:45)
Simon Burgess was reporting from Andermatt in Switzerland (08:30)
The Ski Podcast is sponsored by Les 3 Vallees - the largest ski area in the world (9:30)
Iain spoke to Tom & Olivier in Episode 172 about Les 3 Vallees Enduro
Listen to Iain’s report on the Dynastar X3 Triathlon in Episode 93 (10:00)
You can watch ’10 in a Weekend’ here (10:30)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWqb4CHQEEI
Find out more about action cameras and iPhones in Episode 171 (17:30)
This is the cover shot of the film, showing Blair abseiling down Angel’s Face (19:30)
Blair runs British Backcountry, with his business partner, Gav Carruthers (23:00)
The Brits took place in Cairngorm last weekend (27:30)
Olympians who turned out included Murray Buchan, Lesley McKenna and Kirsty Muir (28:00)
Our next episode will be a special interview with Kirsty Muir
Find out more about Pays de Gex in France and the ski areas (29:00)
Iain reported from Abruzzo in Episode 170 (31:30)
Try the zip wire in Pays de Gex (33:30)
Jane Shah reported from the Freeride World Tour final in Verbier (36:00)
Jane spoke with multiple winner at Verbier, Reine Barkered (39:00)
Nicolas Hale Woods is the co-founder of the Freeride World Tour (40:00)
Secure a free ticket to this October's Snow Shows with the code 'SKIPODCAST'

Feedback (44:30)I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Faustian: "Brilliant podcast. As ever wish it was more frequent. Loved the interview with Ed Leigh"Sassman1: "Wholesome, inspiring, addictive. This podcast evokes so many good memories and gets me very excited for many more to be made in the mountains"
Ann Bennett: "Great podcast"InsideMorzine: "Quite simply the best out there!"
The Comfortable Spot Podcast: "Loved your chat with Ed and the episode about Afghanistan"

There are over 170 episodes to catch up with so don't forget to subscribe so you
don't miss an episode.

If you enjoy the pod, you can always Buy Me A Coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast on social

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In Episode 172 Iain was joined by ski journalists Katie Bamber and Tristan Kennedy to discuss the famous Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt, plus we look in detail at Verbier in Switzerland.

SHOW NOTES
Katie was last on the show in Episode 168 talking about #VanLife (0:30)
Read Katie’s piece about Jackson Hole, Wyoming here (1:00)
Tristan was calling in from the Hotel Suisse in Champery, Switzerland (2:15)
Please vote for The Ski Podcast in the ‘Best Wilderness’ category in the Sports Podcast Awards (4:30)
The Ski Podcast is sponsored by Les 3 Vallées - the largest ski area in the world
Winter Legacy event in Courchevel is organised by Alexis Pinterault (5:15)
In Episode 98 Emily Sarsfield spoke about the AJ Bell Challenge (5:30)
Olivier Desaulty and Tom Herbst from Les 3 Vallées joined us to discuss the ‘Enduro’ (6:00)
The Les 3 Vallées Enduro takes place on Sunday 02 April
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter reported from Courchevel (14:45)
Betony Garner was in Courmayeur in Italy (15:45)
Simon Burgess was skiing in Yad Moss in England on 11 March (16:45)
Find out more about Yad Moss in Episode 88 of The Ski Podcast
Sian Grigg from Pyrenean Odysseys reported on the current situation there
Iain travelled to Verbier by train (18:30)
Intersport Ski Hire gave Iain some Rossignol BlackOps Sender skis (19:30)
Read Al Morgan’s review of the BlackOps (19:45)
There were several major avalanches the day Iain arrived in Verbier (20:00)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tcENVVgHJrY
Robin Shah has reported for the podcast from Verbier on several occasions (21:30)
Iain and Robin skied the Three Fingers Couloir from Attelas (28:30)
Listen to our in-depth interview with Warren Smith in this special episode (29:00)
Can all ski resorts be categorised as either ‘fur’ resorts or ‘Goretex’ resorts? (33:30)
The final of the Freeride World Tour takes place in Verbier on 25 March (34:30)
Iain ate at two excellent restaurants: Le Rouge and La Nonna (35:00)
Dr. Michel Payot made the first ski crossing from Chamonix to Zermatt in 1903 (38:00)
The Patrouille des Glaciers race goes from Verbier to Zermatt (39:00)
Katie's trip on the Haute Route was organised by Adventure Base
Tristan travelled a new variant of the Haute Route (46:00)
Tristan recommends earplugs if staying in a refuge! (50:00)
There was double gold in the World Cup Snowboard Cross for Charlotte Bankes (56:00)
Mikaela Shiffrin has set a new World Cup skiing record with her 87th win (56:30)
Feedback (56:45)

I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Liam Major has been working his way through every podcast:
"I've finally caught up with the podcast after starting from the first episode. The pods seem to get better and better as I've progressed through them, once again thanks for this brilliant podcast I've truly learnt a lot and will continue to listen."Christian: "Keep up the excellent podding!"

Plus the best place if you want to review us is Apple Podcasts. Thanks for these two recent reviews:

Paul from Inside Morzine: "Love this podcast: it's the shining light that gets me through the week. Informative, educational & extremely interesting. Keep up the brilliant work."

DuncanSW: "Iain is a great host. Fantastic range of skiing topics & really useful information on all sorts of things. Highly recommended"

57% of our listeners in the UK with the next biggest countries are the USA, Australia, France and Canada. Please do let us know if you're listening from further afield.

Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. And if you enjoy the pod, you can always BMAC at Buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

You can follow iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

Thanks to Les 3 Vallées for sponsoring the show

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In Episode 171 we finding out all about action cameras (GoPros and their equivalents), including how best to film, how to edit and how to go viral. We're also going to be finding out whether the Carv helped Iain ski better, plus we'll be finding out about the world's most sustainable ski trip.

Iain was joined by Anna Hughes (founder of Flight Free UK), Chris Moran (Intersport Ski Hire) and podcast regular Al Morgan (SkiKitInfo.com)
The Ski Podcast is sponsored by Les 3 Vallees - the largest ski area in the world
SHOW NOTES
* Listen to our special podcast with snowboarding pioneer Chris Moran * Al was last on the podcast in Episode 168, telling us about the ski test * Alex Armand (Tip Top Ski Coaching) reported from Les 2 Alpes, France (03:45) * Robin Shah sent us his report from Verbier in Switzerland (4:30) * Steve Angus works a ski instructor in Val d'Isere (5:50) * Keith Webb reported from Kaprun in Austria (7:20) * Thanks to Joe Childs for suggesting our chat about action cameras (8:20) * Check out the Skipedia YouTube channel (09:15) * Iain and Al both use a GoPro Hero7 Black * Al also uses an Insta360 One X2 (09:45) * Chris uses an iPhone 13 Pro for most of his filming (12:00) * Take a look at Al’s SkiKitInfo channel here (17:45) * Overheard in French Ski Resorts’ went viral in 2017 (21:30)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q37Gp0xge74
* Chris starred in snowboard movies back in the day like Odd Man Out and Daytripper (23:15) * Chris uses Adobe Premiere for editing (25:30) * You can follow Intersport Rent on TikTok (26:30)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdGwK-rK4I4
* Anna Hughes is the founder of Flight Free UK (29:30) * Anna travelled to Anzere in Switzerland (34:00) * POW recently produced this excellent graphic showing how the carbon cost of your ski trip can be divided up (34:45) * Anna rented clothes from Ecoski (35:15) * Read Anna's article in the Evening Standard (41:00) * Iain used the Carv while on holiday in Roccaraso (41:15) * Iain had his ski boots fitted at Profeet: you can listen to his experience in Episode 163 * There is a 'Train With An Olympian' setting with Ted Ligety (46:00) * Mia Brookes became Snowboard World Champion in Slopestyle (50:45) * Iain interviewed Mia in Episode 158 * Charlotte Brookes/Huw Nightingale Team won the Team Snowboard Cross * Zoe Atkin took silver in the Ski Halfpipe (51:45) * Find out about the Loch Insh Crowdfunder * Read Iain’s article about Bladon Lines in Ski+Board magazine (52:30)

FEEDBACK (52:30)
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Richard Sideways: "Really good interview with Ed Leigh. His passion for the mountains and the sport really comes across"
Ryunis: "Excellent pod with Ed Leigh. Possibly my favourite yet"
Dale Hardman: "170 was a great episode"
Tom Thorp: "Thank you for all your work creating interesting episodes & insights"
There are over 170 episodes to catch up with and 118 were listened to in the last week.

Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. And if you enjoy the pod, you can Buy Me a Coffee as Heather Burns kindly did:

"So love your podcasts, listen to them with my kids and now have requests to go ski touring and open water swimming. Really love your championing of more sustainable travel, whilst we drive to our ski holidays (definitely a much moved part of the trips) we are now taking the train not the plain for a trip to Berlin in the summer checking out the new Eurosleeper"
You can follow iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In Episode 170 we discuss skiing in Roccaraso in the Italian Appenines, take a look at skiing in Hokkaido, Japan and look at the impact of climate change on La Plagne.

Iain was joined by Jen Tsang in La Plagne and podcast regular, Mike Richards in Niseko, Japan.

SHOW NOTES
Jen was on the show talking about La Plagne in Episode 99
You can read Jen’s guide to La Plagne here
Mike most recently joined us in Episode 165, discussing Madesimo
Andy Butterworth (Kaluma Ski) reported from St Anton in Austria (3:30)
Dave Burrows (SnowPros Ski School) has news from Villars in Switzerland (7:00)
Jen updates us on the snow conditions in La Plagne (9:30)
Listen to Jen talking about the changes on the glacier in La Plagne in Episode 99 (13:45)
Will summer skiing in Europe be affected by low snowfall this winter? (16:00)
Ski racers have signed an open letter to FIS asking for more action on climate change (18:00)
Mike spoke from Niseko in Hokkaido, Japan (20:00)
Rusutsu is one of Mike’s favourite resorts (23:00)
Lucy Aspen-Kean from Telegraph Ski & Snowboard recently visited Japan as well
(26:00)
Mike also recommends basing yourself in Furano (28:00)
Roccaraso is in the Appenine mountain range in Italy (29:00)
Naples and Pompeii are easy side trips to combine with the ski area
Iain interviewed Bonaventura Margadonna, head of the Alto Sangro ski area (31:00)
Fiona from Ski Abruzzo was Iain’s translator (33:00)
Iain will report on the Carv in discussion with Al Morgan in Episode 171 (36:00)
The GB Bobsleigh team picked up silver at the World Champs (37:00)
Jasmine Taylor took her first podium of the season in telemark
Charlotte Bankes won the Cortina World Cup in Snowboard Cross
Kirsty Muir and Zoe Atkin took World Cup podiums in Ski Slopestyle & Big Air
The Freestyle World Champs are on right now in Bakuirani, Georgia (38:00)

FEEDBACK (38:30)

I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com.

Laura Hargrave: "Loved the feature on van life in Episode 167"
Ian West: "Loved the refuge stay in Les 3 Vallees: you could tell you enjoyed it"
Judy Matthews: "Keep the episodes coming, it's a wonderful listen and I have got a few of my friends hooked on it too"

If you want to do something to help the show why not give us a review on Apple Podcasts.
There are over 170 episodes to catch up with and 123 were listened to in the last week
Are you one of our listeners in Iceland or El Salvador? (40:00)
If you enjoy the pod, you can BuyMeACoffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast:

@dwib: “Thanks for doing what you do. It's the highlight of the day when the pod goes up!”

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. Thanks to Les 3 Vallées for sponsoring the podcast.

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Ed Leigh has been the co-presenter of BBC’s Ski Sunday since 2007. We caught up with him in Les 3 Vallées prior to the 2023 World Championships, which are taking place in Courchevel and Méribel from 06-19 February.

SHOW NOTES
· Ski Sunday has already featured races in Adelboden, Wengen, Kitzbuhel and Schladming

· The season had a bad start in December 2022 with many resorts limited to strips of snow (4:30)

· Lauren MacCallum from Protect Our Winters appeared in Episode 168 of The Ski Podcast (5:00)

· You can raise money for Disability Snowsport UK by donating 10-100% of the sale price to them on ebay (6:45)

· You can find out when Ed lists his snowboard by following him on Instagram (9:15)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QigEVZcJni4

· Ski Sunday returned to Chamonix for the Kandahar Slalom (15:00)

· Ed bought the Courchevel ski touring lift pass (15:45)

· Ed is a big fan of FatMap (17:45)

· The Breche de la Portetta is spectacular (19:00)

· Iain reported on his stay in an unmanned refuge in Méribel in Episode 167 (19:15)

· The Alpine Ski World Championships take place in Courchevel & Méribel from 06-19 February (22:00)

· Matt Barr presents the ‘Looking Sideways’ podcast (25:15)

· Find out more about the ‘Natural Selection’ tour (26:30)

· Ed and Graham presented High Altitude as part of Ski Sunday (30:00)

· Ed took Simon Le Bon sailing in Sweden (33:00)

· Listen to Iain’s interview with Mia Brookes in Episode 158 (37:00)

· Iain interviewed Chemmy Alcott when the Ski Sunday team were based in Laax in Episode 67

· During the 2021 season in Laax, Ed dislocated his knee cap and broke his tibia (42:00)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLp2Pqxsy9Q/

· Ed is based in Wanaka, New Zealand outside of the northern winter

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In E168 we discuss next year's kit, travelling to the mountains by train & EV and solar panels in Méribel. Plus we have new snow reports, a Team GB update and a snippet from our forthcoming interview with Ed Leigh.

Iain was joined by Lauren MacCallum and Lindsey Dixon from Protect Our Winters and equipment expert, Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo.com
SHOW NOTES
* Al was in La Clusaz (2:00) * Here’s a look at Candide Thovex doing what he does best in his home resort

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKP7jQknGjs

Lindsey reports on her skiing in Val d’Isere
Lauren was splitboarding in Cairngorm, Scotland and prior to that in Les 7 Laux, France (see our main photo for a shot of the inversion!) (3:00)
Betony Garner reported from Flaine, France (5:15)
Dave Burrows from Snowpros Ski School reported from Morgins, Switzerland (plus Avoriaz & Villars) (6:30)
Ed Leigh has been splitboarding in Courchevel (9:15)
The SIGB Ski Test took place in La Clusaz (11:15)
The industry trade show, Slide, takes place in early January (17:00)

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1621049951538003969

Al writes up his equipment tests for his own website SkiKitInfo.com, as well as for The Telegraph and Fall Line Skiing magazine
Trends to look out for include ‘cinch’ bindings on ski boots (20:00)
Look out for the Salomon Addict Pro piste ski (21:00)
Lauren uses a Nidecker Thruster unisex snowboard (23:00)
Al tested the Carv device (24:00)
Protect Our Winters was founded by snowboarder Jeremy Jones (28:00)
Lindsey travelled on a Ouigo service from Paris to Bourg-St-Maurice (30:30)
The final bus transfer was booked with Altibus (37:00)
Lauren drove to Val Thorens in a Tesla Y electric car (38:00)
Iain drove to Zermatt in a Tesla in August (39:00)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8fgtVU3bhI
* Regenerative braking adds to the battery range when going downhill (42:30)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xthOeIsk3Mc
* Clement Martinod works for the Meribel Alpine lift company * Solar panels have been added to the Saulire Express lift mid-station (44:00) * All Compagnie des Alpes snow groomers have been converted from diesel to HVO (48:00) * Dave Ryding came second in Kitzbuhel (50:00) * Mia Brookes took second in the Laax Open Freestyle Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup * Iain interviewed Mia in Episode 158 * Zoe Atkin won gold in the Ski Superpipe at the XGames in Aspen * Kirsty Muir won two bronzes at the XGames * Makayla Gerken Schofield took bronze in her first Moguls World Cup podium * The Alpine Ski World Championships take place in Courchevel and Meribel in Les 3 Vallees from 06-13 Feb (51:00) * The full interview with Ski Sunday’s Ed Leigh will be released as Episode 169 on 10 February

Feedback
I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, ideas for features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Rachel Flynn: "Absolutely loving the podcast"
BobinCH: "James was a great listen in Episode 166"
Kat Ryb: "How have I not come across this before? Just listened to the two recent episodes and they are great!"
Joe Childs: "I am completely addicted to your podcast. I really like the mix of content, alongside the frequent sustainability features, equipment reviews & snow reports. Having watched the first episode of Ski Sunday of the season (probably my favourite TV programme) on 8th January, I searched Spotify for something similar and found The Ski Podcast. Since then, I have listened to 41 of the episodes and I have no plan to slow down.”

You can follow iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In Episode 167 we discuss touring the Alps in a camper van, going off-grid in Les 3 Vallées, ski jumping in Innsbruck and follow up on the Ice Swimming World Championships in Samoens.

Iain was joined by Katie Bamber - online editor at Fall Line Magazine - and freelance journalist Katja Gaskill.

SHOW NOTES
* Katie last skied in Cervinia, Italy (2:30) * Al Morgan will be reporting on the SIGB Ski Test in Episode 168 (3:00) * Iain reports on snow conditions in Meribel last week (3:30) * Iain rented Rossignol Sky 7 skis from Intersport, fitted with touring bindings (4:00)

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1614563311441395718

Steve Angus reports from Val d'Isère (5:00)
Stephen Spiers was skiing at Glencoe Mountain in Scotland (6:20)
Jim Duncombe reports from La Clusaz (8:00)
The Ice Swimming World Championships took place in Samoens (10:00)

https://twitter.com/theskipodcast/status/1616383120063725570

Iain spoke with Team GB competitor Cathy Munro in Episode 166
Katie Bamber toured the Alps in an adapted camper van last winter (18:30)
Read Katie’s article in Fall Line Magazine (20:00)
Katie previously lived in Sun Valley, Idaho (26:00, 27:20)
Iain ski toured to the Refuge du Saut in Meribel (28:45)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiwA0XOPDvY

Rob Rees reported from the Bergesil Ski Jumping event in Innsbruck (37:30)

Feedback
I enjoy all feedback about the show, so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Laura Hargrave:
"I've come across your podcast recently and I have to say that I LOVE it."
Dave Mills:
"Recent convert, brilliant format and unbelieveable variety of ski, boarding, equipment, sustainability and resort-related subjects; now hooked for life!"

There are over 160 episodes to catch up with and 141 were listened to in the last week. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. Thank you to Les 3 Vallées - the world's largest ski area - for sponsoring the show.

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In Episode 166, we discuss skiing in Iraq and Afghanistan with Ashley Hartz and James Willcox from Untamed Borders, as well as ice swimming in Samoens with Cathy Munro.

The Ski Podcast is sponsored by Les 3 Vallées - the largest ski area in the world

SHOW NOTES
* James was last on the podcast in March 2021 when we discussed skiing in Afghanistan * Ashley is based in Snoqualmie in Washington State, USA * Patrick Thorne is the author of ’Around the World in 50 Pistes’ and was on the podcast in Episode 162 (3:45) * Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter reported from Courchevel, France (5:30) * Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School reported from Courmayeur and Pila in the Aosta Valley, Italy (6:30) * Keith Webb reported from Badhofgastein in Austria (10:00) * Gethin James reported from Cairngorm Mountain in Scotland (11:44) * Gethin joined us for Episode 162 to tell us about skiing in Solden * Find out about the new Rannoch chairlift at Glencoe Mountain * Ashley tells us about skiing in Iraq (13:15) * The Hamilton Road links Iraq and Iran (15:15) * Korek ski resort in Iraq has 200m of groomed pistes (16:30) * Find out about Free to Run (23:00) * The 6th Choman Winter Festival took place in 2022 (24:30)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiD8ckLY054

The Iraq Ski Rally was set up by Untamed Winters (26:30)
Check the latest FCO advice on Iraq (29:45)
Untamed Borders helped with the logistics for Michael Palin’s programme ‘Into Iraq’ recorded for Channel 5 (30:00)
Try Battleface travel insurance for cover in destinations like Iraq (30:30)
Listen to our special episode about skiing in Afghanistan (33:00)
Read about the Afghan Sports Trust (35:00)
The World Ice Swimming Championships are taking place in Samoens in January 2022 (40:00)

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast on social media

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In Episode 165 we discuss skiing in destinations as diverse as Orelle, Madesimo and Uzbekistan, find out about the new sports centre in Val Thorens, plus we have snow reports from across Europe and some words from a World Champion.

Iain was joined by Sophie Ibbotson and regular guest, Mike Richards.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Episode 165
4:30 Snow Reports
10:00 Les Gets smoking ban
12:15 Orelle
17:00 Val Thorens
24:00 Uzbekistan
35:00 Madesimo
41:30 Team GB
42:50 Alexis Pinterault
46:00 Ski Touring
49:30 Skiing in Wales

SHOW NOTES
Both Mike and Sophie were on ‘The Ski Podcast Live’ panel at the National Snow Show in Birmingham * In Episode 90 Mike told us about skiing in Turkey (2:00) * The Ski Podcast is sponsored by L3V -* the largest ski area in the world * Charles Leocha in the book 'Ski Europe describes it: 'On paper, the area is overwhelming, in person it's mind expanding' (3:00) * Andy Butterworth of Kaluma Ski reported from St Anton (4:30) * Robin Shah is in Verbier (7:14) * Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching is in Les 2 Alpes (9:20) * Les Gets smoking ban: A territory without butts (10:00) * Iain visited Orelle, travelling by train (12:15) * The new Orelle-Cime gondola opened in December 2021 (15:00) * Iain travelled as a pedestrian from Orelle to Val Thorens (17:00)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImfJK9dPG0o

Iain visited the new sports centre in Val Thorens, ‘Le Board’ (18:00)
Eric Blancot is the commercial director at the Val Thorens Tourist Office https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1604430159637106688
Amirsoy is the new ski resort in Uzbekistan (24:00)
Ubekistan has five UNESCO world heritage sites (31:15)
Laurent Vanat produces the International Report on Snow and Mountain Tourism (33:15)
This excellent article on Uzbekistan by Tristan Kennedy appeared in Snow Magazine
Felix Milns told us about parachuting above the Eiger in Episode 98 (34:15)
You can find out more about Madesimo in this article from Fall Line (35:00)
This is the official Madesimo website (39:00)
Double podium for Charlotte Bankes in back-to-back Cervinia World Cups (41:30)
Andrew Musgrave took his second World Cup podium
Andrews Musgrave and Young appeared in this special episode of the podcast) (42:00)
Makayla Gerken Schofield’s 6th in Idre Fjall, Sweden was her best ever result
Kirsty Muir took 5th in the Copper Mountain Ski Big Air World Cup
Alexis Pinterault is the most successful French ski racer of all time (42:50)
Listen to the full interview with Alexis here
The Alpine Ski World Championships take place in Courchevel and Meribel from 06-19 February (46:00)
You can listen to how Al and Iain decided on Atomic Prime Hawx ski boots in Episode 163 (46:45)
Iain’s skis from Intersport Ski Hire were Atomic Backland 86s – great skis! (47:00)
Listen to Mike talking about skiing in Wales (49:30)

Feedback
Dom Winter (POW): “Thanks for making this great episode [about sustainability]“
Miranda Walsh (YT): “Thanks for posting this interview [with Alexis Pinterault]. It's a great listen”
Paul Bond (YT): “Great chat”
Christian (email): “Thanks for being such a great source of ski info!”
Rob (email): “I’m enjoying all your new podcasts”

If you enjoy the show, there's two things you can do to help:

1) Give us a review. You might hear this on other podcasts, but it genuinely does helps others find us

2) you're always welcome to BMAC at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast. The podcast is a passion project for me, every episode
takes 5-6 hours of my time, but I love it, so if you fancy buying me a coffee
that would be lovely.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In Episode 164, Iain speaks with Alexis Pinterault – the most successful French ski racer of all time.

Alexis made his World Cup debut at 17 and has since won 34 World Cup races. He has represented France at six World Championships and three Winter Olympics (winning two Bronze medals).

Alexis finished 5th in the Slalom in Val d'Isere (1:30)
The Courchevel-Meribel World Ski Championships take place from 06-19 February 2023 (2:20)
His first turns were on the Pralong slope in Courchevel (4:30)
Pinterault was World Junior Champion in 2009 (6:00)
Alexis won the overall 'Crystal Globe' in 2021 (7:30)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK9IPvfi6TY

‘Winter Legacy’ takes place in Courchevel on 07-08 April (9:00)
Alexis’ book ‘From Gold to Crystal’ is currently only available in French, German and Italian (14:30)

View Details

In Episode 163 Iain has his ski boots fitted at Profeet, we discuss how to protect your skin when skiing and look at La Plagne glacier lift changes.

Iain was joined by Jen Tsang from La Plagne and regular guest and equipment expert Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo.com and down the line by Michelle Baker from Melanoma Fund and Tim Fawke from Snowsport England.

SHOW NOTES
Jen last appeared on the snow in Episode 99 * Al skied in Obertauern in Austria * The Ski Podcast is sponsored by Les 3 Vallées -* the largest ski area in the world * Patrick Thorne is author of 'Around the World in 50 Pistes' and appeared on the show in Episode 162 * Les 3 Vallées once had 220 lifts, but now it’s only 160 – as they are bigger and faster, with an uplift capacity of 300,000 skiers/snowboarders per hour * Chris Moran from Intersport Ski Hire reported from the opening weekend in Courchevel (3:40) * Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School was in Cervinia, Italy (5:30) * Keith Webb reported from Kaprun, Austria (7:10) * Betony Garner was skiing in Courmayeur, Italy (9:20) * Michelle Baker is the CEO of the Melanoma Fund about their new snowsports campaign (10:15) * Tim Fawke is the CEO of Snowsport England * La Plagne are making changes to the Bellecote glacier (18:20) * Find out about the Flocon Vert accreditation from Mountain Riders (22:40) * Six more resorts were awarded the Flocon Vert last month (23:15) * After a lot of discussion with Al, Iain chose the Atomic Hawx Prime XTD 130 CT GW for his new boots (24:45) * Al explains about GripWalk soles in ski boots (26:50) * Iain went to Profeet in Fulham to have his new boots fitted and custom insoles made (28:00) * Master bootfitter Sam Jones looked after Iain (29:30) * Sam also fitted the Carv device, which Iain will be testing in Val Thorens later this month (36:30) * The choice of sock material (merino, silk, manmade) depends on individual physiology and budget (38:30)

Feedback

Please send your feedback about the show to us on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Thanks to all our following at Snowheads and your comments about our Ski Boot Special (Episode 161)

MikePow: "Great episode. Essential listening"
boredsurfin: "Excellent episode"
BobinCH: "Colin is hilarious and super knowledgeable"
Layne: "Another great episode - keep up the good work"

Miranda Slater contacted us via Facebook: "I'm a great fan of your Podcast and love to
listen when you drop new episodes. Thanks for all your insightful interviews."

Don’t forget that there are over 160 episodes to catch up with. 153 of these were listened to in the last week (only the PyeongChang Winter Olympic specials missed out).

If you enjoy the show, there's two things you can do to help:

1) Give us a review on Apple Podcasts
2) Buy me a Coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

You can follow me@skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In Episode 162 of The Ski Podcast, we find out about skiing in Ukraine, trains to the Pyrénées and travel ‘Around the World in 50 Slopes’.

Iain is joined by UK ski journalist, Patrick Thorne, Sian Grigg from Pyrenean Odysseys and Jem Rose from PowderMad.

SHOW NOTES
Patrick was in Val Thorens for ‘La Grand Derniere’
Sian skied in Grand Tourmalet
We featured skiing in Georgia in Episode 37 of The Ski Podcast
The Ski Podcast is sponsored by Les 3 Vallees - the largest ski area in the world
Val Thorens is celebrating its 50th anniversary this winter
Alex Irwin from ‘150 Days of Winter’ reported from VT on their opening weekend
Snow Factor in Glasgow has closed
'Around the World in 50 Slopes' is the new book from Patrick Thorne
Svalbard featured in Episode 94 of The Ski Podcast
Jem’s group were in Dragobrat in Ukraine
Find out about the charity War Child here
You can buy Powermad’s ski socks here
Pyrenean Odysseys is based inLuz St Sauveur
The Paris-Lourdes night train is one of only two serving ski resorts in France
Episode 160 was a sustainability special
Iain travelled with his family to Cauterets to prove a half-term ski trip on a budget is possible
Read Iain’s article for ‘The Independent’ about train travel to ski resorts
Find out more about Intersport Ski Hire here
James Gambrill is General Manager of The Ski Club of Great Britain
We spoke to James in Episode 75 just after he'd taken over as GM

FEEDBACK

Sean Lally: "Love the pod"
Richard Salden: "Enjoying the podcast & the wide range of topics and opinions"
Andy Thain: "Keep up the good work"

There are over 160 episodes to catch up with and amazingly 127 of them were listened to in the last week.

I'd love to hear where you listen to the podcast - commuting, in the gym, or at work. Andrea Dalton will be listening "on my dog walk in the morning".

I enjoy all feedback about the show, so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

If you enjoy the show, why not review us as it helps other people find us. Apple Podcasts is best - if you leave a comment we'll read it out on the next episode.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

View Details

Episode 161 is a Ski Boot Special: we look at types of ski boot; how to choose a ski boot; whether you should have them fitted or moulded; plus some of the gadgets that work with them.

Iain was joined by the ski boot experts Colin Martin from Solutions4Feet and regular equipment expert Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo.com.

SHOW NOTES

Colin skied at Kuhtai on the SIGB Ski Test
Listen to Al talking about the Ski Test in Episode 91
TSP is sponsored by Les 3 Vallées - the largest ski area in the world
Val Thorens is celebrating its 50th anniversary this winter
You can now book holidays to Les 3 Vallées directly via their their website
World Cup races in Solden and Zermatt were cancelled
Mia Brookes took 9th and Kirsty Muir 7th in the Big Air in Chur
Listen to our interview with Mia Brookes in Episode 158

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RMQJmpiBnhw

Robin Shah reported on his first turns in Verbier, which as he predicted opened last weekend

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1590343660310495233

Dave Burrows from Snow Pros Ski School reported from Glacier 3000
The Warren Miller film tour ‘Daymaker’ starts later this month
Iain is hosting the Brighton screening on Friday 02 December

https://twitter.com/theskipodcast/status/1585952522459648001

Love this quote: “Like a wand in Harry Potter, the ski boot chooses your foot”
Touring boots cost more because a patent has to be paid to Dynastar every time
Iain had his custom insoles created for him at Profeet
Go for thin ski socks, recommended brands include Falke, Teko and Smartwool
Don’t buy your ski boots on the basis of colour: “They’re tools not jewels”
Iain spoke to Professor Henrik Bjursten about his new VPECS innovation
The Carv device fits into your ski boot and gives feedback on your ski technique, visually via the app or in audio via Bluetooth
Ted Ligety is their new ambassador (and can give you ski advice!)

