Fang
-
Content Count
21 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Never
Posts posted by Fang
-
-
Cover any tats with elastoplast/elastic sticky sports tape or similar.
Mixed bathing ("konyoku", not "konyaku" which is even more rubbery) is relatively rare although more common in Tohoku than most other areas. There are a few mixed onsen near hachimantai for example.
There are very few legit onsen that allow you to bathe in swim suits (it's considered gauche) however when you enter konyoku there are separate changing areas and usually a divider/partition in the water near the change room so that you can't be seen by the opposite sex before you enter the water. Also at most konyoku the water is milky so you can't take a perve under the water either.
I doubt very much that there are any konyoku in Hakuba however If you are at an onsen and it's a quiet time and the staff are cool you may be able to integrate the male bathing area (never the female) however that's not usually an option.
Make sure you learn proper onsen etiquette or you will be very unpopular with the Japanese guests/staff.
Be very careful of dehydration from onsen especially if it's a real onsen and if you are drinking. The high mineral content can suck the water out of you pretty rapidly.
-
Originally Posted By: grazzaNever tried steps ins, you don't see them much these days. Don't know why. A rear step in binding would make life easier though.
Here's another idea. Skating on a snowboard would be way easier if you could work out a front binding that could could be quickly rotated so that your front foot went lengthwise along the deck, then click back across the deck when you want to slide properly with both feet in the bindings. This would let you skate properly like on a skateboard, and would probably make traversing a breeze. Any engineers out there?
Something like that on the market already one brand is called Swivler never tried it though. -
Originally Posted By: gareth_oauOriginally Posted By: grazza
Minuses = the pain of the flat traverse, all that unbuckling and buckling
whatever happened to step-in bindings? they were in about 10 years ago?
a pity the rear bindings cant be a blend of what we have now, and step-in
K2s brilliant -
Originally Posted By: torihadaOriginally Posted By: Fang
I'm tossing up between a Protec and Giro, the shop near my place doesn't have either in my size so haven't been able to try them on, have to get to Ochanomizu soon. How would you rate the Protec generally?
My head is still in one piece after numerous crunches. It has adjustable vents which is good and ear pieces that are removeable.
Cheers -
Originally Posted By: Mamabear
I dont think I began in this thread full of emotive tosh,
I don't think you did either it was just the one comment that got my goat.
Originally Posted By: Mamabear
methinks you might be playing devils advocate here Fang,
To a degree, I certainly think wearing a helmet makes sense for me but I don't think the issue is as cut and dried as helmet advocates make out.
When the bicycle helmet laws came in in Oz I know lots of people who simply gave up cycling, if that was a general trend then as a people we may have paid a greater cost in loss of health benefits than we gained in any injury prevention, which itself may have been non-existent or negative. -
Originally Posted By: torihada
I had a friend who had brain damage from a low speed impact with a car, landing head first. I'm sure his family wished he'd been wearing a helmet.
That's tragic and I wouldn't presume to question your feelings or especially those of your friends family however I don't think it is relevant to the discussion.
Originally Posted By: torihadaIts a Protec, can't remember the model name.You can see it here:
I'm tossing up between a Protec and Giro, the shop near my place doesn't have either in my size so haven't been able to try them on, have to get to Ochanomizu soon. How would you rate the Protec generally? -
Originally Posted By: YoudyI wouldn't bother arguing fang their helmets are blocking their ability to think rationally! but you did just give me a great idea for my case study for uni(psych/law majors)
Sounds interesting and challenging.
Originally Posted By: YoudyDoes wearing a helmet lessen the amount of perceived risk? increasing your chance of participating in dangerous behavior and in turn injury
Be tough to answer, I would guess that the vast majority of people who participate in extreme or dangerous snow sports wear helmets and in Japan at least the majority on piste do not so a simple comparison of helmet/non-helmet fatalities would tell you little of value.
Originally Posted By: YoudyI know the recent studies done by the Canadian ski assoc showed that a greater number of helmet wearers vs non helmet wearers died in skiing/snowboarding related incidents but they didn't mention what type of accidents nor where abouts i.e backcountry/park etc and other important variables
And what were the causes of death, what was the helmet/non-helmet rate of people participating in each type of activity, what was the accident rate for each group what was the fatal vs non-fatal accident rate for each group etc. Very tough to gather that kind of data. if helmets do in fact increase risk taking is it concious/unconcious behaviour.
