Eddie tells us how his life changed after the 'Eddie the Eagle' movie was released, from Taron Edgerton perfecting his accent to Hugh Jackman asking to have a selfie with him.

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Jonty Learoyd is a talented junior ski jumper who is British by birth, but is competing for France

You can follow Iain @skipedia and the show @theskipodcast on Twitter

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

In this Special Episode of The Ski Podcast, Iain speaks to James Willcox, founder of Untamed Borders, about skiing in Afghanistan and the Afghan Ski Challenge. 

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If you enjoy the podcast you're very welcome to buy me a cuppa at BuyMeACoffee.com/theskipodcast

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This week we find out about the booming market for ski holidays for next winter, there's an interview with Olympic downhill racer Martin Bell, news of the Afghan Ski Challenge and we find all about The Inferno - the downhill race in Murren for amateur skiers.

Iain was joined by Vanessa Fisher (last on the show in Episode 63) and Nick Morgan, Managing Director and founder of Le Ski Chalet Holidays.

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.

 

Thanks to everyone who has bought me a cuppa since the last podcast.

Stuart Barber: “Love the podcast"

Peter Taylor: “Really enjoying the podcast, only recently discovered it”

Andrew Brannan: "Thanks for the podcasts. They brighten up my commute"

Plus also thanks to David Wade, Matt and Graeme

If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

If you’d like a set of Ski Podcast stickers, please contact us.

Plus you can win goodies from Switzerland Tourism by giving us a review on Facebook or Apple Podcasts before the end of March. 

 

Layne: “A couple of very interesting specials. Keep up the good work”

Mike Pow: “Getting better each episode”

COMING UP

We have a full Podcast Special of our interview with James Willcox about skiing in Afghanistan, Charlie will be reporting on snow shoeing in Engelberg and we'll be talking to Al Morgan from Ski Kit info.

In this Ski Podcast Special, we feature Martin Bell, who raced at downhill for Great Britain in the 1980s and 1990s.

His racing career took in 4 Winter Olympics, 160 World Cup races (with 7 top-ten results) and his 8th at Calgary in 1988 remains the best placing by a British male skier at the Olympics.

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.

In this Ski Podcast Special, Tom Greenall tells us how he qualified as a pisteur in France, allowing him to become one of the few Brits in the ski patrol.

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·       The first qualification required is a Fleche Vermillion, which he passed on his second attempt

·       Glen Plake has been coming to Chamonix since 1987 (this will be the first winter he's missed since then)

·       The Test Technique for the ski patrol took Tom four attempts: Puy St Vincent, then Chatel, Serre Chevalier and then finally passing at Puy St Vincent

·       The Premiere Secours Equipe Niveau 1 & 2 is the standard rescue industry first aid course

·       Tom’s Pisteur Course cost €3000 and took place in Les Orres

·       The course included knowledge of middle mountain environment; weather and snow awareness; Rules and Regulations; taking the PSE2 first aid to the ski patrol environment; sled (‘bloodwagon’ practice); avalanche practice

·       This concluded with exams on the two types of sled; an avalanche beacon search; a simple first aid case and a complex first aid case. 

·       You can listen to our interview with the producers of ‘Ski A&E’ in Val Thorens in Episode 43

This week, Iain is joined by Stephie Dijkman from Tignes. We discuss the challenges of this ‘saison blanche’ and plans for summer glacier skiing.

We find out more about the new National Snow Show, Charlie reports from Murren, we learn how to become a pisteur and discuss the impact of Brexit on UK tour operators.

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.

SBIT are campaigning to try and help employers of seasonal staff

The National Snow Show will take place at the Birmingham NEC from 23-24 October 2021

Ski Sunday prompted a lot of discussion after a feature on diversity in their last episode

 

Janet Barnett: "Thanks again for continuing to keep us informed & entertained on all things skiing"

 

Jonny Goldsborough: "Long term listener, tks for keeping the ski vibe going in challenging times!"

 

Nicky: "You are keeping me going whilst working from home"

 

Pete: "Been a listener since the beginning. Great podcast entertaining and informative. Keep up the good work."

 

I'd like to thank all of these guys, who also bought me a cuppa. If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

Question: Jonny G asked about our 'least favourite resorts' 

Interview with Martin Bell and we'll have more from Charlie in Murren about the Inferno

Joe Ponte is CEO at Hotelplan UK, the company that own the Inghams, Esprit, Flexiski and Ski Total brands.

During our conversation Joe and I talked about a wide range of subjects including: 

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.

In Episode 68, Iain was joined by Jasmin Taylor, Team GB telemark skier, and friend of the show Alex Irwin. 

We chat about Courchevel, avalanches and foldable skis, plus Iain speaks to newly crowned world snowboard cross champion Charlotte Bankes.

We have a report by Charlie Rees from the Jungfrau region in Switzerland and we also find out about how Dan Egan skied off the Berlin Wall!