Feedback

Please send us your feedback on social @theskipodcast or email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Chris Exall:

“Hope you don't mind a minor correction [re Episode 101]. Though they were often referred to as ‘parablocks’, but in fact they were called ‘parablacks’. The reason was that the inventor was called Gunther Schwartz. They were partly to stop skiers crossing 'the sharp ends' but they were widely used in World Cup speed events because they had the effect of dampening the ski and filtering out vibration. Marker developed their own version which had a weight suspended by springs, it was intended as a more active 'suspension' for ski racers, though the thing weighed a ton. The earliest ones were simply plastic boxes but the last version was a spring loaded coat hanger wire affair which stopped your tips crossing but folded flat if you tried to uncross them”

BobinCH (snowheads): "Gethin on Solden in October [Episode 159] was an interesting listen"

Richard_Sideways (snowheads): "Nice podcast as usual"

Elements.biz: "Super interesting conversations [in Episode 160]. Thanks for the ongoing sustainability focus"

Gareth Harvey: "Thanks for the snowboard episode"

Judy Mathews: "Really enjoying your podcast. I have only just come across it recently & wish I did some time ago, but I have plenty to catch up on when driving or running."

As Judy says there are over 160 episodes to catch up with. We'd love to hear how you listen to the podcast - commuting, in the gym, or at work.

If you enjoy the show, why not review us as it helps other people find us. We have 88 reviews on Apple Podcasts, 74 are 5-star reviews - and if you leave a comment we'll read it out on the next episode.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In Episode 160, Iain was joined by Prue Stone (Hotelplan), Ceri Tinley (Consensio Chalets) and Al Judge (AliKats Mountain Holidays) - three ski companies all taking sustainability seriously by making significant changes to their operations and product.

SHOW NOTES

Iain set up the lobbying campaign Ski Flight Free in 2019 (00:30)
COP27 brings together world leaders to discuss and hopefully take action on climate change (01:00)
Prue Stone is Sustainability Director at Hotelplan, which includes Inghams Ski (01:45)
Listen to our interview with Joe Ponte CEO at Hotelplan, recorded in February 2021 (02:30)
Find out more about train travel to the Alps at Ski Flight Free (05:45)
Hotelplan’s goal is to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 (06:30)
Rachael from ecoski.co.uk appeared on Episode 57 of The Ski Podcast (09:45)
You can watch our session ‘The Ski Podcast Live – ‘Off The Beaten Track’ recorded at the National Snow Show in Birmingham on YouTube (12:15)
Ceri Tinley is the founder and MD at Consensio Chalets (14:45)
You can read Consensio’s ‘Luxury Ski Insights Report’ here
Find out more about Protect Our Winters UK (16:45)
Ecollective helps travel brands calculate and subsequently reduce their carbon footprint (17:00)
Consensio’s goal is to reach Net Zero by 2035 (20:00)
Coolbus have invested in new Mercedes Electric Minibuses for this winter (20:30)
Snowdrone also offer transfers using electric vehicles (25:30)
Al Judge is the owner of AliKats Mountains Holidays in Morzine (28:45)
Find out about the Montagne Verte organisation in Morzine (29:15)
Find out about bokashi composting (30:00)
Listen to our special episode on Electric Vehicles in ski resorts (31:30)
You can find out more about their sustainability policies on their website (32:00)
A hot tub uses 1500 lt of water & 200 kWh of electricity p/w to keep water at 37.5C in winter (34:30)
Find out about their ‘Responsible Hot Tub Initiative’ here (35:30)
AliKats use the Good Planet Foundation for any offsets they require (36:30)
Listen to our special episode when Iain interviewed Helen Coffey, the flight free travel journalist (37:30)

View Details

In Episode 159 we discuss piste maps, skiing in Austria in October and look back at the National Snow Show. We also ask whether you should rent your snowboard in resort, rather than buying.

Iain was joined by Gethin James and Julie Slaughter, founder of Wipeout, as well as down the line by Chris Moran from Intersport Ski hire.

SHOW NOTES

Gethin skied with his family in The Lecht in Scotland
Julie’s hike was to the beautiful Lac Blanc in Chamonix
Les 2 Alpes has confirmed it won’t open this autumn

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1583395200193679362

Iain presented about driving an electric car to the Alps at the National Snow Show

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1581631192943984640

Listen to our special episode about the 2022 National Snow Show here
The women’s GS at Solden was cancelled, although the Men’s race did take place
The Men’s Downhill races in Zermatt have also been cancelled
Mia Brookes took 9th place in her World Cup Big Air debut

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1581951963658190849

Les 3 Vallees is the largest ski area in the world
Check out the Wipeout range on their website
Listen to our snowboard special here:

https://audioboom.com/posts/8171940-157-snowboarding-special-how-to-choose-a-snowboard-renting-v-buying-splitboarding-more

Listen to our special episode with Chris Moran here
You can book snowboards at www.intersportrent.com and ask questions via their Facebook page

FEEDBACK

Please do get in contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Rachel Frisby: “The Ski Podcast is really good. I really enjoy listening to it”

Nick Axten-Rice: “The Ski Podcast is really good”

Sally: “An absolute must listen for anyone desperately waiting on the ski season to start!”

John Greenwood: “Keep up the good work!”

Matt Hayes: “Great review of the show, really enjoyed the day and the live episode of The Ski Podcast”

Raymond Can: “I really enjoyed the podcast #96 re Chamonix and it got me excited about our February 2023 trip”

Mark Davis: "Thank you for another great ski podcast. My children, who are 9 and 10 and I listened to it last night…they always enjoy the ski podcast, being slightly obsessed with the slopes. I always look forward to an episode and dream of the places we can go"

If you'd like to do something to support the podcast, there are two things that would really help.

1) Review us on Apple Podcasts

2) If you're enjoying the podcast you can always buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Don’t forget we have 158 other episodes to catch up on – typically 75-100 get listened to every week.

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

Thanks to Les 3 Vallees for sponsoring The Ski Podcast

View Details

This special episode of The Ski Podcast was recorded at The National Snow Show 2022, which took place at the Birmingham NEC this weekend.

In this episode, Iain speaks with the following people:

Chemmy Alcott, BBC Ski Sunday
Al Morgan, SkiKitInfo.com
Jarrod Osbourne, Ski Olympic
Will, Random Rental
Luke Rees, AWE365.com
Megan Hughes, National Geographic Traveller
Doug Newman, Ski Weekend
Graham Bell, BBC Ski Sunday
Mia Brooks, GB Snowsports Snowboarder
Sally Warren, Whoski
Tony Burns, ecoski
Stephen Morgan, Raccoon Events

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1581951963658190849

Additional Notes

Graham Bell talked about his ‘Perfect Turns’ app in Episode 83
Find out more about Ski Weekend’s 35th Anniversary Chamonix Offers

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1581373750762557441

Listen out for more about Snow Week 2023 in future episodes of The Ski Podcast.

View Details

In Episode 157 of The Ski Podcast we turn our focus to snowboarding, including how to choose a snowboard, whether you should buy or rent and what split boarding is.

Iain was joined by journalist Sam Haddad (Guardian & Cooler Magazine) and Luke Rees, founder of adventure travel website AWE365.com.

SHOW NOTES

Check out Sam’s new ‘Climate & Board Sports’ Substack
Listen to Felix Milns talk about his helicopter freefall jump over the Eiger in Episode 98
Sam was in La Rosiere in April
Iain tested the Mont Valaisan ski area in La Rosiere in Episode 27
Luke travelled to North Macedonia
The are 157 episodes of The Ski Podcast, so under our new numbering system, this is Episode 157
Les 3 Vallees sponsors The Ski Podcast
The Alpine Ski World Championships will be held in Courchevel and Meribel from 06-19 February 2023
The National Snow Show takes place at the Birmingham NEC on 15-16 October
Look out for ‘The Ski Podcast Live!’ on Saturday at 11.15am and Iain’s presentation on electric cars in ski resorts on Sunday at 12:00pm
There are three main categories of snowboard: Freeride, Freestyle and All Mountain
Sam is a big fan of splitboarding – read her article in The Guardian here
For a UK-based splitboarding option, try Wandering Workshops in Scotland
Burton’s ‘Step On’ snowboard bindings are a game-changer
Nidecker’s ‘Supermatic’ is another ‘step’ in this direction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm_PyqvFoSo

Al Judge is the owner of AliKats Mountains Holidays in Morzine
Find out about the Montagne Verte organisation in Morzine
Listen to our special episode on Electric Vehicles in ski resorts
Find out about bokashi composting
You can find out more about their sustainability policies on their website
On average, a hot tub uses 1,500 litres of water and 200 kWh of electricity to keep the water at 37.5 degrees centigrade for a week in the winter
Find out about their ‘Responsible Hot Tub Initiative’ here
AliKats use the Good Planet Foundation for any offsets they require
Listen to our special episode when Iain interviewed Helen Coffey, the flight free travel journalist

FEEDBACKI enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do review us on Spotify/Apple, or get in contact on social or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com.

Fogey58: "Always varied, well presented and for snowsports fans an essential hit"

Guapo333: "Love this podcast. Really informative and superbly presented. Keep up the good work"

Elaine Bunyon: "Wow…Greece is now on my bucket list!"

Thanks also to Fiachra Diskin and Dave Faller for their kind words.

Don’t forget we have 156 other episodes to catch up on – typically 75-100 get listened to every week.

You can follow The Ski Podcast on social media at @theskipodcast

View Details

In Episode 101, Iain is joined by journalist Emma Bowes and equipment expert Al Morgan to discuss skiing in Greece, ‘frontside’ skis and the ‘Parablock’. James Gambrill also joins us with news of the latest Ski Club of Great Britain survey.

SHOW NOTES

· Gemma travelled to Val Cenis and Val Frejus last spring

· Splitboard Fest will be held in La Norma in January 2023

· Skiing on the glacier in Zermatt restarted on Tue 20 September

· Recent episodes have included Warren Smith, Helen Coffey, Speed Opening in Zermatt and, of course, our 100th Episode

· Thanks to Julie for her comments on the taxonomy of the podcasts!

· Les 3 Vallees - the largest ski area in the world - is now the main sponsor of The Ski Podcast

· Read about the solar panels installed in Meribel this summer on the Saulire Express

· Gemma skied in Parnassos in Greece

https://youtu.be/GtEc9RJU8cM

· Listen to Iain’s report on his half-term family ski trip to the French Pyrenees in Episode 49

· ‘The Ski Podcast’ will be at the National Snow Show taking people ‘off the beaten track’ in our live episode covering Morocco, Turkey, Albania & Kazahkstan. It’s on at 12pm on Saturday 15th October.

· On Sunday 16th October, Iain will be presenting about driving EVs to and around the Alps.

· Iain curated the forum at ‘Ski Launch’ – an industry event in London on 13 September – and the sustainability panel at LISTEX, held at The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead

· James Gambrill is the General Manager of the Ski Club of Great Britain

· Iain was reading theseUS ski reviews

· Mike Greenland asked us via Twitter: "Who remembers the Parablock from the 70s?”

· A vaguely similar idea available now is the Edgie Wedgie

FEEDBACK

You can give us feedback about the show, on social to @theskipodcast or by email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

Rachel Frisby: "Loved episode about La Plagne (99). Love the resort so much.”

Joe McHugh: “Great podcast again, as always! Regarding the Vanoise Express link to Les Arcs, if you stay in Montchavin, you can ski a full day in either La Plagne or Les Arcs. The village is one lift away in the morning and there are no extra lifts to be taken in the evening: you just ski back to the village. It’s a traditional village, quiet with limited night-life, but location makes it a great base to explore the whole Paradiski area.”

Richard_Sideways: “Great special with Warren Smith”

BobinCH: “Great podcast with Warren! Didn’t know he filmed with Guido Perrini”

Liam Major: “I just wanted to say I've been listening through the podcast series and I'm hooked, you and Iain do a really good job. I've only recently developed an interest in skiing and have started listening through all of your podcasts in anticipation for my first trip away. The magnitude of knowledge I've have learned from these podcasts is exceptional so I can't thank you enough.”Photo from https://www.facebook.com/OnParnassos

View Details

Episode 100 of The Ski Podcast is a slightly different from usual as Iain looks at the story behind The Ski Podcast. We look at how the podcast started, celebrity guests, our favourite features and reveal our new sponsor.

SHOW NOTES

· The ‘Pilot’ episode of The Ski Podcast was published in October 2017, lamenting the cancellation of ‘The Jump’

· Early episodes covered anything that piqued our interest, from Ed Sheeran (Episode 4), Genepi (Episode 5) and Jim’s love of funiculars (Episode 7)

· During the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in 2018, we produced an episode every day

· Chill Factore in Manchester were our first sponsor in September 2018

· One of Iain’s favourite interviews was Eddie the Eagle Edwards in Jan 2019

· Favourite early features include the number of wolves in the Alps (Episode 28) or theories about drug dealers in ski resorts (Episode 33)

· Jim left the show in August 2020

· Back in 2017, when an interview went awry it was news, but with the rise of Zoom during Covid, this hardly seems out of the ordinary…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh4f9AYRCZY

· CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) is a great resource for anyone suffering from mental health issues

· Perhaps Iain’s favourite celebrity interview was with Roger Federer 😉

· Other favourites include Steve Cross, who man who built a chairlift in his garden during lockdown, Antoine Motillon, a paraplegic pistebasher driver in Courchevel, and the amazing story of the Aspen Ski Thief

· Thanks go to Intersport and Battleface for supporting the show, but especially to Switzerland Tourism for being our main partner for the last three years

· Our new sponsor from Episode 101 onwards is the world's largest ski area Les 3 Vallées

· There are over 150 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with

· Make sure you never miss an episode by subscribing now and join us for the next five years…

View Details

This bonus episode of The Ski Podcast focusses on the new ‘Speed Opening’ downhill races from Zermatt to Cervinia. Iain speaks to ‘Speed Opening’ director Christian Ziojian as well as legendary Swiss ski racer Pirmin Zurbriggen.

We discuss how this first ever cross-border race came into being, what the course is like, its place in the FIS calendar and what it will take to actually make it happen in the context of a summer of unprecedented temperatures.

SHOW NOTES

‘Speed Opening’ will be the first cross-border World Cup race
In 2019 the Cervinia lift company came up with the initial idea
The ‘Alpine Crossing’ connecting Klein Matterhorn and Cervinia is due to open in spring 2023
The first European race of the World Cup calendar is a Giant Slalom in Solden in October
The Wengen ‘Lauberhorn’ Downhill takes place in January
The National Snow Snow takes places at the NEC in Birmingham on 15-16 October
The course has been designed by the Swiss ex-downhill racer, Didier Défago, who won the gold medal at the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYRvPJdlD9A

The final layout of the course has not yet been confirmed, but it likely to include a larger finish jump
The glacier in Zermatt closed in July 2022 due to lack of snow after a very warm summer and a dry winter
The Beijing Winter Olympics took place on very little snow!
The races are scheduled for 29/30 October (men’s races) and 05/06 November (women’s races)
Pirmin Zurbriggen is one of the most successful racers ever, with four overall World Cup wins, Olympic downhill gold in 1988 and 9 world championship medal

View Details

In this bonus episode Iain talks with Helen Coffey, travel editor at ‘The Independent’ and author of the book ‘Zero Altitude: How I Learned to Fly Less and Travel More’.

We discuss her background in skiing, time at Telegraph Ski & Snowboard Magazine and her decision in 2020 to give up flying completely – a significant decision for a travel journalist.

SHOW NOTES

· Helen was on the show in Episode 80

· She learned to ski at Hemel Hempstead (2:15)

· Her first ski season was in Les Arcs (4:00)

· Listen to our interview with ski instructor Warren Smith here (4:45)

· Helen worked as a transfer rep for Crystal Ski (6:45)

· Younger listeners may be surprised to learn that ski passes used to require photos (9:30)

· She started as a sub-editor at the Telegraph Ski and Snowboard Magazine before moving to the relatively new position of Online Editor (12:00)

· She was schooled in ‘churnalism’ at the Daily Express (14:15)

· During PyeongChang 2018 we produced a podcast every day (15:30)

· Iain founded Ski Flight Free in 2019 (16:15)

· Anna Hughes was on the podcast in our Train Travel Special episode (20:00)

· Following an interview with Anna Hughes at Flight Free UK, Helen decided to take the Flight Free pledge and to stop flying completely (20:45)

· Tagsyrt is a Swedish word loosely meaning ‘train bragging’ (25:15)

· If you’re paying £2 to offset your flight (say with Ryanair), it’s unlikely to be an effective scheme (29:30)

· Iain uses MyClimate to offset emissions from flights (30:15)

· Aviation fuel is subject to taxation that other forms of transport are (32:00)

· Research has shown that 1% of people cause half of global aviation emissions (34:00)

· Look at Mark Smith’s excellent Seat61.com website for advice on flight free travel (37:00)

· Helen travelled on the Travelski direct Eurostar service last winter to Les Arcs (38:30)

· You can listen to our bonus episode about Iain’s experience on the TravelSki Express service here (39:30)

· You can see Helen ‘in person’ at The Independent’s virtual event for advice on your next holiday, with Simon Calder on 22 September (41:30)

· Helen’s book ‘Zero Altitude: How I Learned to Fly Less and Travel More’ is available in all good bookstores

View Details

Iain was joined by Warren Smith, eponymous founder of the Warren Smith Ski Academy, for this bonus episode of The Ski Podcast.

SHOW NOTES

Warren learned to ski at the Hemel Hempstead dry ski slope, before it was recreated as The Snow Centre – an indoor snow slope
His first snow experience was on a school trip to Saalbach in Austria, when the coach broke down
Phil Gordon presents the ‘Legends of the Brand’ podcast (3:30)
Warren’s first qualification was as a UK dry slope instuctor (4:45)
He first taught on snow in Seefeld in Austria, before moving to Verbier in 1994 (5:00)
Joyce Read from Ski Verbier was an early mentor (6:00)
You can watch Blizzard of Aaaahs – the famous ‘extreme’ ski movie – on YouTube
Jamie Strachan designed top sheets for Volkl and brought Warren on the their team in winter 1998/99 (8:45)
Strachan also designed many of the legendary ChamJam posters (9:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with GB Snowsports coach Pat Sharples in this bonus episode of The Ski Podcast (10:15)
Stu Brass and Spencer Claridge were behind the AIM Series of events and built the freestyle features for events like the London Ski Show and The Jump (11:00)
Iain launched Natives.co.uk in April 1999 (12:00)
Other early freestyle projects that Warren set up were the British Freestyle Camps and the Ride Series
Pat talks about the impact of the Salomon 1080 on the freestyle scene in this interview, as does Jim Adlington (founder of Planks) in our bonus episode with him (14:00)
Paddy Graham came out of the Sheffield dry slope scene and is still producing award-winning movies with the ‘Legs of Steel’ crew (17:30)
Warren also produced movies such as the ‘Snow’s In The House’ series and ‘Snow Odyssey’ featuring a 16-year-old Candide Thovex (19:00)
Warren’s ‘Go Ski’ technique book and DVD is available online (25:00)
Rob Sawyer from the Farinet Bar in Verbier recommended Warren to England rugby player Laurence Dallaglio (28:00)
Other celebrities that Warren has skied with or instructed in Verbier include James Blunt, Princess Eugenie and Prince Harry (33:00)
Listen to Peter Hardy’s anecdotes about James Blunt in our special episode
Louis Smith, Spencer Matthews and Jason Robinson were among the quickest learners that Warren coached for the wintersports reality show ‘The Jump’ (35:00)
The Warren Smith Ski Academy now has a team of 15 instructors with key focus on biomechanics (39:00)
Find out about the Carv device here (45:00)
The Academy also offers ‘Gap Year’ Instructor Qualification courses, having changed from BASI to the Irish IASI qualification in 2013 (45:30)
The Warren Smith Ski Academy will be at the National Snow Show at the Birmingham NEC on 15/16 October 2022 (48:00)
Courses start in Cervinia from 06 November for five weeks, then on to Verbier. Warren will be leading a trip to Japan in February (50:00)

View Details

In E99 of TSP we find out about the La Plagne in France with Jen Tsang and all about the growing ski scene in Ireland with journalist Catherine Murphy.

Thanks as always to Switzerland Tourism for supporting The Ski Podcast.

SHOW NOTES

· Jen previously reported from La Plagne in Episode 93

· Catherine last skied in Tignes, with Guerlin Chicheret

· Chicheret is known for being a FWT winner, but also as an extreme driver:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqxlBBTgn08

· The freezing point in Switzerland reached 5184m

· Zermatt is hosting the ‘SpeedOpening’ downhill races in October and November

· Team GB telemarker Jasmin Taylor has been based in Mt Hotham in Australia

· Pick up free tickets to the National Snow Show for free using the code ‘2months’

· Iain will be hosting ‘The Ski Podcast Live’ at the show

· Jen is based in La Plagne, where she runs a marketing consultancy

· The Vanoise Express link between La Plagne and Les Arcs opened in January 2003

· The 6000D is one of the Alps’ most famous trail running races

· You can try the bobsleigh run yourself in La Plagne

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X_ylHbwV1o

· Catherine learned to ski at the Kilternan dry slope in County Dublin

· Listen to our feature about snow skiing in Ireland in Episode 77

· Topflight and Directski are specialist Irish ski companies

· Catherine estimate that the Irish market is about 100,000 skiers

· Soll in Austria celebrates St Patrick’s Day every year

Feedback

Please do get in contact with your feedback on social or by email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for all the survey feedback. Some highlights:

"Less inane wittering from industry PR types please"

"Iain handles the interviews really well. Precision informality. I look forward to every edition"

"Can you get Lindsey Vonn on?"

"I've spent the past season as a rep and I learn a lot from the podcast."

"Love what you are doing promoting the ski industry & sustainable skiing"

Finally special thanks to Rob from Northwich for this poetic and kind feedback via BuyMeACoffee.com:

“As a child I had my head in the clouds. Now, with your help I can keep my head in the mountains. Much appreciated”

You can follow Iain on social media @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for supporting The Ski Podcast.

View Details

In Episode 98, we find out what it's like to jump out of a helicopter above the Eiger and learn about a new event in Val Thorens raising funds to turn young lives around.

Presenter Iain Martin was joined by Olympic Skier Cross athlere Emily Sarsfield-Power, Dan Keeley from Snowcamp and journalist Felix Milns.

Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for supporting the podcast

SHOW NOTES & TIME CODES

A new record for the longest women-only rope chain was set on Breithorn in Zermatt in June 2022
Listen to more conversation about gender representation in Episode 97
Episode 97 was a Down Under special, featuring Australia and New Zealand
The snow down under is still very good
Jasmin Taylor is a Team GB telemarker and is currently working in Hotham, Australia (7:00)
At the time of recording only Zermatt, Hintertux and Passo Stelvio were open to the public for summer skiing (9:30)
Read Felix’s article about freefalling above the Eiger in The Telegraph (10:45)
Watch Shane McConkey’s double front flip into base jump straight off the Eiger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w18wl-HQuH8 * The AJ Bell 3 Valley Rally will take place in Val Thorens in April 2023 (21:00) * Find out more about Snowcamp charity and their Switch 180 campaign (25:00)

https://youtu.be/Z15pIQSfeJk

Feedback

BobinCH: "Enjoyed Neil English's stories about Villars [in Episode 96]. Slightly depressing to hear about the Mer de Glace situation but reminder to go back and enjoy it while we can!"

We enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do get in contact. Reviews and comments wherever you leave them are always welcome, whether on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, social media or via email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

You can follow Iain at @skipedia and The Ski Podcast @theskipodcast

If you enjoy the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee…

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Episode 97 is a Down Under special covering skiing in Australia and New Zealand. Iain was joined by Rachael Oakes-Ash, founder of snowsbest.com and Paul Anderson from NZski.com.

SHOW NOTES

Rachael previously appeared on the podcast in Episode 56 in July 2020
Paul was last on the podcast in Episode 73 in May 2021
Europe has been experiencing a serious heatwave

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1539557332144758787

Tignes only opened for two weeks for summer skiing, closing on 01July
Sonnblick in Austria reported no snow a month earlier than usual

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1544622531730149378

You can read about the tragedy in the Dolomites due to the glacier collapse
Selwyn Snowfield was not able to open due to too much snow (preventing construction work
Dunedin airport reported its coldest day ever in June
Mt Hutt was hit by huge early season snowdrifts
NZski.com represent Coronet Peak and The Remarkables in Queenstown and Mt Hutt in the Canterbury area
When Paul was on the podcast inMay 2021 the feeling was very positive, but then

the Delta lockdowns started * The UK and NZ have announced a new bi-lateral deal on visa * Tourism Minister Stuart Nash advised that 71% of international tourists skiing in NZ are Aussies, generating NZD211 million * The number of Aussies on the slopes in NZ was recently up 30% YoY * Read Rachael’s post aboutgender representation here * Cardrona/Treble Cone have made their own commitment to equal representation * Watch Cardrona’s documentary ‘All In’ here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWSsU6m-NNk

The winners of Atomic goggles in our survey were Chris Waters & Nicole Clarke.
Neil English spoke about how his father founded the London Ski Show in Episode 96

Caroline Eydallin: “I worked on first shows for Sauze d’Oulx! Sir David always stopped to say hello, I was at school with his daughters, so nice he remembered me”

Ann Bennett: “Sir David English was a great guy & pioneered skiing in mass media. I worked at first shows on Inghams’s stand”

Gethin: "The Podcast is great"

I enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do get in contact. You can leave reviews/comments wherever you prefer, whether Apple Podcasts, Spotify, social media, email.

You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

You can buy Iain a cuppa at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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In Episode 96, we discuss skiing royals, the cancellation of the London Ski Show, new lifts in Chamonix and preloved skiwear.

Iain was joined by ski journalist Neil English, Claire Burnet

from the Chamonix tourist office, Whoski.com founder Sally Warren and Al Morgan

from SkiKitInfo

Thanks as always to Switzerland Tourism for their continued support of The Ski Podcast.

SHOW NOTES

Geraint Thomas became the first Briton to win the Tour de Suisse
We can exclusively reveal that the British royal family were skiing at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead (although we can’t tell you who there were!)
Shortly after announcing start of ticket sales, the organisers of London Ski Festival announced its cancellation
The National Snow Show at the Birmingham NEC will be going ahead as planned on on 15-16 October
The Travelski Express is back for 2022/23
Listen to our special episode about the Travelski Express, recorded when Iain travelled on the inaugural service

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oScG28dQkQ&feature=youtu.be

Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter reported from Tignes
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching was in Les 2 Alpes
Jasmin Taylor reported from Mt Hotham in Australia
Jasmin was last on the show in Episode 94
Episode 97 will be an Australia/New Zealand special
Our 2022 Survey is now live – it only takes a couple of minutes to complete and you could win one of two pairs of Atomic Four Q HD goggles to give away, plus other prizes

https://twitter.com/theskipodcast/status/1538190097631281152

You can read Neil’s article about Matt Hancock in Villars here
Other celebrities seen in Villars include Jacques Villeneuve and Mike Tindall
Iain travelled to Chamonix by train

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1536951851899359233

The Chamonix Film Festival took place earlier this month
The Charamaillon lift is being redeveloped and there is work going on at Montenvers to improve the cable car to the glacier
Love Island is being supported by ebay
Jemma Tadd (Head of Fashion Buying at eBay) believes Love Island has power to change consumers’ perceptions around secondhand clothes
Whoski.com is a platform for selling pre-loved skiwear

Feedback & Reviews

I enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do get in

contact - Reviews/comments wherever you leave them are always welcome, whether on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, social media or via email.

Old Fartbag: "I listened to what Al said with interest. I'm not sure I have ever heard him be so enthusiastic over a ski"

Andrea Dalton: *"Loved listening to Diane, another fab episode! Found it

interesting but also a shame for our English young people that want to do a

season.”*

BobinCH: "Enjoyed that! The Diane from Skiworld lady was funny. Great work!"

Anon: “Thank you so much Iain for keeping going during the last two years, your podcasts helped more than you probably know (for me at least) during challenging times. I love hearing about everything related to the mountains, long may it continue.”

Ryunis: "Great to put a voice to LaTania.co.uk It's a fantastic website and a really great source of info. Keep up the great pods. They help me still feel tuned in to the mountain community."

You can follow Iain at @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

View Details

In this episode Iain speaks with Arnie Wilson, one of the UK's most respected and experienced ski journalists.

Arnie has visited over 740 ski resorts in 30 countries, and is perhaps most famous for his exploits in 1994, when he and the late Lucy Dicker skied on every single day of that calendar year.

This phenomenal achievement, which included 240 ski resorts in 13 countries, was recognised in the 'Guinness Book of World Records'.

Arnie was the ski correspondent for the Financial Times for 15 years and also edited 'Ski+Board', the Ski Club of Great Britain’s magazine for 12 years.

I thoroughly enjoyed my chat with Arnie and I'm sure you will too.

View Details

In Episode 95 of The Ski Podcast we discuss La Tania, Chamonix in summer, and the challenges facing the UK ski industry. Plus we talk to Arnie Wilson - the man who skied every single day for a year – and reveal our pick of the best new skis for next winter.

Iain was joined live by Diane Palumbo (Skiworld), Toffa (LaTania.co.uk) and Al Morgan (SkiKitInfo), as well as down the line by Claire Burnet from Chamonix.

Thanks again to Switzerland Tourism for their support. You can see their amazing ‘Swiss Sanctuary’ at the Chelsea Flower Show, designed by Lilly Gomm.

SHOW NOTES

· Congratulations to Dave and Mandy Ryding who were married earlier this month

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdoPSjfIphu/

· You used to be able to ski in Chamonix in summer

· Iain competed in the UTMB in August 2021 · Claire Burnet previously appeared on the podcast in Episode 73

· Chamonix offered free ski lessons at certain dates last winter · A visit to the Aiguille du Midi is a must if you’ve never done it before · Iain saw a photoshoot with freeskier Vivian Bruchez

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1527911324994396160

· Take a look at some of Iain’s videos from his visit on the Skipedia YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSDggtpzk4Y

· Diane is Sales and Marketing Director at Skiworld · She is also a founding member of the SBIT lobbying group

· Charlie Owen from SBIT has previously appeared on the podcast in Episode 8 and Episode 20

· Find out about La Tania at LaTania.co.uk · Arnie Wilson is most well-known for his exploits in 1994 when he skied every day for a year. We covered his book 'Ski The World' Ski Book Group in Episode 20

· Al loved the Volkl Deacon 72 – it’s expensive, but an incredible performer · His other favourite was the Salomon QST 106 – a wide, freeride ski

FEEDBACK AND REVIEWS

Please leave your comments and reviews either on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, social media or email to theskipodcast @ gmail.com

Alex Crump (YT): "Great to listen to the Mayor of Les 2 Alpes and his plan for a green future"

Mark Thommason (YT): “Was surprised to see the UTMB cap…so impressed!”

You can follow Iain on social media @skipedia (Facebook/Twitter/YouTube) and the podcast @theskipodcast (Instagram/Twitter/Facebook)

View Details

In Episode 94, we find out about skiing in Svalbard, Narvik in Norway and how Team GB got on in this winter’s Telemark World Cup.

We also have snow reports from Japan…and Hemel Hempstead, plus we discuss new lifts in Les 2 Alpes and find out about the spring edition of industry networking event LISTEX.

Iain was joined by Jasmin Taylor, Team GB Telemark skier, freelance journalist Rob Rees and Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo.

