The Ski Podcast

We hear from Kirsty Muir in an exclusive interview, Chemmy Alcott introduces us to LifePass and we find out how to become a snowboard judge.  
We also have updates from the Northern and London Snow Shows and some big news about our podcasts in November.
Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Chemmy Alcott, Pete McFetridge, founder and CEO of LifePass and FIS-qualified snowboard judge Sophie Smith.
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Les 2 Alpes sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we will be finding out more about the resort’s long seven-month ski season, the great activities on offer there in summer, and some of the people who live and work there and make Les 2 Alpes such a fantastic destination.
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SHOW NOTES

The Northern Snow Show took place at The Snow Centre, Manchester (4:30)
Virginia Anderson from DSUK told us about their new hub in Episode 323 (5:00)
Morv Bett from SnowCamp was a guest in Episode 324 (6:30)
Matt Garka hosts the Skiing is Believing Podcast (8:00)  (0:24 to 0:54, so 30 secs)
Scott Hanlon is Activities Manager at Glencoe in Scotland (8:45)
British freestyle skier Kirsty Muir (10:00)
Matt Robinson, organiser of the Northern Show featured in Episode 324 (17:45)
James Gambrill is organiser of The London Snow Show on 16 and 17 October (19:45)
Chemmy on the London Show (23:45)
Katja Gaskell will be guest hosting The Ski Podcast in November (26:30)
Chemmy on the future of Ski Sunday (29:00)
What is LifePass? (30:30)
The inspiration behind LifePass (31:45)
La Thuile has been the testing ground (32:45)
How does LifePass work in practice? (33:45)
Using live location (37:15)
The La Thuile ski patrol have responded to the SOS button (39:00)
Cervinia will offer LifePass this winter (39:30)
Sophie works at GB Snowsport as a Content and Communications Officer (43:00)
She won an award for her final year project – a documentary called ‘The Slope to Recovery’ (45:00)
Sophie is a FIS qualified snowboard judge (47:30)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Ed Leigh about how judges score (49:15)
Feedback
I love getting feedback from listeners. You can let us know what you thought by leaving a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – or you can drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp. 
Nicholas: "I thought Richard Lett's insights into the commune election process in Episode 320 were fascinating"

Paul Bond: "The top ski podcast. Iain has a great mix for all snow heads."

 Colin Tierney: "It was great to hear from Mark Smith (Man in Seat 61) about train travel in Episode 328"

Dan Morgan: “Just wanted to say how much I’m enjoying the latest episodes. You're doing a great job getting us all excited for the season!" 

You can catch up with over 330 episodes of The Ski Podcast at theskipodcast.com - have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest. 
If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

Follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode

Give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify

Save yourself some money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST27’ when you book at intersportrent.com. You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

We review the Best Ski Boots for the 2027 winter season, covering the alpine ski boots and best freeride and touring hybrid ski boots. Host Iain Martin was joined by The Ski Podcast’s equipment expert Al Morgan and Frazer Shand from Profeet in London.
Les 2 Alpes sponsors The Ski Podcast – this winter we will be finding out more about the resort’s long seven-month ski season, the great activities on offer there in summer, and some of the people who live and work there and make Les 2 Alpes such a fantastic destination.
This special equipment episode has been made possible by the Profeet Ski Boot Lab.
Go to www.theskipodcast.com or our YouTube channel to see graphics of all these ski boots
SHOW NOTES

Iain and Al will be at the London Snow Show in October (2:15)
Ski Boot definitions and terms:
Shell (4:20)
Last (5:00)
Mondopoint (6:15)
Flex (7:30)
Liner (10:00)
BOA (12:00)
Powerstrap (18:15)
Walk mode and Grip Walk (20:00)
Sustainability (25:00)
How can you recycle ski boots? (27:00)
Function, Fit and Footbeds (29:00)
Find out about the fitting process at the Profeet Ski Boot Lab (30:00)
Customisation (32:30)
Custom insoles (33:30)
Get your free tickets to the London Snow Show (1:05:15)
THE BEST SKI BOOTS OF 2027 (36:00) 
Piste and All-Mountain Ski Boots (36:15)
 
