"A whisper…" by Simon Wright

..…became a mumble, developed into a rumor and soon enough the word was out. Let’s face it, could it ever really be kept a secret? You will soon receive inquiring stares and searching glances when you mention your Niseko powder experience at the pub. And it’s not just the beer. An average snowfall of 15 meters gets dumped on the resort each year while cold temperatures provide the final touch for luscious powder. Untracked lines remain hidden for days, and a powder day below knee depth is scoffed at by spoilt locals and accompanied by the line "This ain’t nothing" as they casually shrug their shoulders. Niseko simply has the ability to provide consistent world-class powder. Unfortunately season 2004 was slower than usual.  However, deep untracked powder was still found by all and the Japanese charm around the village kept the powder smile on everyone’s face well into the night.

Traveling ski bums searching for that ultimate powder run that had always seemed to elude them flocked to Niseko this season in hopes of finally capturing the magic that only waist deep powder can provide. But it was to be that this season was unable to deliver a constant supply of powder everybody has come to expect. El Nino was proposed. Global warming was pondered upon. But all came up short. Nobody knew the answer. What was happening to season 2004? Was it simply the curse of the bad winter chasers that had congregated in Niseko this year? The cursed ski bums condemned to nights re-sharpening edges and hustling ski wax. The few on the mountain with an ice skiing technique a little too refined and an uncanny ability to avoid the minefield of rocks and sticks littered across the slope. The few who seemed to have the ability to ward off the cold Siberian winds that Niseko thrives on for it’s fantastic powder. Everyone was searching for reasons as they lamented about their core shots and blown edges during December. Fortunately the initial frustration of the slow winter was forgotten as conditions improved. And although this year was not your typical bottomless powder 7 days a week kind of a season, there were plenty of days to give powder seekers a taste of Niseko.

Late January provided me the most memorable day of the season. Fickle skies turned gray without warning during the night and began to sprinkle then dump weightless flakes of snow that swirled around effortlessly in the wind. As I sat at the bar, I admired a reflective orange glow that domed over the village. I rose my dizzy head with a hungover groan the next morning to notice a few feet of fresh snow outside my window. Fresh snow is always the best hangover cure. A grimace was soon replaced by a full-teethed smile and I stumbled from my bed and scrambled for my ski gear. The powder march with skis hoisted high and the click clack of boots was on. 

Niseko lacks the steeps, drops and gut wrenching terrain you will find elsewhere in the world, but it’s off-piste powder skiing is second to none. And as I skied waist deep scooping an untracked line through a kaleidoscope of powder that splashed up and danced before my eyes at each turn, a grin appeared on my face. Then a smile. And finally that tingle of excitement deep down in my belly was released in an almighty powder yelp. I was afforded waist deep untracked powder throughout the day without having to search more then a traverse. Where other resorts would be tracked out by 10am, Niseko stayed untracked well into the day.

Now sure, the snow is good in Niseko. Very good. Dry, deep, and remains unaffected for days after a storm. But as fantastic as the powder is, it’s the quaint Niseko charm that provides the final lure to well and truly hook any alpine enthusiast. As you drive into Niseko you soon realize it has been spared from the full onslaught of ski town development. You just don’t find over-priced condos obscuring the sky or bright adornments flickering madly beckoning more customers with a hypnotic trance. The skiers Disney World so many resorts have succumbed to has not yet pushed the quaint Japanese vibe in Niseko aside. A laid-back charm accentuated through unique architecture and a mellow nightlife has held its sway. And the friendly demeanor possessed by the Japanese locals always makes you feel reassured as they readily go out of their way to ensure you have an enjoyable stay.

You're left with an amazing place. Even in a relatively poor season you will be afforded deep powder accompanied by a Japanese charisma that has the ability to relax your weary muscles at the end of the day. And as you exhale in an exhausted slump in an onsen completely satisfied by memories of a wide arcing powder turn off the peak, you realize you’re still wearing a smile. The snow that you thought would stop days ago keeps falling and all aches are soon forgotten and ice and crud are a distant memory. All you can do is sigh in content because you know it will be another powder day tomorrow.