On why there isn't snowboarding all year round The issue of how resorts are run has been hotly debated on the SnowJapan forum, especially the question of off-piste riding. Even now when the snow has all but gone, the debate continues.

Here, for what it’s worth, is my tuppence ha’penny on the subject. I hope to see this thoroughly practical dream realized within the next year or two. I’m accepting bids from contractors now.

My resort is a snowboarder’s resort. There are no skiers allowed. This prevents all the collisions that skiers cause with their general carelessness and their different ‘line’. It also means that snowboarders don’t have to put up with the moguls that all but ruin many of the best slopes at most resorts. And it reinforces the branding of my resort, but more on that later.

Of course the ‘ski-patrol’ has vanished. All those dour, spoilsport hypocrites have been fired except a handful who still get up early to handle simple chores like marking the trails and rearranging fences. They must be off the premises by 8 am sharp. The ski-patrol has been replaced by … the ‘Boarder’s Friends’^TM!

These are cheerful, friendly snowboard dudes and dudettes who are seemingly everywhere on the slopes. Their purpose is to help the customers of the resort get the most out of their visit, and return home safely. They are part guide, part instructor, and part, well, patroller. If they find somebody who has entered Powder Heaven^TM between the trees and is in difficulty because they are not sufficiently skilled, a Boarder’s Friend^TM will point them in the direction of a course more suitable to their level, perhaps the Wide Slide^TM or the Boulevard^TM. The Boarder’s Friend^TM may also take some time to give the novice a few tips for riding enjoyably and safely. If the boarder is so inclined, she can decide to hire the Boarder’s Friend^TM as an instructor, there on the spot, for a reasonably priced lesson, for half an hour or an hour or so.

The Boarder’s Friends^TM are also responsible for keeping boarders out of those areas where they really shouldn’t be. There are no ‘Danger: Trees’ signs or ‘Keep Out: Powder’ markers. The layout of the resort offers something for everybody, so that they can do their own thing without getting in somebody else’s way. But being natural terrain, of course there are some really dangerous spots, and they’re clearly marked. Anybody seen going into them is promptly ejected from the resort, and they may even be subject to a fine to cover the risk incurred by the Boarder’s Friend^TM who goes to get them out.
  

Wasted opportunity  

  
Good design doesn’t only apply to the great variety of courses and areas. The whole resort is also a residential area for the boarders who come in droves to stay and savour the truly unique atmosphere. The resort is divided into zones with accommodation priced at a range of levels and offering greater or lesser degrees of luxury. Naturally, each area is connected by the lifts that run until midnight and that can be ridden with or without a board. (Oh, and the lifts are provided with tissue paper so you can blow your nose and wipe your goggles – it’s the little things, y’know.) Cheaper, more basic chalets are located near the snow park, while more up market rooms are available near the top of the resort. There’s family accommodation too, for the many young boarding families.
  

Is it really so hard?

The restaurants are all of a standard quality, and are in stiff competition with each other. This results in good food and service, and great value. Smokers and non-smokers alike are catered for. At night, the eateries put on a different face, and are the focus of activity for those who don’t want to board late into the night. The resort is busy with people riding the lifts to visit another part of the hill with its different restaurants and onsens. Yes, that’s right, there are a variety of onsens dotted about, some quaint and old-fashioned, others bright and modern.

This resort is so different from what has gone before that branding is easy. The simple step of banishing skiers causes a cataclysmic change in the industry and draws a huge amount of attention to the resort. The image is casual and inclusive. Grunge kids flip and pull tricks in the park, while retired couples who have come to learn snowboarding in a safe environment away from careening skiers stop to watch them. Later, they’ll be in the bar together, happy to be sharing the snowboarding experience each in their own way.

Only a fool would make a resort that can be used for just one season out of four. When the snow melts, there’ll be mountainboarding and skateboarding, all with the same focus on fun and safety. There’ll be downhill boards and other rides, of styles and makes that you haven’t seen anywhere else. You can rent them or buy them or bring your own. And the Boarder’s Friends^TM will be there offering the same unobtrusive help that they give in the winter. Summer camps will draw snowboarders who want to do some cross training or just to get their Downhill Fix^TM. In the evenings, there’ll be the same great selection of restaurants, not to mention the video rooms showing wild boarding footage, and the snowboard-themed, networked games rooms.
  

You can see the connection....

So much more could be said, but I don’t want to give away the full blueprint. I haven’t mentioned the sophisticated membership and payment systems, all branded of course. Nor have I revealed details such as the hot and cold drinks dispensers and simple drinking fountains at the bottom of each lift that thirsty boarders need. The cross branding with other cool companies will have to remain a secret until close to rollout.

There’s money to be made here, and if the Hakuba Cortinas or the Zao Onsens aren’t going to grab it, well hell, I will. Bids please.