Ocean11

Thanks fran. And yet, they're not so much tickets as vouchers for tickets, and they could choose to issue tickets if they wanted. Guess I'll have to phone and find out.

cal and helen, here's winkin' at yer. Again. I have actually applied for the Smith goggles, just as I suspect that rob gell is prolly going to Niseko from tha 24th. dec til tha 14th. of jan. Talk about a short attention span...

Yeah, and those Smith goggles they're giving away are just plastic rubbish. I mean, if they're giving them away, they can't be any good. Wouldn't bother applying. Stick with Kissmark goggles from Alpen, that's my recommendation.

Do they have sizes above 28? On display or that stupid order system they have? (Oh yes, you can order a size 30...but if it doesn't fit...maybe you can't order a size 30. Hummmmm...haaaaaaa....hmm...)

My hips go spastic when the seasons change and walking gets really painful (too much stupid judo stretching when I was a kid). I used to just lie around groaning whenever it happened, but now I exercise when it starts hurting and the pain never gets worse than mildly annoying. Work it on out. Hey danz, your signature makes me more laugh more the more I see it. I'm praying man, I'm PRAYING!

Hi Ginger, Well what's a man to do? You won't see me wasting my time there no more when there's snow a'falling. Do I remember your handle from here or from there, or from both? Whatever, take it easy.

You might want to get your missus to have a look at this site http://shinshu.online.co.jp/nozawa/ It has lists of accomodation. A friend stayed at a little place near where the big escalator goes up to the gondola and said it was very good. Check out the map too. And if you see a bright red helmet go by you on the slopes, wave won't you.

Ryuo in Kita Shiga was the first resort I went to and I have a big soft spot for that place. Lots of snowboarders up there, good value, nice food, nice staff. Nozawa is also pretty good.

Don, don't say that! They'll get ideas and clog up the slopes just when it was getting good! I hear Osechi ryori is enjoying a boom right now - it's safer to eat those nasty boiled shrimps with the shells that don't come off rather than going to Hawhy.

Gotta have a helmet and insurance... I've had skiers who come up behind me assuming I'm going to be following a skier sort of line and then do a very bad job of getting out the way when I follow a snowboard sort of line. Of course I can't see them because I don't have eyes in the back of my head. But I love them all.

I won 3 days worth of tickets for Niseko last year on this site but couldn't go and nobody I knew was going so I've still got 'em. Does anybody know if I can still use them this year? Do they keep better than cheese?

danz, Have you got a full URL for that shop you mention? I like the look of Smith groggles, as they're designed for use with helmets (Oakley useless here as my skidlid has a chin guard and peak). I'm going to try playing big wraparounds that go over my glasses and hope to beat fogging that way until I can get groggles that work. Double fogging is twice as worse as single fogging, that's fer shuwa.

Graham, that's what I'm going to do too! Doncha just hate those snowboarding company websites though? No information, lots of stupid buttons that mean nothing, JavaScript that's broken today, and lots of stuff about wankers who make a living snowboarding. Snowboarderreview doesn't seem that reliable to me either. I had a wanky set of Belligerent step-in/strap hybrids that couldn't possibly work in practice that the majority of people raved about apart from me and one other person. Although I long for the convenience of step-ins, maybe it's best to be pessimistic.

I can recommend the Nihonkamoshika. They sure do look winsome from the gondola...

Nozawa is OK for afterwards. There are free onsens, quite a nice street of touristy shops, bars and restaurants. And with your ticket you get access to a big leisure center with a pool and onsen. You could probably have a few of your own drinkies in their rest area. Of course, we're not talking hoe-down here, just a good deal better than a tinny of beer in the carpark.

Schnooo-o-o-oboarder! In a crash (caused by a skier of course) skiers come off worse every time. Ho yes! Just don't let me be seeing any skiers coming UP the hill at me like last year!

Damn sorry to hear all this about Switch. Been thinking of getting myself some of thems. Does anybody know where you can get sizes above 28 in this country? Say if I bother going to Tokyo from Nagano, will it be worth it?

I translate for a company in Suwa, Nagano (guess which, wins you a fine timepiece) and started boarding this year. Saw a lot of fine vile days blow past the office window only to turn to 'lovely' springlike weather on the weekend. So if anyone wants to start a translation company somewhere in Naggers with flexible hours in the winter, give me a shout. Boarding beats everything else. BTW, I lived in Osaka for five years, in lovely Tenma. If you watch 'Black Rain' you can see my apartment building!!!! It's the little blue light about six pixels square in the pan shot of the castle. To think