Atomic Nexus 105 BOA W / 120 BOA(37:30)
£540 / £550
SIZES (MP): 22.0 – 27.5 / 24.0 - 31.5
VOLUME: High
LAST (mm): 101
FLEX: 105 / 120 
WEIGHT (per boot): 1,999g (26.5MP) / 1,996g (26.5MP) 
“The fit and hold is impressive, but the thing that really surprised us was just how well they ski. A superb choice if convenience is high on your boot buying agenda.”
Nordica Promachine 3 95 W / 130 GW(41:30)
£415/ £590
ALPINE 
SIZES (MP): 22.0 - 27.5 / 22.0 - 30.5 
WALK MODE: N 
VOLUME: Low
LAST (mm): 98
FLEX: 95 / 130
WEIGHT (per boot): 1,680g (24.5MP) / 1,870g (26.5MP)
“Superbly comfortable performance boots. The liner is excellent and Al loves the hold from the medium-firm foam. The snug fit wraps the foot naturally and securely, without excessive pressure.”
Salomon S/Pro Alpha C BOA 95 W / 130(45:00)
£480 / £640
SIZES (MP): 22.0 - 27.5 / 24.0 - 30.5 
VOLUME: Low
LAST (mm): 98
FLEX: 95 / 130
WEIGHT (per boot): 1,664g / 1,940g (no stated size)
 
“We could feel the difference this new design makes. It’s like power steering for your feet, enabling easier ski tip engagement and control into the turn.”
K2 Anthem 105 Zonal BOA / Recon 120 Zonal BOA(49:30)
£550
ALPINE 
SIZES (MP): 21.0 – 26.5 / 24.0 - 30.5
WALK MODE: N 
VOLUME: Medium
LAST (mm): 97 – 100          
FLEX: 105 / 120 
WEIGHT (per boot): 1,885g (23.5MP) / 2,210g (27.5MP)
 
“Superb wrap and hold using BOA, combined with fully heat-mouldable make these a great choice.”
The Best Freeride Ski Boots of 2027 (52:45)
Lange Code 95 BOA MV GW / 130 BOA LV GW(53:30)
£565 / £715
FREERIDE 
SIZES (MP): 22.0 – 27.5 / 24.0 – 29.5 
WALK MODE: Y, 54° ROM
VOLUME: Medium / Low
LAST (mm): 100 / 97
FLEX: 95 / 130
WEIGHT (per boot): 1,605g / 1,910g (no stated size) 

“More room inside than expected: akin to a medium volume fit, meaning I had to crank the BOA tight to get the snugness I like. Despite this, I love how this boot reacts, thanks to the Dual Core construction, and the ROM in tour mode is plenty for most needs.” 

Tecnica Zero G Decoy 115 W GW / 130 GW(57:00)
£640 / £685 
FREERIDE 
SIZES (MP):  22.0 – 27.5 / 24.0 – 30.5
WALK MODE: Y, 65° ROM 
VOLUME: Medium  
LAST (mm): 99
FLEX: 115 / 130 
WEIGHT (per boot): 1,510g (24.5MP) / 1,680g (26.5MP) 

“Balances uphill efficiency and downhill ski performance really nicely. The comfortable fit made longer touring days way more manageable, with a supporting, confidence inspiring time on the ski down.” 

Armada AR One AF 110 MV / 130 MV(1:02:00)
£580 / £700 
FREERIDE
SIZES (MP): 23.0 - 29.5 / 24.0 - 29.5
WALK MODE: Y, 52° ROM 
VOLUME: Medium
LAST (mm): 100
FLEX: 110 / 130 
WEIGHT (per boot): 2,120g / 2,125g (no stated size)
“Superb skiing performance and features of the top-end AR One, including PU shell, shock absorbing boot board, elasticated claw power strap, heat mouldable tech, and the instep buckle to lock you back into the heel.” 
Feedback
You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – or you can drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp.
Louise Cotter: “Fascinating podcast on the best skis. I’m starting to feel very excited that the ski season is approaching!”
 
