Podcast appearances and mentions of Iain Martin

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage'.In Episode 5, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė, our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason, journalist, author and our Associate Fellow, are joined by Iain Martin, Director, London Defence Conference, and Dr Hillary Briffa, Senior Lecturer in National Security Studies, King's College London.Viktorija, Paul, Iain and Hillary explore key recent developments in the UK defence sector, broader societal engagement on defence issues, and the upcoming London Defence Conference.Find Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Castbox, Radio Public, Soundcloud, Pocketcast and Overcast.You can find out more about Defence Talks here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.britainsworld.org.uk

It's two decades since Doctor Who returned - but has it lived more in those twenty years than others do in eighty? We talk about the best and the worst of the revival, plus a little quiz. Presented by J.R. Southall, with Jon Arnold, Matt Barber, Steve Hatcher, Iain Martin and Harry Palmer

For a limited time, upgrade to ‘The Storm's' paid tier for $5 per month or $55 per year. You'll also receive a free year of Slopes Premium, a $29.99 value - valid for annual subscriptions only. Monthly subscriptions do not qualify for free Slopes promotion. Valid for new subscriptions only.WhoIain Martin, Host of The Ski PodcastRecorded onJanuary 30, 2025About The Ski PodcastFrom the show's website:Want to [know] more about the world of skiing? The Ski Podcast is a UK-based podcast hosted by Iain Martin.With different guests every episode, we cover all aspects of skiing and snowboarding from resorts to racing, Ski Sunday to slush.In 2021, we were voted ‘Best Wintersports Podcast‘ in the Sports Podcast Awards. In 2023, we were shortlisted as ‘Best Broadcast Programme' in the Travel Media Awards.Why I interviewed himWe did a swap. Iain hosted me on his show in January (I also hosted Iain in January, but since The Storm sometimes moves at the pace of mammal gestation, here we are at the end of March; Martin published our episode the day after we recorded it).But that's OK (according to me), because our conversation is evergreen. Martin is embedded in EuroSki the same way that I cycle around U.S. AmeriSki. That we wander from similarly improbable non-ski outposts – Brighton, England and NYC – is a funny coincidence. But what interested me most about a potential podcast conversation is the Encyclopedia EuroSkiTannica stored in Martin's brain.I don't understand skiing in Europe. It is too big, too rambling, too interconnected, too above-treeline, too transit-oriented, too affordable, too absent the Brobot ‘tude that poisons so much of the American ski experience. The fact that some French idiot is facing potential jail time for launching a snowball into a random grandfather's skull (filming the act and posting it on TikTok, of course) only underscores my point: in America, we would cancel the grandfather for not respecting the struggle so obvious in the boy's act of disobedience. In a weird twist for a ski writer, I am much more familiar with summer Europe than winter Europe. I've skied the continent a couple of times, but warm-weather cross-continental EuroTreks by train and by car have occupied months of my life. When I try to understand EuroSki, my brain short-circuits. I tease the Euros because each European ski area seems to contain between two and 27 distinct ski areas, because the trail markings are the wrong color, because they speak in the strange code of the “km” and “cm” - but I'm really making fun of myself for Not Getting It. Martin gets it. And he good-naturedly walks me through a series of questions that follow this same basic pattern: “In America, we charge $109 for a hamburger that tastes like it's been pulled out of a shipping container that went overboard in 1944. But I hear you have good and cheap food in Europe – true?” I don't mind sounding like a d*****s if the result is good information for all of us, and thankfully I achieved both of those things on this podcast.What we talked aboutThe European winter so far; how a UK-based skier moves back and forth to the Alps; easy car-free travel from the U.S. directly to Alps ski areas; is ski traffic a thing in Europe?; EuroSki 101; what does “ski area” mean in Europe; Euro snow pockets; climate change realities versus media narratives in Europe; what to make of ski areas closing around the Alps; snowmaking in Europe; comparing the Euro stereotype of the leisurely skier to reality; an aging skier population; Euro liftline queuing etiquette and how it mirrors a nation's driving culture; “the idea that you wouldn't bring the bar down is completely alien to me; I mean everybody brings the bar down on the chairlift”; why an Epic or Ikon Pass may not be your best option to ski in Europe; why lift ticket prices are so much cheaper in Europe than in the U.S.; Most consumers “are not even aware” that Vail has started purchasing Swiss resorts; ownership structure at Euro resorts; Vail to buy Verbier?; multimountain pass options in Europe; are Euros buying Epic and Ikon to ski locally or to travel to North America?; must-ski European ski areas; Euro ski-guide culture; and quirky ski areas.What I got wrongWe discussed Epic Pass' lodging requirement for Verbier, which is in effect for this winter, but which Vail removed for the 2025-26 ski season.Why now was a good time for this interviewI present to you, again, the EuroSki Chart – a list of all 26 European ski areas that have aligned themselves with a U.S.-based multi-mountain pass:The large majority of these have joined Ski NATO (a joke, not a political take Brah), in the past five years. And while purchasing a U.S. megapass is not necessary to access EuroHills in the same way it is to ski the Rockies – doing so may, in fact, be counterproductive – just the notion of having access to these Connecticut-sized ski areas via a pass that you're buying anyway is enough to get people considering a flight east for their turns.And you know what? They should. At this point, a mass abandonment of the Mountain West by the tourists that sustain it is the only thing that may drive the region to seriously reconsider the robbery-by-you-showed-up-here-all-stupid lift ticket prices, car-centric transit infrastructure, and sclerotic building policies that are making American mountain towns impossibly expensive and inconvenient to live in or to visit. In many cases, a EuroSkiTrip costs far less than an AmeriSki trip - especially if you're not the sort to buy a ski pass in March 2025 so that you can ski in February 2026. And though the flights will generally cost more, the logistics of airport-to-ski-resort-and-back generally make more sense. In Europe they have trains. In Europe those trains stop in villages where you can walk to your hotel and then walk to the lifts the next morning. In Europe you can walk up to the ticket window and trade a block of cheese for a lift ticket. In Europe they put the bar down. In Europe a sandwich, brownie, and a Coke doesn't cost $152. And while you can spend $152 on a EuroLunch, it probably means that you drank seven liters of wine and will need a sled evac to the village.