Ocean11

I've got a Lavance full face helmet. It fits well as it comes with a set of adjustment pads, and the chin piece is adjustable too. It has some ventilation, but it does keep your head warm. Jan-March, this is a good thing, April not so good. If face plants are something you like to try, a full face helmet offers good protection. Drawbacks of full face helmets include not being able to spit (I learnt that the hard way), and a limited range of compatible goggles (the peak and chin guard mean you need goggles with a clasp - forget Oakleys).

Japan is safety country. Anzen dai-ichi.

The ways of the Japanese have been totally f:::ed for most of their history, and they still are. I'll give respect where respect is due. Case in point - drinking Asahi Supaa Dorai.

Yeah, but we're not necessarily talking really difficult here. Sure, it may be very unpleasant making your way 20 yards out of shoulder deep powder, but apart from steamed up goggles (well, and maybe throwing a fatal hearty for the unfit), it's not nescessarily dangerous. There are tree runs at the top of Nozawa that are officially out of bounds 'because of the trees', but they're not dangerous at all. It's that kind of specious warning that bothers me, a bit like the little boy who cried wolf. People who have ignored meaningless signs like that might easily ignore a similar bland sign p

barok, from what I heard, there was a lot of cat skiing going on on the sidelines, and it sickened a lot of people. The big names are all real cat lovers, so the future of Core in Japan is surely in doubt...

Would that be the beautiful sultry Rachael who did a spell in purgatory at JIAM? If not, I'm always interested to meet new beautiful sultry Rachaels.

sr, I'd agree with that, but the difficulty is telling which is which.

Yup, looks like Japan has a whole lot of underrated places. More'n you could shake a stick at.

rach, you do that. Do I know you? You seemed to know me a while back. Don't be a stranger now...

rach, you're so "non-rad", I scream with laffter every time I read one of your posts.

That is so cruel, I can't believe you people even admit to doing that. The cat might look 'cute' or 'funny' strapped in, but let me tell you, it's no fun for the cat. First it's cat scans, then it's bonsai cats, and now it's cat skiing. How low will you people sink? Christ! Take them boarding or get a life!!

jez, whatever works for you man. Being from Bristol, sticking an 'l' on unsuspecting words comes naturally so I'll be abiding with 'Nozzle', but 'Nozzy' sounds fine to me. 'Bout time I tried Hakkers again with my free Cortina ticket. Can there really be 400 cm of snow at that one resort as the Resort Watch suggests? If so, who put it there, and why?

It's getting cold again now. Saw lots of fresh snow on the low hills around Matsupon today, so I should think there's some decent fluff up at Hakuba and points north. Bring it on!

Sounds like what you boys is a'hankerin' after is a ... snowboard. Them's good'n fat, and floats in powder. Someone'll show you which is the front end too if you finally come to your senses.

No, but I thought I had ruined my right thumb for ever when I first took up boarding. Frontside or backside wipeout, that sticking out right thumb was always the first thing to hit the slope. And get bent back or squashed. Fortunately, when I stopped sticking it into the gelende, the pain went away. Trying not to break any bones, and drinking lots of milk.

Just read the 'Day in the Life of a Powder Freak' fictional piece. Hmmmmmm, shovels eh? I always like to have a shovel with me, whatever the occasion. And having a bit of an archaeological dig before the fun starts surely provides a very good warm up. 'Hey look Cindi, this layer is fluffy and soft, but the one above it is quite compacted with a shear factor of six, I'd say.' -------- Would you hold the rope up for me, there's a good chap?

Yeah, there are some real eccentrics out there. I feel a list coming on: Big snowplough carving on skis Families or groups doing the snake thing on skis Boarders practising exaggerated carving with batty arm movements Boarders walking with board tucked crossways across their backs Smoking tabs on the gelende Admiring the scenery in the middle of the gelende Waiting so you can sit on your own on the quad Standing on other people's ride in the queue Skiing uphill Performing a tidy little U-turn and halt without looking back first

Ponce - now that's a word I haven't heard for a while. Last season, seeing the expansive, snowy runs of Nozawa from the lift, I was heard to enthuse 'God that's ace!' Then I had a big red face, cover my mouth fit. Skiers actually seem unable not to look like ponces when they go through powder too. And seeing them poncing about in my powder makes me more angry even than Mr Angry gets.

Nagano might just hit you back...

hahaha, spired, are you out of your head or what? That latter thing you describe, that would be a SERVICE. They don't have SERVICES in Japan yet, although I hear that as business has been bad for a while, they might include it in next year's budget.

Or you could try building your own snow hovel. If you make it big enough you can have a nice bucket of hot charcoal in it. Cosy!

There's a shakeout a'comin' methinks. These places will just have to figure out some extra fun things to do. Here's a partial list: Powder runs Trials of new kit (funskis, ****bikes etc.) Mexican food Mixed bathing onsens Gladiatorial combat on snow Massages Massages with BJs

Oh definitely mogski. There's the ancient Norwegian ski-burning hex. Pile all your ski gear up at the bottom of the mountain and set fire to it. Temperatures drop, the clouds move in, snow falls, and snowboarders appear. Works every time.

Talking of insoles, some off the shelf insoles from any shoeshop can make a big difference. I have two insoles in my soft boots, one set made of woollen felt. Works very well. Worth a try before you spend lots of money on other solutions. Burton boots feel the best of all the boots I've tried on. A really snug fit around the heel/ankle. I tried some Airwalk boots that have horrible ankle klamps built into the liner that poke into the veins in your ankles, hurt, and don't do anything. Smart bit of design that.

or as Confucius say, 'to the man with hammer, everything look like nail'. That's me by Christ!