Hi im dom killinger publisher at inthesnow mag

rob

And im rob stewart, gear editor, PR secret agent etc etc

Together - Welcome to…the white out podcast 

rob

where we talk all things ski like wheres best to ski right now, the latest gear to be seen with and of course we are your ultimate destination travel agent right in your ears…or on your smart speaker!

dom

Yes rob and over this season,  we will get in a special guest that joins our DREAM SKI DAY CHAT where we uncover all those questions you asked last season like how to work a season, how old should my kids be to ski,, how to be a ski photographer, the best job in the mountains and many more…  

—then get into the main podcast…

SEASON 3 – EPISODE 1

INTRO:

DOM: so rob without further ado -  I bet you’re getting itchy feet now we’re so far away from last season, what’s on your radar for this winter?

ROB: I’m glad you said feet…yes definitely I mean summer is great and years ago I did 6 back to back winters without seeing a summer and I can tell you do get bored of the cold, but yes I’m really looking forward to winter now and it feels like we are well on our way. what are your plans this season Dom?

DOM: You know what rob, nothing booked yet, but i am loosely considering a pre christmas skid just to show you can still get a great ski break pre christmas, possibly L2A as it got me excited talking about that place last season on the podcast,,  i am considering a state-side trip, maybe to sun peaks and possibly slip up the road to golden and possibly banff lake louise.  I would like to get to val d'isere  this season, its an absolute favourite of mine and feels like a few years since ive been, 

What about you Rob?

Mention Jungfrau football trip?

ROB: I’m kicking off potentially in Austria to test the new Carv launch, then straight to Tignes for the Ski Club’s season kick off and then Crans-Montana pre-Christmas too. January looks packed with Jungfrau region, Les Gets, La Clusaz and Turkey would you believe it – so yes it’s looking interesting. I’m looking at Japan at some point and would really love to get over to North America this season too, but let’s see. I mean there’s more but I don’t want to show off 

DOM: I’m sure people will still like you despite your ridiculous lifestyle Rob.

ROB: ah yes true, apart from my family obviously. They hate me although fortunately they forget who I am after a while so it gets easier. Shall we have a few things that are coming up before the season really kicks off then perhaps talk about some major events and what we will be up to on the podcast over the next few months…

DOM: the next big thing is the snow shows that are happening – we have the Northern Snow Show in Manchester at Chill Factore on Saturday and Sunday 5th and 6th of October. This is a new event over two days where exhibitors including tour operators and brands are there, but also demos on the slopes and the chance to ski yourself too. will you head up to that Rob?

ROB: definitely considering it. Obviously for anyone in that area it’s fantastic there’s an event on like this. There’s some great brands there, lots going on plus après sessions too. It sounds fun and lively and I might make a weekend of it with the family. What about you Dom

DOM: yep im gonna pop up to the new northern snow show, to show our support, i mean it makes sense having a ski show where there is real snow, so what can go wrong :)  anyway…

DOM: then of course there’s the London Snow Show at Excel on Saturday and Sunday 19th and 20th of October. This is a big event with hundreds of exhibitor stands and a lot going on. They have great speakers including Bode Miller and Dave Ryding, plus the likes of Crystal Holidays, Colorado, Sky Alps, the Ski Club and charities like Snow Camp. And of course I will be there with our magazine InTheSnow, what about you Rob?

ROB: yes absolutely I will be there it’s a must attend event for me and having a London ski show is super important for the industry and for skiers. Obviously last year was the first one at Excel and I think in general it was well received. If you’re looking for info, for kit, to book something and to listen so a great line up of speakers then it’s really worth a visit. It’s not a high entry cost and these days with the Elizabeth line it’s much easier to get to from the West. Sounds like I’m working for the show, I’m not, I just think it’s great that we have an event like this and if you’re a skier then why wouldn’t you go?

DOM: totally agree Rob – it does feel like the sort of event that is focused on getting the job done, it’s different to the old Battersea venue that was more of a party feel, but then it was a much higher ticket price and the focus was on the live shows a lot of the time. 

ROB: yes agree – I mean I really enjoyed Battersea and I know we both did, it was a great event but the two day event at Excel whilst perhaps not creating quite the same atmosphere is certainly very focused on providing visitors with everything that event did in terms of booking holidays and buying kit. I would like to see a bit more of the social aspect, a place to meet people and have a drink and all that but that’s just me.

DOM: yep well we gave away a huge amount of magazines last year and expect to do the same this time and I must say the people there were really keen to book stuff and buy stuff which was good to see. 