Colin Tierney: "You can tell ski season is approaching when you hear Al’s voice on the show!"
 
You can catch up with over 300 episodes at theskipodcast.com – just search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest.
 
If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

Follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode

Give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify

Save yourself some money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST27’ when you book at com. You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

We find out about a new overnight train service to Switzerland and Italy, as well as a new campaign to promote the repair of snowsports clothing, rather than replacement.
We also hear about a new initiative to bring newcomers into the sport, plus we have the latest updates from Australia and NZ and news of award recognition for The Ski Podcast.
Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Heather Davies from the Re-Action Collective and Mark Smith (‘The Man in Seat 61’), the UK’s leading train travel expert.
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 Les 2 Alpes sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we will be finding out more about the resort’s long seven-month ski season, the great activities on offer there in summer, and some of the people who live and work there and make Les 2 Alpes such a fantastic destination.
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SHOW NOTES

Heather was last on the show in Episode 255 (1:15)
Mark Smith was previously on the show in Episode 231 (2:00)
Guy Beatson reported from Whakapapa in NZ (4:15)
Miss Snowitall, Rachael Oakes-Ash, was at the Shaun White Snow League in Cardrona, NZ (5:45)
The Ski Podcast is a finalist in the ‘Best Broadcast Programme’ category for the 2026 Travel Media Awards and also a finalist in the ‘Best Travel & Adventure’ category at the Independent Podcast Awards (10:15)
Tord Nilson from Snowsport Industries of GB discusses the ‘Grassroots Growth Grant’ (11:00)
Listen to Iain’s interview with the ‘Man in Seat 61’ in Episode 231 (17:15)
What does seat61.com cover? (17:45)
Mark recently travelled on the inaugural service by European Sleeper, linking Brussels and Milan (19:00)
Route and timings (19:30)
Taking the classic Gotthard Tunnel (21:45)
Overnight sleeping options & costs (23:00)
What is a couchette? (25:00)
Why the train doesn’t stop in Zurich (29:45)
All of the details of the new service are available at seat61.com
Andermatt is the best connection - just 15 minutes from Göschenen (30:30)
The value of an Interrail pass (31:00)
Will we see direct trains from the UK to Switzerland or competitors to Eurostar? (33:30)
Find out more about the Re-Action Collective in Episode 255 (38:15)
Heather’s White Paper calls for outdoor brands to embrace decentralised repair (39:45)
Measures could include subsidised incentive schemes, VAT and business rates reductions (45:30)
Many of these ideas already exist in France (45:45)
Re-Action Collective is full of specialists in repair (47:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with ‘Repair Claire’ at Montane (48:00)
We featured Arcteryx in Episode 218 (48:15)
How to extend the life of your ski kit (48:30)
Watch Iain and Al discuss ‘The Best Skis for 2027’ (53:00)
Feedback
I love getting feedback from listeners. You can let us know what you thought by leaving a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – or you can drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp.
Fiona: “The award nomination is Well deserved. I always love listening to your episodes!”

HenrySkier: “This podcast is ALWAYS a good listen. Looking to indulging and listening later today.”

You can catch up with all 328 episodes of The Ski Podcast at theskipodcast.com - have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest. 
If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

Follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode

Give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify

Save yourself some money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST27’ when you book at intersportrent.com. You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

We review the Best Skis for the new 2027 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 and Frazer Shand from Profeet Ski Boot Lab.
Les 2 Alpes sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we will be finding out more about the resort’s long seven-month ski season, the great activities on offer there in summer, and some of the people who live and work there and make Les 2 Alpes such a fantastic destination.
This special equipment episode has been made possible by the Profeet Ski Boot Lab.
Go to www.theskipodcast.com or our YouTube channel to see graphics of all of these skis. 
SHOW NOTES