Good luck with your studies. -
Originally Posted By: MamabearIm with you Torihada.
Fang you clearly have a problem with helmets. I totally respect the choice of adult persons who decide that helmets are not for them .... but to try and make out they are actually MORE dangerous than not wearing one....uuummmm....sounds like you are looking for justification for not wearing one.
My teenagers were really ANTI helmet when we began snow sports and kicked up big time but even my image concious grommets are fully supportive now. To the extend that Papa has been boarding without a helmet this trip as his got lost and he has had trouble finding one big enough for his rather large head. They nag him regularly on and off piste to get a helmet so they can stop worrying every time he stacks it.
If you dont wanna wear one, no probs....but I wouldnt want to be responsible for talking someone out of getting a helmet with twisted data and then discover they got badly hurt in a situation where a helmet might have offered them some protection. Sure they are not the panacea to the worlds ills, but they DO undoubtedly offer some extra protection. Take the users word for it!
I am not pro or anti helmets I wear one on the snow for various reasons. I am however anti people spouting off about them claiming knowledge that is not in evidence, and remember the plural of anecdote is not data.
Your statement above is just emotive tosh, how would you feel about talking someone into making their kids wear helmets only to find out later that it increased their risk taking behaviour ultimately causing a fatal crash. (equally crap argument to yours above, or should I say lack of arguement) -
Originally Posted By: torihada
If you don't want to wear a helmet, fine.
I do wear one.
Originally Posted By: torihadaI've got no problems with people not wearing them (though kids should be mandatory).
Why? Any evidence that helmets reduce major head injuries or fatalities for kids? There is some evidence that as far as bikes are concerned that they actually increase the incidence of the above due to increased risk taking behaviour. (As I said I haven't seen any info about snow helmets).
Shouldn't this kind of decision be left up to the parents?
Originally Posted By: torihadaBut any suggestions that a helmet could make your injury worse in a crash is just spurious to say the least.
Any science to back that up? As there is for increased injuries in bike helmet wearers.
Originally Posted By: torihadaIn a car crash you may get whiplash because your body is restrained but your head whips forward, causing neck injury; this is not an argument for removal of seat belts.
Flawed analogy, nobody has said that seat belts increase risk taking behaviour or that the injuries they cause might be worse than those they protect against.
Originally Posted By: torihadaAs I've mentioned before I have had numerous severe head impacts (mtb crashes) and the last time my helmet saved me from a fractured skull at least,
How do you know? Did you go back and try it without the helmet and then compare results? I'm not saying that it didn't save you from serious harm just that you can't know that for sure. And situations like your's and the one I'll describe below are not evidence they are anecdotes and shouldn't be used to espouse or deny the efficacy of helmets.
I have also had several head impacts on a bike, last year a guy in a small truck doored me while I was doing about 25km/h, it was a sizeable impact buckling the door a good 3 inches. First point of contact with the edge of the door was my head just above the right temple. I ended up with a small lump and cut on the head, a sizeable cut on the ear and a long thin bruise down the side of my neck and chest; a bike helmet would have stopped the small head injury done nothing for the rest and may have caught in the car door twisting and breaking my neck, of course it probably wouldn't have.
Originally Posted By: torihadaOn a a groomed piste I think you'll find your travelling a good deal faster. My snow helmet is a lot more substantial than my bike lid,
Totally agree I wear one and I think for the way I ride it makes sense, however I've seen no science that would support their legal compulsion, especially for kids given the super hero feelings that wearing one might evoke in a typical child.
Originally Posted By: torihadaI don't care what it looks like, at least its not a comedy ski hat.....now there's something we can agree on banning.
Now that is beyond doubt.
I think modern snow helmets look pretty cool and are warm and comfortable.
By the way what kind of helmet do you wear on the MTB? I hope it's not one of those ludicrous styrofoam jobbies that the road bikers wear. (never done or watched any serious MTBing)
And what type of helmet do you wear on the snow? I'm looking to buy a new one soon. -
Originally Posted By: torihada
I had a couple of tumbles last week and was glad to be wearing a helmet, especially after checking my speed; had my garmin GPS on me and I clocked 56 mph on one run. I didn't think I was going that fast and after that decided to wind it down a bit. Imagine cracking your beanie clad head on a groomed piste at that speed.
Imagine increasing the mass and angular momentum of your head such that what would have been a nasty crack on the head turned into a fatal brain stem injury.
