lastrocker

Only partly true. Sure the surfing rules exist for safety, but the "no snaking" rule, wich applies for skateboarding in bowls and ramps as well, is not for safety, it's just for the purpose of respect and sharing. Unfortunately in surfing douchebags snake just because they surf better than some other. This is unrespectful, to say the least. Same goes for dropping on another's track. It's definitely unrespectful. It's snaking. It's like farting all the time on a 10hours flight. No one can stop you, but if you do that, you're a douchebag. Btw surfing rules are not there cause someone has decide

I consider "juvenile" going out there in the powder with no friends. If something goes wrong what's the plan, digging yourself out? If you have to hike for 600mt vertical in knee deep pow what's the plan, track down all alone and then rest for a week? I sincerely hope you will understand the difference between "owing" something and the respect for other's efforts, sooner or later. Not in snowboarding, but in everyday life.

sure it is, and it sucks for that, but there are too many people in the water and not enough waves... Wintersport population in the hunt for freshies keep growing, it will be the same on the mountain, it's just a matter of time btw, sorry but i'll pay a couple of visit to Rusutsu soon. I know it's not worth it, but i like wasting money and time

I totally agree with you, and I don't really understand all of this "we all paid the same ticket you don't own the lines" mentality. Just because there's no specific rules on the mountain doing whatever you want becomes acceptable? There's no law against cutting the line at the post office or in airport check-in, but if you do that someone will tell you to go back to the end of the line. Same should go with powder, it's not about owing the mountain, it's about respecting each other as in every other aspect of life. If you open the track for a drop in point of an untouched line, you should go f

Around Niseko, so Yotei, Yoichi, Annupuri bc, then Rishiri, Kurodake, and maybe Asahidake. Mostly short hikes, 2 hours or so, a few longer ones but always daily tours. From what you all say it looks like snowshoes is the way to go... in the meanwhile i asked to my local friend and they suggested me the same, they're all snowshoers so having the same tool sounds the smart move

i know this questions sound dumb, and in part it is, but still... all of my friends in japan have snowshoes, i rented em the past year, but this year i bought a splitboard. the point is i didn't try it yet, cause season is bad so far in italy, so even if i have a couple of weeks before leaving i will be pretty much new to skinning when i come to japan. now the tradeoff: i found a cheap flight that has 20kg limit on baggages. with my reg board, my split, all the avi stuff, outerwear etc i'm pretty much overweight. So i could buy snowshoes, leave the split at home and go with the flow.

Yes it looks like i'll be in Rishiri, the mission is not 100% confirmed yet depending on my local friends but i should go. The dates for Rishiri are from 8th till 12th, if i go i'll stay in Niseko a bit less then 30 deys but that island place looks so good.... I thin i'll go to Rusutsu a couple of times the time window is just two days but who knows... If i'll be in Rusutsu from 6th February on i'll send you a pm, it would be definitely good to catch up!

Hi there, i'm planning a trip to Alaska and i'm pretty sure some of you has been there already... I will travel alone for the first part of the trip, then two of my friends will join me to go to Tailgate AK in Thompson Pass. My plan is staying in Girwood for the first ten days, riding Alyeska if there's fresh snow or hitting the backcountry if the resort is tracked down. The question is: is Alyeska and surroundings good enough for a ten days stay? Or it's bettere stayng there for a shorter time? And also, is there some other recommended place i could go after Tailgate? Than

Thank you guys, hope to get more pics this year, some action one maybe i'll be in Niseko from the 13th of January on, for 30 days, then i'll travel a bit, Rishiri and central Hokkaido, for ten days. You're in the area at that time?

it's good to hear i'm not the only one who trusts charlies, but still no one talked about swallow tails on steeps. the point for me is, i have a super good deal on nitro, 250$, i love the capita but i'd like to experiment with new shapes as well. if i keep the capita what would i end doing? traveling overseas with 3 boards? and if i'm not off the weight limits for flights, would i really switch from board to board that often to justify having 3 different boards on the same trip? sure i can live without the 150$ of selling my old deck, but i'm at a point i must say ok, i can't spend mor

Last winter i spent the whole month of February in Niseko, always forgot to publish the report, thanks to SnowJapan i won a daily ticket for Hirafu, i don't have a specific report from that day, it was my last one so it was kinda sad, didn't want to leave at all!! I can just say the whoe trip has been epic, in fact it's been so epic i'll be back this winter I spent most of the time in Niseko, mostly Hanazono and Annupuri off the gates. The back bowls and the ridges off gate 5 are simply insane!! But i've been lucky enough to meet some local that brought me to other peaks, Rusutsu, Chise bac