Iain and Al will be at the London Snow Show in October (2:15)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Tim Wall (4:00)
Best Skis of 2027 means the best skis of winter 2026/27 (4:30)
What are the different types of skis (6:00)
What is a ‘rocker? (8:15)
Listen to Iain’s Zag Skis special episode (10:45)
What is meant by ‘side cut’? (12:00)
How long should your skis be? (15:15)
Is sustainability still important in ski production? (19:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Jono from Ronin Skis (21:45)
When and where did testing take place? (24:00)
SIGB is the Snowsport Industries of Great Britain (24:30)
Testing women’s skis (29:15)
How much do bindings cost? (31:45)
The Best Piste Skis – reviews (33:30)
Profeet will be stocking the Atomic Volant 7000 this winter (38:00)
The Best All Mountain Skis – reviews (42:00)
Zag Mata (44:00)
The Best Freeride Skis – reviews (54:45)
Listen to Iain’s interview with Bode Miller (49:45)
Free tickets to the London Snow Show (1:03:30)
Snowblades – good or bad? (1:05:00)
REVIEWS: THE BEST PISTE SKIS OF WINTER 2027

Salomon S/Max No 12 (35:00)
£690 including bindings
Lengths: 150, 155, 160, 165, 170cm
Radius: 14.0m @ 160cm
Dimensions: 120-72-105mm
“A smooth ski, and a lot of fun and will be great choice for intermediates as well as advanced-level skiers.”
Rossignol Hero MT TI C.A.M. (37:00)
£700 including the NX bindings
Lengths: 154, 162, 170, 178, 184cm
Radius: 14.0m @ 170cm
Dimensions: 128-73-111mm
“I was gobsmacked as to how good it is. Great in shorts and longs, with a sublimely smooth and damped ride. Easy to initiate turns, yet you can go full guns blazing.”
REVIEWS: THE BEST ALL MOUNTAIN SKIS OF WINTER 2027

Faction Dancer 89 Ti (45:15)
£629 without bindings
Lengths: 153, 159, 166, 173, 179, 185cm
Radius: 18.0m @ 179cm
Dimensions: 126-89-115mm
“For an advanced skier, this is phenomenal. It provides confident purchase through the edge, with plenty of stability when skiing hard and the terrain is skied out.”
Armada AntiMatter 92 W (47:00)
£600 without bindings
Lengths: 156, 164, 172cm
Radius: 16.5m @ 164cm
Dimensions: 130-92-116mm
“A ski that can comfortably handle pretty much any conditions thrown at it.”
K2 Mindbender 88 (50:150)
£595 without bindings
Lengths: 164, 170, 176, 182cm
Radius: 17.0m @ 182cmm
Dimensions: 129-88-113mm
“Ridiculously smooth and doesn’t chatter or try to lay flat. Truly fabulous, although the graphic won’t be to everyone’s taste.”
REVIEWS: THE BEST FREERIDE SKIS OF WINTER 2027

Dynastar M-Pro 98 W (55:15)
£625 without bindings
Lengths: 154, 162, 170, 178cm
Radius: 16.0m @ 170cm
Dimensions: 133-99-123mm
“Just one of those skis that felt addictive to ski and constantly made you want another run. Who wouldn’t want that ski?”
Blizzard Canvas 100 (58:00)
£560 without bindings
Lengths: 162, 168, 174, 180, 186cm
Radius: 17.5m @ 180cm
Dimensions: 132-100-120mm   

“I love this ski. Despite the lack of metal, it is damp, provides a smooth flex and ride, and has enough power for giving it some beans. It’s also easy to use at lower speeds and surprisingly nimble in tighter terrain.”
FEEDBACK (1:04:00)

You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – or you can drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp.
Louise Cotter: “Episode 325 was a story of pure determination and fabulous listen!”

Yousef: “Top ski podcast that gives you a smell of the mountains. I’ve been enjoying listening to it this summer and looking forward to the winter.”

