The Best Skis of 2026: Piste | All Mountain | Freeride

In this Ski Podcast Special, we meet Tony McWilliam, founder of one of the world's leading snowsports brands - Faction Skis. We find out what inspired him to start the company and how it took it to become one of the most famous freestyle ski brands in the world. 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 Tony designed my first brochure for my first business, Natives.co.uk You can listen to our Ski Podcast Special with Pat Sharples here Faction skis started in 2003 BoardX took place in Battersea for several years You can listen to our Ski Podcast with Jim Adlington here Other key contacts for Tony in the early years were Phil Martin, Gordy Hughes and Matt Reardon He worked closely with Peter Bauer, founder of Amplid The first range of Faction skis had a waist of 80-110mm Initially the skis were made in Annecy before production moved to Austria Skis like the Seth Pistol were an inspiration Jamie Strachan's designs for Volkl were another influence The first run of Faction skis was just 44 pairs - they now sell 35,000 pairs every year globally Sam Smoothy is a NZ freeride skier Ski Service in Verbier was the first store to stock Faction Skis Tony first met Candide Thovex as a 16-year-old rider in Les Arcs Check out Candide in China here (he took 27 pairs of skis with him for that shoot!) Tony launched an eco-friendly outerwear brand, GHOSTS, on Kickstarter in 2019 He also worked with Eric Pollard - ex-Line Skis - on the launch of the new ski and snowboard range Season Eqpt Find out about Candide's outerwear brand

16 Aug 202135min

In Episode 77, we find out about skiing in Northern Ireland and we talk Olympics - summer and winter - with my guests Olympian Emily Sarsfield and World Cup winning telemarker, Jasmin Taylor. Iain meets Martin Anthamatten to find out what it takes to win the Patrouille des Glaciers. 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 Mark and David skied in the Mourne Mountains (850m), just north of the border near Dundalk and at Errigal mountain in Donegal (751m) Watch their TikTok here  https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMd4N4dCU/ Andy Meldrum from Glencoe told us about midsummer skiing event in Episode 75 We have over 100 episodes to catch up on at TheSkiPodcast.com Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance joined us Battleface research shows that on average people are prepared to pay £61 for travel tests https://twitter.com/skipedia/status/1422830932793376771 We interviewed Vicky Gosling - CEO of GB Snowsport - in Episode 21 Listen to the Pat Sharples Ski Podcast Special Jasmin Taylor has reached the podium in World Cup events more than 30 times - you can listen to our Ski Podcast Special with Jasmin here Find out about the Ellie Souter Foundation 'The Chimp Paradox' is by Steve Peters Iain spoke to Philippa Middleton about the Patrouille des Glaciers race way, way back in Episode 06 of The Ski Podcast Martin Andermatten is a previous winner of the Patrouille des Glaciers Find out more about the Sierre Zinal trail race Iain took part in the Eiger Trail in Grindelwald UTMB went 'fastpacking' around the Tour de Mont Blanc in four days Iain takes part in the UTMB trail race - 171km with 9500m+ - later in August