As I've said before, I'm not saying that snow lids are a good or bad idea just that the question should be examined thoroughly before espousing their miraculous life saving properties. -
Originally Posted By: stemikbut its not just about reducing fatalities, its more about reducing injuries.
And perhaps increasing fatalities? -
Originally Posted By: gurgleGood point. Mine has saved me from a very nasty head versus ice incident, which probably would not have been a "fatality", but a very bad one for sure. Still won't be going out without it.
How would you know the outcome wouldn't have been the same or better without a helmet? -
Originally Posted By: macmeh
I swear by helmets when i'm out on the bike though! 3 accidents, including a 4 week layup in hospital have taught me that a good quality bike helmet is worth every cent!
If you're talking bicycle helmet then you're talking Bollocks.
The piece of plastic you had on your head likely did nothing.
Motorbike helmet is another story.
Originally Posted By: macmeh
Perhaps I should reconsider the helmet decision for the snow though! I guess it would also keep my head nice and warm at the same time!
Snow helmets are a lot sturdier. Not saying they are better because I've read no studies on them but I would guess they are. So it seems at the moment that you have your helmet priorities arse about face. -
Don't know anything about ski/board helmets, but if you look at the actual science in regard to bike helmets you will see that they do SFA in most cases except for preventing road rash, and may in some cases make head/neck injuries worse. Of course snow sport helmets seem to be more solid than the expensive plastic ice-cream buckets that people wear on their bikes.
I have a Bad Lieutenant that I used to wear at the insistence of she who must be obeyed, but it's too heavy so　I'm looking at getting a Giro G9 or G10, anyone have any recommendations about which is better or maybe a different brand, similar style? Don't need any tunes or other electronic gizmos.
-
Japanese lifties are basically mutes who are just there to stop the lift when someone falls off.
-
Tried skiing a few times cause a friend did it, I sucked big time couldn't do it at all almost killed myself and some stray kids, which is unusual because I can normally do most sports reasonably well first time, decided to give boarding a try could stand up turn and stop first time out had a great time never looked back.
-
The JR railpass will get you on any JR train doesn't matter which JR company. You have to buy it before you come to Japan in Perth you can get one from HIS TRAVEL PERTH, Upper GF-East 573 Hay Street and then get it validated at one of the major train stations, I think you can do it at Narita, definitely at Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shinyokohama and some others. The ticket is not be valid on Nozomi Shinkansen.
-
Yeah points taken everyone, I really wouldn't ever punch anyone it was just a rant and as I said I feel better for it.
-
Sorry to make my second post in this forum a bit of a rant but what's up with Japanese kids and middle aged skiers in 80s clobber these days? I was at Fujimi Panorama on Monday just for a quick warm-up to the season. Every time I was in the lift line some kid would start either kicking my board with his shitty rental skis (top sheet is now scratched to you know what) or a bunch of them were trying to cut in line? I got so frustrated that I started looking for a father to punch on the nose! It was kind of crowded and only the family/beginner slope was open so I just cruised down the hill a few times being careful not to kill any of the little darlings but then this wanker in a pink and purple 80s style ski suit almost killed me doing a gazillion miles an hour passing me on my heal side with about two inches clearance. Saw him do it to some other poor suckers while I was on the lift. A crowded day on a small hill full of kids and beginners is not the place to set downhill speed records no matter how good you are and he was a fairly decent skier so he should know better. Finally caught up to the prick at the bottom a few runs later and was about to stuff his little kuma chan backpack up his nose when the missus appealed to my better nature by threatening to burst into tears. (He's lucky it was me and not her that he almost skittled or there would have been blood on the snow for sure) First time in 6 years of snowsports in Japan that I've ever felt anger or frustration to that degree I've always in the past found Japanese people to be courteous and pretty easy going as a rule. While I'm on a rant what's up with letting singles go up on a double chair by themselves on a crowded day? At one stage I counted 6 half full chairs in a row!
Sorry but I feel better now.
-
Prolly cheaper and just as fast to get the azusa from Shinjuku. Depends on when you arrive though. There's one that leaves aprox 7:30a.m. takes about 3 hrs 30 min I think. Checkout hyperdia for train and bus times.
Resorts - who stops them lying?
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
Called Hotel New Belnina in Tsugaike Kogen in Dec to ask about booking a room, and they were kind enough to tell me not to bother because the snow sucked.