What else is happening Rob:

ROB: if we look ahead to January we have got the SIGB ski test once again in La Clusaz. The chance to check out all of the following winter’s new skis…so much fun but always well organised and well attended by journalists and retailers that really know their stuff. 

DOM: yes and do check out Inthesnowmag on YouTube to see all of this seasons skis that we reviewed last winter.

There’s also a number of events taking place across the Alps this season, music and comedy festivals – there’s a lot going on. We will be looking at events in more detail in the following podcasts and listing them. But I know you’re heading to the comedy festival in Les Gets Rob…

ROB: yes I’ll be there, good fun as always and nice to have a focus. We’ll also be bringing our listeners our usual round up of news, looking at where the best snow is right now to ski, of course covering our gear and what’s new there and also we’re going to bring on guests too – what about that Dom!? We’re going have threesomes oh my god.

DOM: good to have a crowd sometimes Rob. But yes absolutely, that change to our snow report because we want to really highlight where the great snow is and we’ll still be highlighting resort destinations but in a slightly different way too. We do want to have fun with our guests but they will be the sort of people that have some great stories to tell about their own experiences over the years. But we have also been getting so many questions from listeners about various things, we want to answer some of those and have a bit of fun doing it.

NEWS:

ROB: right with that in mind, as always Dom we have our official news section now and it’s fair to say that there has been a lot going on over the past few months and we’ve got a loads going on…

DOM: it’s definitely worth mentioning the recent snow fall that has hit the Alps with some significant falls in some parts, especially Austria with up to 2 metres falling and as low down to resort level – places such as Obertauern for example. Incredible. But basically stretching from Avoriaz through to Zermatt, across Austria and as far as Kranjska Gora in Slovenia – we have been sent photos by people with snow in resorts, high and on the mountain and even skiing powder. We know some of this will melt before winter but the glaciers will definitely benefit and should hold a lot of this snow.

ROB: I would say this is going to be a decent autumn season on the glaciers with good late season snowfall in the spring, a relatively gentle summer in regards to temperatures at altitude and obviously this new snow. Currently there are three glacier ski areas are open in the Alps – Saas Fee, Zermatt and Passo Stelvio with Hintertux probably looking to open soon.  We could talk about that for hours but I don’t know if you have watched Emily in Paris on Netflix Dom – I have not, but I might be tempted because episode 2 of season 4 features the resort of Megeve where presumably Emily buggers off from Paris and ends up in Megeve. 

Dom: yes apparently, during the three days of filming, the schedule was meticulously planned: one day filming on the slopes, one day in a chalet, and another in the village. The Film crew was made up of more than 120 people, including local shopkeepers, hoteliers, restaurateurs, and activity providers. 

ROB: And Lily Collins, who plays Emily, had a double for the ski scenes. It seems that there were four doubles on standby for Emily. 

DOM: should have been re-named Emilies in Megeve then.

ROB: ha yes…how you even find four women that look like Lily Collins is beyond me but anyway. Just to finish off, the Four Seasons hotel in Megeve has launched an Emily in Paris holiday offer for this season so we can all be, well in my case Dom in Megeve – which I quite fancy the idea of frankly.

Right now this is a Brie-liant story – that attempt at a bad joke will soon come clear. I’m quite familiar with the annual cheese rolling contest in the UK having been a fairly local resident for many years but the Kiwis down in New Zealand have imported this bonkers event to the ski resort of Broken River – sponsored by Barry’s Bay Cheese. Most of the Gloucester cheese rollers were Kiwis or aussies to be honest so it was only a matter of time before they carried on the tradition on the other side of the world. They all of this stuff in NZ, I remember being thrown down a mountain in a plastic ball once – that caught on for a while here too..

DOM: that story’s just too Gouda to be true.

ROB: boom boom. Right anything else Dom

GEAR:

DOM: well this is a new story but it takes us nicely into our gear section…

Our friends at OOSC Clothing, an innovative British ski and outerwear brand, have been honoured with the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise. This accolade recognises the company’s remarkable achievements in both international trade and sustainable development.

Founded in 2015, OOSC Clothing has rapidly grown in popularity, blending the bold and colourful spirit of 80s fashion with contemporary ski wear. Their unique style and commitment to sustainability have garnered global attention, with sales reaching over 110 countries.

The King’s Award for Enterprise – handed out by King Charles, represents the highest level of recognition for British businesses, and OOSC Clothing’s achievement underscores their commitment to excellence, innovation, and sustainability.

Co-founder Nick Marsden expressed his gratitude for the honour, stating, “Winning the King’s Award is an incredible privilege. It is a testament to our team’s hard work, dedication, and vision to showcase OOSC to a global audience.”