SHOW NOTES

The Plaine Morte glacier in Crans Montana remains open for skiers until 05 June.
Jasmin was in Hintertux, Austria
LISTEX took place last week at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead
Babsi Lapwood told us about LISTEX in Episode 92

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1521791925023563776

Iain spoke to Vanessa Fisher, Colin Matthews (Meriski), Stephen Morgan (National Snow Snow), Nick Williams (Mountain Heaven), Phil Brown (Impulse Racing) and Ian Brown (MD, The Snow Centre/Chill Factore)
Jasmin Taylor has herbest season ever with 8 World Cup podiums including 2 wins (giving her 7 in total across her career)

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1523615325396340738

She finished second in the world behind Swiss skier Martina Wyss
Team GB had their best season overall ever with Tim Gough recording his first top 10 result
Jasmin will be working in Hotham in Australia this summer

https://twitter.com/_hotham/status/1522461592419733504

Rob Rees went to Narvik in Norway ‘Home of Skiing’
You can see Rob’s photos on Instagram
He will be writing up his adventure for Skier and Snowboarder Magazine~
Chris Howie travelled to Svalbard in the Arctic Circle

https://twitter.com/theskipodcast/status/1523614627929726978

Chris booked his trip with Base Camp Explorer
Listen to Chris’ experiences of heliskiing in Iceland in Episode 38
Christophe Aubert is mayor of Les 2 Alpes
The Jandri lift is being upgraded to an ultra fast 3S lift
Al explained about how PIN touring bindings
Listen to Iain’s report on ski touring in Morocco here
Find out more about the Shift binding here
Jasmin uses customised versions of the Meidjo binding

REVIEWSPlease do get in contact with your feedback and reviews whether via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, social media (@theskipodcast) or email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

make_love_not_warz (IG): "Keep up the good work with the podcasting and tweets"

Andrea Dalton (FB): "Another great episode"

Don't forget there are 145 episodes to catch up on, 93 listened to in the last week.

Coming up in Episode 95 we’ll be talking to Di Palumbo from Skiworld, Chris Brown from LaTania.co.uk and Arnie Wilson – the first man to ski every single day of a calendar year.

If you'd like to make your own small gesture to say thanks, you are very welcome to Buy Me A Coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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In Episode 93 of The Ski Podcast we discuss Ischgl, Les 2 Alpes, Vallandry and a unique mountain triathlon in Courchevel.

Iain was joined ‘live’ by Lynsey Devon from Heaven Publicity and Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo.

Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for their continued support of the Podcast.

SHOW NOTES

There are 65,000km of waymarked trails in Switzerland
Listen to Iain’s from the Via Valais trail hike last summer in Episode 76
Al travelled to Vallandry in the Paradiski ski area
Lynsey stayed in Le Chable below Verbier
James Gambrill reported from Baqueira Beret in Spain
Jen Tsang reported from La Plagne
If you are travelling either for a late ski holiday or summer holiday then make sure you go to battleface.com for a quote and also to check their Sherpa Travel Tool
Iain skied in Les 2 Alpes from 09-16 April, benefitting from glacier skiing up to 3600m
He travelled there and back in a Ford Mustang Mach-E electric vehicle. Watch out for his article on this appearing in The Telegraph in due course
Listen to our bonus episode about Electric Vehilces in Ski Resorts

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1513419865117319170

Christophe Aubert is the mayor of Les 2 Alpes and discusses the resort’s bid for ‘Flocon Vert’ status.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcgbE7hs9T3/

Ischgl was criticised as being a ‘super-spreader’ location in 2020
The Spring Blanc is a end of season celebration that is running all through April and features live performances from Simply Red and Kings of Leon
Previous headline acts have included Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue and Sir Elton John
Al reviewed the newAtomic ‘Bent’ family of skis, as well as the new Strive bindings
Iain used the Dewerstone wooden sunglasses while in the Alps. Listen to our interview with Dewerstone founder in Episode 89
Iain took part in the Dynastar X3 triathlon in Courchevel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVw6U9iMbCM

Listen to Iain’s interview with Yvonne from Salzburg about train travel from Sweden to Austria in Episode 90

REVIEWS

We enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do email us to theskipodcast@gmail.com or leave your reviews/comments at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via social media.

Jen (via Instagram): “Really enjoy the podcast - thanks for creating it and congrats on the award!”

Michael (via email): "Congrats on podcast award, it is well deserved"

Also thanks to all the following for their congratulations on the Sports Podcast Award win: Cathy Paget, Jon Sheehan, Adam W, Rachael W, Megan, Betony, Vanessa, Jon Walton, Abi B, Oli Russel-Cowan, Krystelle, Chris Thompson, Paul Glynn, Dan Fox, James Hawkins, Greg Hilton, Stephen S, Iain MacIntosh, Martin Bell, Sara B, Rob S, Neil D, Paddy & Chemmy Alcott

Coming up in E94 - Jasmin Taylor on her best season ever, plus Rob Rees in Narvik Norway and Svalbard

If you've enjoyed listening to The Ski Podcast, you can make your own small gesture, by going to buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast - all contributions welcome (thanks to Andrew B for your contribution!)

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Episode 92 features Andermatt, LISTEX, the Nevis Range and The Mighty Coe event. Plus we have snow reports from around the Alps, and we find out when accidents on the piste are most likely to occur.

Iain Martin was joined ‘live’ by Babsi Lapwood from the Mountain Trade Network, Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo and Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance and down the line by Chris O’Brien from Nevis Range.

SHOW NOTES

The Ski Podcast has been voted ‘Best Wintersports Podcast’ in the Sports Podcast Awards. Thank you to everyone who voted for us.
Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for supporting the The Ski Podcast
2022 marks the175th anniversary of the Swiss railway - 1847 marked the opening of the first Swiss train route between Zurich and Baden.
Simon Burgess told us about skiing in the Lake District in Episode 73
Babsi skied in Sud Tirol
In Episode 81, we discussed what length skis to get
We discussed the wearing of helmets in Episode 88

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hXal2dl-fsA * Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School reported from Morgins, Switzerland * Alex Armand from Tip Tip Ski Coaching reported from Les 2 Alpes, France * Steve Angus is a private instructor in Val d’Isere, France * Elena Protopow reported from Tirol in Austria * Iain was in Andermatt when the lifts closed in Switzerland at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 * Read about Iain’s journey by train on Ski Flight Free * Samih Sawaris was the Egyptian responsible for the renaissance of Andermatt * Iain’s guide was Florian Tresch * You can take a look at Iain and Florian’s route here: * Find out more about Swisstainable * Vail Resorts seen potential too:

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1503295056089960449

Iain spoke with Chris O'Brien, MD at Nevis Range, re sustainability
Nevis Range worked with carbonfootprint.com
Listen to our interview with The Mighty Coe organiser Neil Dalgliesh in Episode 89
Al was in Aviemore for the Glenmore Lodge Wild Weekend
Check out ‘The Escalator’ here
You can find out more about LISTEX here
Iain visited the new Vallandry gondola in January

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnJKwcjLYTQ

Reviews/comments wherever you leave them always welcome, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, social media or via email.

If you’d like some stickers, please email us with your address.

Don't forget you can always buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast. All cuppas are much appreciated.

I also enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do email. You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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In Episode 91 we discuss the Aletsch Arena in Switzerland, the Altitude Comedy Festival, the art of boot fitting and of snow forecasting, as well as going behind the scenes at the UK's 2023 ski test.

Iain was joined by Janine Winter from Winter World Connect and Nick Russill, founder of snow-forecast.com as well as down the line by Andrew Maxwell & Marcus Brigstocke from the Altitude Comedy Festival, as well as regulars Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance, Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo.

SHOW NOTES

Read Iain’s report of his train journey from London to Andermatt
https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1504865863245172750
All of Europe has been coated in Saharan sand this week

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1504488335330488320

Nick visited Davos
Janine is based in Kaprun
For your ski insurance, make sure you go along to Battleface Travel
Al reported from Stubai and Kuhtai in Austria
Stephen Spiers reported from Glencoe in Scotland
Find out more about The Mighty Coe event in Episode 89
Iain visited the Aletsch Arena in Switzerland
The connection from train to resort is so well designed

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1502917513700589569

Iain stayed at the Hotel Eggishorn in Fiescheralp at 2212m
Try the dish cholera when you come to Aletsch

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1502970059886678016

Kids u20 can ski for free on Saturdays in Aletsch Arena
Nick Russill is one of the co-founders of Snow-Forecast.com
Membership of Snow Forecast is available from £3.99 per month
Janine’s website is called Winter World Connect
Al was at the SIGB Snow Test in Kuhtai
SIGB also organise the Slideindustry trade show
Iain rents his skis from Intersport Ski Hire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4_dTnPE1RI

The Altitude Comedy Festival takes place in Mayrhofen later this month
Listen to our special episode with Andrew Maxwell and Marcus Brigstocke
Listen to our interview with medal-winner Millie Knight in Episode 90
We were delighted to see Ukraine so well in the medal table
Jasmine Taylor has had a superb finish to the season

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1503755457831346190 * Charlotte Bankes won the overall World Cup Snowboard Cross * Mia Brookes also finished the season on a high

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1503737006622490630

Voting for the Sports Podcast Awards are now closed: we’ll bring you the results in the next podcast. Thanks so much if you did vote for us.

If you’d like to give your feedback on the show, just drop us an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

Thanks to Peter S: "Iain is a great ambassador for our sport. Really enthusiastic."

If you'd like some stickers to plaster over the next resort you visit, then please drop us an email with your address to theskipodcast@gmail.com

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Want to know more about the Altitude Comedy Festival in Mayrhofen? Founders Marcus Brigstocke and Andrew Maxwell joined Iain for this bonus episode to discuss why they decided to run a comedy festival in a ski resort.

SHOW NOTES

Andrew loves his lederhosen (and wears them all week!)
The first editions of the Altitude Festival took place in Meribel
The pandemic restrictions mean that this will be the first Altitude Festival since 2019
Iain first saw Marcus perform at the Bearcat Club in Twickenham (and loved the David Blaine routine!)
Marcus featured in The Jump in 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLnFkoRVgrU

Andrew had his own reality show experience on ‘I’m a Celebrity…’ in 2019
Previous comedians appearing at the Festival include Jimmy Carr, Bill Bailey, Eddie Izzard, John Bishop and Sean Lock
German comedian Michael Mittermeier is a regular at the festival
Apparently Joel Dommett is the best comedian around on skis
Altitude Comedy Festival takes in Mayrhofen from March 28 to April 01 – tickets are available from their website

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e9qUHDwhkc

View Details

In Episode 90 we discuss skiing in Turkey, the Beijing 2022 Paralympics, taking the train to Austria and how to choose your rental ski boots.

Iain was joined ‘live’ by regular guest Mike Richards, Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance and Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo and ‘down the line’ by Paralympian Millie Knight and Yvonne Rosenstatter from Salzburgerland.

SHOW NOTES

Iain is travelling to Andermatt and Aletsch Arena in Switzerland
You can buy Iain a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast
There’s still the chance to vote for us in the Sports Podcast Awards
Find out more about skiing in Wales in Episode 65
You can buy your ski travel insurance at Battleface Travel Insurance
Check the latest FCO rules on travel using their Sherpa travel tool
All fully-vaccinated British travellers will be allowed into the European Union without tests
Children 6-18 who have not been fully vaccinated will also be allowed to travel into EU countries provided that they have a negative pre-departure PCR test
Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, is pressing to scrap the UK PLF by the Easter holidays
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Travel reported from St Anton in Austria
Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School reported from Morgins in Switzerland
Mike travelled to Turkey in January and stayed at the Ovit Mountain Lodge
You can view all of Mike’s excellent photos on his Instagram account
Mike moved on to the ski resort of Palandoken and Ejder 3200
He also skied in Sarikamis
Yvonne Rosenstatter is from SalzburgerLand Tourism Board
You can find out about the direct Malmo to Austria service here
Iain is the founder of Ski Flight Free
Find out about the Nightjet train service from Paris to Austria
Intersport Ski Hire is Iain’s go-to ski hire company
You can buy a Superfeet footbed here
Millie Knight’s racing guide is Brett Wild
Check Millie’s impressive record on her website
Kirsty Young finished 5th in the Big Air at Beijing
Mia Brookes is a young talent – look out for her in 2022/23
GB Snowsport are still publicly hoping to become a ‘Top 5 Nation in snowsports’
Dave Ryding took 2nd in the Slalom in Garmisch
Listen to our Dave Ryding lockdown interview
You can buy Iain a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast
There’s still the chance to vote for us in the Sports Podcast Awards

Reviews

Reviews/comments are always welcome via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, social media or email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

Nick D: "Great work, best ski podcast”

I also enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do email. You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

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In Episode 89 we discuss Crans Montana and Gstaad in Switzerland, plus The Mighty Coe event in Glencoe, Scotland. We also find out more about Dewerstone, the climate neutral UK clothing brand and Morzine’s latest step to sustainability.

Iain was joined by freelance journalist Katy Dartford, Dewerstone founder Rory Atton and regular contributors Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance and equipment expert, Al Morgan from skikitinfo.com

Thanks go as always to Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring the podcast.

SHOW NOTES

· Katy was last on the show in December in Episode 85 after her own visit to Crans Montana · Gavin Foster from Ski Weekend skied on the Vallee Blanche in great conditions on 12 February

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10160047784945903&set=pcb.10160047785240903

· There has been no day 2 test for vaccinated travellers since 11 Feb · The NHS Covid Pass for 12-15 year olds is now available · France have dropped requirement for a negative Covid test for vax travellers from outside EU · Switzerland removed the mandate on mask-wearing on 17 February. There are also no tests or entry form required · Please check the latest situation on booster requirements: from Feb 15 in France, adults need to have had a booster within 4 months of their second vaccination to use lifts/restaurants · Austria requires boosters after 180 days · easyJet have added 50,000 more ski flights for this winter · Don’t forget, if you need ski insurance, then go to Battleface.com

· We interviewed Battleface founder Sasha Gainullin in Episode 68 of The Ski Podcast

· Iain first reported from Crans Montana in December 2020 in Episode 65

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQUuPmhCvbk

· Iain stayed at the Hotel de la Foret in Crans Montana · Find out more about the Hotel Pass in Crans Montana

· Check out the amazing Alaia Chalet, which featured in Episode 65 as well · Babsi Lapwood from MTN reported from 3 Zinnen in the Italian Dolomites · Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter reported from Courchevel in France · Stephen Spiers reported from Glencoe · Neil Dalgleish has created The Mighty Coe event, being held in Glencoe on 26-27 March · Andy Meldrum told us about summer skiing in Glencoe in Episode 75

If you enjoy the podcast, I'd really appreciate it if you could take a couple of mins to vote for us at sportspodcastawards.com

https://twitter.com/theskipodcast/status/1495730130815262724

· Katy was in Gstaad, Switzerland · Prada are becoming more visible in ski resorts · This ruling on a Prada snowboard at Beijing 2022 was also interesting

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1494636654090506241

· Rory Atton is the founderof Dewerstone · The company have recently achieved the B Corps accreditation# · They have a new partnership with Protect Our Winters · Al Judge was previously on our Electric Vehicles in Ski Resort special episode

· Morzine is offering discounts to vistors travelling by train with the AlpinExpress Pass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdGwK-rK4I4

Reviews

Reviews and comments wherever you leave them always welcome, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, via social media and email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

Simon C (Twitter): “Keep up the great work on the podcast”

Richard_sideways (Snowheads): “Nice interview with Graham Bell”

Andrew Brannan (Facebook): "I really enjoyed the Beijing Special: where else could you ever hear that? Brilliant"

Stephen (Twitter): “I enjoyed your chat about Yad Moss”

Anon (Buy Me a Coffee):

"Thanks for the great listening, your campaigning for greener travel and re-engaging me in all things skiing. As an ‘MBO’ & minivan driver for Snowtime in Meribel in the late 80’s I can relate to your time with Bladon Lines!”

We have been nominated as Best Wintersports Podcast. It’s very easy to vote - just go to www.sportspodcastawards.com. Would really appreciate it if you could take a minute or two to vote as it would really help me and the podcast.

I also enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do email. You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

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Iain was joined by 5-time Olympian and BBC Ski Sunday presenter Graham Bell and Skier Cross athlete & Eurosport presenter Emily Sarsfield to discuss all the talking points so far from Beijing 2022.

SHOW NOTES

Charlotte Bankes was eliminated at the Quarter Final stage of the Snowboard Cross

https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1491313791447019520

Kirsty Muir finished 5th in the Skier Big Air
The Men’s Downhill was won by the Swiss Beat Feuz
Makayla Gerken-Schofield finished 9th in the moguls – a best by a Briton
Emily bumped into Dave Ryding and Billy Major on their way to Beijing

https://twitter.com/theskipodcast/status/1490220620247928834

Events are not meant to take place if the temperature falls below -20C
The Mixed Snowboard Cross will debut at the Games on 12 Feb
The Team GB uniform has attracted a lot of attention
This was Graham's 'Argentinian suit from 1984

https://twitter.com/skigrahambell/status/1486412384382169095

Look out for the Izzy Atkin and Kirsty Muir in the Women’s Ski Slopestyle on Sunday 13th (qualifying) and Monday 14th (finals) and Dave Ryding in the Men’s Slalom also on Sunday 13th

View Details

In Episode 88, special guest Chemmy Alcott takes us behind the scenes of ‘Ski Sunday’ and the BBC’s Beijing Olympics coverage. We also discuss Grindelwald, Yad Moss, how to choose a ski helmet and there’s our usual round up of snow reports from across Europe.

Iain was joined by 4-time Olympian & BBC Ski Sunday presenter, Chemmy Alcott and industry expert Rob Stewart, as well as regulars, Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance and equipment guru Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo.com.

Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring the podcast. Switzerland remains the simplest country to go to if you have kids in tow, with no extra rules in place for the u16s and no tests required (for fully vaccinated passengers) on arrival.

SHOW NOTES

Chemmy last joined us in a year ago in Episode 67
Rob joined us last in Episode 51
Did you know that the Dutch call drag lifts 'pancake lifts'?
The Day 2 return test on its way out for double-vaccinated skiers from February 11,
although children are still required to take it
The NHS pass is now available for 12-15 year olds
Check the Battleface Travel website for current restrictions and for your ski insurance
Vanessa Fisher reported from the Dolomites in Italy
Stephen Spiers was in Verbier Switzerland
Elena tells us about fresh snow in the Tirol in Austria
You can order Caroline Eliot’s book ‘Fjord’s Mission’ here and listen to our
interview with Caroline in Episode 82
Iain was in Les Arcs. You can watch his video snow report here.
Iain travelled by train on the inaugural Travelski Express Ski Train
Listen to our Bonus Episode all about the Ski Train
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oScG28dQkQ
Iain spoke with Peter Stockton about Yad Moss Ski Club

https://twitter.com/theskipodcast/status/1489177129132642305

Dave Ryding became the first Briton to win a World Cup Alpine ski race
Watch Marcus Eder's incredible run on YouTube here
You can catch up with all the ‘Ski Sunday’ episodes on the BBC iPlayer

This is Chemmy’s great quote:

"Skiing is a perfect sport for this type of personal growth: everyone falls; it is the picking oneself up & trying again that is the win"

Rob was in Grindelwald where he tried out the new Eiger Express
We intereviewed Remo Kaser from the Jungfrau region about the lift in Episode 61
You can read Al’s review of the season’s best new ski helmets here

Reviews and comments are always welcome, whether on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, social media or by email.

Paul Bond: “Your podcast is a danger to my pocket, it makes me book more trips than I sensibly should, great stuff!”

The Ski Podcast has been nominated as Best Wintersports Podcast. It’s very easy to vote - just go to www.sportspodcastawards.com. We would really appreciate it and would like to thank the many people who have voted for us already.

I also enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do email. You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

Thanks again to Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring the show. In our next episode we'll be discussing Crans Montana and Gstaad.

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This bonus episode of The Ski Podcast is all about the new Travelski Express Ski Train – which goes direct and non-stop from London to the Alps.

Iain travelled on the inaugural service on 28 January and reports on that and the background behind how and why the new service started in this short special episode.

SHOW NOTES

· Eurostar took the decision to stop running their direct ski train service to the French Alps in April 2020 · Iain founded the Ski Flight Free campaign in 2019, with the goal of encouraging more skiers and snowboarders to travel to the Alps by train (or in a full car) instead of flying · Changing trains in Paris isn’t that difficult – this video might be helpful · The lobbying group ‘Save The Ski Train’ was formed in autumn 2020. It was created by train expert Daniel Elkan from Snowcarbon, working with Iain and representatives from the environmental organisation Protect Our Winters. · In September 2021, the French travel company Travelski confirmed that would be reviving the service. You can listen to Iain’s full interview with Guillaume de Marcillac, the Travelski CEO, in Episode 79 of The Ski Podcast

· Six resorts were initially offered by Travelski: Meribel, Les Menuires, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Tignes and Val d’Isere with packages including accommodation, train travel, transfers to resort and lift passes. · France introduced a travel ban on UK citizens on 18 December 2021 · The inaugural service of the Travelski Express took place on Friday 28 January. · Iain travelled to Bourg St Maurice, from where he took the funicular to Les Arcs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKjUGLZAuLA

Watch Iain’s video report on the train here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oScG28dQkQ&feature=youtu.be

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In Episode 87 we discuss the Swiss Magic Pass, the best new kit for next winter, plus we find out about skiing from Allenheads in England to the Aosta Valley in Italy.

Iain was joined by Simon Burgess and Martina Diez, from The-Ski-Guru.com as well as regulars Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance and equipment guru Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo

SHOW NOTES

· Dave Ryding become the first British skier to win an Alpine World Cup race

· Listen to our interview with Dave Ryding from May 2020

· Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring the podcast · Switzerland remains the simplest country to go to if you have children, with no extra rules in place for the u16s · Try this great 'Bucket List' of experiences you can try in Switzerland · The Ski Podcast has been nominated as 'Best Wintersports Podcast' in the Sports Podcast Awards

· Katie Crowe joined us from Battleface Travel Insurance for the travel update · The Day 2 return travel test looks like it will end on February 11 · The French travel ban ended on 14 January · Italy now requires a ‘Super Green Pass’ to go skiing · Abi Butcher was nominated in the TravMedia awards for her exclusive on the Verbier fiasco last year. You can listen to Abi talking about that story in E66

· Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School reported from the Jura mountains in Switzerland · Babsi Lapwood from the Mountain Trade Network was in Serfaus · Jim Duncombe is based in La Clusaz · Nigel Sanger spoke on behalf of the Allenheads Ski Club

· Simon Burgess spoke to us from Vercorinin the Val d’Anniviers region · Find out more about the Swiss Magic Pass

· Simon stayed in Anzere

· Simon previously told us about the Raise ski area in the Lake District in Episode 73

· Iain went trail running in Zinal in July 2021, reporting in Episode 76

· Iain was ski touring in Crans Montana in December 2020 (Episode 65) · Martina has skied throughout the Aosta Valley, including in Courmayeur, La Thuile and Pila · Interski specialise in school ski trips to Pila · Both Martina and Simon have skied in Bariloche in Argentina · Listen to Rob’s report on the Stockli factory in Episode 86

· Artilect were one of the award winners · Smartwool offer plant-based dye on their Merino underlayers · Find out about Intersport’s BootDoc service in Episode 86

· There's been some great success at the Paralympic World Champs

· Iain previously interviewed Jon-allan Butterworth who represented GB for the first time · Charlotte Bankes too a Double 1st in Snowboard Cross at Krasnoyarsk

· Katie Ormerod was 4th in Snowboard Slopestyle in Mammoth

· Kirsty Muir took 5th in Ski Slopestyle at the same event · Charlie Guest took a career best 13th in the Slalom in Schladming Slalom · Team GB athletes have been given 'burner phones' to avoid being spied on

Reviews

Doug Newman: 'Great podcasting'

Janet Barnett: "Have been listening since The 2018 Olympics and still very much enjoying every episode"

Don't forget you can always buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast. All cuppas are much appreciated.

Coral (BMAC): "The only thing to cure a pining for the mountains when you can't otherwise be on them!”

Paul Sonn (BMAC): "I've been enjoying your really useful program”

I mentioned earlier that TSP has been nominated as BWP. Very easy to vote - just go to www.sportspodcastawards.com. Would really appreciate and would like to thank the many people who have voted for us already, including Fran Lambert and Martin Constable.

I also enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast.

Thanks go to Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring the podcast.

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Welcome to this special 'Good News' episode of The Ski Podcast. Regular listeners will know that in our 'normal' episodes we cover the latest travel rules and so it is absolutely a pleasure to report on some good news for a change.

I know it's been possible to travel to Switzerland, Austria, Italy and other ski nations - albeit with various restrictions - but more British skiers travel to France every winter than any other country and for that reason the travel ban that's been in place since December 18th has been hugely depressing.

It affected many family ski holidays (let alone family reunions that would have taken place) over Christmas and New Year and businesses as diverse as large tour operators to cafes, restaurants and even individual ski instructors.

But here's the good news - the travel ban will be lifted on Friday 14 January. You'll have to pass through the now usual hoops of vaccination and testing, but French ski holidays are now back on.

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1481553508063141891

Was there ever any justification for the ban in the first place? Probably about as much as when the UK created the 'Amber+' category for France last summer. Undoubted 'tit for tat' policking, but from this weekend, it's over and let's hope it stays that way to the end of the season.

And here's your bonus good news - it may not mean as much to you as it does to me, but I'm so pleased to let you know that The Ski Podcast has been nominated for 'Best Wintersports Podcast' in The Sports Podcast Awards.

The Ski Podcast has grown to become my full-time, part-time job and, quite frankly, got me through last winter when we couldn't ski at all. My mental health was a mess, but the podcast kept me, more than anything, connected, in a winter that never happened.

There's now 134 episodes available and I love the fact that around 100 get listened to every week, all around the world.

I'd like to sign off this good news special by asking that if you've enjoyed listening to The Ski Podcast, whether it's just this episode or since we first started over four years ago, that you consider voting for us in the Sports Podcast Awards.

It's very easy and only takes a minute: simply to go sportspodcastawards.com, register, go to the 'Best Wintersports Podcast' in the Categories, click the 'Vote for your favourite' button and vote for 'The Ski Podcast'.

Thank you so much, I really do appreciate it.

Our next regular episode will be out on 24 January, so until then, thank you for your time and goodbye.

View Details

In Episode 86 of The Ski Podcast we discuss when the French travel ban might end, favourite apres-ski bands, Team GB’s prospects for Beijing 2022 and we go inside a ski factory.

Iain was joined by Richard Lett from ApresSkiBands and regular guest and Olympian Emily Sarsfield.

Thanks go to Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring the podcast. Switzerland is easier to access, than Austria and Italy (and certainly France) right now, so travel there this winter and say The Ski Podcast sent you ;-)

SHOW NOTES

The next announcement from the French government is due on 05 January
Steve Angus is a private ski instructor based in Val d’Isere. Find him on social at @SteveAngusSnow
For access to Austria, you now need to be triple-vaccinated with a PCR test within 48 hours
Some holidaymakers were denied entry at Innsbruck airport due to the new rules on PCR tests
Italy will require a ‘Super Green Pass’ from 10 January for access to many areas/services
You can listen to snow reports from all of the following in our special episode

https://audioboom.com/posts/8005740-latest-snow-news-from-the-alps-31-dec-21

This episode features: * Simon Burgess - Saas Fee, Switzerland * Dave Burrows - Villars, Switzerland * Andy Butterworth – St Anton, Austria * Keith Webb - Kaprun, Austria * Alex – Les 2 Alpes, France * Steve – Val d’isere, France * Betony - Chamonix, France * Alex – Courchevel, France

Find out more about Apres Ski Bands on their website
Iain’s favourite Alpine band was Superfly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sJ3MDPITQI * Dan Gillespie Sells was lead singer of Superfly and wrote the hit musical ‘Everyone’s Talking About Jamie’ * Emily’s favourite Alpine band was ‘Bring Your Sisters’ * Rich’s tips of bands to watch out for this winter includes Coco and the Butterfields; The Dominos and The Trends * Emily’s Top 3 Tips for Medals at Beijing: Charlotte Bankes, Izzy Atkin, Kirsty Muir * Kirsty Muirtook at7th at the Dew Tour

Listen to Iain’s interview with Izzy and Zoe Atkin:

https://audioboom.com/posts/7980266-izzy-zoe-atkin-freestyle-skiers-bonus-episode-22

Ollie Davies is competing in Skier Cross
Katie Ormerod has a great chance in the Snowboard Big Air
Zoe Atkin picked up 6th place in Calgary in the Skier Halfpipe

https://twitter.com/GBSnowsport/status/1477564363955396608

Andrew Musgrave took a superb 4th at the weekend
You can listen to Iain’s interview with Andrew Musgrave and Andrew Young here:

https://audioboom.com/posts/7995551-andrew-musgrave-andrew-young-cross-country-skiers-bonus-episode-23

Laurie Taylor took his best ever World Cup result of 25th last week
Reece Bell is Martin Bell’s daughter and Graham Bell’s niece and finished 43rd in her first ever World Cup
Ski Sunday starts on…Sunday 02 January
Jamie Barrow is attempting to beat the snowboard speed record
Jamie previously told us about his trip to North Korea a long time ago in Episode 6
He also told us about his snowboard speed record in Episode 49
Most Intersport stores have a BootDoc in the shop (watch this video)
Rob Rees reported from the Stöckli ski factory near Lucerne
Emily skied on Stöckli at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics

Reviews

UnboundedContext: "Definitely the best ski & snowboard podcast i've come across"

The Snowboard Instructor Podcast: "Such a great podcast to listen to"

Ben Davies: “I just found your podcast. I was a part of the UK ski and snowboard industry back in the late 1990's early 2000's (iglu.com, St Anton, Mottaret, never summer snowboards) & your chat with Tony McWilliam reminded me of those times. Thanks for the memories and your hard work, it's great to listen to the UK perspective from here in BC. Still in the ski industry, now ski patrolling (12 years!) and managing a small hotel in the middle of some of the best skiing in the world.”

Thanks to Simon Edgington for buying me a coffee. Don't forget you can always buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast. All cuppas are much appreciated.

I also enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

Don’t forget that we have 132 episodes of TSP and 88 were listened to in the last week. You can listen on your smart speaker (try ‘Play The Ski Podcast’) or Spotify (where you can rate us now as well).

And we are listened to around the world, so if you’re one of listeners in Latvia, Barbados, Iceland or Singapore then thank you for joining us.

Thanks go to Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring the podcast.

View Details

Our last podcast of 2021 is a snow report special. Our contributors bring you the latest snow and resort news from across the Alps.

This is our 37th episode of 2021 and our 132nd overall – make sure you never miss an episode by subscribing now.

Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring The Ski Podcast – we couldn’t produce our podcasts without their support.