“Oh so why don't you just go live there then if it's so perfect?”Shut up, Reductive Argument Bro. Everyplace is great and also sucks in its own special way. I'm just throwing around contrasts.There are plenty of things I don't like about EuroSki: the emphasis on pistes, the emphasis on trams, the often curt and indifferent employees, the “injury insurance” that would require a special session of the European Union to pay out a claim. And the lack of trees. Especially the lack of trees. But more families are opting for a week in Europe over the $25,000 Experience of a Lifetime in the American West, and I totally understand why.A quote often attributed to Winston Churchill reads, “You can always trust the Americans to do the right thing, after they have exhausted all the alternatives.” Unfortunately, it appears to be apocryphal. But I wish it wasn't. Because it's true. And I do think we'll eventually figure out that there is a continent-wide case study in how to retrofit our mountain towns for a more cost- and transit-accessible version of lift-served skiing. But it's gonna take a while.Podcast NotesOn U.S. ski areas opening this winter that haven't done so “in a long time”A strong snow year has allowed at least 11 U.S. ski areas to open after missing one or several winters, including:* Cloudmont, Alabama (yes I'm serious)* Pinnacle, Maine* Covington and Sault Seal, ropetows outfit in Michigan's Upper Peninsula* Norway Mountain, Michigan – resurrected by new owner after multi-year closure* Tower Mountain, a ropetow bump in Michigan's Lower Peninsula* Bear Paw, Montana* Hatley Pointe, North Carolina opened under new ownership, who took last year off to gut-renovate the hill* Warner Canyon, Oregon, an all-natural-snow, volunteer-run outfit, opened in December after a poor 2023-24 snow year.* Bellows Falls ski tow, a molehill run by the Rockingham Recreation in Vermont, opened for the first time in five years after a series of snowy weeks across New England* Lyndon Outing Club, another volunteer-run ropetow operation in Vermont, sat out last winter with low snow but opened this yearOn the “subway map” of transit-accessible Euro skiingI mean this is just incredible:The map lives on Martin's Ski Flight Free site, which encourages skiers to reduce their carbon footprints. I am not good at doing this, largely because such a notion is a fantasy in America as presently constructed.But just imagine a similar system in America. The nation is huge, of course, and we're not building a functional transcontinental passenger railroad overnight (or maybe ever). But there are several areas of regional density where such networks could, at a minimum, connect airports or city centers with destination ski areas, including:* Reno Airport (from the east), and the San Francisco Bay area (to the west) to the ring of more than a dozen Tahoe resorts (or at least stops at lake- or interstate-adjacent Sugar Bowl, Palisades, Homewood, Northstar, Mt. Rose, Diamond Peak, and Heavenly)* Denver Union Station and Denver airport to Loveland, Keystone, Breck, Copper, Vail, Beaver Creek, and - a stretch - Aspen and Steamboat, with bus connections to A-Basin, Ski Cooper, and Sunlight* SLC airport east to Snowbird, Alta, Solitude, Brighton, Park City, and Deer Valley, and north to Snowbasin and Powder Mountain* Penn Station in Manhattan up along Vermont's Green Mountain Spine: Mount Snow, Stratton, Bromley, Killington, Pico, Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, Bolton Valley, Stowe, Smugglers' Notch, Jay Peak, with bus connections to Magic and Middlebury Snowbowl* Boston up the I-93 corridor: Tenney, Waterville Valley, Loon, Cannon, and Bretton Woods, with a spur to Conway and Cranmore, Attitash, Wildcat, and Sunday River; bus connections to Black New Hampshire, Sunapee, Gunstock, Ragged, and Mount AbramYes, there's the train from Denver to Winter Park (and ambitions to extend the line to Steamboat), which is terrific, but placing that itsy-bitsy spur next to the EuroSystem and saying “look at our neato train” is like a toddler flexing his toy jet to the pilots as he boards a 757. And they smile and say, “Whoa there, Shooter! Now have a seat while we burn off 4,000 gallons of jet fuel accelerating this f****r to 500 miles per hour.”On the number of ski areas in EuropeI've detailed how difficult it is to itemize the 500-ish active ski areas in America, but the task is nearly incomprehensible in Europe, which has as many as eight times the number of ski areas. Here are a few estimates:* Skiresort.info counts 3,949 ski areas (as of today; the number changes daily) in Europe: list | map* Wikipedia doesn't provide a number, but it does have a very long list* Statista counts a bit more than 2,200, but their list excludes most of Eastern EuropeOn Euro non-ski media and climate change catastropheOf these countless European ski areas, a few shutter or threaten to each year. The resulting media cycle is predictable and dumb. In The Snow concisely summarizes how this pattern unfolds by analyzing coverage of the recent near loss of L'Alpe du Grand Serre, France (emphasis mine):A ski resort that few people outside its local vicinity had ever heard of was the latest to make headlines around the world a month ago as it announced it was going to cease ski operations.