177: Tim Warwood, BBC snowboarding commentator

Iain is joined by Tim Warwood: BBC snowboarding, skateboarding, BMX reporter, and generally ‘very loud voice’ (his words).

We discuss how snowboarding took him from Tamworth to Colorado to commentating around the world on the sport. 

Among the many stories Tim shares, he tells us how he persuaded Bill Nighy to lipsync to Kim Wilde, what’s it’s like being a “professional snowballer” and the truth behind that infamous moment when Jenny Jones won bronze at Sochi.

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SHOW NOTES

Tim is not 50 years old, despite what it says on FamousBirthdays.com

He started snowboarding at Britain’s first indoor snow centre, the Tamworth Snowdome (6:00)

Tim’s first season was in Winter Park in Colarado (8:45)

Listen to Iain’s interview with Pat Sharples, GB Snowsports Head Coach (9:00)

Listen to our interview with pioneer snowboarder Chris Moran (14:20)

He did definitely finish 3rd in the Banked Slalom at the 2023 Brits (14:50)

Tim may or may not be current British snowboard slalom champion… (15:00)

The Brits took place in Aviemore in April 2023 (16:00)

Tim was working in Vail when he started making snowboard movies (19:00)

Adam Gendle is Tim’s long-time film-making partner (21:30)

Jeremy Sladen at the Snowboard Asylum sponsored the first set of movies that Tim and Adam produced (23:00)

Titles includes ‘Proper’, ‘Big Ass Big Airs’, ‘Show Offs’ and ‘Terminal Ferocity’ (23:45)

Check out Tim’s 2006 Brits Video (25:00)

Watch the movie ‘Chalet Girl’ (26:45)

And definitely watch the closing credits… (28:30)

Tim presented ‘Freesports on 4’ (31:30)

Iain interviewed Ski Sunday’s Ed Leigh in Episode 169

It featured events the Xbox (Gumby’s) Big Day Out (33:00)

The London Freeze took place at Battersea Power Station (34:00)

In 2014, Tim was asked to join the BBC Sport team to cover the Sochi Winter Olympics (35:00)

Who wouldn’t want to be a “professional snowballer” (36:20)

Jenny Jones won Team GB’s first ever Olympic medal on snow in the snowboard slopestyle (37:45)

Ed Leigh, Aimee Fuller and Tim got rather excited… (38:30)

The ‘Daily Mail’ described the commentary team as  “Immature idiots” (39:20)

Tim was a reporter for the BBC at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, held in 2021 (43:00)

Being a reporter is more than just an “eyes and teeth” role (47:00)

Tim also reported from the Commonwealth Games for the BBC (50:00)

Beijing was a different experience as Tim was located in Manchester (52:00)

Tim filmed a feature on splitboarding for Ski Sunday in Scotland (55:00)

Look out for the hare when Tim went snowboarding in Weardale (59:15)

Find out about Yad Moss in Episode 88 of The Ski Podcast (1:00:00)

Enjoy ‘Gravity Grandma’ on YouTube (1:01:45)

Catch up with more of Tim’s work on ‘The Indestructibles‘ (1:03:00)

Watch ‘The Nearly Men’ with Marc Webber (01:03:45)

Find out more about Tim’s ‘Famous First Words’ game show tour (01:05:00)

Read White Lines’ defence of the infamous Jenny Jones commentary

“Riding switch is like writing left-handed while wearing a chip hat and being attacked by seagulls” (01:08:30)