9 Aug 20211h 2min

In Episode 76, we discuss surfing, skateboarding and snow drifts in Switzerland in Crans Montana, Zinal & Zermatt. Plus we chat ski holiday trends for next winter, including the implications of Brexit for British workers, plus we find out what it's like to live in a mountain refuge year round. Iain is joined by Cathy Rankin from Pierre & Vacances and, joining us from La Clusaz, a voice that long time listeners of the show will know well, former presenter of The Ski Podcast, Jim Duncombe. 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 Iain didn't get to ski in Zermatt, but he did do this snow report for InTheSnow Magazine Dave Burrows from SnowPros Ski School was skiing at the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise from the Cervinia side The UK government has introduced a new 'Amber Plus' category for France in their traffic light system France has also introduced a new vaccination certificate system, called the Pass Sanitaire, to allow access to restaurants Jim was surfing in the Alaia Bay surf centre in Sion and skateboarding at the Alaia Chalet in Crans Montana The Alaia Bay surf centre Iain went to Crans Montana in December when he interviewed Adam Bonvin, the founder of Alaia Chalet and Alaia Bay Iain was trail running last week in Switzerland as preparation for the UTMB race in August Day 1 took him along the Sierre-Zinal course He first came across snow on Stage 6 of the Via Valais, which took him to the Turtmann Hutte where he interviewed Fredy Tscherigg Magdalen and Fredy Tscherigg Stage 7 was more challenging with heavy snowfall to deal with!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM9RvCJaJpQ  Iain last stayed in a refuge when ski touring in Morocco. You can listen to his report on this in Episode 30 Ski touring in Morocco Cathy Rankin took part in the Travel Industry Day of Action Seasonal Businesses in Travel are lobbying for British staff to be able to work in the Alps Photo (c) Daily Express Reviews "Love the skipodcast. Thank you for keeping us hopeful over the last 15 months." Simon Marr Thanks to Wayne Hall and Jonny Goldsbrough for buying me a coffee. Don't forget if you enjoy listening to The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast and all cuppas are much appreciated. If you'd like some TSP stickers for your helmet, skis or phone, then just email theskipodcast@gmail.com with your address and we'll post some out to you for free. Equally that's the email address if you've got any questions or suggestions for items you'd like to listen to on the show. And if you enjoy the show, let us know - send us an email or contact us via social media...and tell all your friends about this great podcast you've found.

26 Juli 202151min

In Episode 75, Iain and his guests find out about St Moritz Engadin in Switzerland, mid-summer skiing in Scotland and the oldest ski club in the world - the Ski Club of Great Britain.  Iain was joined by Marijana Jakic from St. Moritz and James Gambrill, the new general manager at the Ski Club of Great Britain. 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 60% of our listeners are from the UK, with the other 40% spread across the globe Alex Irwin from 150 Days of Winter reported from the summer glacier in Tignes Alex Armand from Tip Top Ski Coaching reported from the glacier in Les 2 Alpes Steve Angus was on the glacier in Val d'Isère  We featured skiing in Scotland in May in Episode 73 Andy Meldrum is the owner of Glencoe If you'd like to know more about skiing in Scotland, can I suggest taking a listen to Episode 62, when we were joined by Trafford Wilson from Snowsport Scotland.  We have over 100 episodes to catch up on, so if you're a new listener, have a look on the website (www.theskipodcast.com), maybe look for a tag or category that takes your interest, from Crans Montana to Courchevel, Eddie the Eagle to Erna Low. Katie Crowe from Battleface Travel Insurance talked us through the current travel situation Cricket is still played on the St Moritz lake every winter Engadin is famous for hosting the Engadin Ski Marathon - the second largest cross country event in the world David Norris took part in the race in 2003 and 2004 James Gambrill previously founded and managed LISTEX - the trade networking show for the snowsports industry The SCGB is the oldest ski club in the world, founded in 1903 at the Cafe Royale in London  Don't forget if you enjoy listening to The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast and all cuppas are much appreciated.

