The Ski Podcast

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.
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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.
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SHOW NOTES

View results of our 2025 Listener Survey (1:00)
James Fletcher was the winner of the prize draw (1:45...

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 interview...

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. 
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 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 c...

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.
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Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more abo...

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...

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. 
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Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the grea...

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. 
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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.
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SHOW NOTES

Cat skied in Valle N...

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.
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 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.
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SHOW NOTES...

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.
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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 ca...

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.
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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’...

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...

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...

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.
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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...

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...

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!

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Tirol in Austria sponsor...

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.

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 won...

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 Episod...

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 Code
If you’re booking ski hire this...

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...

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 Sk...

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 Code
If you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money this winter…just use the...

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...

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. 

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
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 int...

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 ove...

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 Epis...

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 s...

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)

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...

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 the...

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. 

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’.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
You can help The Ski...

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 Code
Use the code ‘SKIPODCAST’ at intersportrent.com or simply take this...

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 "t...

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 in Murren, 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 Code
Don’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 interspo...

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 chall...

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 Code
Don’t forget that if you want to help The Ski Podcast and save y...

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 Code
Don’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...

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...

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.

Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code
Don’t forget that if you want to help The Ski Podcast an...

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 t...