Max Martin: "Great snow sports news. Just the best ski and snow sports podcast going. Always listen to these and learn something new. Interviews and reports from all over the world."

anon: “I've listened to every podcast now and enjoyed them all. Looking forward to the driving to the Alps which you mentioned, as it will be my first time driving there with an EV.”

There are 327 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with. Just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you’re bound to find something of interest.
If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help the podcast, there are three things you can do:

Follow us, or subscribe, so you never miss an episode

Give us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a comment on Spotify

Save yourself some money on your ski hire by using the code ‘SKIPODCAST27’ when you book at com. You’ll get a guaranteed additional discount, or simply take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.

Today we discuss the BBC’s cancellation of ‘Ski Sunday’, find out SnowWorld’s network of European indoor snow centres and discover more about one of the important institutions of UK skiing: the Ski Club of Great Britain.
Host Iain Martin was joined in the studio by Katy Ellis, General Manager at the Ski Club of Great Britain and Wim Hubrechtson, CEO of SnowWorld, and down the line by Chemmy Alcott and Freddy, Zak and Luca Carrick-Smith.
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 Les 2 Alpes sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we will be finding out more about the resort’s long seven-month ski season, the great activities on offer there in summer, and some of the people who live and work there and make Les 2 Alpes such a fantastic destination.
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SHOW NOTES

Les 2 Alpes is going to be title sponsor of The Ski Podcast this winter (0:30)
Iain and Katy were at the industry event ‘Ski Launch’ (1:30)
The BBC announced  that they are not renewing ‘Ski Sunday’ (6:15)
Chemmy Alcott spoke with Iain about how she found out and her plans are now (7:45)
The Ski Podcast sponsors Zak, Freddy and Luca Carrick Smith (13:30)
They recently scored a unique family clean sweep at the NZ National Champs (13:45)
Zak Carrick Smith will be at the London Snow Show this year (15:45)
Secure your free tickets for the London Snow Show here (16:00)
Use this link ‘SSLSATPOD100OFF‘ for free Saturday entry to the London Snow Show
Use this link ‘SSLSUNPOD100OFF‘ for free Sunday entry to the London Snow Show
Iain founded Natives in 1999 (18:30)
Katy’s first job after ski seasons was with the Ski Club (19:30)
She then moved on to Ski Solutions (21:00)
Katy became ‘Head of Holidays’ at the Ski Club in 2022 (22:00)
This year in 2026, she became General Manager (23:00)
The Ski Club’s Freshtracks programme covers over 60 resorts (23:30)
Ski Club reps (25:00)
In Episode 212, Lou Cameron Hall shared her experience of doing the reps course (28:30)
SnowWorld operates in 11 sites across 5 countries (33:00)
There are 2.2m Dutch and Belgian skiers (36:00)
Laadgraaf is 650m long (39:30)
The Snow Centre merged with SnowWorld (39:00)       
The SnowWorld slopes are very popular with race teams in summer (40:30)
SnowWorld’s sustainability goals (42:15)
EV slope groomers (45:00)
Feedback
You can leave a comment on Spotify, Instagram or Facebook – or you can drop me an email to theskipodcast@gmail.com. We’re also on WhatsApp.
Olek Pitsul “Episode 324 was great! As an apprentice at Snow Camp, it was fantastic to hear about our work and impact highlighted here. Thanks for a brilliant feature, Iain!”

Louise Cotter liked Episode 323: “Very insightful. For anyone even slightly interested in skiing, I highly recommend The Ski Podcast. It is highly addictive and super informative.”

isaben enjoyed Episode 314 about Zag Skis: “I love ZAG - I have a pair of Slap 92's and Harfangs and can't get enough of either of them!”

Ben Wharfe:” I’ve been a long-time listener to The Ski Podcast and often listen to episodes with my son James, he is 15 and just starting year 11 to complete his GCSEs.” 

There are now 326 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with: just go to theskipodcast.com, have a search around the tags and categories and you’re bound to find something of interest.