5 Juli 20211h 2min

In Episode 74, we discuss summer skiing in Avoriaz, sustainability in Morzine and cat skiing in North Macedonia. Plus we talk origins with Jim Adlington from Planks Clothing and the demise of apres-ski in Courchevel with Alex Irwin. Iain is joined ‘live’ by Sara Burdon from Morzine Tourist Office and regular guest and friend of the show, Mike Richards.  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 ·       Katie Crowe is from Battleface Travel Insurance ·       You can read the details of their latest research here ·       Their Sherpa tool is useful for checking the latest situation in each country ·       Richie Owen reported from Mt Hutt in New Zealand  ·       Tammy from Mint Snowboarding was in Avoriaz ·       We were joined by Paul Anderson, CEO at NZski.com in Episode 73 ·       We have over 100 episodes to catch up on ·       Morzine and Avoriaz are both within the same ‘commune’ ·       Avoriaz was founded by Jean Vuarnet, ski racer and sunglass pioneer ·       Al Judge from AliKats took part in our Electric Vehicles special ·       Dom Turner from Skiology was on the show in Episode 65  ·       Find out about the excellent organisation Montagne Verte ·       Iain went to Les Arcs to review their sustainability in Episode 45 ·       Morzine was the first ski resort to have a dedicated MTB course in 1997 ·       Mike went to North Macedonia in January 2011 ·       Mike has previously talked about his experiences in Georgia (Episode 37), Montenegro (Episode 39), Japan (Episode 41) and in Wales (Episode 65) ·       Popova Shapka was a candidate for the 1992 Winter Olympics (which went to Sarajevo instead) ·       Mike stayed at the Hotel Slavija, which opened in 1987 ·       Eskimo Freerideoffer cat skiing in Popova Shapka ·       Find out more about the resort here (in Macedonian) ·       Listen to our special episode of The Ski Podcast with Jim Adlington ·       Alex Irwin is presenter of the 150 Days of Winter YouTube channel Buy Me A Coffee  I'd like to thank Wayne Hall and the Winterised team for buying me a cuppa since our last episode.  It takes hours to put together a single episode of the podcast, so if you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast Stickers Don't forget if you'd like some TSP stickers for your helmet, skis or phone, then just email theskipodcast@gmail.com with your address and we'll post some out to you for free. Coming Up Our next episode will be out in early July - let's hope we have some better news on travel by then… You can follow the show @theskipodcast - and we're now on Instagram as well.

21 Juni 20211h 3min

In this Ski Podcast Special, I speak to Jim Adlington, founder of the UK snowsports clothing brand, Planks. We talk about Jim's early ski career, from Kidsgrove to Val d'Isère; becoming a sponsored athlete with Salomon; and how he ended up creating the Planks brand. 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 Jim Adlington is founder of the British snowsports brand Planks Clothing Jim learned to ski at Kidsgrove Dry Slope  His first experience of snow was in Chamonix ‘Blizzard of Aahhhs’ was a hugely influential extreme ski movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTsAsYmPgDk His first seasons were for Skibound in Courchevel and then Val d'Isère You can listen to our Pat Sharples Special Podcast here The Salomon 1080 was a revolutionary ski  This is a good article about the evolution of skis  Jim persuaded Eric Davies, MD at Salomon, to give him a pair and subsequently became a sponsored rider He worked closely with photographer Ross Woodhall https://youtu.be/AKkyygSGa0U Planks Clothing started in Val d'Isère in 2008, with just hats Their iconic phrase is ‘Drop Cliffs, Not Bombs’ Even from the start Planks was upcycling by used old stock Two thirds of the Planks collection uses recycled yarns from Repreve and has used 1.5m waste plastic bottles In 2019 Planks linked up with GB Snowsports with many of the athletes in the Park+Pipe team wearing their kit Planks have had a James ‘Woodsy’ Woods signature series since 2016 https://youtu.be/IQ_iOkqmaNo The company has seen growth of 40% pa over the last few years, with sales to 46 countries worldwide Their recent crowdfunding campaign smashed their target and has raised almost £1m so far