Hey there, i'm in the decision of buying a new board and i'm not sure what's best for me... Right now i have a powder specific board, Capita Charlie Slasher 158, wich suited me well the past year even in the deepest days. It's pretty much an ordinary pow board, a bit of taper, a bit of rocker on the nose. When in Japan i've seen soooo many Gentem swallow tail boards, and i love them!! They look so fun to ride. The point is, i could get a good deal on a Nitro Quiver Powder, wich is not a Gentem but it's similar concept. No tail, swallow (a bit), wide spoon nose. It's shorter and wider tha

haha you guys are right, but please explain to my fiancé a dog is a hella lot funnier than a baby (and less time-money consuming)

I totally realise, that's why i'm trying to travel as much as possible right now. I'm 38 and my girlfriend is 33, so the hour is near... Luckily for me she's opening a shop this week so she'll be pretty busy for a couple of years. But then, i'm screwed. At least i live close to the mountains and the sea, so i expect a lot of dawn patrol when i'm done

fair enough

I completely agree with gozaimaas, i made a lifestyle choice. I drive a 10 years old 2nd hand car, never buy clothes (although i got free ones because of my job), don't spend money on alcohol, tobacco, parties. I'm pretty much focused on snowboarding, surfing and skateboarding. I live small, in some way. In some other way i live large, traveling 2 to 3 months in winter and 1 in summer, every year. I always considered time a lot more important than money, and making experiences a lot more important than collecting objects. I always dreamed about a life with plenty of spare time for traveling

Feb 8-12. I checked some vid on vimeo and the place looks sick!!

That's a good solution... in the meanwhile a friend from Sapporo asked me to join him in a 4 days trip to Rishiri island. Now the plan is going with him, then moving to Sapporo for a couple of days riding Teine, then probably going to Furano as you suggested. Time to book the plane ticket

Hi there, i'm booking my pow trip and even if i read tons of info on the forum i still have some question. First, last year i went 30 days in Niseko, had a blast, literally, met good friends, hiked the Yotei and a couple more peaks... So i want to get back! At the same time, i feel it's time to walk away from the paved road. So here's the deal: i have 40 days, starting from 12th of January and i wanna spend 30 days in Niseko, while 10 somewhere else. If i stay in Niseko for 30 days i can save money on accomodation, i got a special offer from a guest house. I'm traveling solo, so i'

I went there just once on saturday, on one of the rare bluebird day, in early february. the back bowls in Annupuri were super busy, that's why my friends (japanese locals) chose to hit Moiwa. It was crowded for the size of the resort, lot of gaijin. It was ok till lunch tho, and you could find nice spots even later. So i'm pretty sure on weekdays it will be nice over there. Some short but steep run too. If you know where to go you can reach Moiwa from the back bowls, and go back to Annupuri, it's a good run

looks damn good, i'll give it a try when i'll be there. thanks for the pics!

uh, last info, just keep in mind that for a complete run, from when you take the first chair till you're in line at the first chair again, off gate 5 you need 40 minutes, off the peak gate one hour. While in Annupuri you need two lifts and a 5 min hike to get off gate 2 and you reach directly the lift base at the bottom of the run... So more laps in Annupuri

8.20 is perfect timing for first lift, they open at 8:30, no early operation in Hanazono. A couple of runs at Strawberries, 3 runs off gate 5 going on a further ridge on each run, or off gate 2 if it's open, hitting Blueberries on the way back to the lifts, and it will be 1:00pm, you'll have crossed just a few tracks on the last run, and you'll have such a big smile on your face you could even call it a day!!

Mike, i'm sorry but i have to disagree. Super Course doesn't get tracked out quite quickly, it gets tracked out immediately, in 3 runs from first chair it's done. The runs that you named usually stay decent for longer time (i still can't understand why the area around Miharashi ridge keeps some good patch for so long), but untracked is another realm... they just keep some patch where you can have one or two good turns in a row. Same with blueberries, sure it's fun to ride and i went there even after lunch when coming off the gate 5 runs, still fun to ride, but i wouldn't call it untracked.

I spent just one month in Niseko, which is pretty much nothing compare to the time you spent there over the years, but i had the luck to ride very often with some local, and with local i mean japanese people who moved in Niseko twenty years ago. At times we found freshies even at 4pm, but "plenty" is a completely different kingdom. Secret stashes mean nothing for an ordinary skier who spend 8 days in Annupuri.