hutch

Does anyone know the dates and place of the Annual Ainu Fest this year in Asahikawa?? Hokkaido? I heard it is excellently chill (but usually the same weekend as Sado Island's Earth Celebration with KODO.....that is excellent beach camping) please post ! cheers Hutch

no JPOP at Hakkoda.....ok ...occasionally in the ropeway building but nothing so bad as morning murder musume blissful sounds of pow and that's about it

cheers everyone thanks particularly to Nick who said there's a map in the mail.....frig I love SJG in Bangkok airport right now...to Bangladesh tonight and then over to Kathmandu tommorow.... got a 10 day rafting trip down the SunKosi lined up!! betcha I'll see snow this year before you guys!!! hahaha (frig-should have brought my skis!)

skis: ATOMIC DEEP POWDER / SALAMON XSCREAM binding: SALAMON 900 series boots: who cares- they fit great and you can't see them for all the pow goggle: arnette jacket: MEC hydrophobia 2

After 4 awesome years with Hakkoda as my backyard mountain I am leaving the Nippon POW and heading back to BC. In fact.....I'm moving to Fernie. Anyone out there in the SJG world that has skiied Fernie since the new quads went in? Anyone willing to spill the beans on the mountain and the town? onegai peacethruPOW Hutch ps. wanna eat some real au naturelle Japanese POW this year....check out: "Hakkoda Ropeway Powder Mecca": http://www.skijapanguide.com/2002/features/general-46.html

Drew Full on you get busted. I had a buddy a couple of years ago who got done for growing a few plants in his house....taken wild and growing them in his house. Busted just like the Japanese mogulers in his car. He waited 6 months in jail before trial....then got a 2 year sentence....suspended for 3 years I believe. Swiftly left the country....not sure how long if ever he'll be allowed back in.

Ross was hardly an embarrassment. I a world that needs to get over their fear of pot.....our PM stood up for Ross (he himself said he smoked dope...as opposed to the lying 'didn't inhale' cigar lovin pres to the south).... FYI Ross full on smoked a crap load in Whistler....my old roomie used to ski with him. Can't believe the Japanese authorities bought that crap.

Hakkoda saw some major dumps this past season despite it being a crap year.... 2nd week of Feb is a guarantee in the 4 years I've been riding there.... as Jeff Mohr said in a review: Total backcountry paradise. One gondola gives you access to a whole mountain playground. One problem, my 158 is too short to handle the 60 cm of fresh we got last night.

the most HYPED and biggest let down Zao in Yamagata multiple owners (ex-farmers) make for crap design!

you need to check out the articles on http://www.powdermag.com they always do a big travel section in the spring.... Las Lenas mentioned sometimes

Gassan trip over Golden week is common for late season...check out a past SJG feature by Dean: Part 1 http://www.skijapanguide.com/2002/features/general-26.html Part 2 http://www.skijapanguide.com/2002/features/general-27.html There's always Fuji in June! (bring the rock skis and ice axes)

Hike Camp Single track (if I can find it) wait for winter

Good to hear from Ben Kerr again and the POWDER CONNECTION column. It looks like Niseko-Hirafu is going to be the starting point for a major shift in the Japanese ski industry. RIGHT ON! Ducking the ropes has finally paid off......just hope that making those area offical doesn't lead to too many new rules.... after all I've found in Japan it's easier to apologize than to ask permission eh?

BC Canada

SWASS? excuse my northern Tohoku ignorance kono imo! (I'm a potato aka northern hick)

Go to the thread titled JAPAN WINTER CORE X-GAMES on page 4 of the forum Hutch

Been here a total of almost 5 years. can get by ok

powderhound....... give me the gansha! (see the look on your Japanese friend when you ask what THAT means!)

Brodie, hey.... the later you go in the season the less powder you will find. As I wrote in the article the best powder can be found in February. Hakkoda isn't a resort....it's a ropeway giving access to a national park area. Very few buildings with a lot of personality. I'd highly recommend to stay at the Hakkoda Mt Lodge (sansoo)...the number is in the article. I assume you are wanting to go into the backcountry. Offically the backcountry bus doesn't start until April 1st. And I HIGHLY advise against setting out into the backcountry there without a member of the guide club. (s

hittin Hakkoda again of course.... got a call from Dellboy saying it was dumping this morning... hehehe staying in the cabins at MoyaHills down in Aomori..... crazy horse saloon (Grateful Dead bar) for some heavy drinkin

powderhead on heli-fats....might as well be a boarder! if you guys have never ridden the pow on serious fats (130cm tip to tail) and 180cm in length you haven't really ridden the pow....you been sinking in it.... the versatility of skis with the floating speed of a board....watch next years line of skis for some major changes in that direction....the 2003 Salomon AK launchers can bee seen on powdermag.com when they visit Copper Mt on the 'Powder to the People Tour': http://www.powdermag.com/pttp2002/index.shtml?article=02_08

Ever heard of the powder triangle in BC?.... Fernie is likely to be the next Whistler. Of course there is always Utah....snowbird-alta interconnect. (parkcity for you jibbers out there) Whistler-blackcomb and the backcountry is just straight out sick.....and whistler is a city in itself.....if you don't mind paying thru the ass for a closet there's more.....can anyone beat Girdwood Alaska or Alyeska? check out powdermag.com for some of the lowdown anyone have any suggestions for anywhere in Europe?

The HAKKODA ROPEWAY POWDER MECCA feature article (Feb 13 release) can be found at: http://www.skijapanguide.com/2002/features/general-46.html

This came across a email list I am on...thought some of you might be interested.....any budding pros out there?? or just those that wanna go get sloshed and see some jibbing? from the Akita list; > > Akita Jets no mina-san, > > A co-worker has asked me to pass on the word about > the > following event - sounds like a lot of fun, get in > touch if you're interested... > > ** Ski/Snowboard Competition and Dance Party ** > When: March 16th / 17th (Sat/Sun) > Where: Alpas Ski Area, Kazuno City (north-east > corner > of A

Cheers eh? I'll try to get out the backcountry article sometime in late March or early April. Maybe something about the Iwaki-san spring summit and backcountry bowls in late April. later Hutch