hutch
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Posts posted by hutch
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I read the same article....
I heard that the event was supremely well run except for that incident....doesn't surprise me one bit though.
Seems that Japan is willing to offer up major purses to attract the bigair crew....Toyota bigair in Sapporo has a $100,000 purse from what I heard! .... kinda like Japan's foreign policy..... put up crap loads of coin but don't back it up with much concrete visible presence.
It'd be sweet if SJG posted more stuff on the Japanese athletes in the bigair scene......anyone know enuf out there to write a feature article????
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Anyone know of any backcountry Cat skiing?
There used to be some on Mt Iwaki in Aomori ken but they went under a couple of years ago.
What's the word? Any in Hokkaido? (Niseko?) Nagano? Niigata?
When is Japan going to catch on to this? The BC action sports industry has taken off since helis and cats made headway in the 70s.... serious coin from the States into the powder triangle there...... look at Island Lake Lodge....prime cat op....booked solid for the next three years!
Check out http://www.powdermag.com for some sweet backcountry articles.
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I heard there was some in Niigata??
Maybe the SJG crew could help us out on this one??
would cost a crap load no doubt
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helmet for sure
the ever non-elusive Japanese birch trees take their toll.
found my balls have dropped far lower with a helmet....with deep pow heading thru the trees I no longer worry about getting snagged up.
Come to Hakkoda I'd call it a must....paid for it (a REM HARD shell) times and times over.
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on the aomori iwate border
ski Hakkoda POW
here until the summer then off following the POW round the world.....home town is in BC
where's home?
every seen anyone on FATS?? If you can keep up with snowboarders in POW on your regular shaped you're likely to FLY on the FATS.
NAC (Niseko Adventure Centre) has some of the same Atomic Deep Powder skis on serious sale at only 2 man: http://www.nac-web.com/
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Danz
yeah dude xcreams rule....that's my first pair right now.....good all mt ski.... from the cordorouy to the deep POW
where are you at?
peacethruPOW
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Anyone else out there have FATS or even MID-FATS?
Got Atomic Deep Powder 130mm (tip to tail)180cm
wondering if there are any other deep POW freaks out there?
Do you have fat ski brakes? Did you also have trouble finding somewhere to set your binding?
How do you find they ride?
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11 started sking at silver star in BC
anyone else out there from BC?
hitting the powder triangle next seasonwith my pension refund....
Chamonix and maybe Austria?
Jackson
Snowbird
Alta
BC (Fernie, Whitewater etc)
up to Alaska
any tips/inside scoop?
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skier all the way
shape skis are sexy but deep powder skis are straight out horny
135mm tip to tail
180cm
boarder in a skiers body...raku raku fly
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Here's what was on the review pages I put up:
Hakkoda san.... is situated in central Aomori ken. It is accessible by car and by bus from Aomori city (which lies 30 minutes to the north) or from the east (Hachinohe) or west (Kuroishi) via back mountain roads. It is reknowned as a POWDER mountain....in fact it has the best powder skiing (besides backcountry) of any place in Tohoku....surpassing Hachimantai in its sheer size and freedom to ski out-of-bounds. The mountain is serviced by one single cable car (capacity 101) that runs every 15 or 20 minutes (dependent on the wind conditions). Those that use the mountain lean more towards the intermediate and advanced skiers and boarders....with a very healthy dose of telemarkers and snowshoers. From the top of the cable car one can continue into the back country and stay at one of the two mountain huts (odake-main peak...and sennintai...on the far side more easily accessible from Sukayu onsen). The mountain prefers that people stay to the main courses....'direct' and the 'forest' course....but there are many many different routes one can take. It is highly advisable that during extreme weather conditions that you stay to or near the courses. I've been skiing the mountain some 50+ times now and ....and mostly from the cable car.....there is ALWAYS fresh powder to be found.....right till closing. The mountain is open 9:00 until around 3:20. The prices range from a single ride for 1,000 yen to a five pack for 4,800 to month passes at a mere 16,000 (one can ski 8 times in a day if you go hard) and 60,000 for a seasons pass. The mountain is usually more crowded in March and April when the Japanese tend to appear more in favourable weather....but the best POW is to be had in January and February. There is no night skiing.
AND
Some SWEET CHANGES to Hakkoda this year 2001-2002. First off....big savings. The month passes until last year included both the gondola and the lifts (2 small lifts). This year they have separated them....and the Jan OR Feb pass that was originally 16,000 yen is now only 11,500 yen for unlimited gondola rides. Ride hard and you can pay off your pass in well under 2 days!! Then the rest of the month is FREE! The bridge at the bottom of the Forest run has been widened to twice it's width so you don't have to check your speed or wait for people to clear the bridge....just fly past.