SHOW NOTES

Simon Burgess reported from the Saas valley in Switzerland
Find out about the Magic Pass here
Dave Burrows is from SnoPros Ski School, based in Switzerland
Andy Butterworth owns Kaluma Ski and is based in St Anton, Austria
Keith Webb was in Kaprun, Austria. Find out more about his apartments on Instagram
Alex Armand runs Tip Top Ski Coaching in Les 2 Alpes, France
Steve Angus is a private instructor in Val d’isere, France. Find him on social at @SteveAngusSnow
Betony Garner was in Plaine Joux, France
Alex Irwin is presenter of the YouTube channel 150 Days of Winter and is based in Courchevel, France

View Details

This episode is a 'Resorts' special: we're going to be looking at Crans Montana, Courchevel & Les Menuires, plus we discuss how to choose your hire skis and talk to more Olympians.

Iain's guests for this episode were journalist Katy Dartford and Alex Irwin, host of the YT channel 150 Days of Winter, as well as regulars Katie Crowe Battleface Travel Insurance and equipment expert Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo.

We’d like to thank Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring the podcast.

SHOW NOTES

Switzerland has the best railways in the world according to Midnight Trains
Try the Wham Walk! in Saas Fee
France has introduced a travel ban on non-essential travel for UK citizens
The lockdown in Austria ended on 12 December
New entry rules for Austria – PCR required if no booster
The ‘Pass Sanitaire’ is being checked in Les 3 Vallees

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1471114320205467648

Check out Battleface for your travel insurance
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Travel reported from St Anton
Stephen Speirs was in Alpe d’Huez
Simon is using the Magic Pass and was in Leysin. Follow his travels on his website
Katy was skiing powder in Crans Montana, where she tried out the trampolines at the Alaia Chalet
Katy also reported on Crans for Euronews
Jim reported on surfing at the Alaia Bay in Episode 76
Iain was in Crans Montana in December 2020 – Listen to his report in Episode 65
Iain travelled to Les Menuires by train

https://www.facebook.com/skiflightfree/posts/673423427364768

Find out more about train travel at Ski Flight Free
The new La Masse gondola is the fastest in France, taking just 8 minutes [Video]
Iain stayed at ho36 in Les Menuires
The highlight was ski touring at night to the Refuge du Lac du Lou

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1471767336537538563

Iain was lucky enough to see the sunrise the following morning
The Saulire cable car was damaged in testing in October

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1446031205976186886

https://twitter.com/candidethovex/status/1313522412156325893

The new Ineos Club des Sports was paid for by UK billionaire Jim Ratcliffe
The Eclipse is the new downhill run in Courchevel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkoDuADWKNQ

There is a new beginners area in La Tania [Video]
Intersport Ski Hire offers ski hire in France, Austria and Switzerland
Alex and Al are fans of the original K2 Seth Pistol

https://twitter.com/150dow/status/1470774894916947968

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFZjxGBounM

Charlotte Bankes took 1st in the Snowboard Cross at Montafon, Austria
Katie Ormerod was 5th in the Big Air in Steamboat
Dave Ryding finished 5th in the Slalom in Val d'Isère
Andrew Young and James Clugnet came 6th in the team XC in Dresden
Zoe Atkin was 8th in the Half Pipe at Copper Mountain
Listen to our Bonus Episode with freestyle skiers and sisters Zoe and Izzy Atkin
You can listen to our special interview with cross country skiers Andrew Young and Andrew Musgrave here

Reviews

Robsski1: “My #1 podcast of 2021. Thank you for keeping me company on @Spotify all year long!"

https://twitter.com/theskipodcast/status/1467061118984142848

Pierre-Henri: “Again a great podcast.”

Dave Moore: "Good fun and rapport" (in our Bonus Episode with the Andrews)

Sam Woodhouse: "I'm enjoying The Ski Podcast very much!"

Tom Hunter: “Great content"

Gareth Harvey: "I’ve loved listening to the podcast for a number of years. Thank you for the podcast and for bringing the Magic Pass to my attention. Although I’m based in the UK, I have lots of meetings in Geneva. For some reason, these often turn into long weekends. Buying the Magic Pass has caused me to explore a lot of the smaller resorts I’d never have considered. You wouldn’t visit them for a week's holiday, but for a long w/e or even just a Saturday it’s great."

Andie Dalton: "I love your podcast, I’ve not long ago found it and I’m trying to get through them all but not listening to them in order which was probably a mistake. I always find a little gold nugget of information. Keep up the great work."Ruslan: "My name is Ruslan, born in Latvia living in UK. I’ve been an avid listener of the ski podcast for about 2 years since I first discovered it. I love the updates from resorts & it was awesome to get info on MTB in the summer as well"

Don't forget you can always buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast. All cuppas are much appreciated.

I also enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do email theskipodcast@gmail.com

Thanks again to Switzerland Tourism for their support of the podcast

View Details

A Ski Podcast Special: Andrew Musgrave & Andrew Young, Cross Country Skiers

In this Ski Podcast Special, Iain spoke to Andrew Musgrave (‘Muzzie’) and Andrew Young (‘Youngie’).

Both represent Great Britain at cross country skiing and will be heading to the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022 – their third Olympic games.

SHOW NOTES

· Both learned the cross country skiing at the Huntly Nordic Ski Club in Scotland · Huntly has all weather cross country and roller ski tracks · Watch out for the reality show about these two British underdogs…if you speak Norwegian · Andrew Young fractured his fibula but was racing again in just four weeks

· ‘Youngie’ has 4 World Cup podiums and ‘Muzzie’ has 3 podiums · Andrew Musgrave finished 7th in the 30km race at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics · Iain interviewed freestyle skiers Izzy and Zoe Atkin in this Ski Podcast Special

Keep up with all the latest Beijing news by subscribing to The Ski Podcast and never miss an episode

View Details

In this episode, we cover all the latest rules about travel, we look at a new way of booking ski lessons and discuss how to get your kit ready for the season.

Iain was joined by Lucy Aspden, Online Ski Editor at The Telegraph and Nick Robinson, founder of Maison Sport, a portal for booking ski lessons, as well as regulars Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance and equipment expert Al Morgan from SkiKiIinfo.

As always we are very grateful to Switzerland Tourism for supporting The Ski Podcast

SHOW NOTES

Lucy was on the show a year ago in Episode 60
Austrian lockdown will be until 13 Dec at least
Switzerland quarantine for UK passengers started on Sat 27 November and was reversed on Friday 03 December
In France, all skiers need to show the Pass Sanitaire to use ski lifts, and the non-vaccinated must show daily negative Covid tests
The Super Green Pass (meaning skiing would be restricted to only the vaccinated and recovered) in Italy has been deferred unless the situation worsens
The UK has introduced a compulsory PCR test and quarantine onreturn to the UK as well as pre-return negative test requirement.
The definition of what 'fully vaccinated' means is changing by country (and the day) to as little as 7 months before a booster is required
Battleface offer specialised winter sports cover

We had so many snow reports this week, we had to put them into a separate episode:

https://audioboom.com/posts/7991317-a-ski-podcast-special-latest-snow-news-from-around-the-alps

Thanks to Charlie Rees (Diavolezza), Andy Butterworth (Kaluma Travel, St Anton), Steve Angus (Val d’Isere), Keith Webb (Kaprun), Dave Burrows (Glacier 3000) and Luca Caruso (Cervinia)
Alex Armand runs Tip Top Ski Coaching in Les 2 Alpes
Lucy has beenlive reporting on the travel changes for The Telegraph
The situation re transit at Geneva airport ran and ran. Don’t forget to follow Skipedia on Twitter for real time updates on big issues such as this

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1465943758235750400

Lucy interviewed the French Minister of State for Tourism ("Closing is not an option
Nick is one of the founders of Maison Sport
Maison Sport is offering a refundable deposit on bookings made for this winter
Caroline Eliot was on the show in Episode 47
You can find out about her new book here
The new London Ski & Snowboard Festival will take place from 27-30 October 2022 at Evolution Battersea
Charlotte Bankes won silver in Snowboard Cross in China
Jon-allan Butterworth took 3rd in the Para Snowboard event at Landgraaf
You can listen to our interview with Jon-allan here:
https://audioboom.com/posts/7948841-a-ski-podcast-special-jon-allan-butterworth-paralympic-snowboarder

Don't forget you can always buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast. All cuppas are much appreciated. I also enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do email to theskipodcast@gmail.com

Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for their continued support for The Ski Podcast. Find out more at https://www.myswitzerland.com

View Details

We had so many snow reports for this week’s podcast, rather than edit them down, we thought we’d release them as a one-off special.

We cover six resorts in four countries – so it’s time to get excited and hear about the great conditions out in the Alps right now.

SHOW NOTES

Charlie Rees reported from Diavolezza/Engadin in Switzerland

https://twitter.com/theskipodcast/status/1467551739062673414

Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School was in Glacier 3000, Switzerland
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Travel is in St Anton, Austria

https://twitter.com/theskipodcast/status/1467466717894959109

Keith Webb was reporting from Kaprun in Austria. Find out more about his apartments on Instagram
Luca Caruso is based in Cervinia, Italy
Steve Angus is a ski instructor in Val d'Isère in France

We release regular episodes every two weeks, covering all aspects of the world of skiing and snowboarding, from resorts to racing, Ski Sunday to slush.

Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode of The Ski Podcast.

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In this episode, we take a look at women’s skis and women’s skiing, plus Graham Bell tells us about his new ski training app. We look at the latest travel news and have snow reports from around the Alps.

Iain was joined by ‘Ski Goddess’ Katie Dobson, Graham Bell and Sam Lynch, co-founders of the Perfect Turns app, as well as regular contributors Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance and equipment expert Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo

SHOW NOTES

· Alex Hermann spoke about the Swisstainable project in Episode 72

· The Swiss flags were out in Chatel last winter

· Graham interviewed the Gerken Schofield mogul skiers siblings for Ski Sunday · The good news is that no Covid pass will be required to ski in France · Usefully the NHS pass is now accepted throughout the EU · To be considered 'fully vaccinated' you will soon need a booster · Quarantine if you don’t have a booster on return to UK looks possible · Over 65s will require a booster for the Pass Sanitaire in France · Austria has gone into lockdown until at least 12 December · You can buy travel insurance for this winter from Battleface Travel · Val Thorens opened last weekend

https://twitter.com/3Vallees_france/status/1462714564731092995

· Dave Burrows, Ski Instructor Podcast and SnoPros Ski School reported from Glacier 3000 · Alex Armand, Tip Top Ski Coaching reported from Les 2 Alpes · Keith Webb reported from Kaprun. Find out more about apartments there on Instagram

· Graham talked about his appearance on Dancing on Ice this time last year · You can listen to his thoughts on the Olympic experience in our special episode

· Graham and Sam’s new app is called ‘Perfect Turns’

Katie Dobson from Ski Goddess made an impression at the National Snow Show in Birmingham

https://www.facebook.com/skipedia/photos/a.4381176131932295/4381172021932706

· Ski Goddess is based in Chatel in the Portes du Soleil · Find out more about sophrology

· And yes, you can practice sophrology with tree therapy too

· Al Morgan from skikitinfo.com joined us to discuss women’s skis · Mia Brookes won the first snowboard slopestyle of the season at Landgraaf · You can listen to Simon Burgess’ report from Landgraaft in Episode 82

· Dave Ryding won in his season’s racing debut this weekend in Sweden · Kirsty Muir recorded a 4th in the World Cup Slopestyle in Stubai · Greg Rutherford is racing in Bobsleigh for Team GB this winter · If you’d like to win a copy of Billy Morgan’s auto/biography, pleasetag us on social saying you'd like to win the book, or drop me an email

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg9NoHj9TtI

Reviews

richb67 (Snowheads): "Started listening to these and enjoying them"

mikepow (Snowheads): "Another great listen"

sofatoslopes: "Want to get excited for the winter ahead: listen to The Ski Podcast. Gets me through some long bike rides"

Paul Findlay:"Thanks for the kids ski holiday travel advice and of course the continuing podcasts!”

Jonny Goldsborough: “Really enjoyed hearing Henry on the podcast. Getting excited for the season! (fingers crossed)”

Nigel Winters: "Do love the show, only started listening just prior to lockdown, has been great to keep up with what is going on in the ski world, out in resorts, the travel restrictions, the interviews, and what’s new in equipment etc"

Don't forget you can always buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast. All cuppas are much appreciated. I also enjoy all feedback about the show, so please do email if you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts.

We also have a few stickers left, so if you'd like some for your skis, board, helmet or phone, pls drop us an email or contact us via social with your address.

Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for their continued support for The Ski Podcast. Find out more at https://www.myswitzerland.com/

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In this Ski Podcast Special, Iain speaks to GB snowsports athletes Izzy and Zoe Atkin as they prepare for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Izzy was Britain's first skier to win a medal at the Olympics, when she won the Bronze in Slopestyle at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. Zoe is Izzy's younger sister and competes in Ski Half Pipe.

In this interview we talk about their background in the sport; why they chose to join Team GB and how their preparations are going for Beijing 2022.

SHOW NOTES

Izzy has been training in Stubai, Austria
Zoe was in Saas Fee, Switzerland
Izzy and Zoe are based in Park City, Utah, USA
Pat Sharples is Team Manager of the GB Park and Pipe team
If you'd like to find out more about GB Snowsports then why not listen to our Ski Podcast Special interview with team manager Pat Sharples
Izzy won the Bronze medal in Slopestyle at PyeongChang
Zoe won Bronze in the World Champs in March 2021
Wind conditions in PyeongChang were 'challenging' at times
The sisters love skiing in Snowbird and Park City in Utah

Catch up with all of our Olympian interviews at The Ski Podcast

View Details

In Episode 82, we discuss avalanche safety, what a ‘rocker’ is and have interviews with Olympic medal winners Billy Morgan and Izzy Atkin.

There are snow reports from Italy, Switzerland and…the Netherlands, plus you can find out how to win a copy of Billy Morgan’s new book, ‘Drop in!’

Iain was joined by Henry Schniewind from the eponymous Henry's Avalanche Talk, plus Megan Hughes, Deputy Editor at InTheSnow Magazine, as well as regular equipment expert Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo.com

SHOW NOTES

Find out about e-quad biking in Andermatt
Iain reported on his ski touring in Andermatt in Episode 52
Battleface offer travel insurance for skiing regardless of FCO rules on travel
The PCR Day 2 test for fully vaccinated travellers was replaced with an antigen lateral flow test on 24 October
The NHS Covid Pass is now accepted across Europe
For children this winter, it looks like regular tests in resort will be required in Italy & Austria, although it’s less likely in France and Switzerland
Covid boosters may be required for travel

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1457233120965521408

Dave Burrows from The Ski Instructor Podcast reported from Cervinia
Simon Burgess was in Landgraaf in the Netherlands
Listen to Simon’s report from the Lake District in Episode 73
Rob Rees was reporting from Switzerland
The early November snow has been very good so far

https://twitter.com/FrenchMountains/status/1455941744210624519

Listen to our 'How to become a Pisteur' Special with Tom Greenall
Caroline Elliot talked about avalanche rescue dogs in Episode 47
You can catch up with Avalanche Safety Special Episode with Jim and Dave Burrows
Find out about Henry’s UK ‘Off Piste Awareness’ Tour on his website
Iain regularly contributes video snow reports to InTheSnow

https://www.facebook.com/inthesnow/videos/134822691302566 * This is a useful graphic from Wagner Skis on rockers * Listen to our Ski Podcast Special with Tony McWilliam, founder of Faction Skis * Billy Morgan won Bronze in the Snowboard Big Air at PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics * Graystone Action Sports is a superb training facility in Manchester * GB Snowsport have a huge airbag in Livigno, Italy for practising on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cJoU0kV3rg

To win a copy of his book all you have to do to go in the draw is tell us why you listen to The Ski Podcast You can enter on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook (just make sure you tag us) or by dropping us an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com and I'll pick a winner at the end of November

https://twitter.com/theskipodcast/status/1457259032218116097

Izzy Atkin won Olympic Bronze in the Ski Slopestyle at PyeongChang
Younger sister Zoe competes in Ski Big Air
Listen to the full interview in our Special Episode coming soon

Reviews

Leon Butler: “It was cool to watch 'The Ski Podcast Live'

Al Morgan (LinkedIn): "Superb episode of The Ski Podcast"

sofatoslopes (Instagram): "Fab morning endurance training while listening to The Ski Podcast"

Don't forget you can always buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast and all cuppas are much appreciated. This episode I'd like to thank Kimberley Kay and Mike Greenland, who also said:

"Love the podcast. I have skied at least twice a year ever since 1970. Started on wooden skis and lace up leather boots. Things have changed...missed my first season this year due to covid but hope to keep the calendar annual record going as I am off in Dec”

I really do appreciate reading all feedback about the show, so please do email me theskipodcast@gmail.com & if you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts

We also have a few stickers left, so if you'd like some for your skis, board, helmet or phone, pls drop us an email or contact us via social with your address.

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In Episode 81, we find out about Disability Snowsport UK is changing lives, plus we have the story of how one company in the Alps has survived both Brexit and Covid.

We find out how the National Snow Show in Birmingham went and answer the question “How long should my skis be?" plus much more.

Iain was joined by Rachel Davies, Head of Snowsport from Disability Snowsport UK, and Noel Miles who tells us his DSUK story. From Bourg St Maurice in the French Alps, Tania Casey from Huski joined us, as well as regular equipment expert Al Morgan.

SHOW NOTES

· Battleface offer travel insurance for skiing regardless of FCO rules on travel · The PCR Day 2 test for fully vaccinated travellers was replaced with an antigen lateral flow test on 24 October · For children this winter, it looks like regular tests in resort will be required in Italy & Austria, although it’s less likely in France and Switzerland · We recommend you create your 'Travel Folder of Dreams' by printing out all documents, in case this happens

· Jenny Nicholls from Inghams Ski reported fromHintertux, Austria · Tania Casey from Huski was on the glacier in Tignes · Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching skied in Les 2 Alpes this weekend · The National Snow Show took place at the Birmingham NEC last weekend. The dates for 2022 are 15-16 October · Iain was joined by Mike Richards and Simon Burgess for ‘The Ski Podcast Live’

https://twitter.com/theskipodcast/status/1452530423154757632

· Rachel Davies is Head of Snowsport from Disability Snowsport UK

· You can help raise funds for DSUK by joining in with the Alpine Lunch

and find out about other ways to give here · Huski is a food & drink delivery company operating in the French Alps

Tania’s favourite meal on offer is the ‘Lapin a la moutarde’

· Our equipment expert Al Morgan is from SkiKitInfo where you can read reviews of all the latest skis and boots · Neil McQuoid is editor of Racer Ready Magazine You can read his interview with Alex Tilley here. · Alex Tilley finished in an equal best 13th place in the GS in Solden

Reviews

Keith Webb:

"Really enjoy the show, I listened to old episodes for 10 hours one day....yeah, I know pretty intense but I was driving Chatel to Zell am See and needed to stay awake."

I really do appreciate reading all feedback about the show, so please do email me theskipodcast@gmail.com and if you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes it

helps other people find us.

Don't forget you can always buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast and all cuppas are much appreciated.

We also have a few stickers left, so if you'd like some for your skis, board, helmet or phone, please drop us an email or contact us via social with your postal address.

The Ski Podcast is sponsored by Switzerland Tourism

For full Show Notes, please go to www.theskipodcast.com

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This episode was recorded in September 2021 at the 'Ski Launch' event in London. Iain hosted this special panel with Olympians Graham Bell and Emily Sarsfield.

Please note that the sound quality on this broadcast is not ideal. This is not typical of The Ski Podcast (have a listen to our other 100+ episodes), but having played a clip in Episode 80, listeners asked to hear more - hence this special episode.

Topics discussed include:

What snow conditions can athletes expect at Beijing 2022?
What will the Covid regulations be?
How does that compare to Tokyo 2020 and what was the experience of working there a a broadcaster like?
What impact will all the changes have on the athlete experience?
How do athletes deal with adversity, such as when they are injured?
How are Team GB persuading athletes from other countries (such as Charlotte Bankes and Gus Kenworthy) to join the team?
What other athletes are crossing over from other sports to join?

View Details

We have lots of ski-related chat in this episode, including a St Anton update, how to find the right ski boot for you, Graham Bell on Beijing 2022, the latest update on Covid rules and whether it's possible to take all your holidays flight free.

Iain was joined by Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Travel, first time guest Helen Coffey, travel editor at The Independent, as well as regulars Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance and equipment expert Al Morgan.

SHOW NOTES

‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ was filmed in Murren, Switzerland
The Piz Gloria revolving restaurant was the location for Blofeld's base in 1969
Find out more about James Bond in Switzerland
Listen to our special episode focussing on the Inferno downhill race
Andy hopes to ski in Hintertux, following their fresh snow last week

https://twitter.com/Chaletline/status/1446030206603571201

Helen skied in Sierra Nevada
Iain was joined by Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance
There is no pre-return test required for double vaccinated travellers from 04 October
The Day 2 PCR test will be replaced by a Lateral Flow test by the end of this month
Travel to the USA should start again soon
It looks like the Pass Sanitaire will not be required to ski in France this winter
The situation for children in Austria is less clear
Find out about 'Trav-min'
Helen recently took a mega-trip to Morocco by train, having signed the Flight Free UK pledge
Iain is a signatory to Tourism Declares and founded the Ski Flight Free campaign
Find out about The Independent's policy on travel coverage

Google are now including carbon emissions totals for flights:

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1446387406618386445

Ruka ski resort is in Finland
Listen to our Travelski interview in Episode 79
Andy is based in St Anton
Kaluma Ski are facing some challenges of recruiting post-Brexit
Iain hosted the Olympics sessions at the recent Ski Launch event in London. Please let us know if you’d like to hear more of this by emailing me at theskipodcast@gmail.com
Non-vaccinated athletes will have to quarantine for 21 days to compete at Beijing
Listen to our Ski Podcast Special with Jon-Allan Butterworth about his conversion to snowboarding and his time on The Jump
The Jump was our lead story in Episode 1 of The Ski Podcast four years ago in 2017
Beth Tweddle is sueing the show.
Read and watch more equipment reviews from Al Morgan at SkiKitInfo.com
Al mentioned the Lange XT3 Tour ski boot
I spoke to author Kimberley Kay about her new book: Ski A-Z: An Illustrated Guide to Skiing
Alex Irwin reported from Courchevel on the damaged Saulire cable car

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1446031205976186886

Reviews

Joe McHugh: "Thanks Ian for keeping the skiing vibe on life-support during Covid times"

Inside Morzine: "Well worth a listen.. Iain’s #podcast are ALWAYS essential listening"

Greg Hilton: .

Thanks also to Mike Greenland, who pointed out Lauterbrunnen is part of Jungfrau (I was confusing it with Adelboden)

I really do appreciate reading all feedback about the show, so please do email me theskipodcast@gmail.com and if you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes it

helps other people find us.

Don't forget you can listen to The Ski Podcast on Spotify as well, and if you know someone else who's getting excited about the ski season then please do share it. Don't forget you can always buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast and all cuppas are much appreciated.

We also have a few stickers left, so if you'd like some for your skis, board, helmet or phone, please drop us an email or contact us via social @theskipodcast with your postal address.

Thanks again to Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring The Ski Podcast.

XGHWeR2fMsQjvfoQn8Ae

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In this Ski Podcast Special, Iain speaks with Paralympian Jon-allan Butterworth.

A four-time Paralympic medallist, Jon-allan recently joined GB Snowsport’s Para Snowsport World Class Programme following his retirement from Britain’s professional cycling programme in December 2020.

SHOW NOTES

Jon-allan won three silver and one gold medal at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, and will represent Team GB in the Para Snowboard discipline in the Banked Slalom and Boarder Cross events.

https://twitter.com/theskipodcast/status/1438080356087894023

Jon-allan’s first event will be at SnowWorld Landgraaf in the Netherlands
You can listen to our Ski Podcast Special with GB Snowsports Team Manager, Pat Sharples
Jayne Kavanagh is GB Snowsport's Head of Culture and Para Operations
Prior to his sporting career, Butterworth was a member of the RAF and served in Afghanistan, in 2005, and in Iraq before losing his left arm below the elbow in a rocket attack in August 2007.
In 2015, Jon-allan Butterworth took part in Channel 4's 'The Jump':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXztu1dT3qI

View Details

In Episode 79, we discuss the latest testing & travel rules, reveal how the new direct snow train will operate and listen to industry experts’ predictions for season.

We also find out about Dynastar's new 21/22 skis, meet the latest member of GB Snowsports squad and find out if you can still work overseas in a post-Brexit world.

Iain was joined by Alyn Morgan from SkiKitInfo.com and Christa Jackson, LDA

resident and Area Manager for Eurocamp.

SHOW NOTES

You can ski right now in Saas Fee and Zermatt in Switzerland
Al was testing skis at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead
Christa last skied in Lauterbrunnen, Swizerland
PCR tests are being replaced for the fully vaccinated
A Covid certificate may be required to ski in Switzerland, and possibly in Italy as well
The Pass Sanitaire will apply to children in France from 30 September, so children's vaccinations in UK may become even more relevant

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1439844825822638090

Austria have extended the max duration since full vaccination to 12 months from 270 days
According to figures from the NHS, less than 1.5% of red and amber list arrivals tested positive in the week between Aug 26 and Sep 01

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1438119171922046981

Iain spoke to the following contributors at the Ski Launch
event in London about their predictions for this winter season: Cathy Rankin (P&V), Nick Morgan (Le Ski), James Gambrill (Ski Club of Great Britain), Doug Newman (Ski Weekend), Jane Bolton (Erna Low), Hannah Zajic (Austrian Tourist Board)
Listen to our Ski Podcast Special about Erna Low here
Find out more about the ‘Travelski Express’ in this blog post at Ski Flight Free
Charlie Owen from SBiT has been on the podcast previously discussing post-Brexit recruitment in Episodes 8 and 20
We featured Al’s review of Faction Dictator 3.0 in Episode 78 and discussed the Elan Voyager ski in Episode 71
Read more about Dynastar’s range of skis for this winter on the SkiKitInfo website
Jon-allan Butterworth is a multiple Paralympic medal winner in cycling
Listen to our Pat Sharples Ski Podcast Special here
He took part in ‘The Jump’ in 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXztu1dT3qI

Reviews

Thanks to Andy (aka ‘sailormissingsnow’) for his 5* review on Apple Podcasts

We really do appreciate reading all feedback about the show, so please do email me theskipodcast@gmail.com and if you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or

whatever platform you listen on, then that would be great, as it helps other people find us.

Don't forget you can always buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast and all cuppas are much appreciated.

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In Episode 78, we discuss the new National Snow Show coming up next month, summer activities in the mountains like e-biking, mountaineering and trail running, plus we talk to Tony McWilliam, founder of Faction Skis.

Iain was joined by Stephen Morgan, MD at Raccoon Events, and mountaineer Olivia Jane, with contributions from Alyn Morgan at SkiKitInfo and Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance.

SHOW NOTES

Steve skied in Glencoe. Listen to our interview with Andy Meldrum, owner of Glencoe, in Episode 75
There is now no quarantine for British arrivals into Italy
Austria, Norway, Switzerland and Canada have all been added to the ‘Green List’
But Austria are applying a 270 day limit on their double vaccination rules for travellers
The cost of tests remains an issue, as Battleface have identified in their previous research
Iain used the Britanny Ferries discount for Randox tests
Helen Coffey’s article in The Independent about ‘Trav-min’ is spot on
We interviewed James Wilcox from Untamed Borders in our Special Episode about 'skiing in Afghanistan'
Find out more about their campaign to support local guides here
The National Snow Showis on at the NEC on 23-24 October
Listen to our Ski Podcast Special with Benjamin Alexander – Jamaican Alpine Skier
The mystery speaker turned out to be Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards. Listen to our Ski Podcast Special interview with Eddie here.
We spoke to Mount Noire in Episode 61 of The Ski Podcast
You can buy tickets to the National Snow Show here
You can watch The Ski Podcast Live at the show at midday on Sunday 24 October
Iain will be joined by Podcast regular Mike Richards as well as Simon Burgess, who told us about his experience skiing in the Lake District in Episode 73
2021 is the 150th anniversary of Lucy Walker’s first female ascent of the Matterhorn
Olivia Jane is part of the Mammut team
Iain reported from Zermatt in Episode 76

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSW0BAIjQjI/

Listen to Iain’s interview with Martin Anthamatten in Episode 77
Iain took part in the Eiger Trail 51 race in Grindelwald, Switzerland
Read Iain’s article ‘Five Tips for Fast Packing the Tour du Mont Blanc’
The UTMB (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc) is a 171km race with 10050m of climbing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyvVhgPp4p0

Read Iain’s race report from the UTMB here
Listen to Iain’s interview with Claire Burnet from the Chamonix Tourist Office in Episode 73
The ‘Village Vacances Grandeur Nature’ offer in Chamonix meant visitors could enjoy free activities in July and August
Jim went surfing at Alaia Bay and reported on that in Episode 76 and tried VTT in Crans Montana
Iain spoke to Faction Skis founder Tony McWilliam about the early years of the company. You can listen to the full interview in our Ski Podcast Special
Listen to our Ski Podcast Special with Jim Adlington
Verbier holds an ebike Festival every year

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQEGEx8D3J3/

We're still waiting to get hold of Faction's new range, but Alyn Morgan (previously on the show in Episode 71) reviews the Faction Dictator 3.0 freeride here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6-nqtJb9Y0

REVIEWS

I'd like to thank everyone who bought me a coffee since our last podcast, it's very kind of you. Also thanks to these guys for their feedback and reviews:

Tom Brownlee: “Keeping me going during this ski-less time!"

Matt Hayes: "fantastic pods as ever"

Andrew Brannan: “Two episodes to keep me going during August - Cheers for that!”

Peter S: "An excellent discussion about the prospects for ski holidays this winter and a good report from Switzerland. Must listen to more of your podcasts now. Keep up the excellent work"

Roddy MacDonald: "Enjoy the podcast, keeping the faith for the upcoming season both abroad and here in Scotland"

Jon White: "I am enjoying your chats with everyone from ‘back in the day’ when I was in the industry"

I really do appreciate reading all feedback about the show, so please do email me theskipodcast@gmail.com and if you can give us a review on Apple Podcasts or whatever platform you listen on, then that would be great, as it helps other people find us.

And if you do enjoy listening to The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast and all cuppas are much appreciated.

We also have a few stickers left, so if you'd like some for your skis, board, helmet or phone, please drop us an email or contact us via social with your postal address.

COMING UP

As we get nearer the season, we are going to be finding out more about equipment and all the changes and developments for the coming season. We'll keep our eye on the travel rules and the snow forecast.

Please do email theskipodcast@gmail.com if you've got any questions or suggestions for items you'd like to listen to on the show.

Thanks again to Switzerland Tourism for supporting The Ski Podcast

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In this Ski Podcast Special, we meet Tony McWilliam, founder of one of the world's leading snowsports brands - Faction Skis.

We find out what inspired him to start the company and how it took it to become one of the most famous freestyle ski brands in the world.