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·       Jasmin has over 30 World Cup podiums and you can listen to a more in depth interview in our podcast special recorded last year

·       Alex is based in Courchevel and runs the YouTube channel 150 Days of Winter

·       The lifts were meant to start to turning in Italy on 15 February, but this has now been delayed

·       Since our last episode we’ve seen avalanches in Zermatt, Méribel and Val d'Isère

·       These dogs barking saved their owners who’d been buried in an avalanche

·       We've reported before on how the press mispresented the situation in Verbier in Episode 65 and also in Wengen (in Episode 66)

·       There has been some great reporting by Abi Butcher (who appeared in Episode 65), with a deep dive into the 'super spreader' story about British instructors in Jochburg, Austria

·       The tourist office in St Anton also confirmed that reports of 96 people arrested and fined was also incorrect

·       Mike Richards told us about skiing in Wales in Episode 65

·       Neil Bradshaw reported from Sun Valley ski resort in Idaho

·       There are pistes open in Courchevel 

·       Meanwhile Meribel stopped running their buses due to the number of people using them to ski 

·       Jasmin has been training and racing in Plaine-Joux in France 

·       Charlotte Bankes won the Snowboard Cross World Champs last week 

·       We interviewed Charlotte in Episode 25 about her switch from the French team 

·       Dave Ryding will be racing in the slalom at Cortina 2021 on 21 February

·       We featured the new Eiger Express lift in Grindelwald in Episode 61 

·       You can listen to Iain’s review of his trip to Crans Montana in Episode 65

·       Sasha Gainullin is CEO at Battleface

·       Listen to the full interview with Dan Egan in our Ski Podcast Special published last week

·       It’s not pretty, but we found the Intersport ‘yodel’ videos bizarrely addictive… 

·       Find out more about the foldable award-winning Elan voyager

 

"Keeping the skiing spirit alive when we need it most" Ged Ainsworth

"Thanks for doing the podcasts. I've been listening over the last year and have enjoyed dreaming of being on the slopes at a time when we can't" Nick Taylor

"Loving your podcast, although it 'feels me sad' not to be in Chamonix this winter" Sarah Owen Hughes

"Keep up the great work with the podcast" Jeffrey Fantl

"I love listening to your show all the way over in Australia” Nicole Clark

 

If you enjoy the podcast you're very welcome to buy me a cuppa at BuyMeACoffee.com/theskipodcast

Thanks to Luke Sipson, Ged Ainsworth, Suzi Jones, Scott Newsom, Christian Bowden, Chris Rose, Christian Cobley and Nicole Clark for supporting the show.

 

Watch out for interviews with Martin Bell, Joe Ponte at Hotelplan and a special podcast on how to become a pisteur, all coming up soon. 

Make sure you subscribe and never miss an episode...

This Ski Podcast Special features Dan Egan - one of the extreme skiing pioneers back in the new world of the 80s when VHS revolutionised demand for ski footage.  

Apart from leading the MTV generation of skiers, he's a familiar name to anyone who's watched a Warren Miller movie, or visited the Vermont stand at the London Ski Show over the years. 

Dan was part of the original freeride scene, back when it was better known as 'extreme' skiing. We talked to him about his carerre and new book, Thirty Years in a White Haze, his story of worldwide adventure and the evolution of extreme skiing. 

https://youtu.be/prEWB3vfZRA

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In Episode 67, we go behind the scenes at 'Ski Sunday', on tour with James Blunt, inside The Snow Centre, discover craft beer in the Alps and reveal the results from our survey.

Iain's guests for this episode where BBC Ski Sunday presenter Chemmy Alcott and Ian Brown, Managing Director at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead.

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Jan Farrell has retired from his career as a speed skier

 

 Reviews

 

Suzi Jones: 

"Just to say I love the Podcast not being able to ski at the mo is made

easier by your interviews and discussion thanks!"

Chris Filey:

"With not much chance of getting on the slopes, the Ski Podcast brings

some relief to us all"

Skibum70: 

"Often copied, never surpassed"

Jill Taylor:

"Keep it up, it’s very enjoyable"

James Hawkins: 

"Another great listen"

 

Matt Hayes:

"Love this pod, keeps me entertained in many a commute, lockdown workout or when I'm simply missing the mountains" 

 

Eggfried100 on Snowheads:

"I’ve listened to quite a few other podcasts but ‘The Ski Podcast’ is by

far the best for me. Great content, interesting guests, plus it has really

kept us informed through the shall we say an ‘interesting’ last twelve

months."

 Please do review us on iTunes as it helps other people find us

 

You can read the results of our recent survey here

If you’d like some The Ski Podcast stickers then please contact us with your address and we'll drop a few in the post to you 

Thanks to Matt Hayes, Michael Gold, Mark McGarry, Julie Slaughter, Doug Newman, Rachael Westbrook and Joanna Yellowlees-Bound for buying me a cuppa at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

 

You can follow Iain and the show on Twitter and Facebook @skipedia and @theskipodcast