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6th May 2024: End-of-season message ×

gaijindrifter

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Posts posted by gaijindrifter

    Special technics for driving on snow

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    Chains are illegal in the states most places and I'm from Michigan where it pisses down quite a lot and in my opinion the most important things to remember are:

    1) Keep a safe speed, not too high, not too low.

    2) Get used to sliding and learn to countersteer properly

    3) Use chains when/if possible.

    4) DO NOT accelerate through turns, constant light gas pressure or foot off completely. Understeering into a corner isn't a good way up or down the hill ;)

    pow pow boards

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    I had a Rossignol 60 before and it did great in the powder for me. My current board of choice, the Burton Hero 55, just doesn't float like the 60 does. The Powder Snake isn't the longest of boards I could be riding, but it is a hybrid board (twin wiith directional inlay) so I'm hoping to do some powder buttering this year, something that a board any longer might not allow ;)

    season pass worries

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    I do plan on going a ton, 2~3 times a week and most of my end of the year holiday. Last time I was out in Saitama, I still managed around 25 days before I ended up breaking my collarbone at the end of January. I've done a lot of Hakuba and really enjoyed Happo, and after Hakuba 47/Goryuu last year I'm not so keen on buying a season ticket there. I'll still be getting around, but in the end I still think the 80k will end up saving me a bit.

    season pass worries

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    I'm now living in Nagano City, and my coworkers and I are considering getting the Premium Nozawa/Shiga/Happo pass for 80,000, but I noticed on the flyer that they're limiting it to 1000 people. Is there a chance that even if we all apply early that we might not all get it? I've heard of how some places have drawings for passes and I'd hate it if some of us got it and others didn't. We're about 50 minutes from each resort and we need a sure thing, any suggestions?

    Can I? Should I?

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    I live in Michigan, highest unemployment and worst average crime rate, former home of the motor vehicle, current home of more rapes per capita than an Akihabara AV rack....

     

    That being said I will be getting some form of private insurance before I even think of riding, but you're definitely right PP living in America without insurance is crazy, but thanks to rich **** like what makes up 99% of our government officials too many of us don't have access to it, on top of the fact that 15 million Americans currently have NO source of income (not even welfare or unemployment pay). If my family didn't live here I would've left permanently loooong ago. Thank god beer is soooooo cheap!!!

    Can I? Should I?

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    I had insurance under my dad until I went to Japan, by the time I got back I was too old and since there are no jobs I have no way of getting insurance. There are ways to get insurance that will cover me in case I screw up again, but as for my shoulder there is no longer anything I can do for it.

     

    And what do you mean by

    Originally Posted By: panhead_pete
    You are living in the US and have no medical insurance? Is that plate in your head?

     

    If I had a choice I would have it but we have no standardized program and anyone that doesn't conform to the 'standard' path gets ****. Sucks but oh well would rather die doing something I love than sucking GOP @$$

    Can I? Should I?

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    Originally Posted By: Mamabear

    ...I would say, go for it - ride with reasonable care (then look for a surgeon for post season).


    I like the way you think MB cheers

    I don't think there was any point in time I doubted whether or not I'd be back out this season. As a matter of fact I remember the first question to my doctor being "when can I snowboard again?" to which he answered "soon, but probably not before the season ends..." so I know I have the drive. Unfortunately since I'm stuck in the states, without ANY of my gear, I am forced to divide my preparatory spending between new gear and private insurance.... and so far it's looking like the latter will be allotted waaaay more omg

    Can I? Should I?

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    So you still have a plate or something in RB? I'm sure it will hurt even after (if) I have it removed, but I was just wondering if there are any significant added dangers if I go riding without having the removal op first.

     

    I'll probably be spending most of this season in the states riding with friends who are mostly extreme newbs so I'll be going it slow for awhile anyways ;_;

    Can I? Should I?

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    So I've recovered a fair bit from my accident (http://www.snowjapanforums.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/353870/1.html) and i'm not debating what to do about this season. Unfortunately I'm back in America but I live in Michigan so there IS snow to be had. I'm pretty set on boarding this year again as a lot of my friends will be, but I will obviously be taking it easy and avoiding the park. My predicament, however, is this: I still have the plate in my shoulder and thanks to having no insurance in America I don't think I'm gonna be having it removed anytime soon (though mind you I will be purchasing short term insurance to cover me in case I have another accident, just can't fund a removal op). No matter what I wanna ride this year, but have any of you done the same? I remember my doc in Japan telling me that I could board again in 2 months or so but the bone is still a bit sensitive and I'm wondering if it'd be at all irresponsible of me to get back in the boots.

     

    And on a side note, my doc in Japan said that I 'need' to have the plate removed within 2 years whereas I've asked around in America and looked up some articles and it seems some people in America think it's ok to leave the plate in long term... Gets me to thinking I should forgo this season and save up for the removal op...