SHOW NOTES

Tony designed my first brochure for my first business, Natives.co.uk
You can listen to our Ski Podcast Special with Pat Sharples here
Faction skis started in 2003
BoardX took place in Battersea for several years
You can listen to our Ski Podcast with Jim Adlington here
Other key contacts for Tony in the early years were Phil Martin, Gordy Hughes and Matt Reardon
He worked closely with Peter Bauer, founder of Amplid
The first range of Faction skis had a waist of 80-110mm
Initially the skis were made in Annecy before production moved to Austria
Skis like the Seth Pistol were an inspiration
Jamie Strachan's designs for Volkl were another influence
The first run of Faction skis was just 44 pairs - they now sell 35,000 pairs every year globally
Sam Smoothy is a NZ freeride skier
Ski Service in Verbier was the first store to stock Faction Skis
Tony first met Candide Thovex as a 16-year-old rider in Les Arcs
Check out Candide in China here (he took 27 pairs of skis with him for that shoot!)
Tony launched an eco-friendly outerwear brand, GHOSTS, on Kickstarter in 2019
He also worked with Eric Pollard - ex-Line Skis - on the launch of the new ski and snowboard range Season Eqpt
Find out about Candide's outerwear brand

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In Episode 77, we find out about skiing in Northern Ireland and we talk Olympics - summer and winter - with my guests Olympian Emily Sarsfield and World Cup winning telemarker, Jasmin Taylor. Iain meets Martin Anthamatten to find out what it takes to win the Patrouille des Glaciers.

SHOW NOTES

Mark and David skied in the Mourne Mountains (850m), just north of the border near Dundalk and at Errigal mountain in Donegal (751m)
Watch their TikTok here

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMd4N4dCU/

Andy Meldrum from Glencoe told us about midsummer skiing event in Episode 75
We have over 100 episodes to catch up on at TheSkiPodcast.com
Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance joined us
Battleface research shows that on average people are prepared to pay £61 for travel tests

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1422830932793376771

We interviewed Vicky Gosling - CEO of GB Snowsport - in Episode 21
Listen to the Pat Sharples Ski Podcast Special
Jasmin Taylor has reached the podium in World Cup events more than 30 times - you can listen to our Ski Podcast Special with Jasmin here
Find out about the Ellie Souter Foundation
'The Chimp Paradox' is by Steve Peters
Iain spoke to Philippa Middleton about the Patrouille des Glaciers race way, way back in Episode 06 of The Ski Podcast
Martin Andermatten is a previous winner of the Patrouille des Glaciers
Find out more about the Sierre Zinal trail race
Iain took part in the Eiger Trail in Grindelwald
UTMB went 'fastpacking' around the Tour de Mont Blanc in four days
Iain takes part in the UTMB trail race - 171km with 9500m+ - later in August

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In Episode 76, we discuss surfing, skateboarding and snow drifts in Switzerland in Crans Montana, Zinal & Zermatt. Plus we chat ski holiday trends for next winter, including the implications of Brexit for British workers, plus we find out what it's like to live in a mountain refuge year round.

Iain is joined by Cathy Rankin from Pierre & Vacances and, joining us from La Clusaz, a voice that long time listeners of the show will know well, former presenter of The Ski Podcast, Jim Duncombe.

SHOW NOTES

Iain didn't get to ski in Zermatt, but he did do this snow report for InTheSnow Magazine
Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School was skiing at the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise from the Cervinia side
The UK government has introduced a new 'Amber Plus' category for France in their traffic light system
France has also introduced a new vaccination certificate system, called the Pass Sanitaire, to allow access to restaurants
Jim was surfing in the Alaia Bay surf centre in Sion and skateboarding at the Alaia Chalet in Crans Montana

The Alaia Bay surf centre

Iain went to Crans Montana in December when he interviewed Adam Bonvin, the founder of Alaia Chalet and Alaia Bay
Iain was trail running last week in Switzerland as preparation for the UTMB race in August
Day 1 took him along the Sierre-Zinal course
He first came across snow on Stage 6 of the Via Valais, which took him to the Turtmann Hutte where he interviewed Fredy Tscherigg

Magdalen and Fredy Tscherigg

Stage 7 was more challenging with heavy snowfall to deal with!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM9RvCJaJpQ * Iain last stayed in a refuge when ski touring in Morocco. You can listen to his report on this in Episode 30

Ski touring in Morocco

Cathy Rankin took part in the Travel Industry Day of Action
Seasonal Businesses in Travel are lobbying for British staff to be able to work in the Alps

Photo (c) Daily Express

Reviews

"Love the skipodcast. Thank you for keeping us hopeful over the last 15 months."

Simon Marr

Thanks to Wayne Hall and Jonny Goldsbrough for buying me a coffee. Don't forget if you enjoy listening to The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast and all cuppas are much appreciated.

If you'd like some TSP stickers for your helmet, skis or phone, then just email theskipodcast@gmail.com with your address and we'll post some out to you for free.

Equally that's the email address if you've got any questions or suggestions for items you'd like to listen to on the show. And if you enjoy the show, let us know - send us an email or contact us via social media...and tell all your friends about this great podcast you've found.

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In Episode 75, Iain and his guests find out about St Moritz Engadin in Switzerland, mid-summer skiing in Scotland and the oldest ski club in the world - the Ski Club of Great Britain.

Iain was joined by Marijana Jakic from St. Moritz and James Gambrill, the new general manager at the Ski Club of Great Britain.

SHOW NOTES

60% of our listeners are from the UK, with the other 40% spread across the globe
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter reported from the summer glacier in Tignes
Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching reported from the glacier in Les 2 Alpes
Steve Angus was on the glacier in Val d'Isère
We featured skiing in Scotland in May in Episode 73
Andy Meldrum is the owner of Glencoe
If you'd like to know more about skiing in Scotland, can I suggest taking a listen to Episode 62, when we were joined by Trafford Wilson from Snowsport Scotland.
We have over 100 episodes to catch up on, so if you're a new listener, have a look on the website (www.theskipodcast.com), maybe look for a tag or category that takes your interest, from Crans Montana to Courchevel, Eddie the Eagle to Erna Low.
Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance talked us through the current travel situation
Cricket is still played on the St Moritz lake every winter
Engadin is famous for hosting the Engadin Ski Marathon - the second largest cross country event in the world
David Norris took part in the race in 2003 and 2004
James Gambrill previously founded and managed LISTEX - the trade networking show for the snowsports industry
The SCGB is the oldest ski club in the world, founded in 1903 at the Cafe Royale in London

Don't forget if you enjoy listening to The Ski Podcast, you

can buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast and all cuppas are much appreciated.

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In Episode 74, we discuss summer skiing in Avoriaz, sustainability in Morzine and cat skiing in North Macedonia. Plus we talk origins with Jim Adlington from Planks Clothing and the demise of apres-ski in Courchevel with Alex Irwin. Iain is joined ‘live’ by Sara Burdon from Morzine Tourist Office and regular guest and friend of the show, Mike Richards. SHOW NOTES · Katie Crowe is from Battleface Travel Insurance

· You can read the details of their latest research here · Their Sherpa tool is useful for checking the latest situation in each country · Richie Owen reported from Mt Hutt in New Zealand · Tammy from Mint Snowboarding was in Avoriaz · We were joined by Paul Anderson, CEO at NZski.com in Episode 73

· We have over 100 episodes to catch up on · Morzine and Avoriaz are both within the same ‘commune’ · Avoriaz was founded by Jean Vuarnet, ski racer and sunglass pioneer · Al Judge from AliKats took part in our Electric Vehicles special

· Dom Turner from Skiology was on the show in Episode 65 · Find out about the excellent organisation Montagne Verte

· Iain went to Les Arcs to review their sustainability in Episode 45

· Morzine was the first ski resort to have a dedicated MTB course in 1997 · Mike went to North Macedonia in January 2011

· Mike has previously talked about his experiences in Georgia (Episode 37), Montenegro (Episode 39), Japan (Episode 41) and in Wales (Episode 65) · Popova Shapka was a candidate for the 1992 Winter Olympics (which went to Sarajevo instead) · Mike stayed at the Hotel Slavija, which opened in 1987 · Eskimo Freerideoffer cat skiing in Popova Shapka · Find out more about the resort here (in Macedonian) · Listen to our special episode of The Ski Podcast with Jim Adlington

· Alex Irwin is presenter of the 150 Days of Winter YouTube channel

Buy Me A Coffee

I'd like to thank Wayne Hall and the Winterised team for buying me a cuppa since our last episode. It takes hours to put together a single episode of the podcast, so if you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Stickers

Don't forget if you'd like some TSP stickers for your helmet, skis or phone, then just email theskipodcast@gmail.com with your address and we'll post some out to you for free.

Coming Up

Our next episode will be out in early July - let's hope we have some better news on travel by then… You can follow the show @theskipodcast - and we're now on Instagram as well. I'd like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their continued support.

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In this Ski Podcast Special, I speak to Jim Adlington, founder of the UK snowsports clothing brand, Planks.

We talk about Jim's early ski career, from Kidsgrove to Val d'Isère; becoming a sponsored athlete with Salomon; and how he ended up creating the Planks brand.

SHOW NOTES

Jim Adlington is founder of the British snowsports brand Planks Clothing
Jim learned to ski at Kidsgrove Dry Slope
His first experience of snow was in Chamonix
‘Blizzard of Aahhhs’ was a hugely influential extreme ski movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTsAsYmPgDk
His first seasons were for Skibound in Courchevel and then Val d'Isère
You can listen to our Pat Sharples Special Podcast here
The Salomon 1080 was a revolutionary ski
This is a good article about the evolution of skis
Jim persuaded Eric Davies, MD at Salomon, to give him a pair and subsequently became a sponsored rider
He worked closely with photographer Ross Woodhall
https://youtu.be/AKkyygSGa0U
Planks Clothing started in Val d'Isère in 2008, with just hats
Their iconic phrase is ‘Drop Cliffs, Not Bombs’
Even from the start Planks was upcycling by used old stock
Two thirds of the Planks collection uses recycled yarns from Repreve and has used 1.5m waste plastic bottles
In 2019 Planks linked up with GB Snowsports with many of the athletes in the Park+Pipe team wearing their kit
Planks have had a James ‘Woodsy’ Woods signature series since 2016
https://youtu.be/IQ_iOkqmaNo
The company has seen growth of 40% pa over the last few years, with sales to 46 countries worldwide
Their recent crowdfunding campaign smashed their target and has raised almost £1m so far

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Episode 73 covers three time zones with Paul Anderson (NZski.com) in New Zealand and Claire Burnet (Chamonix) in France joining Iain in the UK.

We discuss the coming season and the expected boom for NZ resorts from the Trans-Tasman bubble; the lifts turning again in Chamonix and the prospects for a ‘normal’ summer season in France.

We have a special feature on skiing in the UK in May – it’s very rare, but we have reports from Wales, Scotland and the Lake District in England.

Thanks as always to Switzerland Tourism for supporting The Ski Podcast. We are delighted to announce that this partnership has been extended to cover this summer and next winter.

SHOW NOTES

Mike Richards reported from Wales and previously appeared on the show discussing skiing in Wales in more depth in Episode 65
Follow Mike at mikethesnow on Instagram
Greg Hilton was ski touring in Cairngorm with British Backcountry
David Johnson visited Glencoe and the Nevis Range earlier in May
You can check the Nevis Range webcam here
We previously covered skiing options in Scotland in Episode 62
Simon Burgess visited Raise, organised by the Lake District Ski Club
Check the live feed on Twitter here
You can follow Simon’s adventures on his website
Katie Crowe is from Battleface Travel Insurance
You can check current travel restrictions on the 'Sherpa' app on their website
NZ.com includes Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt and welcome 700,000 guests each winter, of which 30-40% are from Australia
The resorts near Queenstown offer ‘remarkable’ views with a season lasting from June to October
A recent survey suggests pent-up demand for NZ skiing in Australia
The lifts starting turning again in Chamonix on May 19 at 50% capacity as 'deconfinement' gets underway
Last winter’s 'saison blanche' saw peak season occupancy reduced to 30-50% of normal levels
Mark Seaton talked to us about the ski touring options in Chamonix in Episode 62
Betony Garner reported on the rise of cross country skiing in France in Episode 65
The ‘Village Vacances Grandeur Nature’ deal in Chamonix this summer means visitors can enjoy free activities on week days in July and August
Iain is taking part in the UTMB trail running race

Buy Me A Coffee

Matt Hayes, Andrew Brannan, John M and Nick D have all very kindly bought me a cuppa since our last episode.

Andrew: “You're doing such a professional job: it's a very enjoyable listen.”

Nick: "Many thanks for the great work you do, putting out the best ski podcast going"

John: “Thank you. You’ve kept my ski passion going thru this tough year”

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Reviews

Please do give us a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts - we've had over 80 reviews now - and as you know how all those algorithms work, it genuinely does help people find us.

Many thanks to 'SkiSkiSki' who reviewed us on iTunes:

Don't forget if you'd like some TSP stickers for your helmet, skis or phone, then just email theskipodcast@gmail.com with your address and we'll post some out to you for free.

Remember that you can still secure yourself a free ticket for the National Snow Show at the Birmingham NEC in October, using the code 'SnowSkiPodcast'

Coming Up

Don't forget if you haven't listened to it yet, our Pat Sharples Ski Podcast Special is now live. Do listen to this one - it's one of our best!

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the show @theskipodcast on Twitter

Thanks as always to Switzerland Tourism

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It was a real pleasure to interview Pat Sharples, Head Coach at Snowsport GB.

I've known Pat for 20+ years, but with his globe-trotting lifestyle rarely see him these days. I loved hearing about the rise to the top of freeskiing in the UK and the team of talented athletes that he's leading to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Sit back and enjoy this 'Chat with Pat'...

SHOW NOTES

Almaty in Kazakhstan hosted the Moguls & Aerials World Championships
Tom Gerken Schofield finished 6th in the Dual Moguls
He started to ski at Rossendale Ski Slope in Lancashire
Pat lived in Courchevel for twelve years, working for Ski Olympic at the Hotel Les Avals in Courchevel 1650
The European Mogul Challenge took place in the 90s in Meribel, Verbier and Val d’Isere
Ian ‘Big Mac’ taught Iain how to do a ‘180’ (or ‘heli’ as it was called at the time). He is now Resort Direction for Alpine Action
Jim Adlington is the founder of Planks Clothing
British Freeski Camps were founded by Warren Smith
Iain skied in Saas Fee last summer
The Salomon Grom Camps started in 2005
The AIM series was running at the same time
Pat’s first Salomon sponsored skier was James ‘Woodsy’ Woods
Katie Summerhayes and Tyler Harding made their public debut at The New Breed’ quarter-pipe competition at the Manchester Ski Show
The X-Games Europe in Tignes was a key event for the progression of UK freestyle
The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi was the first to include ski slopestyle and the British team was funded with lottery money
Izzy Atkin won the first ski freestyle medal at the Winter Olympics (look closely at the start of this video and you can see Pat giving Izzy some final words of advice)
Izzy and Zoe Atkin are based in Park City, Colorado
Kirsty Muir is only 16 but finished 2nd in the Slopestyle World Cup in Aspen this winter
Rowan Cheshire came 7th in PyeongChang in the Half Pipe
Pat visited Ella Hall in Bournemouth and made her day!

If you enjoy the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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In Episode 72, there's an exclusive interview with Pat Sharples from GB Snowsport; we learn about the new 'Swisstainable' programme; find out about the acquisition of the Chill Factore indoor snow slope; and talk ski touring and all things Switzerland; plus there's our usual round up of resort reports from around the Alps.

In this episode Iain speaks with Alex Herrman from Switzerland Tourism, freelance journalist Katy Dartford, Ian Brown from The Snow Centre and Pat Sharples, Head Coach for GB Snowsports.

Thanks as always to Switzerland Tourism for supporting the podcast.

SHOW NOTES

The new traffic light system should be confirmed later this week, before it starts on May 17
We discussed the cost of testing in Episode 71 with Katie from Battleface
Steve Angus from Fresh Chalets reported from Val d'Isère
Jim Duncombe reported from La Clusaz
Ed Mannix from Matterhorn Chalets reported from Zermatt
Katy Dartford visited Binntal in Switzerland on a ski touring adventure

Katy ski touring in the Binn Valley, Switzerland

Iain tested skiing in the ‘new normal’ in Saas Fee in July 2020, reporting for InTheSnow Magazine
Larger resorts in Switzerland were more affected than smaller resorts

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1381547175763718144 * Iain reported on cross country skiing in Crans Montana in Episode 65 * We discussed the number of different activities this winter’s visitors to French ski resorts have tried in Episode 69

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1364518040247951360 * Charlie Rees reported on snow shoeing in Engelberg in Episode 71 * There is no quarantine on arrival into Switzerland for British citizens. You can check the latest travel and lockdown status here. * Crans Montana has extended its ski season into June * Check the latest resort and snow info at the MySwitzerland website * You can find out more about the 'Swisstainable' programme here

Switzerland is currently 3rd in the World Economic Forum sustainability rankings, and the goal is to make CH 'the world’s most sustainable destination'
Train travel to Switzerland is very easy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw38LXhMJL0&list=PLnWt0xPp4oTqPp0n4Ke3ULgU8IAVy8kSv * Iain visited the Valsana Hotel in Arosa in March 2020. The hotel prides itself for its sustainability credentials, which Iain tested out for Skier and Snowboarder Magazine. * Potato is a new restaurant in Zermatt * Ian Brown, MD of The Snow Centre, was on the show in Episode 67 * The Chill Factore indoor snow slope is in Manchester

Pat Sharples is head coach of GB Snowsports
His Salomon ‘Grom Camps’ started in 2005
His first sponsored athlete was James ‘Woodsy’ Woods
Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss the full interview coming soon as a Ski Podcast Special

Reviews

I'd like to thank all of these guys who've bought me a cuppa since our last episode. If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Nicole Clark: "The podcast just keeps getting better and better, thank you for all your hard work"

Suzi Jones: “Just listening to the podcasts makes you feel in touch so when we are lucky to go back it won’t feel as alien. Thanks again you’re our lockdown ski saviour.”

Jonny Goldsborough: "Thanks for getting us through the winter"

Michael Gold: "The podcast is something that I look forward to and I appreciate the work you put into it"

Michael: "Great podcast, cannot wait to return to Chamonix someday"

Also thanks to Paul Findlay and Michael Greenland for your support.

Stickers

Don't forget if you'd like some TSP stickers for your helmet, skis or phone, then just email theskipodcast@gmail.com with your address and we'll post some out to you for free.

Free tickets for the National Snow Show

To get your free tickets for the National Snow Show, use the Discount: SNOWSkiPodcast on their website

Follow Iain on social media @skipedia and the show @theskipodcast – now on Instagram as well.
Thanks as always to Switzerland Tourism for their support

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In Episode 71, we find out about Les 2 Alpes, snowshoeing in Engelberg, quarantine, testing and the new ‘traffic light’ travel rules, plus we have snow reports from around the Alps and an focus on equipment trends for 2021/22.

Iain was joined by Helena Hospital, Press Relations from Les 2 Alpes and Alyn Morgan from SkiKitinfo.

SHOW NOTES

· Alyn last skied in Glenshee · Katie Crowe is Communications Manager for Battleface Travel

· You can find out more about the Battleface survey here

· A study from Amadeus revealed 91% of travellers would be comfortable with a digital health passport

https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1379330549538492417

· Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter is based in Courchevel · Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Travel is in St Anton, Austria · France is in lockdown just now · The Les 2 Alpes glacier is due to open on 29 May or 05 June

· Iain covered the French ski resort protests in December on Skipedia · Helena confirmed that lift pass revenues in Les 2 Alpes are down from €170m to €40m · Les 2 Alpes will open with limited capacity, perhaps only 300 lift passes per day · Look out for the Bradley Wiggins-hosted cycling event in September in Les 2 Alpes · Al Morgan is from SkiKitInfo.com

· This is the Elan Voyager foldable ski · Watch this video for a reminder why knowing how your transceiver works is essential

https://www.facebook.com/skipedia/posts/3755350864514828

· Roving Swiss reporter Charlie Rees was in Engelberg

· Kirsty Muir, silver Slopestyle World Cup

· Charlotte Bankes, Bronze Snowboard Cross World Cup Veysonnaz · Billy Major has just been crowned Europa Cup Slalom Champion 2020/21 · Listen to our Eddie the Eagle special episode here

· Roger Federer is now a global ambassador for Switzerland · Iain has a place in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc trail running race in August Buy Me A Coffee I'd like to thank Wayne, Hubert and also these guys who all bought me a cuppa: Nick D: "Great podcast, keep up the fantastic work"

Andrew Thomas: “I've followed you for well over a year and seen the standard increase significantly in the last year. Keep up the good work.” If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Reviews

Skiintel on Instagram: "Love the podcast. Especially the one about train travel to the Alps. We're booking our first ski train for next year as a result."

Inside Morzine on Twitter: 'An excellent listen'

The Winner of our competition is 'Les Petit Singe' on Apple Podcasts, who kindly said: "Love this podcast, it is the shining light that gets me through the week, discovering previous episodes and, because if pesky Covid, keeps the fire burning for next season. Informative, educational and extremely interesting. Keep up the brilliant work."

If you'd like a set of The Ski Podcast stickers, then email iain@skipedia.co.uk

Follow Iain on social media @skipedia and the show @theskipodcast - now on Instagram as well. Thanks as always to Switzerland Tourism

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Eddie tells us how his life changed after the 'Eddie the Eagle' movie was released, from Taron Edgerton perfecting his accent to Hugh Jackman asking to have a selfie with him.

SHOW NOTES

Eddie was in Courchevel with Ski Weekends, raising money for Ski for Cancer
The idea for a movie first came about in 1999, but 'Eddie the Eagle' wasn't made until 2016
Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CATCSEoeG_c
It was at Calgary 1988 that Eddie first made his name
Jonty Learoyd is a talented junior ski jumper who is British by birth, but is competing for France
We interviewed Charlotte Bankes about her switch from France to Team GB in Episode 25

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the show @theskipodcast on Twitter

Thanks as always to Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring The Ski Podcast

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

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In this Special Episode of The Ski Podcast, Iain speaks to James Willcox, founder of Untamed Borders, about skiing in Afghanistan and the Afghan Ski Challenge. * This is Untamed Borders’ 11th ski season guiding skiers in Afghanistan * They have taken skiers to the Panjshir Valley, Badakhshan in the far North East and the Salang Pass that links Kabul to Mazar e Sharif * Bamian remains best place due to good security and awesome scenery * You can listen to Iain’s interview with Battleface CEO Sasha Gainullin in Episode 68 * Battleface will offer you insurance for trips to countries such as Afghanistan when travel is not recommended * Find out about the Afghan Ski Challenge here, which started in 2011 * Watch the film 'Where The Light Shines' here: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6tgjWtwRQE * Watch footage from 2019 Afghan Ladies Ski Challenge and boys’ wooden ski race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r70jrQ2kl74 * You find out more about the Afghan Sports Trust here * Find out about the women’s programme in this article in The Guardian

BuyMeACoffee

If you enjoy the podcast you're very welcome to buy me a cuppa at BuyMeACoffee.com/theskipodcast

Make sure you subscribe to The Ski Podcast now and never miss an episode...

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This week we find out about the booming market for ski holidays for next winter, there's an interview with Olympic downhill racer Martin Bell, news of the Afghan Ski Challenge and we find all about The Inferno - the downhill race in Murren for amateur skiers.

Iain was joined by Vanessa Fisher (last on the show in Episode 63) and Nick Morgan, Managing Director and founder of Le Ski Chalet Holidays.

The Global Travel Taskforce is due to report on April 12, with the hope that travel may start again from May 17
Cyprus, Greece & Turkey have all confirmed UK citizens will be welcome
The EU has announced details of a new 'Digital Green Pass'
We discussed the ‘Common Pass’ back in Episode 61 last autumn
Andy Butterworth from Kaluma Travel was reporting from St Anton
Andy last appeared on the show in Episode 66
Ben from Mabey Ski called in from Whistler, Canada
Ed Mannix is the owner of Matterhorn Chalets in Zermatt, Switzerland
You can listen to our Joe Ponte interview in this Special Podcast
Le Ski have recently reported sales are 'stratospheric'
Nick started the company in Kitzbuhel in 1982
Bob Dylan: "If you ain’t got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose”
Charlie Rees was in Murren, Switzerland
Vanessa and Nick have competed in The Inferno 26 times
You can listen to our Ski Podcast Special Episode published last week
Find out more about The Inferno here
Martin and Graham appeared on The Wogan Show before the Calgary Winter Olympics
Zoe Atkin won Bronze at the World Championship Ski Half Pipe
Mia Brookes won Bronze in the Europa Cup Snowboard Slopestyle
James Willcox runs Untamed Borders
Watch the film 'Where The Light Shines' here
You can find out about the Afghan Ski Challenge here

Buy Me A Cuppa

Thanks to everyone who has bought me a cuppa since the last podcast.

Stuart Barber: “Love the podcast"

Peter Taylor: “Really enjoying the podcast, only recently discovered it”

Andrew Brannan: "Thanks for the podcasts. They brighten up my commute"

Plus also thanks to David Wade, Matt and Graeme

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

If you’d like a set of Ski Podcast stickers, please contact us.

Plus you can win goodies from Switzerland Tourism by giving us a review on Facebook or Apple Podcasts before the end of March.

Reviews (from Snowheads)

Layne: “A couple of very interesting specials. Keep up the good work”

Mike Pow: “Getting better each episode”

COMING UP

We have a full Podcast Special of our interview with James Willcox about skiing in Afghanistan, Charlie will be reporting on snow shoeing in Engelberg and we'll be talking to Al Morgan from Ski Kit info.

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In this Ski Podcast Special, we feature Martin Bell, who raced at downhill for Great Britain in the 1980s and 1990s.

His racing career took in 4 Winter Olympics, 160 World Cup races (with 7 top-ten results) and his 8th at Calgary in 1988 remains the best placing by a British male skier at the Olympics.

Martin is now based in Vail, Colorado
In 1995 Martin took place in the Pro Downhill tour with Steve Lee
Previously Martin lived in Big Sky, Montana
Martin's daughter Reece is racing slalom for Team GB
Martin's younger brother is Graham Bell, who we've interviewed for the podcast several times before, most recently about his appearance in 'Dancing on Ice' (6:00)
Martin represented Team GB at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo 1984, Calgary 1988, Albertville 1992 and Lillehammer 1994 (9:30)
Check out Inception to see where Martin and Graham stayed for Calgary
Martin and Graham appeared on The Wogan Show with David Vine before the Games
You can listen to our chat with Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards in Episodes 29 and 30
Martin learned to ski at Hillend in Edinburgh and at the Karl Fuchs Ski School (15:00)
At 14 he moved to Austria to Ski Gymnasium Stams, where he was joined by Emma Carrick-Anderson and Paul Hourmont
Martin shadowed Konrad Bartelski when he first joined the Alpine team
He regularly trained with Canadians such as Todd Brucker and Rob Reid
Martin's 11th in the Super G in Leukerbad in 1988 is the best result by a Brit in the discipline
We interviewed Dave Ryding previously on the podcast in Episode 54 and Episode 57 (25:00)

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In this Ski Podcast Special, Tom Greenall tells us how he qualified as a pisteur in France, allowing him to become one of the few Brits in the ski patrol.

· The first qualification required is a Fleche Vermillion, which he passed on his second attempt · Glen Plake has been coming to Chamonix since 1987 (this will be the first winter he's missed since then) · The Test Technique for the ski patrol took Tom four attempts: Puy St Vincent, then Chatel, Serre Chevalier and then finally passing at Puy St Vincent · The Premiere Secours Equipe Niveau 1 & 2 is the standard rescue industry first aid course · Tom’s Pisteur Course cost €3000 and took place in Les Orres

· The course included knowledge of middle mountain environment; weather and snow awareness; Rules and Regulations; taking the PSE2 first aid to the ski patrol environment; sled (‘bloodwagon’ practice); avalanche practice · This concluded with exams on the two types of sled; an avalanche beacon search; a simple first aid case and a complex first aid case. · You can listen to our interview with the producers of ‘Ski A&E’ in Val Thorens in Episode 43

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This week, Iain is joined by Stephie Dijkman from Tignes. We discuss the challenges of this ‘saison blanche’ and plans for summer glacier skiing.

We find out more about the new National Snow Show, Charlie reports from Murren, we learn how to become a pisteur and discuss the impact of Brexit on UK tour operators.

Thanks as always to Switzerland Tourism for supporting the podcast.

SHOW NOTES * Stephie Dijkman is Sales & Marketing Director at Tignes * Buses in Tignes are operating fine, not like in Meribel (listen to Episode 68 for more on this) * Walking and snow shoeing have both been very popular with the lifts closed * Would you try ice diving in Tignes?! * Tignes have seen occupancy around 25%, compared to 95% usually for vacances scholaires - 55% of their clientele to come from outside France * Tignes have announced summer skiing on the glacier from 19 June to 01 August * Zermatt charges considerably more for race training * Research from the Mountain Trade Network suggests that more people are looking for longer two week holidays * Workations are becoming more popular, both Courchevel and La Clusaz have had special ‘teletravail’ offers * Joe Ponte is CEO at Hotelplan includes Inghams, Flexiski, Esprit and Ski Total * SBIT are campaigning to try and help employers of seasonal staff * You can listen to the full version of this interview in our Special Episode released last week * Friend of the show Katy Dartford was in Les Menuires * Catherine Cosby from Mountains 4 All reported in from Gstaad in Switzerland * Jim was reporting from Bulgaria * Charlie Rees has been in Murren * The Bond film ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ was filmed here * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrkerh77MYY * Tom Greenall has trained to become a pisteur in France. This will be released as a special podcast next week * The National Snow Showwill take place at the Birmingham NEC from 23-24 October 2021 * Ski Sunday prompted a lot of discussion after a feature on diversity in their last episode * We interviewed the founders of Mount Noire in Episode 61 * Listen to our ski podcast special about Benjamin Alexander

Feedback

Janet Barnett: "Thanks again for continuing to keep us informed & entertained on all things skiing"

Jonny Goldsborough: "Long term listener, tks for keeping the ski vibe going in challenging times!"

Nicky: "You are keeping me going whilst working from home"

Pete: "Been a listener since the beginning. Great podcast entertaining and informative. Keep up the good work."

I'd like to thank all of these guys, who also bought me a cuppa. If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Question: Jonny G asked about our'least favourite resorts'

Coming Up

Interview with Martin Bell and we'll have more from Charlie in Murren about the Inferno

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Joe Ponte is CEO at Hotelplan UK, the company that own the Inghams, Esprit, Flexiski and Ski Total brands.

During our conversation Joe and I talked about a wide range of subjects including:

His first experience of the travel industry at Flight Centre in Australia
Joe was previously MC at Explore Worldwide
Joe joined Hotelplan in November 2020
The challenges of this unusual season
Optimism bias
The Save Our Summer travel lobbying group
60% of Hoteplan customers carried over their cancelled bookings to next winter
Year on year bookings are 100% up
Iain went to Crans Montana in December
Hotelplan will be offering 32 chalets for winter 2021/22
Find out more about the SBIT campaign here

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In Episode 68, Iain was joined by Jasmin Taylor, Team GB telemark skier, and friend of the show Alex Irwin.

We chat about Courchevel, avalanches and foldable skis, plus Iain speaks to newly crowned world snowboard cross champion Charlotte Bankes.

