The Ski Podcast

We find out how a Brit got elected onto the Méribel town council, what summer skiing in Les 2 Alpes is like, and look at the Travelski night train to the Alps. 
We also have snow reports from Australia and New Zealand and the latest news. 
Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching and Richard Lett from Apres Ski Bands.

SHOW NOTES

Rich spoke about apres-ski bands in the Alps in Episode 86
In Episode 180 he shared his insights into how to find a ski job post-Brexit
Rachael Oakes-Ash from snowsbest.com is the ski expert on Australia & New Zealand (3:30)
Episode 312 is a special interview with Rachael
Guy Beatson is based at Whakapapa in New Zealand (5:30)
Freeride Skiing will be included in the 2030 Olympics (6:30)
Check out the Freeride World Tour channel on YouTube
Cody Bramwell switched to the UK in 2021: "To be an Olympian would be the craziest dream ever" (7:30)
British Olympians at Milan-Cortina are eligible for a €10000 grant from the IOC (8:30)
Qualifying as an instructor (9:30)
Summer skiing in Les 2 Alpes (13:00)
Cycling around Mont Ventoux with Tip Top Bike Tours (17:00)
Skiing on Mont Ventoux (17:30)
Daniel Elkan runs the Snowcarbon website (19:00)
Find out more about the Travelski Express night train
Rich was one of the two first Brits to be elected to the Meribel council (28:00)
Rich previously worked for Bladon Lines and the Brown Rock group (29:30)
Rich runs Apres Ski Bands (30:45)
Rich’s ‘commune’ is Méribel Les Allues (32:30)
Responsibilities of the ‘commune’ (32:45)
The new mayor of Méribel is Bernard Front (34:00)
Getting on the mayoral ticket (34:30)
‘Agissons ensemble, transformons demain’: ‘Act together, transform tomorrow’ (35:00)
In Episode 190 we covered the history of Méribel with David Lindsey (40:45)
Feedback
If you enjoyed this episode, or if you have any comments, please let me know. You can do that by leaving a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp.  
Colin Tierney: “Great to hear from David Webster in Episode 317. I’ve used his videos before for Chamonix research.”

Robbie Milne: “I went to Aosta and skied in Pila at Christmas and New Year. It’s underrated - a great little resort, lovely runs and it’s great to see more investment going in there.”

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

Louise Cotter: “Binge listening to past episodes of The Ski Podcast has been my favourite way to cool down during the UK heatwave. Jonno from Ronin Skis’ commitment to sustainability is exceptionally impressive!”

There are now 320 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with at www.theskipodcast.com – have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest to listen to.

In the fifth in our series of ‘Chamonix Stories’, we Jonno Jacobs, founder of Ronin Skis – ‘exceptional lightweight touring and freeride skis for those who chart their own path’.
Ronin is a passion project for Jonno: every ski is handmade and custom built for its owner, with a lot of thought put into making the skis as sustainable as possible. 
SHOW NOTES

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

If you enjoyed this episode, or if you have any comments, please let me know. You can do that by leaving a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp - I release exclusive material ahead of each episode there. 
Erik Jan Schutte: “I looked up OAK [Episode 316] and it looks cool. Keep up the good work.”

Louise Cotter: “Episode 318 was fabulous. Chemmy Alcott is an inspiration for anybody to listen to.”

There are now 319 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. Just go to theskipodcast.com and have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find an episode of interest to listen to.
If you did enjoy this episode and you’d like to support the podcast, then you are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Today we go behind the scenes of the BBC’s Olympics coverage with Chemmy Alcott, hearing what it was like to be on location for Lindsey Vonn's awful accident, as well as Dave Ryding's final race, plus we find out about the ski resort of Pila in Italy. 
We also have the latest from the start of the season Down Under in Australia and New Zealand and updates from GB Snowsport’s new generation of alpine racers, Luca, Zak and Freddy Carrick Smith. 
Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by four-time Winter Olympian and BBC Ski Sunday presenter, Chemmy Alcott, as well as freelance journalist, Rob Rees.
SHOW NOTES