‘French ski resort in Alps shuts due to shortage of snow' reported The Independent, ‘Another European ski resort is closing due to lack of snow' said Time Out, The Mirror went for ”Devastation” as another European ski resort closes due to vanishing snow‘ whilst The Guardian did a deeper dive with, ‘Fears for future of ski tourism as resorts adapt to thawing snow season.' The story also appeared in dozens more publications around the world.The only problem is that the ski area in question, L'Alpe du Grand Serre, has decided it isn't closing its ski area after all, at least not this winter.Instead, after the news of the closure threat was publicised, the French government announced financial support, as did the local municipality of La Morte, and a number of major players in the ski industry. In addition, a public crowdfunding campaign raised almost €200,000, prompting the officials who made the original closure decision to reconsider. Things will now be reassessed in a year's time.There has not been the same global media coverage of the news that L'Alpe du Grand Serre isn't closing after all.It's not the first resort where money has been found to keep slopes open after widespread publicity of a closure threat. La Chapelle d'Abondance was apparently on the rocks in 2020 but will be fully open this winter and similarly Austria's Heiligenblut which was said to be at risk of permanently closure in the summer will be open as normal.Of course, ski areas do permanently close, just like any business, and climate change is making the multiple challenges that smaller, lower ski areas face, even more difficult. But in the near-term bigger problems are often things like justifying spends on essential equipment upgrades, rapidly increasing power costs and changing consumer habits that are the bigger problems right now. The latter apparently exacerbated by media stories implying that ski holidays are under severe threat by climate change.These increasingly frequent stories always have the same structure of focusing on one small ski area that's in trouble, taken from the many thousands in the Alps that few regular skiers have heard of. The stories imply (by ensuring that no context is provided), that this is a major resort and typical of many others. Last year some reports implied, again by avoiding giving any context, that a ski area in trouble that is actually close to Rome, was in the Alps.This is, of course, not to pretend that climate change does not pose an existential threat to ski holidays, but just to say that ski resorts have been closing for many decades for multiple reasons and that most of these reports do not give all the facts or paint the full picture.On no cars in ZermattIf the Little Cottonwood activists really cared about the environment in their precious canyon, they wouldn't be advocating for alternate rubber-wheeled transit up to Alta and Snowbird – they'd be demanding that the road be closed and replaced by a train or gondola or both, and that the ski resorts become a pedestrian-only enclave dotted with only as many electric vehicles as it took to manage the essential business of the towns and the ski resorts.If this sounds improbable, just look to Zermatt, which has banned gas cars for decades. Skiers arrive by train. Nearly 6,000 people live there year-round. It is amazing what humans can build when the car is considered as an accessory to life, rather than its central organizing principle.On driving in EuropeDriving in Europe is… something else. I've driven in, let's see: Iceland, Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro. That last one is the scariest but they're all a little scary. Drivers' speeds seem to be limited by nothing other than physics, passing on blind curves is common even on mountain switchbacks, roads outside of major arterials often collapse into one lane, and Euros for some reason don't believe in placing signs at intersections to indicate street names. Thank God for GPS. I'll admit that it's all a little thrilling once the disorientation wears off, and there are things to love about driving in Europe: roundabouts are used in place of traffic lights wherever possible, the density of cars tends to be less (likely due to the high cost of gas and plentiful mass transit options), sprawl tends to be more contained, the limited-access highways are extremely well-kept, and the drivers on those limited-access highways actually understand what the lanes are for (slow, right; fast, left).It may seem contradictory that I am at once a transit advocate and an enthusiastic road-tripper. But I've lived in New York City, home of the United States' best mass-transit system, for 23 years, and have owned a car for 19 of them. There is a logic here: in general, I use the subway or my bicycle to move around the city, and the car to get out of it (this is the only way to get to most ski areas in the region, at least midweek). I appreciate the options, and I wish more parts of America offered a better mix.On chairs without barsIt's a strange anachronism that the United States is still home to hundreds of chairlifts that lack safety bars. ANSI standards now require them on new lift builds (as far as I can tell), but many chairlifts built without bars from the 1990s and earlier appear to have been grandfathered into our contemporary system. This is not the case in the Eastern U.S. where, as far as I'm aware, every chairlift with the exception of a handful in Pennsylvania have safety bars – New York and many New England states require them by law (and require riders to use them). Things get dicey in the Midwest, which has, as a region, been far slower to upgrade its lift fleets than bigger mountains in the East and West. Many ski areas, however, have retrofit their old lifts with bars – I was surprised to find them on the lifts at Sundown, Iowa; Chestnut, Illinois; and Mont du Lac, Wisconsin, for example. Vail and Alterra appear to retrofit all chairlifts with safety bars once they purchase a ski area. But many ski areas across the Mountain West still spin old chairs, including, surprisingly, dozens of mountains in California, Oregon, and Washington, states that tends to have more East Coast-ish outlooks on safety and regulation.On Compagnie des AlpesAccording to Martin, the closest thing Europe has to a Vail- or Alterra-style conglomerate is Compagnie des Alpes, which operates (but does not appear to own) 10 ski areas in the French Alps, and holds ownership stakes in five more. It's kind of an amazing list:Here's the company's acquisition timeline, which includes the ski areas, along with a bunch of amusement parks and hotels:Clearly the path of least resistance to a EuroVail conflagration would be to shovel this pile of coal into the furnace. Martin referenced Tignes' forthcoming exit from the group, to join forces with ski resort Sainte-Foy on June 1, 2026 – teasing a smaller potential EuroVail acquisition. Tignes, however, would not be the first resort to exit CdA's umbrella – Les 2 Alpes left in 2020.On EuroSkiPassesThe EuroMegaPass market is, like EuroSkiing itself, unintelligible to Americans (at least to this American). There are, however, options. Martin offers the Swiss-centric Magic Pass as perhaps the most prominent. It offers access to 92 ski areas (map). You are probably expecting me to make a chart. I will not be making a chart.S**t I need to publish this article before I cave to my irrepressible urge to make a chart.OK this podcast is already 51 days old do not make a chart you moron.I think we're good here.I hope.I will also not be making a chart to track the 12 ski resorts accessible on Austria's Ski Plus City Pass Stubai Innsbruck Unlimited Freedom Pass.The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