We have a report by Charlie Rees from the Jungfrau region in Switzerland and we also find out about how Dan Egan skied off the Berlin Wall!

SHOW NOTES

· Jasmin has over 30 World Cup podiums and you can listen to a more in depth interview in our podcast special recorded last year · Alex is based in Courchevel and runs the YouTube channel 150 Days of Winter · The lifts were meant to start to turning in Italy on 15 February, but this has now been delayed · Since our last episode we’ve seen avalanches in Zermatt, Méribel and Val d'Isère

· These dogs barking saved their owners who’d been buried in an avalanche · We've reported before on how the press mispresented the situation in Verbier in Episode 65 and also in Wengen (in Episode 66) · There has been some great reporting by Abi Butcher (who appeared in Episode 65), with a deep dive into the 'super spreader' story about British instructors in Jochburg, Austria

· The tourist office in St Anton also confirmed that reports of 96 people arrested and fined was also incorrect · Mike Richards told us about skiing in Wales in Episode 65 · Neil Bradshaw reported from Sun Valley ski resort in Idaho

· There are pistes open in Courchevel · Meanwhile Meribel stopped running their buses due to the number of people using them to ski · Jasmin has been training and racing in Plaine-Joux in France · Charlotte Bankes won the Snowboard Cross World Champs last week · We interviewed Charlotte in Episode 25 about her switch from the French team · Dave Ryding will be racing in the slalom at Cortina 2021 on 21 February · We featured the new Eiger Express lift in Grindelwald in Episode 61 · You can listen to Iain’s review of his trip to Crans Montana in Episode 65

· Sasha Gainullin is CEO at Battleface

· Listen to the full interview with Dan Egan in our Ski Podcast Special published last week · It’s not pretty, but we found the Intersport ‘yodel’ videos bizarrely addictive… · Find out more about the foldable award-winning Elan voyager

Reviews

"Keeping the skiing spirit alive when we need it most" Ged Ainsworth

"Thanks for doing the podcasts. I've been listening over the last year and have enjoyed dreaming of being on the slopes at a time when we can't" Nick Taylor

"Loving your podcast, although it 'feels me sad' not to be in Chamonix this winter" Sarah Owen Hughes

"Keep up the great work with the podcast" Jeffrey Fantl

"I love listening to your show all the way over in Australia” Nicole Clark

BuyMeACoffee

If you enjoy the podcast you're very welcome to buy me a cuppa at BuyMeACoffee.com/theskipodcast

Thanks to Luke Sipson, Ged Ainsworth, Suzi Jones, Scott Newsom, Christian Bowden, Chris Rose, Christian Cobley and Nicole Clark for supporting the show.

Coming Up

Watch out for interviews with Martin Bell, Joe Ponte at Hotelplan and a special podcast on how to become a pisteur, all coming up soon.

Make sure you subscribe and never miss an episode...

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This Ski Podcast Special features Dan Egan - one of the extreme skiing pioneers back in the new world of the 80s when VHS revolutionised demand for ski footage.

Apart from leading the MTV generation of skiers, he's a familiar name to anyone who's watched a Warren Miller movie, or visited the Vermont stand at the London Ski Show over the years.

Dan was part of the original freeride scene, back when it was better known as 'extreme' skiing. We talked to him about his carerre and new book, Thirty Years in a White Haze, his story of worldwide adventure and the evolution of extreme skiing.

Dan is based in Big Sky, Montana
Check out Big C couloir
Mt Elbrus is the highest mountain in Europe
Dan was on a Degre 7 shoot
Dan featured in 12 Warren Miller movies
Future Retro is available digitally

https://youtu.be/prEWB3vfZRA * Mark Shapiro, John Faulkner were part of the Verbier posse * John Egan first starred for Warren Miller in 1979, with Dan joining in 1985 * Both John and Dan started off in Sugarbush * "If everybody skied, there'd be no wars" Hannes Schneider * Dan skied on the Berlin Wall * "Say yes, before you say no!" Warren Miller * Dan's steep ski courses are in Big Sky * "Skiing from the head down, not the feet up" Dan Egan * 'Thirty Years in a White Haze' is out on 20 Feb * The book features Nick Lyon's cartoons

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In Episode 67, we go behind the scenes at 'Ski Sunday', on tour with James Blunt, inside The Snow Centre, discover craft beer in the Alps and reveal the results from our survey.

Iain's guests for this episode where BBC Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott and Ian Brown, Managing Director at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead.

We would like to thank our sponsors Switzerland Tourism for their continued support for the podcast.

SHOW NOTES

Chemmy was skiing chest-deep powder in Laax
The group denied boarding at Eurostar was on their way to Verbier to do a training course with Peak Leaders
They started the time in Europe in Vallorcine where some of the group tested positive
Graham Bell is in Dancing on Ice 2021
Chemmy took part in the Inferno in Murren in 2020
Laax uses an app system to control Covid and numbers in resort
Iain travelled to Crans Montana in December
Chemmy has tried cooking for Ed!
Dougie and Chemmy are coaching Giselle Gorringe
Graham would probably have been very hot in his outfit
Betony Garner appeared in Episode 65 when we discussed cross country skiing
Her report was recorded in Les Contamines
Charlie Rees took the Mammut backcountry course in Andermatt
The avalanche danger is very high in Switzerland
We've previously discussed skiing in Wales and in Scotland
Ian is MD at the The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead
Sadly, the Swindon project will not be going ahead
You can listen to the full interview with Peter Hardy here
Listen to our podcast special about Erna Low here
Peter is the author of ‘Different Country, Same State’ – the inside story of being on tour with James Blunt
You can watch Peter’s video of skiing with Graham Bell on old kit here
Find out about the Sapaudia brewery here
Jan Farrell has retired from his career as a speed skier

Reviews

Suzi Jones:

"Just to say I love the Podcast not being able to ski at the mo is made

easier by your interviews and discussion thanks!"

Chris Filey:

"With not much chance of getting on the slopes, the Ski Podcast brings

some relief to us all"

Skibum70:

"Often copied, never surpassed"

Jill Taylor:

"Keep it up, it’s very enjoyable"

James Hawkins: "Another great listen"

Matt Hayes:

"Love this pod, keeps me entertained in many a commute, lockdown workout or when I'm simply missing the mountains"

Eggfried100 on Snowheads:

"I’ve listened to quite a few other podcasts but ‘The Ski Podcast’ is by

far the best for me. Great content, interesting guests, plus it has really

kept us informed through the shall we say an ‘interesting’ last twelve

months."

Please do review us on iTunes as it helps other people find us

Tips on Car Hire at Geneva:

Hire from the Swiss side and don’t wait for the bus, just walk (it’s only 5 mins)
Don’t return the car empty – it’s expensive!
Iain recommends booking via Holiday Autos
Chemmy suggests renting from Super U on the French side for
long-term rentals (but don't take too much meat!)

You can read the results of our recent survey here

If you’d like some The Ski Podcast stickers then please contact us with your address and we'll drop a few in the post to you

Thanks to Matt Hayes, Michael Gold, Mark McGarry, Julie Slaughter, Doug Newman, Rachael Westbrook and Joanna Yellowlees-Bound for buying me a cuppa at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

You can follow Iain and the show on Twitter and Facebook @skipedia and @theskipodcast

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This Ski Podcast Special features an interview with industry veteran Peter Hardy, co-editor of WeLove2Ski and co-presenter of Action Packed Travel.

Peter Hardy, award-winning ski journalist and a man who has been skiing longer than many of us have been alive.

SHOW NOTES

Peter started skiing in 1960 in Lech on 2m10cm skis
The Marshall Plan pumped money into Europe after WWII
You can read Iain’s article about Haus Falch and St Anton here
Erna Low organised their own ski train to the Alps in the 60s
You can listen to our special podcast about the life of Miss Erna Low here
Many skiers were fans of Lillywhite’s in London and bought all their ski gear there
Idi Amin was president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979
Peter has visited around 500 ski resorts in his career
The Hardy Ski and Snowboarding Guide segued into WeLove2Ski.com
You can watch Peter’s video of skiing with Graham Bell on old kit here:
Peter is the author of ‘Different Country, Same State’ – the inside story of being on tour with James Blunt
Peter and Felice present the Action Packed Travel Podcast

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In Episode 66, Andy joins us direct from St Anton with all the latest news from a very snowy Austria.

We’re also joined by journalist Abi Butcher who reveals the truth behind the alleged ‘Escape from Verbier’.

There’s an update from Graham Bell on his final preparations for ‘Dancing on Ice’, during which he reveals what music he’ll be dancing to, plus GB Telemarker Jasmin Taylor lets us know how her season preparations are going.

We would like to thank our sponsors Switzerland Tourism for continuing to support the podcast.

SHOW NOTES

Thanks to all of our new listeners – up almost 20% on this time last year
Andy Butterworth is a director at Kaluma Travel and is based in St Anton
Polish resorts could open soon
This guy tried to travel with Eurostar to go skiing
The Brits have been getting a bashing again, this time in Wengen
‘We do not blame the British’, apparently
It is far from clear however, if the blame is correct:
We interviewed Alex Moore in Wengen while she was quarantining in Episode 65
Ultimately these headlines were classic clickbait and lies
Abi wrote this excellent article looking into what actually happened
Lifts in St Anton have been open since 24 December, albeit only to ‘locals’
The Austrian lockdown has been extended to 07 Feb, when it will be reviewed again
The Jochberg outbreak appears to be concentrated in a group of British instructors
Alf Alderson appeared in Episode 64 and reports from Les Arcs
Al Judge from AliKats featured in our Electric Vehicle special and reports from Morzine
Alex in Courchevel been ski touring again
We reported on the fire in Courchevel season worker accommodation in Episode 33
Congratulations to Dave Ryding and Laurie Taylor (guest in Episode 55)
Jasmin Taylor has over 30 World Cup podiums – listen to our Ski Podcast Special
This is what ski hire in the ‘new normal’ with Intersport will be like:
Please complete our survey to let us know what you’d like more of and less of in the podcast. You’ll also stand the chance of winning this bag of swag…
So if you do like the show, you can now show your appreciation by buying me a cuppa
Graham Bell is taking part in Dancing on Ice 2021 (his first dance is on Sunday 24 January)
You can listen to our Ski Podcast Special interview with Graham which was released last week

Big snow in St Anton

Reviews

“Love this podcast, keep them coming!” Matt Hayes“

"Great work Iain. Keep it up.” Dan King

“Love the podcast. It’s great to hear ski talk, especially at this frustrating time when we should all be enjoying the slopes but can’t” Luke Sipson

Please do review us on iTunes as it genuinely helps people find us
Alpine Cooking by Meredith Erickson received another endorsement from Deborah Stevenson:

“It’s a great book: much more than just the recipes. Lots of interesting insight into the regions and history.”

Find out more about TTG’s Mental Health Hub here #GetTravelTalking

Coming up next time

We have an interview with industry veteran ski journalist Peter Hardy interview and we’ll be talking to the team at Sapaudi Brewing

Don’t forget you can support us by buying me a cuppa at buymeacoffee.com

Thanks as always to Switzerland Tourism

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Graham Bell tells us about 'Dancing on Ice 2021', including

how he rates his chances
who he sees as his main competitors
how his training is going
whether he'll get to ski this season
and of course, whether he'll try the 'Headbanger'!

Dancing on Ice 2021 starts on Saturday 16 January on ITV.

A shorter version of this interview first appeared in Episode 64 of The Ski Podcast (www.theskipodcast.com)

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In this episode we discuss skiing in Wales, the 'Great Escape' from Verbier, the challenges of cross-country skiing, ski touring in Crans Montana and plenty more.

Iain was joined by guests Betony Garner in the Chamonix valley and regular 'friend of the pod' Mike Richards in Wales, as well as down the line by Alex Moore in Wengen and Dom Turner in Morzine.

SHOW NOTES

Dave Ryding finished 10th in Alta Badia
Andrew Young took 2nd in the Cross Country at Dresden
Mia Brookes took a podium on her debut in Snowboard Slopestyle in the Europa Cup
Reece Bell is the daughter of Martin Bell and niece of Graham Bell
The Brexit ‘deal’ has been done
Passports must be at least six months in date
SBIT will let us know the impact on British workers soon
Did Brits really escape from Verbier? This article by Abi Butcher looks at the facts
Alex Moore has been reporting on quarantine in Switzerland for The Telegraph
The French have been stopped from skiing at border
Iain visited the ‘Rando Parc’ in Crans Montana
Iain travelled to Crans Montana by train
Adam Bonvin is the owner and founder of the Alaia Chalet
Find out more about the Hotel Pass in Crans Montana
Iain tried cross country with his guide Christian on the Plaine Morte glacier in Crans Montana
You have two options for cross country: Classic or Skating
Betony bought the Haute Savoie Nordic Pass
Mike skis in the Brecon Beacons area of Wales
Check out some of his recent great pics
You can follow Mike on Instagram at @mikethesnow
Evidently word has got out already…
Iain interviewed Dom Turner from Skiology
We noticed his Christmas story in an email from Montagne Verte
Les Arcs have been awarded the Flocon Vert label

Reviews

Janet Barnett

“A big thank you for your very informative and entertaining ski podcast which I look forward to every few weeks”

Andrew Brannan

“Thanks for another great podcast. Red Mountain...top of my list too!”

Terry

“I was delighted not only to find the podcast. They have a good mix of interviews, friendly banter, background info and general chit chat and ski news. It's been great to get an insight, through the many interviews, of people's backgrounds, their passions for the sport and how they got to where they are.” * Please complete our survey here and tell us what you’d like more of and less of in The Ski Podcast and you could win this great prize

Matt Hayes recommends ‘Alpine Cooking’ by Meredith Erickson, especially the Herdsman macaroni and tartiflette (“The best I've ever come across”)

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In this special pre-Christmas mini-podcast, listen to updates from friends of the show around the Alps, including:

Alex Irwin in Courchevel
Steve Angus in Val d'Isère
Mark Seaton in Chamonix
Katy Dartford, reporting from the Jura mountains
Ed Mannix in Zermatt Matterhorn
Charlie Rees, reporting from Andermatt

Merry Christmas everyone. We look forward to sharing more ski chat with you you in 2021!

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In Episode 64, Iain was joined by Jane Peel (Chief Reporter, Planetski.eu) and Alf Alderson (author and freelance journalist).

We discuss the latest on resort openings, have snow reports from Courchevel and Engelberg, and we talk favourite ski areas.

Graham Bell updates us on his preparations for 'Dancing on Ice', while the Chalet Shop team tell us what it was like working for Richard Branson. Plus we have Xmas pressie recommendations and there's even more in this episode of The Ski Podcast.

SHOW NOTES

Jane last skied in Les Menuires (before injuring her ACL)
Alf last skied at Castle Mountain in Alberta
It was suggested today that Brits might not be able to travel to the EU
The town hall in Chatel has added Swiss flags
There have been demonstrations across French ski resorts against the lift closures
It's been suggested that the Chamonix border could move slightly to allow lifts to open
There are limits on the French going to ski in other countries (but will it be enforceable?)
Switzerland is currently open but are there restrictions on the way?
Social distancing was not being observed on Verbier's first day
Austria skiing will open from 24 Dec, but for locals only
Jasna in Slovakia is planning to open
Ski Amis ceased trading (adding to VIPSki, overed in Episode 63)
Alpine Elements have gone into pre-pack administration
You can read Jane's interview with James Hardiman here
'Test & Release' starts on 15 Dec, reducing quarantine on return to UK to 5 days
Alex Irwin reported on ski touring in Courchevel
Alex previously appeared in Episode 61
Charlie Rees reported from Engelberg in Switzerland
Listen to Charlie's previous reports from Andermatt (E61) and Engelberg (E62)
Craig Glennie reported from Lake Louise
Mark Frary talked about 'Aiming High: The Life of Ski Pioneer Erna Low' in this special episode
We talked to Jon Trigell, about his book Cham in Episode 20
Alf has written 'Ultimate Skiing Adventures' - 100 Epic Adventures in the Snow'. There is a 30% discount for podcast listeners with code 'SKIBK' if you buy before 31.3.21
Jane's favourite resort is Tavascan in the Spanish Pyrenees
Alf's favourite resort is Red Mountain, BC
Star Wars-loving ski younglings will enjoy this Mandolorian onesie from Columbia for Christmas
Graham Bell told us about his Housenkamm viral video from Lockdown 1 in Episode 52
Graham is taking part in the new season of 'Dancing on Ice', which will start in January 2021
You can find out more about Chalet Shop on their website
Sally and Hannah first job was kitting out Richard Branson's property in Verbier
Intersport Ski Hire offer a free Cancellation guarantee on all bookings
Podcast listeners can save an extra 10% using the Discount Code 'WINTER2020' (France only)

Coming Up

Our next episode will be out towards the end of December - in the meantime there are over 80 episodes you can catch up with over the festive season.

And please do give us a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts as it helps people find us.

Thanks to Switzerland Tourism and Intersport Ski Hire for their support.

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In conjunction with Ski Flight Free, this is a Ski Podcast Special all about Electric Vehicles in ski resorts.

Find out more about driving to the Alps and in ski resorts from four EV owners in the ski industry.

Iain was joined by Richard Sinclair (Sno.co.uk), Rob Forbes (CoolBus.co.uk), Al Judge (AliKats) and down the line by author Jonathan Trigell.

Find out more about the Ski Flight Free campaign
Up to 75% of the greenhouse gas emissions generated from a ski holiday come from your journey to resort
According to the Ski Club of Great Britain 35% of skiers plan to drive to their ski holiday this winter (twice the numbers for last year)
There are now 164,000 EVs in the UK
Registrations for pure-EVs in 2020 to date are up 158% YOY
You can find out more about Tesla vehicles here
AliKats have a Renault Kangoo Z.E.
Jon owns a Renault Twizy (and previously appeared in Episode 20)
This page on the Sno website has some great advice about driving an EV to the Alps
You can see the full Tesla charging map here
Montagne Verte is an excellent community environmental organisation in Morzine
President Macron has pledged green subsidies for France
Excellent options for a family EV are the Hyundai Kona and Kia eNero
Have a look at EV-Pow.com for fitting charging points in France (a great idea for a tour operator looking for a competitive advantage)

Enjoy your skiing this winter and if you do want to reduce your emissions, please remember to Ski Flight Free

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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Iain’s guests for Episode 63 of The Ski Podcast are Vanessa Fisher and Steve Angus.

We discuss reduced quarantine and a dramatic week for French ski resorts. When will we get to ski this winter? There are snow reports from Verbier and Crans Montana, plus we talk electric cars and have another suggestion for Ski Book Group.

SHOW NOTES

Vanessa made her debut as a dalek in Episode 7, told us about her downhill racing experiences in Episode 23
Regular listeners will know Steve from Episode 6, 25 & Episode 43
Steve is a Ski instructor at TDC in Val d'Isère
You can book lessons in Val d’Isere with Steve at Clareangus.co.uk or by emailing him at steveangus@yours.com
Quarantine has been reduced to 5 days (with a negative test)
Could quarantine even be reduced to zero?
Intersport's survey showed that 58% of skiers were more likely to travel now
You can read Ski Weekend's survey here
Will French/European resorts open after Macron's speech
You can read Iain's blog on Skipedia about France's dramatic week here
La Clusaz is 'not an amusement park'
jesuisunestation
There is a petition with over 20,000 signatures
Note that ski touring is NOT banned in France in December
Italy want resorts closed over Christmas
Zermatt has allegedly seen overcrowding, but Switzerland is still open
VIPski has gone out of business
Hotelplan have confirmed they will run no chalets this winter
You can listen to our review of Bankso in Episode 48
There is going to be a Brexit staffing issue after 31 December
Testing has been set up in Courchevel and in Val Thorens
Sam from Altitude Ski School reported from Verbier
Pierre-Henri Mainetti reported from Crans Montana
There will be no World Cup racing in Val d'Isere
No dancing on the tables at the Folie Douce this winter
Ischgl has scaled down apres ski
Vanessa reported on her experiences at the Inferno in in Episode 23
Intersport Ski Hire is offering free and easy cancellation on all bookings
81% of their customers hire so they don't have to haul their skis around
33% are hiring because it's cheaper than ski carriage on flights
Podcast listeners can get an additional 10% by using the code 'WINTER2020'
Our 'Electric Vehicles in ski resorts' special was recorded last week and will come out as a Podcast Special Episode on 08 December
Would you like one of these for Christmas?
Iain has some new sunnies from Messy Weekend
Listen to our Ski Podcast Special about 'Aiming High': the life of Erna Low
We covered 'A Whole Life' in Ski Book Group in Episode 61
Vanessa recommended 'Beneath a Scarlet Sky'
Chris Howie suggested getting the sleeper to Scotland...I'm working on it, Chris! Nicola Sturgeon notwithstanding - can you even travel between England & Scotland?
You can listen to our Train Travel Special here

Reviews * Dodshuz (via twitter):

Nice to listen to people talking about skiing and managing to stay positive about the up & coming season. Good job well done

Sally Ingham

Love The Ski Podcast and listen to you often while I am working from home

Mark Wilson (via Facebook):

I listen to the podcasts everywhere, especially in the garden with my headphones on whilst messing about. my skis are ready to go.... just waiting for something to happen, and we’re away!

Chris Howie

Really excellent to see you continuing to make great podcasts even with COVID descending. Loving your podcasts, keep up the great work!

Coming Up

If you missed our Facebook Live, our Ski Podcast Special on Electric Vehicles in Ski Resorts will be live on 08 Dec as a podcast.

Episode 64 will be out on 15 December. Thanks to Switzerland Tourism and Intersport Ski Hire for supporting the podcast.

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In this special podcast, Iain interviews Mark Frary, author of 'Aiming High', the biography of ski pioneer Erna Low and Joanna Yellowlees-Bound, former CEO of Erna Low.

We discuss the background and history of the eponymous founder of Erna Low Holidays, who advertised her first ski holiday as early as 1932.

Joanna Yellowlees-Bound explains why she commissioned Mark to write the book and we look at how he made his way through the reams of archive material available.

We learn how back in the early days all skiers travelled by train and had to go ski touring (as there were no lifts); how Miss Low overcame early challenges and how she helped introduce French ski resorts to the British public.

If you enjoyed listening to this podcast, please do share it on social and tag us at @theskipodcast

www.facebook.com/theskipodcast

www.twitter.com/theskipodcast

www.theskipodcast.com

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In Episode 62, Iain is joined by guests Ed Drake (Olympian and presenter of Ski Racing Podcast) and Katy Dartford (Freelance ski journalist based in Lyons).

We discuss ski touring in Chamonix, how the World Cup is going to look in the 'new normal' and skiing in Scotland. Plus we have snow reports from Andermatt and Tignes.

Thank all of our listeners as we have just passed 100,000 total listens
If this is your first, we have 88 great episodes to catch up with in lockdown!
Ed last went skiing in Bormio
Cervinia shut down on 24 November just after opening
The French lockdown is scheduled to end in early-November
Currently you can still ski now in Switzerland (and there's no quarantine on arrival)
The UK's 'Global Travel Task Force' are still to report
There is progress on testing in resort?
Charlie Rees reported on the skiing in Andermatt
Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter reported from Tignes
The World Cup in Lech has been postponed for two weeks
All World Cup races will be behind closed doors
Resorts in France are hoping 'confinement' will end before their World Cup races in December
We interviewed Dave Ryding in Saas Fee in Episode 57 and also in Episode 54
Mark Seaton is a UIAGM Mountain Guide in Chamonix
You can book ski touring with Mark via Ski Weekend for this winter
Steve Wells, Ellis Brigham Ski Hardware Buyer, confirmed that ski touring equipment sales have increased in the last few years
Trafford Wilson is CEO of Snowsport Scotland
Capacity has been limited in resorts in North America
The Lecht will be doing temperature checks on their gondola
Thanks to Lucy Edwards for her review of 'A Whole Life'
You can support the crowdfunder for Fjord Mountain Mission here
Caroline and Fjord previously featured in Episode 47

Reviews

Thanks for Mike Pow from Snowheads: "Another great listen"

And to Andrew Brannan: "Really enjoyed most recent podcast"

Don't forget to subscribe, share and contact us on Twitter or Facebook
You can follow Iain at @skipedia on Twitter or Facebook
Watch out for Episode 63 arriving in early-December

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In this Ski Podcast Special, Iain interviews Florian Palluel, Sustainability and Transparency Manager at Picture Organic Clothing.

Sustainability in the clothing industry has never been more important, with research showing it is responsible for up to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of all global wastewater.

During this interview we discuss many topics including:

· the history of the company · their supply chain and how they source their materials · why they choose to manufacture in Turkey & China and not France · what steps they are taking to reduce packaging · how they are making their new offices as sustainable as possible · whether in the future a zero-emission ski jacket might be possible

We also mention this survey by consultancy McKinsey about consumer views on sustainable fashion.

If you’d like to find out more, you may find these two links useful:

https://www.picture-organic-clothing.com/en/taking-a-step-back/

https://www.picture-organic-clothing.com/sustainability/index-en.html

If you enjoyed listening to this podcast, please do share it on social and tag us at @theskipodcast

www.facebook.com/theskipodcast

www.twitter.com/theskipodcast

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In Episode 61 Iain is joined by Krystelle Kubicki (Head of Marketing, Sno.co.uk) and Alex Irwin (Founder, 150 Days of Winter)

We discuss the latest on quarantine and #Test4Travel, what's new in Courchevel. We have a snow report from Engelberg and updates on the Eiger Express in Grindelwald.

Iain finds out more about sustainable skiwear from Picture Organic Clothing and diversity in skiing from Mount Noire. Plus we have much more...

SHOW NOTES

Krystelle last appeared way back in Episode 9
Both Tignes and Les 2 Alpes have opened on 17 October
Learn how to pronounce Gstaad in Episode 44
The latest from the government 'Task Force'
Find out about the Common Pass Project
Charlie Rees: "Really enjoying listening to the show. Skiing is my passion, the pod has inspired me!"
Robin reported from Montafon in Episode 60
Remo Kaeser is from Jungfrau Railways and was discussing the Eiger Express
Iain raced the Inferno in Murren
The new downhill run in Courchevel is called the 'Eclipse'
There is a new building in the Courchevel stade
Tour de France came to Meribel in 2020
Find out more about the MTN survey here
The full Picture Organic interview is available to watch here
It is coming soon as a Podcast Special Episode
Rachael from Ecoski featured in Episode 57
Iain interviewed Alex from Cahaya Straits in Episode 59
Find out more about One Tree At a Time
Read more about MTN's research on quarantine here
Mount Noire is a Tour operator specialising in trips for black British skiers
Listen to our Benjamin Alexander Podcast Special episode
Get yourself free tickets to the 2021 National Snow Show
Ski Book Group: A Whole Life - Robert Seethaler
Coming up: Aiming High one off Podcast special next month

Thanks for Alex Soden, Stephen Morgan and Stewart Johnson for your reviews

Coming up next time

Ed Drake will be a guest, talking about the oncoming World Cup season. We'll be discussing skiing in Scotland and ski touring in Chamonix.

Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for their continued support

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

Aiming High: The Life of Ski and Travel Pioneer Erna Low

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Iain is joined this week by Dave Burrows (Director, SnowPros Ski School) & Lucy Aspen (Online Ski Editor, Telegraph).

We discuss quarantine and the #Test4Travel campaign and ski technology predictions from 1988. Iain interviews Team GB telemarker Jasmin Taylor and Robin reports from Montafon in Austria.

Show Notes

Dave skied in Diablerets last week, which opened early
Lucy skied in Scotland in February
Mike covered skiing in Scotland last winter in Episode 58
A negative test result is now required for entry to Italy
Brits have to quarantine for 10 days to enter Switzerland
Tignes & Les 2 Alpes are both opening on 17 October
Some skiers will definitely travel
Find out more about the Telegraph #Test4Travel Campaign
Government Task Force will report early-November
Find out more about the Common Pass Project
There may be no apres-ski (more on this in Episode 58)
More info here on what it's going to be like in France and in the USA
You can listen in Episode 56 about how Australia dealt with
Thanks to Robin from Sport Harry in Silvretta Montafon for his report
Both LISTEX & WLSS cancelled (ref Episode 58)
Mike has more positive views about the new Bham Show
You can listen to our Ski Podcast Special on Jasmin Taylor here
Or watch it as a Facebook Live
Other Ski Podcast Specials include Benjamin Alexander, Graham Bell, Avalanche Safety and Train Travel
We have another Podcast Special with Picture Organic coming up
Thanks to Andrew Brannan for sending us these features from Ski Survey magazine 1988
David Goldsmith was the author of this article - thanks for your time in talking to us David
Current ski tech options include Skitracks, Carv, Peakfinder and Strava
If you'd like to hear more about ski touring, then listen to Iain's previous reports from Morocco and Andermatt
Dave presents the Ski Instructor Podcast
This includes an amusing Eurotest meme
Find out more about the Ski Club of Great Britain survey

Reviews:

Amy Moore: I absolutely love your ski podcast...it really cheers you up especially during the pandemic to hear all the ski chats! Wish you had more podcasts more often!

Thunderer on Snowheads - Just discovered your Podcast, really enjoying it

Bennyboy on Snowheads: Good podcast. I haven’t listened before. Thanks!

@theovalball1 on Twitter: Really good listen!

Coming up in Episode 61

Our guests will be Krystelle from Sno.co.uk and Alex from 150 Days of Winter
Mount Noire on diversity in skiing
Remo Kaeser from the Jungfrau region
Ski Book Group: A Whole Life

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In this Ski Podcast Special, Iain interviewed Jasmin Taylor, telemark skier and Britain's most successful Alpine skier of all time.

We discuss how Jasmin discovered telemark skiing, while on a British Ski Academy training camp and her first ever turns on skis in Ipswich.

She explains what telemarking is, how racing works and her hopes that the sport might be included in the Olympics at some future point.

Jasmin was one of the most modest people we have interviewed for the podcast and we're sure you're going to enjoy listening to her and finding out more about this part of our sport that often passes under the radar.

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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For this Ski Podcast special Iain has his Ski Flight Free hat on and is joined by Daniel Elkan from Snowcarbon and Anna Hughes from Flight Free UK to discuss train travel to the Alps. * Great options for checking your carbon footprint include the WWF Footprint Calculator and Ecopassenger * Find out more about the Save The Ski Train campaign on Facebook * You can sign the petition here * Changing stations in Paris is not difficult. This video shows Iain’s journey to Courchevel last winter * Train travel in the ‘new normal’ is very different * Iain referred to this study about the chances of catching Covid on a train * You can hear more about Iain’s trip to Zermass and Saas Fee by train in Episode 57 of The Ski Podcast * Iain likes to book direct with Eurostar and SNCF * Anna has travelled to Scotland on the Caledonian Sleeper on multiple occasions * It’s possible to travel overnight to Austria with the Alpen Express service * Iain has previously written for Ski2 about taking the train to Champoluc * Sam Haddad travelled on the ski train to Les Arcs * Daniel recommends the Railmap of Europe

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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[Some listeners may have downloaded an unedited version of Episode 59 - please listen to this version instead]

Iain was joined in Episode 59 by Megan Hughes, Digital Content Manager at InTheSnow.com and Olympian Emily Sarsfield.

