The Ski Podcast

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. SHOW NOTESMike 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

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 NOTESZoe 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

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 NOTESEmily 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 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

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 NOTESBen 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  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.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

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 NOTESKirsty 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.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

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 NOTESCharlotte 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.

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 NOTESWomen’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]

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 NOTESPub 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.

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 NOTESIain 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

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 NOTESLindsey 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 296Chemmy 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.

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 NOTESDirection 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.

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 NOTESListen 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)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. 

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.

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 NOTESEmily 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) 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 appliedCover Photo (c) Milano-Cortina 2026

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 NOTESDave 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 InstagramFeedbackIf 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. 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

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 NOTESSimon 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)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 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

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 NOTESRobin 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 HolzknechtkrapfenUtah 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

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 NOTESListen 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.

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. ---------  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 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) Feedback 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. 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

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.---------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 NOTESView 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) 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 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