The Ski Podcast The Ski Podcast

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 travel journalist, 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=gRN9gKUDNak
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 b

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)


Paddy wears a range of Stance socks which all feature Freshtek and Infiknit™ technology; Sargent Snow, Flynn Snow and Baron Snow. 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.

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)
Gaby stayed with Emerald Stay on her trip
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)

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

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

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.

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

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:
 
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

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.

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

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)

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
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 

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.

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 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)

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 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:
 
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