We discuss the current quarantine situation, the impact on ski holidays for this winter, and Crystal’s decision to stop offering chalet holidays.

Emily tells us about her experiences at PyeongChang 2018, while Benjamin Alexander suggests a title for movie as he aims to represent Jamaica at Beijing 2022.

Plus we have interviews with new skiwear brand Cahaya Straits and Snowcarbon founder Daniel Elkan on the campaign to ‘Save The Ski Train’.

Show Notes

You can find out more about the new Eiger Express in Grindelwald here
We covered Emily’s Meribel Ski Yoga weeks in Episode 41
Does skiing on the Zermatt glacier from Cervinia require a quarantine? Let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter
Is this the season to try skiing in Poland?
Megan skied in Garmisch in Germany
Les 3 Vallees have confirmed that masks will not have to be worn while skiing this winter
There will be no chalets at Crystal Ski this season
Mt Buller is letting season pass holders choose their refund amount
You can listen to our interview with Miss SnowItAll (Rachael Oakes-Ash) in Episode 56
Listen out our Ski Podcast special interview with Benjamin Alexander, who is hoping to be the first Jamaican Olympic Skier (or you can watch it on Facebook)
Emily Sarsfield competed in Skier Cross at PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics
You can listen to our PyeongChang specials here
Cahaya Straits are a new company producing sustainable skiwear
We interviewed Rachael Westbrook from Eco Ski in Episode 57
We love Patagonia!
You can find out more about the Save The Ski Train campaign here
Don’t forget to sign the petition
Watch our Train Travel as a Facebook Live, broadcast by Ski Flight Free
It will be released in an edited version as a Ski Podcast Special on 29 September
Find out more about Protect Our Winters
Thanks to ‘Whacker London’ for their 5-star review
Also to Chris Howie: "Great episode! Keep up the good work."
We will be reviewing ‘A Whole Life’ by Robert Seethaler for Ski Book Group in Episode 60

Coming up in Episode 60

Iain will be joined by Dave Burrows, who’ll be looking at the impact of Brexit
Lucy Aspden, ski correspondent for The Telegraph, will be joining us
Interview with Team GB telemarker Jasmin Taylor
New and old ski tech discussion with David Goldsmith

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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Iain was joined in Episode 59 by Megan Hughes, Digital Content Manager at InTheSnow.com and Olympian Emily Sarsfield.

We discuss the current quarantine situation, the impact on ski holidays for this winter, and Crystal’s decision to stop offering chalet holidays.

Emily tells us about her experiences at PyeongChang 2018, while Benjamin Alexander suggests a title for movie as he aims to represent Jamaica at Beijing 2022.

Plus we have interviews with new skiwear brand Cahaya Straits and Snowcarbon founder Daniel Elkan on the campaign to ‘Save The Ski Train’.

Show Notes

You can find out more about the new Eiger Express in Grindelwald here
We covered Emily’s Meribel Ski Yoga weeks in Episode 41
Does skiing on the Zermatt glacier from Cervinia require a quarantine? Let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter
Is this the season to try skiing in Poland?
Megan skied in Garmisch in Germany
Les 3 Vallees have confirmed that masks will not have to be worn while skiing this winter
There will be no chalets at Crystal Ski this season
Mt Buller is letting season pass holders choose their refund amount
You can listen to our interview with Miss SnowItAll (Rachael Oakes-Ash) in Episode 56
Listen out our Ski Podcast special interview with Benjamin Alexander, who is hoping to be the first Jamaican Olympic Skier (or you can watch it on Facebook)
Emily Sarsfield competed in Skier Cross at PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics
You can listen to our PyeongChang specials here
Cahaya Straits are a new company producing sustainable skiwear
We interviewed Rachael Westbrook from Eco Ski in Episode 57
We love Patagonia!
You can find out more about the Save The Ski Train campaign here
Don’t forget to sign the petition
Watch our Train Travel as a Facebook Live, broadcast by Ski Flight Free
It will be released in an edited version as a Ski Podcast Special on 29 September
Find out more about Protect Our Winters
Thanks to ‘Whacker London’ for their 5-star review
Also to Chris Howie: "Great episode! Keep up the good work."
We will be reviewing ‘A Whole Life’ by Robert Seethaler for Ski Book Group in Episode 60

Coming up in Episode 60

Iain will be joined by Dave Burrows, who’ll be looking at the impact of Brexit
Lucy Aspden, ski correspondent for The Telegraph, will be joining us
Interview with Team GB telemarker Jasmin Taylor
New and old ski tech discussion with David Goldsmith

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In this special episode of The Ski Podcast, we interview Benjamin Alexander.

'Benji' is aiming to be the first alpine skier to represent Jamaica at the Winter Olympics.

Benjamin tells us how he segued from DJ-ing around the world to skiing and then on to racing, as he seems to bring his FIS points to Olympic qualification levels.

He has the full support of the Jamaican Olympic Committee, is extremely fit and very determined, so why not listen now to hear about 'Cool Runnings 2020'.

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In Episode 58, Iain is joined by the super-experienced Mike Richards.

We discuss skiing in Scotland and Norway, plus the latest news on how apres ski might look this winter in the Alps after both Ischgl and Mayrhofen announce plans to scale back partying.

There’s ski show chat, both virtual and physical, and an interview about LISTEX 2020 and we wonder if a drone could ever tow a skier?

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their continued support.

SHOW NOTES

Mike Richards has previously featured on the pod, talking about his experiences in Georgia (Episode 37), Montenegro (Episode 39) and Japan (Episode 41)
Mike was skiing in Scotland in March at Glencoe and the Nevis Range
Do you have memories of skiing in Switzerland back in the day? Switzerland Tourism want to hear about them…
You can find out more about the Telegraph’s ‘Test4Travel’ campaign here – we strongly encourage you to follow and share as much as you can
Mayrhofen have announced that ski boots will be banned after 8pm and apres-ski will be scaled down
Ischgl are also scaling down their apres-ski for this winter (understandably)
Amazon have applied for a patent for a Drone Ski Tow
The ‘World’s Largest Ski Show’ – a new virtual ski show – has shifted its dates from October to November
There is a new ski show scheduled for October 2021 for the NEC in Birmingham
LISTEX will be taking place at the Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead in October
Mike Smith asked why we’ve had no coverage of skiing in Norway?

Mike visited Narvik and Stranda in Norway * Thanks to Mike Smith for his review: “I am very much enjoying the podcast. Keep at it!” Also to Loobzy and Bramski

Please do give us a review on iTunes, or contact us via Twitter or Facebook

Coming up

Watch out for our Train Travel special in conjunction with Ski Flight Free coming up soon
In Episode 59 we’ll be discussing new technology including predictions from the 1980s

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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Just a short episode as we are mid-holidays and/or quarantine time, but we have news of our next episode, plus we say goodbye and thanks to Jim.

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In Episode 57, Iain reports on skiing in the ‘new normal’ on his trip to Saas Fee and Zermatt in Switzerland - including an exclusive interview with Dave Ryding.

Jim and Iain interview Rachael Westbrook from new sustainable ski clothing retailer EcoSki

Jim reveals the challenges set for him by Dave Burrows and we wonder if anything has changed in the world of ski since 1988.

SHOW NOTES

Jim says goodbye as he moves on from The Ski Podcast. Thanks Jim - it won't be the same without you!
Jonny Goldsbrough is "gutted"
Ged Ainsworth wonders "What will happen to this essential listening for all snowsports enthusiasts?" (The good news Ged, is that it's going to keep going!)
Jim reported on summer skiing in the 'new normal' in Les 2 Alpes in Episode 56
Iain travelled by train to Saas Fee where he reported on skiing in the new normal for In The Snow Magazine
He also went to Zermatt, where he went ski touring up Breithorn
Resorts in Victoria are closed, but other Australian resorts are open
New Zealand resorts are open for kiwis only and have been very busy
Rachael Westbrook is the founder of new sustainable ski clothing business EcoSki
Jim was set three challenges by friend of the show Dave Burrows
Iain met Dave Ryding in Saas Fee where he is training on the glacier. We previously interviewed Dave in Episode 54

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed us on iTunes * Ged Ainsworth said: "Just to hear the title music puts me in eager anticipation of sliding on snow again! " * Andrew Brennan was looking at an 1988 ski magazine and realised that much is the same as the podcast now, with Graham Bell, Eddie the Eagle, climate change and people travelling by train all featuring!

Amy Moore told us she's never heard of the Magic Pass and asked if we know of any other Alps season passes?
We discussed both Snow Pass and the Magic Pass in Episode 35
You can find out more about 'Ski A La Carte' here: www.skialacarte.fr
Other big area passes include the Ikon Pass and the Epic Pass

Coming up

We're going to have a short break through August, with Episode 58 going live on or around 08 September.

Have a great summer and you can hear from us again then!

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their continued support.

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In Episode 56 Iain interviews Rachael Oakes-Ash, founder of the Australian website, Snowsbest.com.

Jim reports on skiing in the 'new normal' from Les 2 Alpes and we wonder if bears do that thing in the Arosa woods.

There’s news on a new virtual Ski Show and Iain looks forward to a visit to Saas Fee.

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their continued support.

SHOW NOTES

Jim was summer skiing in Les 2 Alpes
Why not visit the bears in Arosa?
Iain is going to visit Saas Fee and Zermatt to test out skiing in the 'new normal' in Switzerland
The 'World's Largest Ski Show' will be taking place virtually in October
There may be some similarity between the WLLS logo and the Chamonix logo
You can sign the petition to restore the ski train here
Rachael Oakes-Ash is better known as MissSnowItAll and runs the website Snowsbest.com, focusing on the Australian and NZ markets
Thredbo and Perisher had huge problems trying to pre-sell lift passes when their websites crashed
Mt Hutt opened last month with no social distancing restrictions
Coronet Peak experienced one of their busiest night ski sessions ever, despite the current lack of a 'Trans Tasman bubble'
You can watch the brilliant 'Iso' videos from MissSnowItAll on her Facebook page
Yes, it's true. Jim is leaving the podcast. Episode 57 will be his final episode!

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In this one off special, Jim and Iain were joined by BBC Ski Sunday presenter Graham Bell.

Questions were sent in advance or submitted live by our community and included:

Have you ever snowboarded? (Keith Webb)
Is there any country you see joining traditional powerhouses on the World Cup circuit in the future? (Steve Whitaker)
Will we ever see a Chinese skier on a downhill podium? (Iain)
Who is the best skier you have ever skied with or raced against? (Keith Webb)

- I would love to know how you filmed opening titles for Ski Sunday - it never ceases to amaze me (Helena Taylor)

Will Ski Sunday include more mogul skiing next season, as the GB mogul team was very successful last year? (Kay Bates)

You can watch the Q&A on our Facebook page here.

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In Episode 55 Jim and Iain chat to UK slalom skier Laurie Taylor and ski journalist Megan Hughes about how to get into the industry.

There’s an update from Andermatt, news on the end of lockdown in Zermatt and we find out more about this autumn’s possible London ski show.

We finish off with Dave (Burrows) and Jim debating what makes the perfect ski run – have a listen and let us know if you agree.

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their continued support

Show Notes

Jim has been mountain biking and hiking in La Clusaz
Lars updates us from Andermatt, where he works at the Radisson Blu hotel
Iain interviewed Lars about the history of Andermatt in Episode 52
This photo shows how Zermatt looks almost ‘normal
The Portes du Soleil offered a limited number of season passes at half-price
The website for this autumn’s London Ski Show is now live and is scheduled for The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead in late-Sep
Megan Hughes is Social & Digital Content Manager at InTheSnow.com
Laurie Taylor scored his first World Cup points at Kitzbuhel
You can view Laurie’s YouTube channel here.
‘What makes the perfect ski run?’ – let us know what you think
Jim and Dave recorded this in Anzere, previously featured in Episode 49 and also the location for our Avalanche Special
Thanks to Ster, Mike Pow and Primrose&Blue for your reviews on Snowheads

Coming Up

Keep tuned to our Facebook page for details of our oncoming Live Q&A with Graham Bell.

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their continued support.

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We would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their continued support
Find out more about the Escape to Valais challenge here
The recent industry survey by Skipedia had some worrying results
On a more positive note Chamonix is preparing to open lifts from May 16
And there is already skiing in Austria
Iain interviewed Steve Cross, responsible for creating the super-viral 'garden chairlift'
Thanks to Pablo Rodriguez and Leon Rossi for their reviews via our Facebook page and Mike for his via Snowheads
Pedro Davidenko didn't agree, but 93% of our iTunes reviews are 4 or 5 - why not have your say and give us a review or send us some feedback
Thanks Andrew for your question about gay ski weeks. We'll put this on the list for next season
Dave Ryding is the UK's top Alpine skier with two World Cup podium finishes and four Olympics under his belt already

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This week Jim and Iain go searching for good news in our post-COVID world find out about Aspen's cocaine problem and how Timberline is on the up.

There's interviews with Alex from Courchevel and Mark from Disability Snowsport UK and we discover yet another Ski Club of Great Britain CEO has resigned.

Show Notes

In Alpe d’Huez, they are using ESF uniforms to make facemasks for frontline staff
More face masks has being made in ski as businesses pivot their production
Find out more about the Goggles for Docs project
Mt Baldy opened for skiing last week, with social distancing in place
Just in case you haven’t seen the homemade ski lift in a garden yet
Zermatt has been projecting onto the Matterhorn to show their solidarity
Zermatt has also been in the news for other reasons
The CEO of the Ski Club CEO has resigned. Listen to our look at their travils in Episode 44
Jason Auslander tells us about the cocaine problem in Aspen
You can listen to our interview with Jason about ski thief Derek Johnson in Episode 52
We first covered the problems in Timberline in Episode 38
Our competition winner is GJ Harvey
Pablo Rodriguez asked about Scotland, where Iain hopes to ski next winter and Spain (we mentioned Baqueira in Episode 49)
Jim interviewed Mark from Disability Snowsport UK
Iain interviewed Alex Irwin about his ‘150 days of Winter’ project
Thanks for all the reviews from Daniel King, Paul Gilpin and Leon, as well as ‘wsirhc’ on Snowheads
with the rest of the world
In the meantime, Dick Yates Smith has a different Covid message:
An exclusive interview with Dave Ryding – we’ll be finding out about life behind the scenes and how his barrista training is going!

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Jim, Iain and group of ski and podcast fans gathered on Friday 10 April to record a live episode of The Ski Podcast online.

Topics ranged from what do Jim and Iain actually do to what are the Alps like in the summer?

Throughout the podcast, listeners post questions to the duo via the Facebook stream or joined them live in the virtual studio.

You can watch the full Facebook Live video on our Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/theskipodcast

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On Friday the 10th of April at 11 am BST we are going to be live on our Facebook page answering your questions in an ask Jim or Iain anything Q&A session.

If you would like to put a question to Jim &/or Iain, you can email jim@theskipodcast.com before the show, or you can ask us in the live stream comments or request to put your question to us live by joining us in the virtual studio.

Join the FB event for a reminder https://www.facebook.com/events/2996209590457404/

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This week Jim and Iain interview Graham Bell about what inspired him to take on the famous 'Hausenkamm' ski run.

Iain finds out about the world's most prolific ski thief in Aspen, as well as the rise and fall and rise of Andermatt.

There's our ski book group chat about 'Aiming High' and travel advice from Dave Froome about that pesky thing called COVID-19.

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support.

Show Notes

Ski Sunday presenter Graham Bell recently filmed his ‘Hausenkamm’ demo run…in his own house!
Would you buy this Lego snowgroomer? You might get the chance soon. We first covered this in Episode 40.
Many thanks to Jason Auslander from The Aspen Times for sharing his time to tell us about notorious ski thief Derek Johnson
Jim and Iain wish to confirm that we have never been involved in any ‘dodgy dealing’ during seasons in ski resorts.
Thanks to Doug and Christian for their kind words
Thanks also to everyone for our new reviews on iTunes…
Don’t forget if you leave a review before 15 April then we will put you in the draw to win all this stash
Iain interviewed Lars Werner from the Radisson Blu in Andermatt about the history of the Swiss resort
Jim and Iain have been reading ‘Aiming High: The Life of Ski and Travel Pioneer Erna Low’ by Mark Frary
You can listen to our interview with Mark in Episode 51
Dave Froome from specialist agent ifyouski.com gives his advice about claiming for refunds on cancelled holidays
easyJet might not be flying now, but you can book your 2020/21 flights now
Friend of the show Alex Irwin is based in Courchevel 1850
Ed Mannix runs Matterhorn Chalets in Zermatt

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This Ski Podcast Special episode covers avalanche safety in detail as we look into all you need to know to make us safer on the mountain.

Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School talks about snow layers; teaches Jim how to use a transceiver properly; and looks at the different types of avalanches you could encounter.

Caroline Elliot, an experienced snow patroller talks about working with her Search and Rescue dog, Fjord, who is trained to find people buried in an avalanche.

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This week your hosts Jim and Iain are joined live by Rob Stewart - organiser of the UK's proposed new Ski Show.

There's no elephant in the room as we start off with a deep-dive into the devastating impact the Coronavirus has had on the ski industry.

Dave Burrows joins us with some avalanche advice, we interview the author of 'Aiming High' and you can win some stuff by giving us a review.

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support.

SHOW NOTES

The big news: yes, we are on the 7 Best Ski Podcasts list by Rad Season
Did you hear about this thing called the Coronovirus? We discuss its impact on the ski industry, last week, right now and in the future
In more cheery news the Telegraph Ski & Snowboard Festival and Magazine have both been cancelled
But the positive news is that a new ski show is planned, to be held at The Ski Centre in Hemel Hempstead in September
Iain enjoyed his last runs of the season in Arosa and Andermatt in Switzerland
Jim goes into a hole with Dave Burrows in our Avalanche Feature
Watch out for our one-off Avalanche special coming out soon
Thanks to Pat MacInnes for your 5-star review
Would you like to win all these goodies? Simply give us a review on iTunes to be included in the draw
Jim and Iain are reading ‘Aiming High‘ the biography of Erna Low in Ski Book Group
Iain interviewed Mark Frary, author of the book

Coming up in Episode 52…

The World’s Most Prolific Ski Thief
The Rise and Fall and Rise of Andermatt
Iain and Jim review ‘Aiming High’

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There's a Swiss theme this week as Iain tests Jim on his Swiss summer knowledge, Jim rhapsodises about his trip to Saint Luc and Iain looks forward to his visit to Arosa and Andermatt.

We also find out which is the most average ski resort in the world and discover a national park in the French Pyrénées.

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support.

Show Notes

Congratulations to us – this is Episode 50 of The Ski Podcast (although thanks to our one-off and Olympic Specials we've actually on no.66)
Iain shares his concerns that people are not acknowledging climate change. It’s happening and that’s why he founded Ski Flight Free.
Jim put forward an excellent defence of Luchon’s decision to move snow by helicopter just prior to half term
The world’s first solar-powered drag lift is in Tenna, Switzerland
By the time of the next podcast, Iain will have been to Arosa and Andermatt, travelling by train via Paris and Basel
The yodelling championships are taking place this summer in Basel
No, you can't do 'Cow Yoga', but you can do 'Goat Yoga' in Switzerland this summer
Iain took a trek in the Pont d’Espagne national park during his recent visit to Cauterets in the French Pyrenees
Jim continues his report from Bansko with an interview with Gary, representative for Balkan Holidays
Would you like to win stuff? Give us a review on iTunes and we’ll include you in our competition to win stuff. Details coming soon in Episode 51
Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong is playing at the Zermatt Unplugged Festival in Zermatt
Thanks to Jack Hennessy for his emailed re view:
Dave from Ifyouski.com explained why Courmayeur is the most average resort
Martina reports on her experiences of living in Courmayeur
Iain took part in the City Ski Championships in Courmayeur and was told to take a fall so the City boys could win
Iain and Jim are reading ‘Aiming High’ the biography of Erna Low for Ski Book Group
Iain interviewed the author Mark Frary and we’ll feature that in Episode 51

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In this episode Jim has been busy and reports from Anzère in Switzerland as well as part two of his trip to Bulgaria.

Iain is out in Cauterets in the French Pyrénées, we hear about Jamie Barrow's new world record and friend of the pod Dave Burrows joins us live to talk about an exciting new trip for next winter.

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support.

Snow Aid Australia was a superb idea, originated by Rachael Oakes-Ash and which raised over AUD200,000 for bushfire relief/recovery and wildlife rescue/rehabilitation
President Macron was in Chamonix viewing the melting Mer de Glace and launching new climate change policies
It was also announced that there would be limits on the number of climbers on Mont Blanc (which would stop the rowing machine incident we discussed in Episode 40)
Jim visited Anzère in the Swiss Valais region with Dave from Snowpros
Iain was recording live from Cauterets in the French Pyrénées, where he also skied in Grand Tourmalet and visited the Pic du Midi
It’s not great snow cover, but unlike in Luchon no helicopters were used to ship in snow
Why do most skiers turn one direction more easily than another? Dave shared his thoughts
Jim gave an insight into the rise of Bansko, where he was a guest of Balkan Holidays
Thanks to all our listeners for helping us reach record audience numbers
Thanks to Matt Hayes for his kind comments: “One of my favourite episodes yet! Great banter, insight and potential for legal action.”
Also to Carolyn as she works on her 'big ski wear project'
Thanks also to Craig for his 5-star review and we recommend Craig heads to Baqueira Beret in the Spanish Pyrénées on his short break from Barcelona
Jamie Barrow set a new speed record for a snowboarder, towed behind a Tesla 3 EV at 183 kph
We previous interviewed Jamie about his trip to North Korea back in Episode 4.
Also generating zero emissions are the lifts in Les Arcs, which are all powered by renewable electricity
Dave revealed details of The Ski Podcast’s first hosted trip. Join us in Morgins in March 2021. Details coming soon…
Don't forget we are reading 'Aiming High' in Ski Book Group. Feel free to read as well and we'll discuss it in Episode 51 or 51

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In this episode Jim reports from his travels to Switzerland and Bulgaria and Iain has been to Courchevel by train.

We discuss the merits of Ski Sunday and pick a new book for our 'Ski Book Group. The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support.

Show Notes

Chamonix has recorded its warmest winter on record so far
We discussed how to ski on ice in Episode 46
Jim visited Val d'Hérens in the Valais region of Switzerland
Jim is making full use out of his Magic Pass, which we discussed back in Episode 35
The Patrouille des Glaciers race takes place in April
Pippa Middleton took part in this race. Iain interviewed her about it way back in Episode 6
Iain travelled out to Courchevel via Eurostar and SNCF, booked direct with each company, as part of his work on the Ski Flight Free campaign

https://www.facebook.com/skiflightfree/videos/265879281051218/ * Courchevel is hosting the 2023 World Ski Championships in partnership with Meribel * The downhill course will start from the Col de la Loze, travel down via a new piste cut from the trees, join Jockeys piste and finish in Le Praz * Jim visited Bansko ski resort in Bulgaria as a guest of Balkan Holidays

Is Ski Sunday worth watching? You’ve got one episode left if you want to find out
They did show us this shocking and gripping accident from the bad old days of the Hahnenkamm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEGIyL_WoBk * Ski Sunday did give the World Youth Games in Lausanne excellent coverage * And there was an interview with Katie Ormerod, who is having a cracking season and leads the World Cup in Snowboard Slopestyle after a 3rd successive podium * Dave Ryding took a 7th in the slalom in Schladming * It’s Ski Book Group time again – this time around Jim and Iain will be reading 'Aiming High' - life of Miss Erna Low, founder of…Erna Low

Thanks to Stella Coton for her kind words: “It's a really good listen!”
If you’d like to give us a review, then please pop along to iTunes and share your thoughts
Don’t forget that if you’d like some The Ski Podcast stickers, then please email jim@theskipodcast.com with your address and we’ll get some sent out to you
Don’t forget to subscribe to The Ski Podcast wherever you download your podcasts so you never miss another episode

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In Episode 47, Jim and Iain discuss cancelled flights at Chambéry, descending the legendary Vallée Blanche and we learn how to ski with your dog.

There's advice on skiing near Innsbruck, the latest news from Team GB - including the ski jump successors to Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards.

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support.

Fog closed down Chambéry airport (or more specifically TUI flights to the airport) generating a lot of coverage in The Telegraph, The Indie, The Mirror and more
We discussed skiing in Hakuba in Japan in Episode 41
Jim visited the Swiss resort of Ovronnaz as he makes the most out of his Magic Pass
We discussed the Magic Pass in Episode 35
The Winter Youth Olympics have continued in Lausanne 2020 in Switzerland
Mani Cooper and Sam Bolton both represented Team GB in the ski jump
Glynn Pedersen represented Team GB at Vancouver in 2002
Iain spoke to Caroline Elliot, owner of Fjord, a Search and Rescue dog about tips for skiing with your dog
Jim enjoyed his first descent on the famous Vallee Blanche off-piste run in Chamonix
Ben Hollingshead asked for advice about good skiing near Innsbruck – we suggested Kuhtai or Stubai for guaranteed snow, or Nordkette (directly above Innsbruck itself) for more advanced skiers
Thanks to Chris Meigh, Daniella and Stella for their 5-star reviews
Please do leave your reviews on Apple Podcasts or iTunes as it helps other people find us
Thanks to Howard McGee for his cheese feedback!
Also thanks to all of our listeners for helping us hit record numbers for The Ski Podcast
Dave Ryding finished 7th in Madonna – his best result this season

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you always can buy us a coffee…

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In the first of our special one-off podcasts, Iain interviews UK snowboarding pioneer Chris Moran.

Winner of multiple titles at the Brits and cover-star of issue #1 of 'White Lines Magazine', Iain and Chris talk about the progression of snowboarding, the 'bad old days' of snowboarding and Britain's chances for medals at Beijing 2022.

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In Episode 46, we learn how to ski on ice, find out more about the Folie Douce in Les Arcs and Jim meets our podcasting friends from the other side of the pond.

There's a Team GB update and we find out more about the 'bad old days' of snowboarding from industry veteran Chris Moran.

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support.

Show Notes * The Youth Olympic Games are taking place in Lausanne from 09-22 January 2020 * Watch out for Kirsty Muir leading the way for Team GB – our hot tip for a medal * Club Med have released another bullshit survey * Seriously, do you eat 2kg of cheese a day when you’re on ski holiday? * Watch out for our stand-alone episode coming soon featuring an interview with snowboarding veteran Chris Moran, in which we discuss how he ended up on the cover of Issue 1 of White Lines Magazine, how pre-snowparks they had to dig their own half-pipes and more tales of the early days of British snowboarding * Friend of the Show Dave Burrows is back with advice on ‘How to ski on ice’ * You can listen to Dave’s (1 hour, 41 minute) interview with Simon Butler on ‘The Ski Instructor Podcast’ * Jim teamed up with our podcasting friends across the Atlantic – the High Falutin SkiBums * Iain interviewed Arthur Reversade, manager of the newly opened Folie Douce in Les Arcs * Sisters Zoe (1st Half Pipe World Cup, Copper Mountain) and Izzy Atkin (3rd Big Air World Cup, Atlanta) both picked up podiums for Team GB * Thomas Gerken-Schofield finished 4th in dual moguls in China – Team GB’s best ever result in this event * APNorthfields asked for an episode about avalanche safety, so watch out for this coming up in an episode soon * Thanks to Mike Pow on Snowheads for his kind comments

Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for supporting The Ski Podcast

Go to theskipodcast.com for timing codes

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In Episode 45, Jim visits Villars while Iain tests the new funicular in Les Arcs. We discuss tips for driving on snow after Iain's experience in Val d'Isère and Jim checks his sweat rate.

There's a Team GB update and we up our shred content with an interview about White Lines Magazine.

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support.

https://audioboom.com/channels/4995750

Show Notes

It’s virtual Christmas time on the pod…Jim has snow new Snowfeet from Iain, while Iain has a new copy of ‘Skiing with Demons’ from Jim
We interviewed author Chris back in Episode 20
Jim has been slacklining to improve his balance
Iain tried #Snowga at ‘Yoga Week’ in Les Menuires in Episode 34
Graham Bell sells the ‘Skiers Edge’ in the UK
Jim visited Villars and Les Diablerets
He is using his 2019/20 Magic Pass, which we discussed previously in Episode 35
Iain and Jim swapped tips on driving in the snow

Be careful out there

Iain recently visited Les Arcs to test out the new funicular
The new Folie Douce has opened in Arc 1800

https://www.facebook.com/skipedia/photos/a.178908528825764/2572542659462327/?type=3&theater * This is the statistically-impossible ‘bullshit survey’ Iain was referring to * Ski A&E was on the W Channel from 09-20 December. It's being repeated in late-Dec and into January. * You can listen to our interview with the producers in Episode 43 and Episode 44

Jim found out about the importance of staying hydrated with Precision Hydration
You can get 15% off any of their products using the exclusive discount code ‘THESKIPODCAST’
Thanks to Jake Shap for his 5-star review on Apple Podcasts
Also to Ski Bro: “Regular ruminations on all things ski from the experts!”
Thanks also to the team at ‘Where Stags Roar’ for their update from Glencoe)
We interviewed Rod back in Episode 26
Thanks to Max Ellis for his comments via Instagram
Olympic medal winner Gus Kenworthy has joined Team GB
You can listen to our interview with Charlotte Bankes (Episode 25) who also moved to Team GB, in this case from the French team
White Lines is bringing out its first print magazine for four years
Iain spoke to Chris Moran, who featured on the cover of the first ever issue

Chris Moran on Issue 1

This is the Ski Club faux pas at the KK with Mario Matt. Watch it 10:45 in.(Disclaimer - we get loads of stuff wrong too...!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEFl2paZUVo

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In this episode of the Ski, Podcast Jim has been to Val Thorens, Iain talks more about Ski A&E & Dave Burrows drops us a report from Verbier.

There is an interview with Chemmy Alcott about getting back to skiing after having a baby, John give us an update on Timberline, we discuss our book club and more.

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support.

https://audioboom.com/channels/4995750

Show Notes

Exactly how do you pronounce ‘Gstaad’?
Swiss Air and SBB are expanding their Flugzug programme
There was no trip to Val Thorens, but hopefully Jim will be skiing soon
Club Med and the ESF have agreed to open two new ski schools in China
We previously discussed the rise of skiing in China in Episode 36
Friend of the show Dave Burrows reports for us from Verbier
Ski A&E starts on 09 December on the W Channel. You can also read Iain’s interview in print on InTheSnow.com
We originally featured the story of Timberline in Episode 38 (our most listened to episode)
SkiBro are offering surely everyone’s dream job…

https://youtu.be/si7s7UNXqJE * Sir Ranulph Fiennes spoke at the London Ski & Snowboard Festival * Iain spoke to Chemmy Alcott about skiing again after giving birth * Chemmy has previously appeared on the podcast in Episodes 24, 25 and Episode 42 * Dave Moore contacted us:

“I loved the way you and Jim took the 2star in your stride. Great stuff Sure, as you say, you're not going to be everyone's cup of tea, and the tone with which you both seem to look forward to a bad review makes it all the better!”