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Y-zawa windlips from heaven
if you get to Hakkoda and sleep with enough of the female patrollers you might get to find where it is!
(no crowds no music)backside of Iwaki-san after the summit hike MASSIVE bowl
summit run off the top of Hirafu
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Am in northern Honshu (Iwate-Aomori)....past 4 years. Sick POW WITHOUT THE CROWDS to be found if you look hard past the resorts
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My newyear's resolution this year was to not ski one cordorouy (sp?) run this year....and so far have been successful as Hakkoda is my 'home mt'.
leashes.... I bought a fancy pair....but they are just too fancy.... clips that are too long when they come out....a royal pain in the ass to try to put them back. I saw someone with a clip to a short spring like cord. Wondering if anyone has seen these around.
In deep POW I just crank my bindings up to about 11 or 12..... you just don't wanna pop in deep pow. Got some new deep pow fats 135mm tip to tail and 180cm....should be find just riding on top the wave....raku raku na!
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It seems this topic keeps circulating and circulating....about the patrol, Japanese mgmt, backcountry and off-piste.
It just comes down to being prepared and educated.... until Japanese resorts provide powder runs in bounds, educated patrol (just look at how few patrol have qualifications at Hirafu)....and a decent backcountry permit system....then any off-piste we do might as well be taken as backcountry....so get educated and be prepared with all the gear.....rope ducking still can have serious consequences. Take Hakkoda for example.......if you don't know the mountain, drop too far then you can get screwed. Search and rescue pulled out the choppers and Japanese army looking for two guys from Tokyo that disappeared only after 4 days! They were found after 7 days.... they had ALL the gear so were alive....severe frostbite but alive.
Take a backcountry awareness course....Dave Enright's comes well recommended: http://www.coachjpn.com
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I work in a town board of ed....part translation/intl relations and part english teacher....
I used to be a JET ALT English teacher
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The key word is resort
the less resort the better
Hakkoda (Aomori)
Niseko Hirafu (summit and tree runs)
Iwaki-san (summit and backcountry) (also Aomori)
all about the POW
you can keep your APPI 900en ramen
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Hakkoda is SICK S - I - C - K!
one gondola
no courses
two official routes
extreme weather.....orange poles are your friend
tree skiing
all within the gondola area
No music no crowds....except on Sundays...they really come out in the spring....but that's when you take off to the backcountry
best kept secret in POW japan
there'll be an feature article coming out in Feb.
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Did you get any days in at Hakkoda-san in Aomori or Hachimantai off-piste in Iwate? I'd argue Hakkoda has the best POW in northern Honshu .......best kept secret in POW Japan.
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Snapper
hey dude....you the same snapper I rode with at Kamui links in Hokkaido with crazy toby?
hutchinjapan@yahoo.ca
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Does anyone know when/where they are going to hold the Japan Winter X-Games (Core Games) this season?
Last year all the big names were here...CR Johnson, Tanner Hall, one of the Phillipes.
peacethruPOW
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think you're always gonna have branches.... moguls for sure ......they just form naturally.
Big air take over? maybe
did you know twin tips started in Japan? POWDER mag had a great article on Mike Douglas taking the idea to Salomon Japan.
Euros will always go for the gates eh?
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looks like POW on thurs and fri night in northern tohoku (hakkoda) and maybe a bluebird on Sat?
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been skiing at Hakkoda in Aomori for the past three years....lovin it. The best part is that no one knows just how good the POW is here.....forget Zao!
Planning on earning my turns in late Dec-thru early Jan in Hokkaido....thinking of hitting Rishiri-dake /Asahi-dake .....and of course Niseko-hirafu (hit almost minus 50 with windchill last time I was there!).
And then down to Nagano area for late March.....anyone divulge some secret spots?
onegai!
Hutch
FAT SKIS
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
Snowboarders actually reading this topic?....what's going on??? Tell me those that TURNED years back from the toothpix to the toungedepressor aren't just a little interested in riding FATS.....these things are FAT FAT FAT.....even puts the pocket rockets to shame (FYI Hakkoda's RENTALS this year are the pocket rocket.....tells you a bit 'bout the mt eh?)
..... so just how fat do boards get?
Think you could handle two FAT edges instead of one?