After we discovered the existence of a children's film based on a novel by Bad Monkey and Striptease author Carl Hiaasen, we just had to take a look. And what an array of surprises we found there... Presented by J.R. Southall, with Iain Martin

Today is a sustainability special, looking at train travel to Morzine, the impact of global warming on the Mer de Glace in Chamonix, plus we take a closer look at Patagonia's decision to become a company for ‘purpose, not profit'.   We also have our regular snow reports, the latest news from GB Snowsports and your feedback. Iain Martin was joined Sara Burton from Montagne Verte in Morzine and Matt Barr from the Looking Sideways Podcast.  Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code Don't forget that if you want to help The Ski Podcast and save yourself some money this winter all you need to do is to use the code ‘SKIPODCAST' when you book your ski hire at intersportrent.com or take this link for your discount to be automatically applied.  SHOW NOTES Sara was last on the podcast in Episode 74 (0:45) Listen to Iain's experience of staying in an unmanned refuge in Meribel (3:00) Catherine Murphy is in Kaprun, Austria (6:15) Betony Garner reported from Combloux, France (8:10) Floss Cockle from FreeFlo Ski reported from Tignes, France (9:15) Charlotte Bankes is on course for the Snowboard Cross Crystal Globe (10:45) Jasmin Taylor could win the Crystal Globe in Telemark Spint and Telemark overall (11:00) Montagne Verte was formed in 2019 (12:00) They run their own pre-loved shop in Morzine (14:00) You can buy and sell second-hand ski wear at WhoSki (16:40) Other initiatives include collection of food waste (17:00) Find out about Verbier Green in Episode 206 (17:45) The AlpinExpress Pass offers discounts to those travelling to resort by train (19:30) Vialattea (the ‘Milky Way') in Italy offer discounts for travelling by train (21:45) Montagne Verte have published a very detailed Train Travel guide (22:00) Matt has been mentioned in my interviews with Ed Leigh, Chris Moran and Stu Brass (27:00) He is a previous editor of WhiteLines and runs his own agency, All Conditions Media He is the host of the Looking Sideways Podcast (28:00) Listen to 'The Announcement' (32:00) Patagonia's announced in September 2022 that it was ‘going purpose, not public' (32:30) Patagonia's famous ‘Don't buy this jacket' Bernie Sanders: “Billionaires in both parties should not be able to buy elections” (37:30) Watch Iain's video about the new €23m Mer de Glace gondola (42:45) Read Iain's article about Montenvers and the Mer de Glace at welove2ski (42:45) The Mer de Glace has thinned 160m since 1990 and lost 3km in length since 1820 By 2019, there were 580 steps to make it back to Chamonix (43:30) Brad Carlson is a mountain guide in Chamonix (43:45) Check out the Glacorium if you visit Montenvers (53:15) Feedback I enjoy all feedback about the show, I'm always interested to hear what you think, so please do contact me on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com  Julian Holland: "Episode 237 was great as always! Keeping my fingers crossed for a few more dumps in Austria before my two weeks in Lech" Skiingpostie (Spotify): "3 Zinnen sounds great and I will definitely be looking at a train ski trip soon." Reid Aiton: "Another great episode" There are now 252 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 137 of those were listened to in the last week. If you've enjoyed this episode, why not to go theskipodcast.com and take a look around the tags and categories – there is so much in there you're bound to find something of interest.  If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:    1) Follow us. Just take a look for that button and press it now  2) Give us a review or just leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify  3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST' or take this link You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast. You can also follow us on WhatsApp for exclusive material released ahead of the podcast. 

This week we speak to Iain Martin, a regional manager for the New England Revolution Academy and an associate trainer at Positive Coaching Alliance. We chat with Iain, a fellow presenter, who we met at the United Soccer Coaches Convention, about being a coach in today's youth landscape. His philosophy and his work at the Positive Coaching Alliance. Enjoy!

Send us a textIn this latest episode of Too Hot For TV Dylan is joined by Iain Martin to look at 2 Eighth Doctor Big Finish stories. First up it's 'The Next Life' by Alan Barnes and Gary Russell, then it's 'Terror Firma' by Joseph Lidster. And as as always they answere the burning questions:What is a drop your bacon sandwich moment?Where can you can always get a baguette?Is your money safe with the bank of Rassilon?

So good I've released it twice...but with a brilliant Ken Moss clip at the start.

What do you get when the streamer behind Slow Horses asks the producer of Ted Lasso to adapt a novel from the writer of Striptease to feature one of the stars of The Wedding Crashers? Presented by J.R. Southall, with Iain Martin

Three teams, six-minus-one quizzers, and seven rounds culminating in the now traditional quadruple answer smash - Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without the slightly awkward Strangers in Space Christmas Quiz Hosted by J.R. Southall, with Jon Arnold, Matt Barber, Iain Martin, Luke Molloy and Harry Palmer

Two friends; different feelings about the Matt Smith era; the same consensus. A great book; full of wit, imagination, education and entertainment. This is how you do it.