ROB: I reckon those guys would get on well with King Charles I can see them taking the party to a higher level for sure…

Whistler with Ski Independence

ROB: It’s time for our special resort focus for this week and I’m going to admit that I have never been here Dom. I mean you could say first world problems but at the end of the day this is one of the most iconic ski destinations on the planet and it’s definitely on my must visit list.

DOM: yes Rob, Whistler in British Columbia is our resort of the week and like you say it’s such an iconic destination. I’m pleased to say that I have been there but I’d definitely go back anytime.

ROB: Well you can tell us more then but to start with I can say I have skied in British Columbia and I had an incredible time travelling around the eastern side of the region. The people are great, the wilderness is incredible, some of the best ski terrain I’ve ever encountered and they get a ton of snow.

DOM: and you could say that about Whistler too. Obviously it’s located on the western side of British Columbia but the great thing it’s just under two hour’s driving time from Vancouver Airport on the sea to sky highway which is an experience in itself – one of the most spectacular drives in the world and a fantastic welcome to BC. (Expand on that with some personal anecdotes?)

ROB: I do get asked a lot where I have skied and when I speak to people that know Whistler pretty well, maybe they have done a season there or been multiple times, I kind of ask what’s all the fuss about and the answer I seem to get is that it’s basically the whole package – huge ski area, great lift system, stacks of snow, cool town with a great vibe, tons of restaurants and bars, very lively and international…and honestly, I really mean this, I’ve never heard anyone say, naah, not for me that place! Ha ha 

DOM: that’s a good point. I mean I would say the place is genuinely suitable for all levels of skier and snowboarder. Everyone talks about the terrain and the powder and epic descents but where it really excels is the fact beginners and intermediates love it there. 25% of the terrain is dedicated to beginners and that equals around 40 miles of trails. 55% dedicated to intermediates and 25% to experts so when you have this image in mid of extreme terrain, yes it’s all there if you want it but they key message from me is there’s no need to be intimidated if you’re not a skier competing on the world freeride tour. 

ROB: right and of course there’s two mountains – Whistler and Blackcomb, famously connected by the Peak to Peak gondola opened in 2008 and it’s still the longest and highest lift of its kind in the world. Do the two mountains offer a different experience for skiers?

DOM: generally speaking Whistler is more suited to beginners and intermediates and Blackcomb to experts, generally. Blackcomb is higher and has an incredible snow record but then again Whistler mountain has some lovely open bowls higher up which are a lot of fun on a powder day.

ROB: and what about down in town then because again I hear about this pretty buzzing place that is laid back but also very slick, very cosmopolitan in its way.

DOM: it definitely has it all in regards to ski resorts and what they offer. Huge pedestrian centre full of shops, bars and restaurants. Après ski spots like the GLC (Garibaldi Lift Company) or Merlin’s which is a little more laid back. Food wise there’s everything from fine dining at Araxi to great pizza at Creekbread and of course the Bearfoot Bistro which is top notch. 

ROB: I’ve got to say that I like the Canadian craft beer experience too and I have seen there’s several breweries in town so probably worth going there for a pint of Bear Paw Honey Lager I reckon.

DOM: ha yes that is true you certainly get a huge choice of that kind of thing which really adds another level of quality to the experience.

ROB: okay so how do we get there Dom?

DOM: Definitely go with a tour operator that really knows the place well because obviously it’s an investment to go to Whistler and you want to ensure you get the best possible experience. UK operator Ski Independence is a true specialist when it comes to Whistler they know the place better than anyone and they can provide a truly personalised experience from a highly knowledgeable and passionate team.

ROB: that makes sense and I know Ski Independence and what they can do, it’s not only before you book it’s the whole package right. Obviously getting the choice of accommodation right for you…

DOM: very important and Ski Independence has everything from 5* hotels to fantastic apartments all in great locations…

ROB: right but then help with restaurants, the best ski schools, the right lift passes for your needs and just their in-depth knowledge of the place, that’s worth a lot. 

DOM: and we know that they have some superb early booking offers including a $250 voucher to spend on food & drink (for a limited time only!), £100pp discount and up to 40% off stays. The best offers are only available until the 30th of September, and it makes a lot of sense to sort out your lift passes early too – you could save up to 65%, no kidding!

ROB: Honestly just book early for a trip like this don’t leave it until the last minute you won’t get your choice of accommodation and you won’t get last minute deals in places you want to stay in. I checked out their website at ski-i.com/whistler and that’s probably the best place to look right now.

DOM: or give them a call on 0131 243 8097 and chat to one of their expert team – they really know the place and they can help you get the most out of it all.