    Season Ended

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    This actually happened awhile ago back in January, but the worst thing possible (as far as laughable accidents go) that could happen, happened... I got a bit too ballsy and shattered my right collar bone.

     

    Short story is, I was running the park at Kawaba, even though it was incredibly icy, and jumping onto the backside of an up & down box from a kicker and on my 3rd or so attempt (mind you I made it a couple times without problem) I ended up taking a different angle of attack on the kicker and instead of popping up off the jump my board got caught up by an iced over hole in the jump and I was flipped upside down and dropped about a meter and a half straight down on my head and shoulder. I heard 3 or 4 distinct pops so I knew something was broken. I got up and slid down as close to the bottom as I could, telling my buddies as I passed that I had broken something and found a soft-ish place to sit. After getting carted down then xrayed at the local hospital, I came back to Saitama and checked into my local hospital. 2 weeks in the hospital, 2 hours of surgery, countless xrays, truck loads of worthless perscription drugs and nearly a month later my bone is just as broken as the moment I fell and I'm left with a giant (though fairly bad ass) scar.

     

    Didn't realize how much snowboarding meant to me until this... really gotta play it a bit safer from here on out, but I'll never quit.

     

    So anyone have any similar experiences they'd like to share? Also, any insight anyone may have on what to expect with this injury would be greatly appreciated!

     

    EDIT: Here are the links to pics of my xrays and post-op. Not too gory or anything but still thought I'd just link them instead of posting them straight up!

     

    pre-op xray

    BREAK1.jpg

     

    post-op bionic man xray

    break2.jpg

     

    post-op incision pic (complete with staples!)

    break3.jpg

    Seeking Advice on where to Stay and Snowboard in Hakuba

    in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry

    Posted

    I just stayed at a place called 'The Lab' (its in the Places to Stay section) at the base of Happo-one, and I must say it's the best boarding experience I've had in Japan so far. The resort is Australian owned/operated and there really aren't any Japanese there at all. Baths are semi-private (dress down area is locker style but showers are sectioned off) and the rooms seem nice though we did opt to stay in the cheaper unit. That being said, even the nicer rooms there are really cheap and if I remember correctly you can do all your payments/bookings in Australia without transferring money.

     

    And as for boarding, Happo-one offers everything as far as I'm concerned. I'd consider myself high-intermediate and even I found parts that seemed incerdibly challenging (geared towards your boyfriend) though there were miles of flat low grade tracks for my beginner friend to muck around on as well.

     

    Hope this helped!

    If Slaughterhouses Had Glass Walls

    in General off-topic discussions

    Posted

    If you've seen 'The Cove' or saw the 'Japan vs Australia: Whale Debate' on YouTube (or Japanese TV for that matter) you know that Japan has a culturally instilled belief that animals are walking chunks of food without emotions. Some people think otherwise but it will take a few generations dying off for anything to happen... Also, for any of you that've seen South Park lately, Dolphin and Whale still have quite a lot to pay back wink

     

    And as for elsewhere, I'm glad there are extremists like PETA, though I could never get as fired up as they do. When It comes to things like animal rights, it comes down to a simple negotiation, high ball and low, just hopefully in the end everyone's at least marginally satisfied and there remains no population that believes Pamela Anderson is an intellectual being...

     

    And on another note, when I'm in the states I hunt quite a lot so I'm taking my meat in an even more natural way than you free-rangers razz Nothing beats the quick humaneness of a .360 slug! And venison's the best!

    Christmas

    in General off-topic discussions

    Posted

    Originally Posted By: gareth_oau
    my mother-in-law is required to be umm... well you know, its a tradition... But she makes the very best stuffing, laced with almonds etc etc, hard to hate her for that reason alone!!


    "laced with almonds" eh?
    Well then, in Detroit we 'sprinkle' our pumpkin pie with crack dust veryshocked

    Understanding phone bills

    in General off-topic discussions

    Posted

    just got a nice 15,000 yen bill from Softbank the other day and that's all useage seeing as I already bought my phone. I was kinda pissed that it was so high this month so I read the bill online and even though I understood everything listed I still have 0 clue what I was charged for.... Should make it easy to understand like maybe "Bill for November: 2000YEN *Note: You obviously have no friends.... Bill for December: 16000YEN *Note: Pimp Status ;)"

    Christmas

    in General off-topic discussions

    Posted

    Spending Christmas Eve/Day alone for the 2nd year in a row. Kind of depressing seeing that I came from a family where we really took holidays and family get-togethers seriously (and I really enjoyed them, it wasn't like I was annoyed or anything), though I look at it as a time to reflect back and appreciate what I had and be thankful now... and I plan on rockin' down to the local board shop tomorrow and puttin a bunch of new board wear on credit!!!

     

    As for giving, the parents got senbei and coffee, sister is gonna get Japanese beer (she turns 21 on the 28th... spending it in Vegas with the rest of the family) and the 'lady friend' got English conversation books and a Kenny doll, 'cause I got her addicted to SP wink

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