As it approaches its twentieth birthday, we look back at the big screen adaptation of Douglas Adams' ubiquitous novel/radio series/TV show/towel rack, and ask whether it's better than its reputation suggests and if not, why not Presented by J.R. Southall, with Iain Martin

Rachel Reeves is under pressure to explain her CV, after it emerged that she used a false claim to win her seat as an MP - but does it matter?Hugo Rifkind unpacks the politics of the day with Iain Martin and Lara Spirit, including the row over assisted dying and whether Sue Gray will get a peerage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Rod, Joe, Iain and Gareth as we face Atraxi, Smilers, Fatleks, Angels, Vampires (fish?), Dream Lords, Silurians, Depression, a Pantheon of bad guys and the sexual prowess Amy Pond!

It wasn't long after the untimely death of Roger Delgado, that his most enduring creation was being resurrected - and soon after that he had a new full-time replacement. But do these subsequent iterations of the Master fulfil the brief that was laid down back in 1971? Presented by J.R. Southall, with Jon Arnold, Mark Donaldson and Iain Martin

GB Snowsport CEO Vicky Gosling joins Iain for this special episode of The Ski Podcast.  We go behind the scenes of British skiing and snowboarding to find out what goes into running an organisation like GB Snowsport and how a country with no mountains outperforms countries from across the world. We also find out about Vicky's background in the RAF, what it was like working alongside Prince Harry on the Invictus Games and the link between snowsports and surfing. This episode is part of a series of podcasts we're publishing this winter focusing on women in the snowsports industry.  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 In 2022/23 GB Snowsport recorded 50 World Cup, World Champs, X Games podiums That included a podium in every single discipline (4:00) Pat Sharples is Head Coach of the GB Snowsports (6:30) Listen to Iain's interview with Pat Sharples (33:15) Vicky and Pat had to sleep in their car in St Moritz (8:30) Vicky was a Group Captain in the RAF, deployed to the Gulf (10:30) In 2014, she became Military Exec Lead for first Invictus Games in London (12:30) Vicky was appointed CEO for the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando (14:00) Herding Morgan Freeman and Michelle Obama at the opening ceremony (15:00) Appointed CEO of GB Snowsport in 2018 (15:30) ‘British Ski and Snowboard' was re-branded to ‘GB Snowsport' (16:30) The goal to become a top five snowsport nation by 2030 (18:00) Funding from UK Sport went up after Pyeongchang, but was cut after Beijing (20:15) Team GB won one medal at Sochi 2014 (Jenny Jones) and two at Pyeongchang 2018 (Billy Morgan & Izzy Atkin) (21:30) Kirsty Muir was the highest-placed Briton on snow with 5th in Big Air (23:30) Listen to Iain's interview with Kirsty Muir in Episode 174 Listen to Iain's interview with Dave Ryding in Episode 199 (29:30) Dave shares his ring-fenced funding with Billy Major and Laurie Taylor (29:30) Dave Ryding's coach Tris Glasse-Davies has left to work for US skiing (30:00) The Alpine Team ranked 6th in world in 2023/24, ahead of USA, Italy, Canada (31:30) Jim Ratcliffe donated £11m to help fund new clubhouse for the Courchevel race club (32:00) Mia Brookes is the youngest ever world champion (33:00) Listen to Iain's interview with Zak Carrick-Smith in Episode 200 (33:15) In 2022 Vicky became Chair of GB Surfing (35:45) Skateboarding medallist Sky Brown just failed to qualify in surfing for the Paris Olympics (37:30) The effect of Brexit on GB Snowsports (39:30) Listen to Stu Brass talking in Episode 213 about how he first met Jenny Jones in Tignes (40:30) Chamonix 2024 saw the first global warming determined slalom (41:00) FIS are under pressure to change their schedule to reduce emissions (41:30) Feedback I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com  robsmith0179: "It was really interesting to listen to [Chemmy Alcott's] determination and drive from such a young age. I thought I was brave at 10 years old setting off into the hills on my own on a mountain bike...never mind going to New Zealand training.” Victoria Bushnell: “My new Sunday listening is The Ski Podcast hosted by Iain Martin” mc2_woodwork: "I truly love skiing and you bring together so much amazing content and extremely helpful information. After holidays in Tignes the last two winters my 6-year-old is hooked too.”  If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:    1) Review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify  2) Subscribe  3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST' or take this link There are now 228 episodes of The Ski Podcast and 138 were listened to in the last week. There is so much to listen to in our back catalog - we have covered so many destinations and stories - just go to theskipodcast.com, search around the tags and categories: you're bound to find something of interest to you.  You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Salfords Village Hall in Surrey.

