264: Tirol West plus the Best Ski Helmets & Goggles in 2026

Today we find out about the Tirol West region in Austria, plus we look at the best new ski helmets and goggles this winter.

We also have an update from the Sheffield Ski Festival, news from Madonna di Campiglio and we hear about a best-ever British performance in the World Cup slalom in Levi. 

Host Iain Martin was joined by Simone Zangerl from Tirol West Tourism and ski equipment expert Al Morgan. 
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Tirol in Austria sponsors The Ski Podcast, which means this winter we’re are finding out more about some of the great destinations in Tirol, and how you can connect with the Austrian way of life: ‘Lebensgefühl’ – that you’ll find there.
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SHOW NOTES

Dave Ryding finished 7th in the slalom at the World Cup in Levi, Finland (4:30)
Laurie Taylor recorded the fastest second run to finish in 4th place, just 4/100th of a second off the podium (5:00)
Iain spoke with Andrea Busignani about the plan to cap skier numbers in Madonna di Campiglio (6:20)
Sam Croft is from the Revive Sheffield Ski Village campaign (9:00)
The Sheffield Ski Festival took place on 14-15 November
Visit the Tirol West website (10:00)
You can travel by train via Zurich to Landeck (10:45)
How to travel to Tirol West (11:00)
Tirol West includes the towns and villages of Landeck, Zams, Fliess, Tobadill, Grins and Stanz (11:30)
Venet is the Tirol West ‘house’ resort (12:15)
Tirol West is great for ski touring (13:00)
You can book a €10 for a return bus transfer to any of St Anton, Lech/Zurs, Ischgl, Serfaus Fiss Ladis and the Kaunertaler Glacier (14:00)
There are plenty of walking trails and snow shoeing (16:30)
Try ice bathing at Tramser Weiher (17:00)
You can enjoy a lot of free activities with the free TirolWest card (17:45)
Simone recommends a Tyrolean Groestl (21:00)
You can also try the Tiroler Edle local chocolate (21:30)
Ski Helmets: ‘Fit is Key’ (23:00)
For more details on all of the key terms and jargon for helmets, listen to last year’s episode (23:30)
What does ‘MIPS’ mean? (24:00)
“If you’ve got a cheap head, buy a cheap helmet” (30:30)
Listen to last year’s goggles episode for a breakdown of the key terminology (31:00)
What does S1, S2 or S3 lenses mean? (31:15)
The Best Skis for Winter 2026 (39:30)
The Best Ski Boots for Winter 2026 (39:30)

Smith Vantage 2, £235 (26:00)

Available in a range of colours, especially the matte black, ultraviolet and Emerald City options. This is a hybrid construction with Koroyd inside, improving shock absorbency, strength and lightweight. These hollow tubes allow a mass of airflow, complemented by the huge number of vents. Add in Mips, the magnetic buckle, Smith’s superb AirEvac system, BOA fit adjustment, anti-microbe lining and audio ready earpads, and you’re onto a winner.

Atomic Revent AMID, £160 (27:30)

This series of helmets has a far more contemporary aesthetic than Atomic helmets of recent seasons. It has an in-mold dual shell, so is light with active venting. It has a removable and washable merino and 3m X-Static liner so doesn’t de