168: Ski Test 2023/24, Protect Our Winters & Solar Power in Méribel
In E168 we discuss next year’s kit, travelling to the mountains by train & EV and solar panels in Méribel. Plus we have new snow reports, a Team GB update and a snippet from our forthcoming interview with Ed Leigh.
Iain was joined by Lauren MacCallum and Lindsey Dixon from Protect Our Winters and equipment expert, Al Morgan from SkiKitInfo.com
SHOW NOTES
- Al was in La Clusaz (2:00)
- Here’s a look at Candide Thovex doing what he does best in his home resort
- Lindsey reports on her skiing in Val d’Isere
- Lauren was splitboarding in Cairngorm, Scotland and prior to that in Les 7 Laux, France (see our main photo for a shot of the inversion!) (3:00)
- Betony Garner reported from Flaine, France (5:15)
- Dave Burrows from Snowpros Ski School reported from Morgins, Switzerland (plus Avoriaz & Villars) (6:30)
- Ed Leigh has been splitboarding in Courchevel (9:15)
- The SIGB Ski Test took place in La Clusaz (11:15)
- The industry trade show, Slide, takes place in early January (17:00)
- Al writes up his equipment tests for his own website SkiKitInfo.com, as well as for The Telegraph and Fall Line Skiing magazine
- Trends to look out for include ‘BOA’ bindings on ski boots (20:00)
- Look out for the Salomon Addict Pro piste ski (21:00)
- Lauren uses a Nidecker Thruster unisex snowboard (23:00)
- Al tested the Carv device (24:00)
- Protect Our Winters was founded by snowboarder Jeremy Jones (28:00)
- Lindsey travelled on a Ouigo service from Paris to Bourg-St-Maurice (30:30)
- The final bus transfer was booked with Altibus (37:00)
- Lauren drove to Val Thorens in a Tesla Y electric car (38:00)
- Iain drove to Zermatt in a Tesla in August (39:00)
- Regenerative braking adds to the battery range when going downhill (42:30)
- Clement Martinod works for the Meribel Alpine lift company
- Solar panels have been added to the Saulire Express lift mid-station (44:00)
- All Compagnie des Alpes snow groomers have been converted from diesel to HVO (48:00)
- Dave Ryding came second in Kitzbuhel (50:00)
- Mia Brookes took second in the Laax Open Freestyle Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup
- Iain interviewed Mia in Episode 158
- Zoe Atkin won gold in the Ski Superpipe at the XGames in Aspen
- Kirsty Muir won two bronzes at the XGames
- Makayla Gerken Schofield took bronze in her first Moguls World Cup podium
- The Alpine Ski World Championships take place in Courchevel and Meribel in Les 3 Vallees from 06-13 Feb (51:00)
- The full interview with Ski Sunday’s Ed Leigh will be released as Episode 169 on 10 February
Feedback
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Rachel Flynn: “Absolutely loving the podcast”
BobinCH: “James was a great listen in Episode 166”
Kat Ryb: “How have I not come across this before? Just listened to the two recent episodes and they are great!”
Joe Childs: “I am completely addicted to your podcast. I really like the mix of content, alongside the frequent sustainability features, equipment reviews & snow reports. Having watched the first episode of Ski Sunday of the season (probably my favourite TV programme) on 8th January, I searched Spotify for something similar and found The Ski Podcast. Since then, I have listened to 41 of the episodes and I have no plan to slow down.”
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