Today we look at skiing in Sweden and Hemsedal in Norway and we find out what it's like coaching your kids to be pro skiers. Plus we find out more about the European Sleeper service to Innsbruck and the Dolomites, as well as discovering what Crans Montana is like in September. Iain Martin was joined by four-time Winter Olympian and ski coach Emma Carrick-Anderson and Ben Nyberg, Managing Director at skiScandinavia. Intersport Ski Hire Discount Code If you're starting to plan your skiing for this winter, then I am delighted to confirm that Intersport are sponsoring The Ski Podcast for a second winter. That means that all podcast listeners can 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   Emma was on the slopes in Saas Fee for our call (1:00) Mike Goar was the Keynote Speaker at Ski Launch (3:15) Listen to Iain's interview with Mike in Episode 204 Our equipment episodes start next week…with the ‘Best New Skis of 2024/25' Look out for Iain's interview with Vicky Gosling, CEO GB Snowsport coming in October (4:00) Mia Brookes took 2nd in the Snowboard Slopestyle at Cardrona, NZ (4:15) Chris Engelsman is the co-founder of European Sleeper (4:45) Find out how to travel to Crans Montana on Ski Flight Free (12:30) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egi96baRhjQ Iain took part in the Wildstrubel UTMB trail race (13:00) You can watch his race report here  There was a lot of early snow on the mountains (14:00) Crans Montana's acquisition by Vail Resorts went through in May Iain spoke with Pierre Henri Mainetti (14:30) In 2027 Crans Montana will host the Alpine Ski World Championships (16:00) In September 2025 the resort hosts the Mountain Bike World Championships (16:30) Listen to Iain's interview with Zak Carrick-Smith in Episode 200 (18:15) Emma took competed for Great Britain in four Olympics at Albertville, Lillehammer, Nagano and Salt Lake City (21:00) Listen to Iain's interview with Dave Ryding (22:30) Listen to Iain's interview with Lesley McKenna (24:30) Find out about Alain Baxter's non-bronze medal (25:00) The Ski Podcast is going to be supporting the Carrick-Smith boys this winter (27:30) Trysil in Norway featured in Episode 209 (32:00) There is a new direct weekly flight from LHR to Scandinavian Mountain Airport (32:45) Hundfjallet may be the shortest transfer in world at just 10 minutes (33:45) Other Swedish resorts include Salen Stöten, Sälen Lindvallen, Kläppen (36:00) Hemsedal in Norway is three hours from the airport (38:00) Feedback (40:00)   I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com  AD: "Great pod Iain. Thanks for keeping this going over the summer, when most other ski related podcasts stop…roll on the autumn!" Camilla: “You are brilliant at drawing people out with great questions, creating really enjoyable podcasts.” Mark Wakeling: “Really enjoyed the Chemmy interview. From an early age just wouldn't take no for an answer and her infectious enthusiasm is inspiring.” Jim: “I was listening to the podcast the other day while hiking up a mountain. You were talking about where to get second-hand skis. At the beginning of the season, a lot of resorts organise Braderies where the local shops pool ex-hire or last season kit to sell in one convenient place. Another great option is shops like Trocsport which sell secondhand skis on behalf of individuals. There are loads of small shops like this.” There are now 226 episodes of The Ski Podcast to catch up with and 121 of those were listened to in the last week. You can do that too, there is so much to listen to in our previous episode, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you're bound to find something of interest.  In that last week, 60% of our listeners were in the UK, 11% were in the States and everyone else spread as far and wide as Turkey, Greenland and Mexico. If you like the podcast, there are three things you can do to help:    1) Follow us. Just take a look for that button and press it now  2) Give us a review or just leave a comment on Apple Podcasts or Spotify  3) Book your ski hire with Intersport Rent using the code ‘SKIPODCAST' or take this link You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

As the Times Red Box newsletter celebrates its 10th birthday, Matt rounds up all the previous editors to look back over a remarkable decade in politics, and finds out what it's really like to make sense of it in your pyjamas.Plus: Columnists Libby Purves and Iain Martin discuss Joe Biden withdrawing from the presidential race and who will be the next Tory party leader. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a long time since RTD has written a season finale, but how will it stand up to scrutiny? Warning: prepare for swears as we get a bit hot under the collar pulling it apart and trying to piece it all back together again Presented by J.R. Southall, with Jon Arnold, Matt Barber, Iain Martin and Ian Winterton

EI's Iain Martin is joined by Kwasi Kwarteng, historian and former Chancellor of the United Kingdom, to discuss the turbulent life of the 18th century financial speculator John Law, whose innovative ideas were credited with bringing Ancien Régime France to the brink of ruin. There are echoes of what happened when the Truss government tried its own financial experiment, he acknowledges. Image: A cartoon of John Law (1671–1729), the Scottish economist who was appointed Controller General of Finances of France under King Louis XV. Credit: PRISMA ARCHIVO / Alamy Stock Photo 

We're halfway through the first series of the new era of Doctor Who and the talking points - and comparisons - are mounting up Presented by J.R. Southall, with Jon Arnold, Matt Barber, Mark Donaldson and Iain Martin

In Episode 212 we find out about Valle Nevado and Portillo in Chile, what it's like being a resort rep for the Ski Club of Great Britain and check in on a possible direct London-Geneva train. Iain Martin was joined by travel journalist, Lou Cameron-Hall and artist and snowsports blogger, Martina Diez-Routh. SHOW NOTES Katie Bamber wrote this article on summer ski options (2:00) Iain skied in Saas Fee in the summer of 2020, covered in Episode 57 (3:20) Australia and NZ have had their first snow (3:30) Chalet company Alpine Action has ceased trading (4:00) Listen to Episode 180 to find out more about the impact of Brexit on recruitment (4:30) In Episode 95, Iain spoke with Diane Palumbo from Skiworld, who is on the SBiT committee (4:45) Find out more about the Ski Club Consumer Survey in this blog post on Skipedia (5:00) The Youth Mobility Scheme has not been welcomed by UK politicians(5:15) The flight represents 60-70% of the carbon footprint of your ski holiday (5:45) You can find out more about Inghams' sustainability plans in Episode 185 and Episode 160 (6:00) Nadine McCormick set up the petition calling for London-Geneva direct train service (6:00) You can sign the petition here (13:45) Eurostar also confirmed last week that they going to increase their fleet size by 30% (14:00) The Brits took place last weekend at SnowDome Tamworth (14:00) Iain interviewed Paddy Graham in Episode 211 to find out how ski movies like this were made (24:45) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbqHK8i-HdA Martina joined us for Episode 87 and Episode 50 covering the Aosta Valley (15:30) Valle Nevado and Portillo are the two main ski resorts in Chile There's only one accommodation option in Portillo (18:30) The sling-shot lift in Portillo takes some practice… (21:00) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRN9gKUDNak Valle Nevado links to El Colorado and La Parva (23:30) Mountain Capital Partners have bought La Parva (24:00) Valle Nevado is on the Ikon Pass (25:00) Listen to our feature on Perisher and Thredbo in Episode  (27:00) Lou went on the Ski Club of Great Britain reps course (27:45) The Ski Club of Great Britain celebrated their 120th birthday in 2023 (35:00) Find out more about the Les 2 Alpes-Alpe d'Huez gondola link in Episode 93 (39:43) Feedback (38:00) I enjoy all feedback about the show, I like to know what you think, especially about our features so please contact on social @theskipodcast or by email theskipodcast@gmail.com Robert Stone: "I recently discovered your podcast and found it very enjoyable. I skimmed previous episodes and was surprised to see you've never covered the Brit favourite of Sauze d'Oulx. It suffered an unfair reputation as a Benidorm-on-snow resort in the 90s, particularly after a very sneering Wish You Were Here episode. It's actually a charming old town and has a fabulous ski area linking to the huge Vialattea" Paul Bond: "Episode 210 was as ever great listening. I've skied all over Europe and finally skied in Baqueira in March. Plenty of challenge with a unique vibe but also easy for a mixed ability family to ski the same mountains and meet up. My top tip: Hire a car from Toulouse and stay in Vielha in valley: a great old town with lots of accommodation and good value eateries." Hayder Fekaiki from www.myskibuddy.app: "I hope it's been a successful season and thank you for a very enjoyable podcast." If you like the podcast, I'd really appreciate it if you could give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  ‘Every Nickname is taken' recently gave us a review on Apple Podcasts: “I like listening to the Ski Podcast when I'm driving up and down the country: there's a great variety of guests and tons of useful information. It also reminds me of all the places we've skied and boarded over the years, while also giving me new ideas where to target next. Keep going and maybe one day we'll meet on the slopes!” There is so much to listen to in our back catalog, just go to theskipodcast.com and search around the tags and categories: you're bound to find something of interest to you.  You can follow me @skipedia and the podcast @theskipodcast

Matt sits down with MPs leaving Parliament at the next election to find out their highs and lows, their best and worst bosses, and the lessons they've learned from politics.Conservative Sir Bob Neil reflects on the challenges of the job by saying he wouldn't recommend it to his younger self, why he feels it was good Liz Truss' time in office was so short, and his hopes for the future of the Tory party.Plus: Columnists Rachel Sylvester and Iain Martin discuss whether the neverending group of public inquiries are proving value-for-money, whether our politicians are taking defence spending seriously enough and whether Jeremy Corbyn will run against Labour in the next election.Columnists (04:02)The Exit Interviews (26:36) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of the London Defence Conference, host Iain Martin speaks to Sir Michael Fallon, former defence secretary, about establishing Western deterrence in a new age of geopolitical uncertainty. They touch on AUKUS, Britain's relationship with its European allies, a potential national service and why deterrence saves lives and money in the long term.

On this episode, host Iain Martin speaks to John Rentoul about the consequences of the local elections, the Tory defections, Labour's readiness for government and what Keir Starmer believes in. 

Was the Master's introduction into Doctor Who in 1971 (every story for the entire year) too much? Or do his eight (would have been nine) stories across the era justify their existence every time? Presented by J.R. Southall, with Jon Arnold and Iain Martin

Steve Richards analyses the results of the local elections - and what it means for a general election - with a panel of journalists: George Parker, political editor of the Financial Times; Sonia Sodha, chief leader writer at The Observer and Iain Martin from The Times.

On this episode of the Reaction Podcast, host Iain Martin is joined by Tim Shipman, chief political commentator at The Sunday Times, to talk about his new book, No Way Out: Brexit: From the Backstop to Boris. They discuss the political gambles, successes and failures that led Brexit Britain to where it is today, the legacy of Theresa May's premiership, what the Brexit moment tells us about historical revolutionary times, the dishonesty of both Brexiteers and Remainers and the future of Britain outside the EU.

On this episode, Max Mitchell (standing in for Iain Martin) speaks to author and journalist Kapil Komireddi about the upcoming Indian elections. They discuss the domineering figure of Narendra Modi, the rise of Hindu nationalism, the tumultuous history of modern India and Kapil's book, Malevolent Republic: A Short History of the New India, which has just been released in a new and revised paperback edition.

We thought it would be interesting to find out what happens when you ask Chat GPT to behave like a Doctor Who fan, and this is the result... Presented by J.R. Southall, with Matt Barber and Iain Martin

On this episode, Reaction's Executive Editor Maggie Pagano sits in for Iain Martin and is joined by commentator and founder of ConservativeHome Tim Montgomerie. They discuss whether Rishi Sunak will survive till the next election, who might take over the party, why Labour is courting the corporate world and what it means for a potential Labour government, the state of the economy and why DEI has gone too far. 

One thousand episodes ago, we produced our first podcast on the Blue Box Podcast feed. In order to mark the passing of another 999 episodes since then, a double-header of nostalgic significance presented by a roll-call of hosts: The Dominators, and first Death to the Daleks Introduced by J.R. Southall, with Jon Arnold, Matt Barber, Simon Brett, Jim Cameron, Mark Cockram, Dylan Rees and Iain Martin - and the spirit of Uncle Kev

A quarter of a century on, Twin Peaks fans were rewarded with another 18 episodes to round out the mystery and explain what the hell was going on. But was Twin Peaks The Return akin to Midi-chlorian madness, or did it leave us scratching our heads all the more? Presented by Matt Barber, with Jon Arnold, Iain Martin and J.R. Southall

On this episode, host Iain Martin speaks to historian and author Jade McGlynn about the Russian myths and propaganda powering the war in Ukraine. Calling in from Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, Jade talks about her two important books on modern Russia, Russia's War and Memory Makers: The Politics of the Past in Putin's Russia. The discussion also touches on Ukrainian morale, the ethical catastrophe engulfing an ever more chaotic Russia, European military capacity and what might happen in the war's third year.

