Jimmer

How are we doing on total season snowfall Mike?

Thanks a bunch! From Google translate that seems exactly what I am looking for. Just need a japanese housemate to come home so I can check properly.

Good for you, you probably don't push yourself quite as hard as I do though.

They don't seem to like people living or working abroad, and I have already left, so BMC are out. Used to get them until they changed the limits for their annual policies. What do the expats who live in Japan get for rescue insurance? Is it just covered by your regular health insurance?

The ideal would be something similar to the situation in Europe where you can buy cover specifically for backcountry from mountaineering/ski associations. I will not be using a guide and am really not sure about whether I am eligible for regular travel insurance as I haven't spent more than 6 months in one country in the last 7 years. Worldnomads works for me ok, but it is expensive and I am unsure about the level of cover provided for off-piste.

Btw for this I mean off piste meaning backcountry outside ski area boundaries.

So I am struggling to find appropriate off piste insurance, especially as I am no longer resident in the UK (a lot of UK insurers require at least 2 months in the UK per year) . Does anyone know of insurance specifically for skiing for japanese residents? I don't want health insurance as well, just for accident and injury. Cheers

You can do the aussie level 1-3 quals in Niseko as well. I doubt having a cert will help you with insurance whilst teaching independently though. As for the guy who said that all ski instructors are dicks, you don't exactly come over as a charmer either...

Herbies has just moved down the road, near Blo Blo, so you could still go there. Otherwise maybe Paddy's or Tamashii, not sure about any happy hours though.

The snow today was ridiculous. Hope you got some good pics Mike!

Even here in Niseko, there are some completely pointless ropes, I'd say the patrol here is much more cautious than other resorts around the world. Really hope that someday someone buys Tokyu out and makes Haro no taki skiable. That said, as I get my pass through work, if I got caught ducking ropes, I would lose my job, so I don't duck, even if i think their rules are stupid/overly cautious.

Lol, that forecast sounds like something I might read in my horoscope...

Lucky enough to have instructed on 5 continents now, so already skied a lot of cool places. The big ones left on the list are anywhere in Alaska, Gulmarg, Las Lenas, Chamonix, Revelstoke and Jackson Hole.

Would work wonders if you had stainless steel or titanium ankles. There's a reason skiers no longer use leather boots; I believe it's called orthopaedic surgery. Not that crazy actually, I have seen a boot like that, carbon exoskeleton, with a snowboard boot style inner. Pretty certain they are just for very casual skiers though, the forces than can go through boots are pretty extreme at high speeds, I wouldn't want to try them.

I might be able to get into their 98mm or they do make a 100mm wide RC series. Yeah Lange do the RC wide fit up to 130 in flex, so could fit you fine. I have a relatively wide foot as well, and love the Atomic RT CS 130s, the 'CS' part means club sport, i.e. a bit wider at 98mm than the race fit 95mm. They take a little bit of grinding, and then they are fine, sometimes a punch in spring when it gets hot. Though if I ski more than 40-50 hours per week, they can start to hurt. I've had a pair of those every year for the last 3 years, they are (or have been) getting discontinued thoug