14 Juni 202126min

Episode 73 covers three time zones with Paul Anderson (NZski.com) in New Zealand and Claire Burnet (Chamonix) in France joining Iain in the UK. We discuss the coming season and the expected boom for NZ resorts from the Trans-Tasman bubble; the lifts turning again in Chamonix and the prospects for a ‘normal’ summer season in France. We have a special feature on skiing in the UK in May – it’s very rare, but we have reports from Wales, Scotland and the Lake District in England. 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 Mike Richards reported from Wales and previously appeared on the show discussing skiing in Wales in more depth in Episode 65 Follow Mike at mikethesnow on Instagram Greg Hilton was ski touring in Cairngorm with British Backcountry David Johnson visited Glencoe and the Nevis Range earlier in May You can check the Nevis Range webcam here We previously covered skiing options in Scotland in Episode 62 Simon Burgess visited Raise, organised by the Lake District Ski Club Check the live feed on Twitter here You can follow Simon’s adventures on his website Katie Crowe is from Battleface Travel Insurance You can check current travel restrictions on the 'Sherpa' app on their website NZ.com includes Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt and welcome 700,000 guests each winter, of which 30-40% are from Australia The resorts near Queenstown offer ‘remarkable’ views with a season lasting from June to October A recent survey suggests pent-up demand for NZ skiing in Australia The lifts starting turning again in Chamonix on May 19 at 50% capacity as 'deconfinement' gets underway Last winter’s 'saison blanche' saw peak season occupancy reduced to 30-50% of normal levels Mark Seaton talked to us about the ski touring options in Chamonix in Episode 62 Betony Garner reported on the rise of cross country skiing in France in Episode 65 The ‘Village Vacances Grandeur Nature’ deal in Chamonix this summer means visitors can enjoy free activities on week days in July and August Iain is taking part in the UTMB trail running race Buy Me A Coffee Matt Hayes, Andrew Brannan, John M and Nick D have all very kindly bought me a cuppa since our last episode. Andrew: “You're doing such a professional job: it's a very enjoyable listen.” Nick: "Many thanks for the great work you do, putting out the best ski podcast going" John: “Thank you. You’ve kept my ski passion going thru this tough year” If you enjoy The Ski Podcast, you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast Reviews Please do give us a review on iTunes/Apple Podcasts - we've had over 80 reviews now - and as you know how all those algorithms work, it genuinely does help people find us. Many thanks to 'SkiSkiSki' who reviewed us on iTunes: Don't forget if you'd like some TSP stickers for your helmet, skis or phone, then just email theskipodcast@gmail.com with your address and we'll post some out to you for free. Remember that you can still secure yourself a free ticket for the National Snow Show at the Birmingham NEC in October, using the code 'SnowSkiPodcast' Coming Up Don't forget if you haven't listened to it yet, our Pat Sharples Ski Podcast Special is now live. Do listen to this one - it's one of our best! You can follow Iain @skipedia and the show @theskipodcast on Twitter

31 Maj 202153min

It was a real pleasure to interview Pat Sharples, Head Coach at Snowsport GB.  I've known Pat for 20+ years, but with his globe-trotting lifestyle rarely see him these days. I loved hearing about the rise to the top of freeskiing in the UK and the team of talented athletes that he's leading to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Sit back and enjoy this 'Chat with Pat'... 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 Almaty in Kazakhstan hosted the Moguls & Aerials World Championships Tom Gerken Schofield finished 6th in the Dual Moguls He started to ski at Rossendale Ski Slope in Lancashire Pat lived in Courchevel for twelve years, working for Ski Olympic at the Hotel Les Avals in Courchevel 1650 The European Mogul Challenge took place in the 90s in Meribel, Verbier and Val d’Isere Ian ‘Big Mac’ taught Iain how to do a ‘180’ (or ‘heli’ as it was called at the time). He is now Resort Direction for Alpine Action Jim Adlington is the founder of Planks Clothing British Freeski Camps were founded by Warren Smith Iain skied in Saas Fee last summer The Salomon Grom Camps started in 2005 The AIM series was running at the same time Pat’s first Salomon sponsored skier was James ‘Woodsy’ Woods Katie Summerhayes and Tyler Harding made their public debut at The New Breed’ quarter-pipe competition at the Manchester Ski Show The X-Games Europe in Tignes was a key event for the progression of UK freestyle The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi was the first to include ski slopestyle and the British team was funded with lottery money Izzy Atkin won the first ski freestyle medal at the Winter Olympics (look closely at the start of this video and you can see Pat giving Izzy some final words of advice) Izzy and Zoe Atkin are based in Park City, Colorado Kirsty Muir is only 16 but finished 2nd in the Slopestyle World Cup in Aspen this winter Rowan Cheshire came 7th in PyeongChang in the Half Pipe Pat visited Ella Hall in Bournemouth and made her day! If you enjoy the podcast, you can always buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskipodcast

17 Maj 202147min