Rob was last on the show in in Episode 262 discussing the Skiwelt in Austria (2:00)
Rachael Oakes-Ash runs the website snowsbest.com and the expert on Australia and New Zealand skiing (5:00)
There has been fresh snow in Australia on Friday 03 July (5:30)
Episode 312 is a special interview with Rachael (7:30)
Guy Beatson is based in Whakapapa, NZ (8:00)
Alex Irwin from the YouTube channel 150 Days of Winter skied last week in Tignes (10:00)
Kendra Scurfield reports from Sunshine Village in Canada (12:00)
“Too many of us life in our comfort zones” (13:45)
Chemmy on Mia Brookes (14:15)
Chemmy on Lindsey Vonn and her awful accident (16:30)
Will Vonn ever ski again, or even race again? (23:15)
Watching GB Snowsport win their first Gold medal (24:30)
Dave Ryding’s last race…with champagne on ice (25:45)
Dave gatecrashing Chemmy’s piece to camera? (26:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Dave Ryding in Episode 199 (27:00)
Recent FIS elections: Johan Eliasch beaten by Alexander Ospelt (27:15)
GB Snowsports’ Vicky Gosling election to the FIS council (28:45)
Luca Carrick-Smith (29:45)
Freddy Carrick-Smith (31:45)
Chemmy on what Luca, Zak and Freddy need to do to take it to the next level (32:45)
In Episode 311, Katie Bamber discussed Champoluc in the Aosta Valley (35:15)
Where is Pila and Aosta? (35:30)
Staying in Aosta (36:30)
Aosta’s Roman history (37:30)
Staying in Pila (39:00)
Pila’s new lift (40:15)
Who is Pila suitable for? (42:15)
Other resorts in the Aosta Valley (43:00)
Which were the first rocker skis? (48:15)
Feedback (47:00)
You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – our handle is @theskipodcast – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp.
Alastair Yule: "Loved listening to Victoria in Episode 309. Gotta have her back with her daughter Mila who has qualified for the Freeride World Tour" 

Colin Tierney: "Episode 314 about Zag Skis was really interesting.” 

Neil Landon: "Thoroughly enjoying your podcasts, especially Episode 313 on Chamonix. It’s nearly 40 years since I skied there and it brings back fond memories." 

There are now 318 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up. If you’d like to keep your snow fix going over the summer, then just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around and you’re bound to find something you’ll find something you’ll enjoy listening to. 
If you do enjoy the podcast and you want to help out you are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Love snowsports? Then The Ski Podcast is just for you...
In almost ten years and over 300 episodes, we have covered skiing on all seven continents, thanks to guests joining host, Iain Martin, to discuss everything from easily accessible family resorts to one-off bucket list treats.
So, if you’d like to know more about world of snowsports, going behind the scenes with experts from across the world, why not join us and subscribe now. 
And even better, you don’t even have to wait until our next episode, just go to theskipodcast.com where you can catch up with over 300 episodes today.

In the third in our series of ‘Chamonix Stories’, we meet David Webster, better known on YouTube as “ChamonixSkiBum”. 
David has almost 10,000 subscribers and 1.7 million views on his channel, where he publishes snow reports, reports on his high mountain skiing and more Chamonix valley adventures.
📸 @olajaniak
SHOW NOTES

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

If you enjoyed this episode, or if you have any comments, please let me know.
You can do that by leaving a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – or drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp.
James Rice: "Love the podcast. It's absolutely indispensable for me and a ‘must listen’ every week."

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

Max Martin: "High quality and high interest on all things skiing. Just listened to the Chamonix special. Well worth a subscribe."

There are now 317 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. Just go to theskipodcast.com and have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find an episode of interest to listen to.
If you did enjoy this episode and you’d like to support the podcast, then you are very welcome to buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast