belle

formerly of adelaide, now tokyo... i know about another 15 aussies here, all of whom board save 1. lot of us here, but not all on the forum (they are busier than me!) belle

this year i am really keen to learn a few jumps and gain some confidence in the half pipe. at the moment i sort of skedaddle through it with a fair degree of trepidation. i am a very confident carver on the groomed runs, a bit less so when in powder or trees. i am almost 100% comfy with riding switch so now want to start adding in a few snazzy bits to my day out on the slopes. i'd be keen to hear people's thoughts on how to get started with jumps/turns (i really want to get air!), how to build confidence (i have helmet and wrist guards together with a no-fear attitude!) in the hal

a common feature of canadian resorts is to have "snow hosting", whereby the locals that live round the resort take people out on a 'personalised' tour of the mountain. e.g. take them to good runs, show them nice places for a hot chocolate etc. the hosts don't get paid for it but they do get a season's pass in exchange. the hosts can ride whenever they want provided they take about 3 host sessions a week - usually for an hour and a half each time. the hosts are divided into level of ability and in theory, both skiers and boarders can participate in a host group. resorts like sunshine and w

yuki's passion - where i come from there is a neat little saying which responds to your question, and that would be "don't fish off the company's wharf". reckon that sums it up belle

Whether he be a skier or a boarder, I rate any person who is able to use the word "ecumenical" in a forum post. Nice one Ocean11. Belle

Ocean11 - nah, its still sitting by my bed reminding me daily how horrible I am... heading to Austria and Canada this season, so will get it tuned somewhere by hook or by crook. Yeah, work like a maddog. Vacations are sweeter because of it, but its a mad life. Thanks for the advice. He's gonna fall, and fall hard, no matter which way you look at it. I just got suckered into being his instructor for a few days and was having a think about what sort of gear he would need. I was wondering about availability of larger boards, but you've sorted that one for me. He might buy early seas

Okay, okay I have been away for a while and haven't checked in, but have been back on-line now these last few days and I have noticed a few new features....amongst others.... I am member #204 - intersting fact indeed - why is the SJG member #120 - would it not be #1?! We can now "rate" members.... oh dear - this smacks of those high school popularity contests that we all detested with a passion (well I did anyways). I take comfort in the fact that some dear person (a friend for life now) has voted me a 4**** rating. Mwah (that's a kiss, by the way, whoever you are). I love you! I

Danz - I was taking the initiative and naming a date as no-one else had! Grungy was suggesting end of Oct/before the season started - so I just figured a week or 2 before the season starts might get people more fired up to actually come along! 2 fridays from now as someone suggested would be the long weekend and I reckon a lot of people, myself included would be away that weekend. That is the 11th to avoid confusion. Belle

From a read of your musings, I would gather you are more inclined to board anyways given your surfing/skateboarding background. Either way, you'll need to start out again. Rent a few times on both and then decide. Perhaps have a play with goofy/natural on the board, and also check out the new generation of carving skis - there have been a few changes since you were last on skis - you might be pleasantly surprised! I have skis/poles/boots dying to get rid of - in very good nick if you decide to go down that path....! Ocean11 - heya - long time....! Got a question for you - I have g

Hobgoblin in either Akasaka or Nogizaka is good - and it has Coopers Ale for any South Aussies thinking about coming along! (OK, just me then...) Forget Muse bar - too crowded and besides more of a club than a bar - would be easier to go to there afterwards if everyone is fired up. Main thing is that we actually do it!! We forumers talk about this every few months but never seem to do it! Although about 10 of us met up before the start of last season and then we ending up riding together a fair bit during the season - so it is is worth doing. As my mum would say, if its worth doing,

i use brastel calling service - fairly inexpensive for kokusai rates. you phone their local tokyo 03 number, input your pin code and then they route you through. not ideal, but have found it so much cheaper than anything else so far. btw, it is also a good service for calls to home from landlines too. only complaint is that connections can be a bit crap from time to time, and remembering all the damn numbers when you have had a few beers and are dying to call your mates back home can be challenging. ET phoning home? would have been simply if he had a keitai.

Akibun - might I suggest this be better suited to the foreign men/Japanese girls pickup classifieds in Metropolis! My, that does sound remarkably bitter and twisted for a Friday afternoon, doesn't it? Better head into the 'Pong tonight and get me a GI!! Not. No snow is simply DOING MY HEAD IN.

Spired - if Whistler is not your favourite, where in the States would you recommend? I am planning a month boarding holiday to Kicking Horse in BC and Mt Washington on VI in Canada, but would also love to board in the US for a week as I have not been there yet. Thinking about Lake Tahoe, but would love to hear other people's suggestions.

Indeed, questions of infirmities present, existing and contigent are always in the back of my mind. At the end of the 2002 season, two new injuries with lifelong permanancy: * a knee joint that plays up when climbing up stairs (unlike Ocean 11, it is invariably worse with alcohol consumption because I have usually fallen on it a few times) * a coccyx bone which hurts after a horrendous butt first stack in the half pipe in Canada - it still hurts to sit down! [i am sure you are pleased at my having shared such intimate information with you all.] But none is as so horr

Can someone here tell me what the deal is please with NHK? I came home one day last year to find a strange character lurking at my door (my neighbours said afterwards that he had been there a while). Not a burglar, not a homicidial axe wielding maniac but the NHK TV licence guy. Demanding a king's ransom for my teev. I said I didn't have one. He said I did. I said it didn't work. He says they know it does. I said I only use it for the video and don't actually watch any TV at all (by this time my credibility was in negative status). He said, doesn't matter. Everyone has to p

Burton the best? Depends what you are after. I was told the same thing as you Danny when I started out riding and so I bought a Burton board, bindings, board bag and jacket. The board is doing great as are the bindings. The bag fell apart on the second use and the jacket fell apart on the first. Burton do guarantee their stuff, but trying to cash in on a guarantee in Japan is nigh impossible (and I have not managed it yet). Unlike Occy11, I quite like Burton's designs and I am very pleased with my funkier than thou board which I have only seen one other person with. Burton clot

And to think that I am proud to have made it to 50... shucks. Make that 51! Well done Ocean11.

Mr Wow Trousers - where are you in Oz? There are heaps of excellent places and there are enough of us here who would be happy to make recommendations where to buy etc....particularly if you are anywhere near Threadbo at the moment (Jindy is pricy but got fab choices). My friends have had no end of trouble getting stuff here and have stuff shipped over from Oz all the time. Without a doubt it is much cheaper. If money is a serious factor, just get boots and snowtrou' (board pants)... you can make do with hire stuff for the rest. But in fact, if you are going to be living in Niig

Cakehead - it depends where you go in Canada and whether it is a good season or not, but the average season is from mid November to April/May - but it can extend well either side of these months. The best time is Jan/Feb but it is also brutally cold. End of February is perfect, March you start to get into spring snow but it is still pretty good stuff. Canadian resorts tend to groom runs more than the Japanese resorts do. As a result the snow cover can be quite packed on the main traffic areas, but elsewhere is simply magic! Last season, Lake Louise had a number of areas which the

NoFakie - Anything else, feel free to ask... I have clocked up some serious snow hours in Canada (lived in Banff on and off for 6 months)... absolutely adore the place and would call it home but for the fact that I live in Tokyo. Oh, and that I am Australian and not Canadian. But those minor details aside.... Who did you buy your board from? Rude Boys? Unlimited? That time of the year you must have got yourself a seriously good deal. I picked up my board and bindings et al. for about CA$400 - was seriously chuffed when I saw just the deck down in Oz for AU$1200. Lake Morraine is n

The word on Whistler/Blackcombe by Belle (a Canadaphile). These resorts are awesome NoFakie - you would have a blast. Without a doubt incredible. Whistler/Blackcombe is sooo huge and takes quite some time to explore one side, let alone the other. Speedy chairs, gondolas and long runs down. The complaints are: * early season is very dicey. Because it is on the coast side of the Rockies it can get a fair bit of rain at that time of year. Also, the snow is not as dry (heavy) and you don't get that super crisp fresh air feeling you get in other resorts in Canada. That's most li

Nat Haven't seen you in a while! Has Kuma left us for sunny (!) Finland? I would probably be in for that! Keep me in the loop... I haven't been before, but isn't it divided into times (boarders in the am, skiers in the pm?) if it is morning, probably got no chance of getting up on time! Belle

Miyetak - yup, I had a leash at the time. I was putting the board down to put the leash on before stepping in when it took off! Goes to show the fundamental flaw in the leash logic. As already pointed out, we boarders don't walk around with the board leashed on and that is the most likely time the board will take off. And yeah, I remember the brake thingo on skis. You mean that when you pop out from the bindings, the side levers of the binding drops down to below the plane of the ski to stop it from sliding. This happens in soft snow and invariably does prevent the ski from taking off,

I'm with Raury on this one. Leashes are compulsory in Oz and when I was boarding last time I was there I was chased by patrol twice on the one day I forgot to chuck it in the bag. Ended up having to buy one by about 10am. Canadian resorts used to require boarders to wear leashes but seem to be relaxed about it now. Must say, Ocean is right, once it has happened to you (losing your board) you are a lot more careful. I walked out of a massive stack at Nozawa on my last day riding this season (you know the "out of bounds" run between the lifts where you have to stay high to avoid the cre

Ingerand 2-1 - and what a mighty fine day for it too. Will be at the pub downing a fine ale or two (and working out which file to charge it to.....NOT!) Saw a nice wee t-shirt at the pub last night. It had 1966 crossed out and 2002 written above it... Nice one. Belle