Thanks also to @APNorthfields for the Twitter mentions and enjoy the train out to the Alps
Jim and Iain are still trying to find a new book for the pod’s ‘Ski Book Group’
Jim really enjoyed ‘Inner Skiing’ by W. Timothy Gallwey
We interviewed the author of ‘Skiing With Demons’ in Episode 20
What’s going on with the Ski Club of Great Britain? They lost a lot of money and you can find out more about ithere

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In Episode 43 Jim gets his first turns of the season in Saas Fee, Iain finds out about the new TV program 'Ski A&E', filmed in Val Thorens last winter. Steve Angus reports in with the latest from Val d'Isère and we consider entering the World Fondue Championships.

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support.

Jim looks out of his window to give us a snow report for La Clusaz
Sign up for free snow alerts and resort reports at J2Ski.com

Jim shocked by all the snow in La Clusaz

Iain is on the alert for 'greenwashing' with his Ski Flight Free hat on
Definitely not greenwash are the changes made by the Tschuggen hotel group in Arosa, Switzerland
Did you make it to the World Fondue Championships?
Jim (almost) travelled to Saas Fee
Iain interviewed John Quinn and Sean Doherty, producers of 'Ski A&E' - a new TV series coming to British television in December
Podcasting is becoming more and more popular
Jim interviewed Reuben Krabbe about his Nebula project
Steve Angus reports in with the latest news from Val d'Isère
We had our first 2-star review on Apple Podcasts :-(
On the plus side, there was some positive feedback too...

Coming up in Episode 44

Interview with Hannah from Winterized
Chemmy Alcott with advice on skiing again after childbirth
Interview with the producers of the TV program 'Ski A&E'
Feature on White Lines Magazine

Thanks to Switzerland Tourism for their support of the podcast.

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In Episode 42 Iain visits the London Ski & Snowboard Festival, while Jim checks out the Annecy 'equivalent' at the High Five Festival. There's interviews with Chemmy Alcott on racing weight, info on motorhomes, new lifts from Porsche and much more.

The Ski Podcast would like to thank Switzerland Tourism for their support.

Show Notes

We are delighted to announce our new partner: Switzerland Tourism
There are new lifts by Porsche this winter in Gstaad and Arosa
There is a Hublot lift in Zermatt
Iain was at the London Ski & Snowboard Festival
Sir Ranulph Fiennes was a bigger draw than Iain (who presented in the TalkZone about Ski Flight Free)

Iain in the Talkzone

Jim visited the High Five Festival in Annecy
Iain interviewed Jamie Barrow at the London show about his record-breaking plans for 2020
We've previously interviewed Jamie a couple of times. You must listen to Episode 4, which covers his experiences in North Korea.

https://youtu.be/csoP8Didoi0 * Iain spoke to Chemmy Alcott about the challenges for a professional skier in trying to hit 'racing weight' * You can listen to previous interviews with Chemmy in Episodes 24 and 25 * Jim spoke with Hannah from Winterised, about motorhomes in ski resorts, a topic we covered in Episode 40

Frank Saffery kindly gave us this review (after listening to our feature on Japan in Episode 41)

Having gone back and listened to all your backcasts. Also having lived my entire adult life in Japan it’s good to have some exposure here.

Thanks to 'sdstarr' from across the pond in the States, who gave us this 5-star review on Apple Podcasts:
Michael Bury kindly send us this, also about Episode 41:

Just sent the link to my son, Jack Bury he's off to Niseko for the season

We were also delighted to hear from Frankie at Inghams after Mike's comments on their Japan package:

It was really great to listen to your Japan expert though – fascinating! Do note that our trips to Japan are of variable durations, so they can be longer that a 7-nights should guests prefer.

In our 'Ask Jim & Iain' feature we tackled the question 'How do I spot a good looking helmet?' Safety and fit is more important than how it looks, but there was a divide on whether sunnies should be worn with a helmet!
The 'punter gap' issue was more clear cut
Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode
You can also catch up with old episodes - in the last 30 days all 57 of our podcasts have been listened to, with over 30 people listening to Episode 1
Iain's favourite episode remains the feature on wolves in the Alps
Thanks to all our listeners from around the world, including the Maldives, Japan, NZ and the USA

Coming up in Episode 43

Part 2 of Jim's interview with Hannah from Winterised
Iain finds out about Laax, baby
Lots more…

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In Episode 41 Iain finds out a women-only snowboard camp in Méribel, Jim talks to Mike about his adventures in Hakuba, Japan and we discuss why you should never ring a specialist travel agency if you're travelling on your own.

Show Notes

Iain was at the winter edition of LISTEX
We’ve chatted about Brexit in detail previously in Episode 8 and Episode 20
James Gambrill presented his research about UK consumers. You can view his slideshow with all the stats here
The ‘Zuke’ was one of the products pitched in the LISTEX Dragon's Den
Iain interviewed Corinne Matthews (‘Cozza’) about Ticket To Ride’s Womens’ Only Snowboarding Camp in Méribel
This week’s ‘Ask Jim and Iain’ feature is a question about single travellers
Neither of us recommend you ring a specialist ski travel agency
Try Skiworld or Solos Holidays, or maybe join one of the Snowheads trips
Hannah James enjoyed our feature in Episode 40 about motorhomes in ski resorts, especially as she’s done a lot of it herself. You can check out her blog at www.winterised.com and we’ll be interviewing her in a later episode.
Jim interviewed Pod regular Mike Richards about Hakuba in Japan, which is now an Inghams destination
Mike has previously been on the pod discussing skiing in Montenegro and Georgia
Frank Saffery asked on Facebook 'if you had some Japan features' – we did also cover Niseko in Episode 32
Danny Mayes asked if he could hear something about Andorra or the Pyrénées – we have featured the French Pyrénées in Episode 9 and Episode 33 and Iain is travelling to Cauterets in February
Thanks to Zeid for his kind comments: "Thank you so much for creating this podcast"
The London Ski Festival runs from 24-27 October
Jim and Iain would love to read ‘My Story’ by Eddie the Eagle, but only if it’s less expensive than £100

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In Episode 40 Jim goes summer skiing in Saas Fee, Iain finds out about the Warm Up Weekend in Val d'Isère, it's Ski Book Group time, plus we discuss motorhomes in ski resorts.

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In Episode 39 Jim and Iain find out about Women Only Ski Camps, what it's like skiing in Montenegro and chat trail running in the Alps.

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Just a quick episode to let you know that we are still here and to let you know that the next full episode will be out a the end of this month.

Listen for a preview of an upcoming Emily Sarsfield interview and get the latest snow conditions from Saas-Fee.

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In Episode 38 Jim and Iain find out about how to start skiing if you're blind or visually impaired, offer tips on resorts for beginners and hear about a heliskiing adventure in Iceland.

We find out about Val d'Isère's new podcast as well as the fascinating rise and fall of Timberline resort.

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In Episode 37 Jim and Iain find out about skiing in Georgia and consider the future of the chalet holiday.

We have Olympic downhill racer Ed Drake in the studio, with his views on Team GB selection, plus we look at summer the mountains, snow centre trespassers and Mt Blanc aviators/climbers.

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In episode 36 Iain and Jim look to the future and see what is possible if you wanted an October ski trip.

Iain has been chatting to Ski Weekend about doing the famous Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt.

Jim hangs out with a group of ski instructors and asks them "should you teach yourself to ski"?

And there is studio chat about the Chines ski market along with a big announcement from podcast supporters Snowonly.com.

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In Episode 35, Jim reports on his recent visit to Grimentz in Switzerland while Iain tests the new zip wire in Val Thorens.

We look at the success of the Magic Pass, the new SnowPass, find out how to store your skis over summer and which resort is the most visited in the world...

Show Notes

Marmots might be cuddly, but they caused the black death and eating them raw is a bad idea (just in case you were thinking about it).

Val Thorens closed on 05 May with 30cm of fresh snow on the floor Iain tried out the new three-stage zip wire in Val Thorens in April.

La Plagne was top of 'Most Visited Ski Resorts' list from the International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism.

Snowpass goes on sale on 12 May Magic Pass is already on sale for 2019/20 Magic Pass ski resorts saw lift pass volume +30% (compared to +10% across all Switzerland) with revenue +27% (+9% for all CH) #skistat #magicpass #LISTEX #LISTEX2019

Iain interviewed Paddy Griffith from Huski at LISTEX on the challenges of growing a new business.

Thanks to Merlin 127 for his 5-star review on iTunes.

Simon from Waxoff.fr shared his tips on how to store your skis over the summer.

Please send through your suggestions for our next Ski Book Group to iain@theskipodcast.com.

Coming up in Episode 36

How to ski in October Half-Term Is teaching yourself to ski a good idea? Split-boarding on the Haute Route

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It is the end of the season so Ian and Jim a reminiscing about the winter but not before they get some spring snow under their skis. Iain has been to Les Menuires for Yoga week and Jim has been over in Switzerland visiting some new (for him) resorts.

Also in this episode Iain chats to Frank Baldwin editor and publisher of Skier and Snowboarder Magazine, Jim tries out cross country skiing, they chat about Les 2 Alpes and it is book club time.

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In Episode 33, we find out the latest on the drug dealer behind the Courchevel fire, Iain finds out about lift pass marketing in Ax 3 Domaines and Jim discovers who the La Clusaz liftie was with The Ski Podcast sticker.

Dave reveals his tips on how to ski moguls, we look at a different guiding philosophy and (surprisingly) discover that The Ski Podcast is officially one of the best Olympic podcasts in the world!

Show Notes - It turns out that the La Clusaz liftie with The Ski Podcast sticker was a friend of Chloe at the Tourist Office. We're pretty sure that it's Chloe who features in this video, covered by Iain on Skipedia in Sep 2018 - Ski lift etiquette – have you ever pushed in to a ski lift queue? - The latest news on the Courchevel fire reveals it was a drug dispute between an armed cocaine supplier and his local dealers - Jacques Murat, is Commercial Director of the resort of Ax 3 Domaines. Iain wrote about his trip there last week for Planetski. - ‘Mur’ means 'wall' in French ;-) - Dave Burrows from SnowPros shared his advice on technique for handling moguls - Iain competed a couple of times in the ‘European Mogul Challenge’ series that took place in the 90s: - The Ski Podcast is officially one of the Top Five Olympic Podcasts! Long time listeners will recall that we ran a daily podcast during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics - Thanks to Huski and Dave Moore for their reviews - This is Jan’s very kind review on iTunes. Please do leave us your reviews as they help other people find us. - Thanks to Lee for his detailed email and all his comments, particularly the confirmation that we are indeed boring. Some great suggestions though and we are definitely going to include some of them in future episodes - Mark from Snowonly visited Samoen and the properties Jim was looking at can be found here. - Jim interviewed ski guide Yvan Dorier from Alter Ego Ski School - Dave Ryding finished 12th at the World Cup Finals and 9th overall in the end of season rankings - Charlotte Bankes was 4th at the World Cup Finals and finished 4th overall. Added to her Silver at the World Champs it’s a successful first season for Team GB. We interviewed Charlotte about her switch from France in Episode 25 - Charlie Guest became the first Brit to win a Europa Cup race - Jan Farrell logged a shocking 220.85 km/h to finish 12th in the speed skiing world champs - You can watch ‘The Horn’ – about the Zermatt air rescue team – on Netflix - Val d'Isère, Les Arcs, Tignes and La Plagne are organising an anti-Brexit rally in Bourg St Maurice on Saturday 06 April Coming up in Episode 34: - Jim will be trying cross-country skiing for the first time - Iain will be reporting on Yoga Week in Les Menuires - We have an interview with Frank Baldwin, publisher of ‘Skier and Snowboarder Magazine’

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In this episode, Jim finds out about the legendary Ja-powder in Japan, while Iain takes a first slide at the Chill Factore in Manchester.

We find out about how to buy property in the Alps, discuss whether you should eat chips in a cable car and mourn the sad loss of chalet industry stalwarts Ski Val. There's also a new selection for our ski book group.

All that and much more in this 32nd episode of The Ski Podcast. Remember all pod listeners can claim a 10% discount a the north west’s premier ski and snow centre Chill Factore using the code (‘SKIPOD10’).

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Woah... this is a snow-packed episode.

In this edition of the podcast Iain and Jim discuss the quality of Moon-Boots, Jim goes Telemarking for the first time and they talk about Lyndsey Vonn retiring to become a cow farmer.

There is also interviews with Bethany from Globalshots about her 'Beyond the Pistes' film & Linley Lewis from Ticket To Ride about the new chalet regulations.

Check out the full list of what is in the pod...

Show Notes

Ski suit or ski gear? Jim favours the ski suit…
There was a fatal avalanche in Crans Montana, Switzerland on 19 February
If you missed it, then this is a video of the plane crash at Courchevel altiport
Lyndsey Vonn retired second to Ingemar Stenmark with 82 World Cup wins to his 86 in the all-time list of Alpine Ski World Cup wins
Vonn started her own herd of livestock after choosing a cow (“because she was really cute”) as a prize over a $5,000 check after a World Cup win in Val d’Isere. The cow, Olympe, turned out to be pregnant and Vonn now owns a family of them.
Moon Boots: genuinely not too bad (as long as you don’t get them out of a rubbish in like Jim)
Iain interviewed Bethany from Globalshots about her 'Beyond the Pistes' film
The new TV programme about the ski patrol in Val Thorens is being filmed this season and will be broadcast later in the year
Val Thorens has introduced an autonomous bus service
If you would like to sponsor or partner with the ski podcast then please contact iain@theskipodcast.com
Jim interviewed Linley Lewis from Ticket To Ride about the new chalet regulations and controls in place in France
Please do review us on iTunes or email or Tweet us your feedback (but if you do leave us a 1-star review, don’t be shy, tell us why – we might be able to change things!)
Iain reviewed the Eckster smart wallet: 'Designed for people who tend to lose their belongings'. Save 20% off any order by using the code ‘SKIPOD-EKSTER’
Jim was coached on the art of telemark skiing by Wendy Holland in La Clusaz
Team GB telemarker Jasmin Taylor now had more podiums than any other British skier
Jim’s Ski Servicing interview was with Simon from Wax Off

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In this episode Iain and Jim find out how to ski powder and service skis, discover you can do a GCSE in skiing, rejoice in Team GB success (and how Eddie 'The Eagle' feels about it). There's ski touring in Morocco and more bad news for 'The Jump'.

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n this episode Iain chats to Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards about how life has changed since the movie, Jim reviews La Clusaz and finds out more about how to service skis properly.

We discuss the best value ski resorts, cheese vending machines, ski touring in Courchevel and the new Folie Douce hotel in Chamonix.

There’s all that and much more in this 29th episode of The Ski Podcast. Don’t forget that all pod listeners can claim a 10% discount a the north west’s premier ski and snow centre Chill Factore using the code (‘SKIPOD10’).

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In this episode Jim and Iain discuss the increase in the number of wolves in the Alps, we find out how cows prevent avalanches and Jim tests a new eco-friendly boot dryer.

Jim brings us up to date on life in La Clusaz, we celebrate the return of Ski Sunday and Dave Ryding's successes and Chemmy Alcott discusses skiing after pregnancy.

There's all that and much more in this 29th episode of The Ski Podcast. Don't forget that all pod listeners can claim a 10% discount a the north west's premier ski and snow centre Chill Factore using the code ('SKIPOD10').

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In this episode Jim and Iain swap Secret Santa presents, we have updates from Betony in Chamonix and Becky in St Anton. Jim prepares for his move to La Clusaz and Iain reports live from La Rosière.

The boys discuss the new Graystone training facility in Manchester, touch on Brexit and reminisce about classic apres-ski bands in the Alps.

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In this episode skiing we find out how to ski in Scotland all year round, get the latest news from Méribel and discuss the new snow centre in Swindon.

Jim and Iain also reveal who described the pod as 'a pretty good listen', find out how you train for snowboard cross and discuss whether cancelling events in a ski resort guarantee bad PR.

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This episode Iain and Jim discuss the lack of snow in (most of) the Alps, Iain asks new GB snowboardcross athlete Charlotte Bankes why she defected from the French team and Billy Morgan reveals his favourite ski resort.

Andy reports with the latest news from St Anton, Dave shows Jim how to turn and possibly we feature Steve from Val d'Isere talking about Tignes.

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This episode Iain reports back from the London Ski Festival with interviews with Olympians Billy Morgan, Graham Bell and Chemmy Alcott as well as world-record breaking snowboarder Jamie Barrow.

We have guest reports from Dave in Verbier and Steve in Val d'Isère and Jim goes behind the scenes at the Chill Factore in Manchester, where listeners can claim a 10% discount using the code code ('SKIPOD10').

Plus what's your favourite James Bond ski sequence? Iain and Jim reveal their best 007 moments...

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During this episode Jim reveals he's moving to the Alps for the winter and Iain doesn't take it personally.

We have guest reports from Alex in Courchevel and Steve in Val d'Isère and a spoiler for next year's Tour de France.

Iain swaps jokes with comedian Phil Nichol and Jim asks Vanessa Fisher about her Super Drei challenge.

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In this episode Jim and Iain discuss the new lifts that opened last week in both Tignes and Zermatt, Jim goes behind the scenes at the Chill Factore indoor snow slope in Manchester, we find out which Premiership football club Verbier has teamed up with and Dave reveals how to put your ski boots on properly.

We also interview Dom Killinger from InTheSnow Magazine, listen to cowbells at dawn in Switzerland and Paddy from Huski explains how appearing on The Ski Podcast helped his company win new business!

Listeners recommend new books for The Ski Podcast’s occasional ‘Ski Book Group’ and we look forward to the London Ski and Snowboard Festival later this month.

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This time Jim and Iain wonder why the Alps are so flammable (after the recent fires in Chamonix, Tignes and Garmisch), Jim reports on glacier skiing in Cervinia and Iain interviews VIP Vicky Gosling OBE CEO BSS.

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Iain and Jim talk summer holidays in the Alps, discuss how Brexit will affect the cost of your ski holiday, celebrate GB success at the Junior World Champs and re-open our ‘Ski Book Group’ with a look at ‘Ski The World’ by Arnie Wilson.

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Jim and Iain report in for their final pod of the summer - yes, believe it or not, winter is only round the corner!

In Episode 19, Iain talks to the team from Val d'Isère Telepheriques about the new gondola being built this summer in La Daille. This will increase capacity and speed up the mountain and will open in December.

Ed Mannix from Matterhorn Chalets gives us an update on the summer snow conditions on the Zermatt glacier (hint: get up early!).

Jim chats to Oxygene, the Tarentaise ski school who are adding in clothing hire as a new service for skiers this winter. Would you rent ski clothing, either from the UK or in the Alps?

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Even though there is a heatwave going on in the UK Iain and Jim are still talking about skiing and snowboarding.

In this episode of the Ski Podcast Iain tells Jim off for misspelling Val d’Isere and reveals the most misspellt ski resort.

Iain reports on a whole new ski area being built in La Rosiere that will see 2 new lifts be installed and numerous new runs.

Jim chats to Mark from Snowonly a worldwide property selling website that specialises in ski homes.

There is also the inaugural book club where Jim and Iain review winter related literature.

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Iain and Jim aren’t getting much skiing in at the moment which is probably why they are discussing skiing in fancy dress, what they would do if they bought a ski resort and their best ski related car boot sale find.

We have big news as The Ski Podcast wins its first award!

There is also a report from Meribel on what it is like to train as a ski instructor and they talk to Paddy the founder of Huski a ready meals delivery company that could be set to shake up the traditional catered ski holiday.

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In this episode of The Ski Podcast Iain and Jim start the show by talking about LISTEX, how many turns they can get on the slope at the Ski Center, how to make skiing better for millennials and royal ski encounters.

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The two presenters are clearly not skiing as much as they were a few months ago so they look at what alternatives there are to skiing and snowboarding.

Jim hangs out in his back garden with fitness instructor Sam to talk about staying ski fit all user round. You can watch the session on our facebook page. During the session, Sam gives Jim a variety of exercises to try and explains what muscles we need to work on.

In the last part of the show, Iain talks to us about his Heli-ski trip to Alagna with Graham Bell in the mountains of the Monte Rosa area.

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In Episode 15 we look at the best places to ski in the summer months. Iain and Jim suggest places to ski in the Alps, Norway, New Zealand and Chile.

Jim chats to the Vincent Doutres from Cauterets and shares his experience about skiing and relaxing in the spa.

Iain interviews Antoine the worlds only paraplegic piste groomer in Courchevel.

We also chat fondue, LISTEX and road trips.

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In this episode, we look at some of the best and worst April Fools to come out of the ski industry.

Jim talks about how a cancelled Airbnb booking nearly ruined his ski trip.

Iain goes to the Snow Centre in Hemmel Hempstead and chats to the staff about the behind the scenes action from Channel 4's Paralympic coverage.

And we chat with James Gambrill the founder of the London International Snowsports Trade Exchange (LISTEX).

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In this episode, we chat about our best ski presents and discover how romantic Iain is.

Jim goes on the Eurostar for a days skiing in Les Arcs.

Iain is out and about and visits an indoor ski training facility.

And we chat to the ski charity Snowcamp about how snowsport can help change someone's life.

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This is episode 12 of the Knowledge is Powder Podcast - And we are getting serious.

Iain takes an indepth look at how the British Olympic Association are sending misleading messages about Team GB’s performance at the winter games.

We talk to Dave Burrows a ski instructor based in Switzerland. Dave helps us to understand what different levels of skier are potentially doing wrong and how we can make sure we are skiing to the best of our ability.

Jim reports from the 3 Valleys where he has been skiing alot and has been using social media and other peoples local knowledge to hunt out the best runs the area has to offer.

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The regular show is back. This one was recorded shortly after the Winter Olympics finished.

During the show we try to avoid mentioning the games, we look at a potential new product that will help you walk in ski boots and disscuss Jamie Barrows recent world record.

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

This is the final episode. In it, Jim and Iain talk about if the Olympics have encouraged new skiers and Snowboarders, congratulate team GB and wonder if we have got a good return on our investment.

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

In this episode, we talk about Ski Cross, Curling, Ice skating movies and how much the Norwegians spend on their olympic team!

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

Today we have Dave Ryding news, talk more about Curling, look at the social stats of the games and hear from Eddie the Eagle.

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

Today we are joined by Vanessa Fisher and we look to see if the Winter Games is having the Wimbledon effect. Plus all the news and results.

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

Today we are joined by Will in Korea to find out what he is going to see. Iain's new found passion for Curling continues to grow and we look at team GB's results in Halfpipe.

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

In this episode, we talk about curling and halfpipe. Not only that Jim gets things wrong as he is about to go skiing.

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

In this episode, Jim chats slopestyle and watching skiing in Wetherspoons.

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

In this episode, Iain relives the results of Super Saturday in which Team GB won 3 medals including the first UK ski medal. He also talks about how the 2018 games is inspiring more people to take up winter sports and profiles the BBC presenting team.

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

We talk about the first medal for Team GB, Kim Jong Un impersonators and Snowboard cross.

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

In today's podcast, we talk about Skeleton Suits, Deal or No Deal and knitting.

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

Today we are joined by Will who is living in Korea and has been to a few of the events so far. We also look into the Aldi goodie bag of Katie Ormerod.

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

In this episode, we look forward to Elise Christie 500m gold attempt, wonder if Shaun White is a robot and ponder the future of men's moguls.

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

In this episode, Iain talks about the high winds in the Women's Slopestyle, takes a peek behind the scenes at the Olympic Village and looks at what is coming up in the Next 24 Hours!

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

In this episode, Jim talks about the Andrew Musgrave, Elise Christy and the Men's snowboard slopestyle final.

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Every day of the Winter Olympics we will bring you a speedy round-up of the previous day's action, the most interesting stories and what to watch.

In this episode, we talk about the opening ceremony, Katie Ormerod and the mens snowboard slopestyle competition.

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In episode 10 of the Ski Podcast Iain and Jim are joined by former luxury chalet owner Jerry Blease and we chat to Will who is going to the Winter Olympics.

In Korean Korner Will, who is currently living in South Korea, talks about the build-up to the Pyeongchang Winter Games and reveals which events he has tickets for.

Jerry who ran and owned a chalet in La Clusaz tells us about hosting the British Ski Team back in the 90’s. He also shares what it is like having Sting and Seal to stay in his chalet as well as giving a quick rundown on staying in the resort.

We look back at the legacy of Warren Miller and the news about the family who had carbon monoxide poisoning on their holiday. Snow report also included.

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In this episode of our ski and snowboard podcast, Iain and Jim are joined by Krystelle Kubicki the Marketing Manager at Iglu Ski. Krystelle joins the team to talk about her role at one of the UK’s biggest travel agents as well as sharing some important Les Arcs news.

During the show, the team talk about the epic storms that are sweeping Europe and covering the mountains in snow. Then Jim tries to come up with a better word than Snowmaggedon.

We look at the latest stats that have been released claiming that Brits are planning to take to their skis and boards while quite drunk.

Iain attempts to start a campaign against a celebrity who disses skiing in the national news.

We have a special report on skiing in French Pyrenees and ask is it better than the mainstream?

And we have our regular features Korean Korner where we round up Team GB news ahead of the 2018 Winter Games.

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In the first episode of the 2018 Jim and Iain make New Year resolutions that they won't keep. In this edition of the podcast, they are joined by Charlie Owen from Seasonal Businesses in Travel to talk about the impact Brexit might have on your ski holiday. They also marvel at the immense snowfall in the Alps at the moment. Chat about helmets and speed restrictions on slopes. Plus, ski deals, snow reports and Korean Korner looks at Dave Ryding's latest success.

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DISCLAIMER - The sound on this podcast for our guest is not the best. But if you can get past that it is a really great podcast, except the bit where Jim can't read but didn't edit out as he was too busy skiing. Normal Service will be resumed in the New Year.

In this podcast we are joined by Vanessa Fisher a PR working in the ski industry. She talks to us about promoting ski resorts and competitive skiing.

Jim and Iain give each other Christmas presents and we about talk wolfs, funiculars and rabbits.

There is also our regular snow round up and Korean Korner. C

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For this episode, Iain and Jim are joined by Steve Angus a ski instructor in Val d'Isere. Steve describes the snow he can see from his window, shares a few tips on where to ski and gives the team a lowdown on the developments in Val d'Isere including the new car park!

The trio also talk about the Russian ban from the winter Olympics, Pippa Middletons endurance skiing and the return of Ski Sunday.

Naturally there are the regular features of Korean Korner, The Snow Report (there is loads of it) and we review of another way to carry your skis!

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In this episode we chat to longterm seasonnaire Alex Irwin about his 20 years in Courchevel, making Genepi and human curling.

We also talk about how Powdair the dedicated airline for skiers won't be hitting the slopes this winter. On top of that, we look at how our athletes are getting on in the build-up to the Winter Olympics, the new Aldi ski range and a portable broom.

To subscribe to Alex's youtube channel got to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrYz48gTOY_l542GySjWVcA.

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In this episode the Uk's fastest snowboarder, Jamie Barrow drops in for a chat about his recent adventure to ride the new ski resort in North Korea.

We also discuss the launch of ski airline Powdair, chat about Ed Sheeran's new music video and look at ski poles that you can fill up with booze.

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The ski show special. In this episode, we look at The Telegraph Ski & Snowboard show 2017 and get opinion from Ed Leigh, Emily Sarsfield, Chris Moran, Simon Shaw, Rosie Barcroft, Alan Morgan, Cat Weakley & snowboarder Jamie Barrow. We find out what Graham Bells favourite ski run would be and we also allow the inventor of Tip Tap Touch to pitch his Ideas to us in our Wasp den.

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In this edition, Iain and Jim look at the collapse of Monarch and how it could affect your ski holiday.

We also ask the question are all ski resort basically the same? Bust some myths about eating cake after skiing, finding out if your boot needs a glove and chatting to our guest Dave from Ifyouski about selling ski holiday.

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In the first episode of the Knowledge is Powder podcast Iain reveals that the name is absolutely nonsensical which is a great start and probably a sign of what is to come.

We also get some inside knowledge on the temporary axing of Channel 4's The Jump. There is chat about the upcoming ski show and we talk about the 2018 Winter Olympics.

We would love to know if you are looking forward to the winter games and you can tell us by leaving a comment on the podcast.

The Ski Podcast: Recent Episodes

Host Iain Martin was joined by Victoria Jamieson, the first woman to join the Verbier ski patrol, and Tony McWilliam, the founder of Faction Skis and designer of Candide Thovex’s new line of skis.

We also learn of a post-Olympic spike in visitors to the UK’s snow centres, plus we have snow reports from Madesimo, Gausta and Les 2 Alpes, plus your feedback.

Iain was joined in the studio by Ireland’s leading ski specialist, Catherine Murphy and freelance journalist, Simon Miller.

Iain was joined in the studio by Anna Nirkow from Kitzbühel Tourism and freelance journalist Mike ‘The Snow’ Richards.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Ben Nyberg, MD at Ski Scandinavia, and Alice Sainsbury, founder of ‘un/para/ld’

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

We find out how the La Tania charity day grew from to a massive event, hosted by Radio One’s Jo Whiley and the truth behind Tim’s appearance on ‘Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares’.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

Iain was joined in the studio by James and Sinead from SauzeOnline and by Mike ‘The Snow’ Richards.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

Iain was joined in the studio by Irish ski journalist, Catherine Murphy and Slovakia resident, Richard Patey.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

Host Iain Martin was joined by freelance journalist, Simon Miller and Ski Designer at Peak Performance, Marie Andersson

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Katie Seiringer, owner of Kate Seiringer International Language Service in Mayrhofen and Emily Summers from Deer Valley Ski Resort.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Nicole Feliciano, founder of Ski Moms.

Today is a special episode covering the latest snow conditions in Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland and in Canada, plus we reveal the results and the lucky winner from our 2025 Listener Survey.

Iain was joined in the studio by Betony Garner and Al Morgan.

Iain was joined by Joey Pearson from Alpback and Krishan Anand from Secret Ski Party in Jammu, India.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Simone Zangerl from Tirol West Tourism and ski equipment expert Al Morgan.

Host Iain Martin was joined by Cat Ainsworth, CEO at Protect Our Winters UK, and three-time Winter Olympian and Ischgl resident, Marco Ladner.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.

We also have snow reports from the opening day of the season in Verbier and Sunshine Valley – the first ski resort to open in Canada.

James has also worked at the Ski Club of Great Britain, is a qualified instructor and has skied in literally hundreds of resorts around the world.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means that this winter we’ll be able to find out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the wonderful ‘feeling of life’ there.

You’ll hear from the Carrick-Smith brothers, BBC commentator Tim Warwood, Snowcamp, Carv and plenty of other exhibitors from the show.

Iain was joined by Erin Isakov, founder of the clothing brand Erin Snow and author of the new book ‘Après Ski: The Scene, the Style, the Menu’, and St Johann in Tirol local, Fritz Minhard, owner of the tour operator Active World Holidays,

Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Reece Bell and Dennis Hettema, and down the line by Rachael Oakes-Ash in Australia and Guy Beatson in New Zealand.

Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means that this winter we’ll be able to find out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the wonderful ‘feeling of life’ there.

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