In this episode, host Iain Martin speaks to geopolitical expert and Reaction columnist Tim Marshall about the state of global conflict. They touch on the recent developments in the Israel-Hamas war, the future of the Middle East, how the growing Axis of Resistance is enabling Putin's war in Ukraine, European rearmament and deterrence with or without the US and the end of the end of history.

On this episode, host Iain Martin talks to Merryn Somerset Webb, Bloomberg columnist and author, about her prescient book Share Power. The discussion touches on the origins of ESG, how huge amounts of money poured into sustainability funds, its vague and subjective definitions, how ESG could only exist in a low interest rate environment, what Jeremy Hunt will do in the Spring Budget and the failure of central banks.

Iain 'Sodcast' Martin chooses one film in each of ten categories, that has made a significant impression upon him - and Matt gives his opinion on Iain's choices Presented by Matt Barber, with Iain Martin Iain on Threads

On this week's podcast, host Iain Martin speaks to Elisabeth Braw, senior fellow at Atlantic Council and author of the new book Goodbye Globalisation. Since the end of the Cold War, many saw the adoption of market economies by previously communist countries as a sign that a liberal democratic system of government had prevailed definitively over authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. Those who argued for globalisation said that if goods, services and dollars crossed borders, then soldiers would not. But the world is changing again. War has returned to Europe with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US and China are at loggerheads over Taiwan and there's the Middle East once again in crisis. There are concerns about supply chains and the viability of the global trading system. All themes addressed in Goodbye Globalisation. Iain and Elisabeth discuss the development of globalisation, the philosophy underpinning it, the huge financial and cultural successes, its increasing volatility, whether it will last and what financial system might replace it.

Recorded just before the Mirror broke its latest gossip about the companion merry-go-round, here's a mid-month digest of our thoughts about recent developments and potential future ones Presented by J.R. Southall, with Jon Arnold, Matt Barber, Iain Martin and Dylan Rees

What happens when Terry Nation scribbles the idea for a story on the back of a fag packet, and it is of all people Douglas Adams that thereafter takes up the mantle? Presented by J.R. Southall, with Jon Arnold, Matt Barber, Jim Cameron, Iain Martin and Dylan Rees

We were at a loose end, and this is how we filled the time Presented by J.R. Southall, with Jon Arnold and Iain Martin

He's been a permanent fixture in the musical firmament for over half a century, so we couldn't think of a more appropriate way to end the year than with a tribute to Elton John after his retirement this summer This episode presented by J.R. Southall, with Jon Arnold and Iain Martin

Once we found out that Colin Baker was going to be in a cheap and cheerful British answer to the Hallmark-style Christmas movie, we couldn't spend our holidays without taking a look Christmas at the Holly Day Inn This episode presented by J.R. Southall, with Mark Donaldson, Iain Martin and Dylan Rees Our podcast links page

What is the deep meaning of 2023? Alastair Benn is joined by Paul Lay and Iain Martin to set a dramatic year in perspective. Image: A woman lights a candle to express solidarity with Israel. Credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo 

A bigger than usual panel talks through the final end for David Tennant's Doctor Who, and the beginnings of a brand new era This episode presented by J.R. Southall, with Jon Arnold, Matt Barber, Simon Brett, Lee Rawlings and Iain Martin

What's this? A episode of Hamster without Joe? Never fear, this is an episode of We're All Stories in the End with Iain Martin. If you like the Hamster Book Club then this could be right up your sleeve! Discussing Warhead by Andrew Cartmel...with Andrew Cartmel!

As ministers try to plot a new path to cut record migration numbers, Reform UK - formerly the Brexit Party - hopes to win over disillusioned Conservative voters. Patrick Maguire is joined by Iain Martin and John Stevens to discuss the threat to the Tories, and whether Labour was right to mock Rishi Sunak's use of a hammer.PLUS: In Patrick's political counter-factual series "What If", Labour's Lord Adonis and Lib Dem Baroness Featherstone remember the 2010 coalition talks and discuss what might have happened if Nick Clegg's party had rejected the Conservative offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Dylan is joined by Iain Martin to talk about three very different 7th Doctor adventures. First up it's the Target novelisation of 'The Curse of Fenric' by Ian Briggs, then it's Season 27 audio adventure 'Animal' by Andrew Cartmel and then finally it's the Big Finish adaptation of Russell T Davies' New Adventure 'Damaged Goods' adapted by Jonathan Morris. And as always Dylan and Iain answer the burning questions:What do Michelle Collins and Sylvester Stallone have in common? Which pop star invented homosexuality? Just how big is East London? If all has gone according to plan, this episode has dropped the same day as the latest episode of Iain's podcast We're All Stories In The End, in which he and Dylan talk about the book  'Damaged Goods', which you should track down and listen to as the perfect accompaniment to this episode.https://shows.acast.com/were-all-stories-in-the-end

Food week begins with the history of Bellamy's, a restaurant that's been serving politicians' portions for 250 years. Charles Walker is the MP in charge of all the bars and restaurants in parliament and he tells Matt that Keir Starmer is wrong to criticise the salads on offer, and why a shortage of chefs has led to some eateries closing. Plus: Columnists Libby Purves and Iain Martin discuss green politics becoming the new dividing line, whether life coaches can solve the problem of long-term unemployment and which is better: tea or coffee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.