Mudguts

I've riden K2 Cinch for 5 years now and they are fantastic because you don't have to sit down to strap up. Put your boot in, pull up the strap and off you go. I'd never go back to trad bindings.

Hakkoda in mid January. I haven't riden Hakkoda for 5 years. Cannot wait to get back there for it's wonderful powder, terrain and wildness.

I'm going to say straight out that I'm no nuclear expert and I failed physics in HS but I can't help but notice the similarities between the blown off roofs/structures when comparing photographs of Chernobyl and Fukushima no matter what governments are saying. And I believe people still cannot live within a huge range of the Russian ground zero nightmare for decades to come. I just pray that this stiuation gets sorted asap and Japan can find a viable alternate power source because as we are witnessing a geologically active country and nuclear power can't mix.

K2 Cinch for me and I'll never go back to strap on style again. The best part is you don't have to sit down to clip in. A variation of the flow system where the heel section opens out and you just slot your boot in. Highly recommend!

In my experience Cortina is never crowded and I have had fresh lines basically all day. Never been there on a weekend which I'm guessing is a different story tho. Some of my best ever days have been at Cortina....deep powder and steep lines!

Rode Cortina on Jan 6th with 20-30cms of fresh which I consider to be in the dump range. Main lift opened at 8:30am. Further up the hill the lifts opened at 9 and the Giant Course at 10am which me a few mates were the first down.....sweet lines! Plus ducked the ropes and had the ridge at the top of the giant to ourselves all morning. The patrol are alot more chilled out at Cortina this season. They were absolute nazis in the past.

My jacket and particularly pants have lost alot of it's water repellancy(is that a word?)/waterproofness so I'm wondering which method to use to reseal them. I can't afford new wear so I'm going to have to get through the season with what I've got. I've used the spray before and found it worked for a day or two then wore off and I was back to where I started. The guy at my local ski shop recommends the wash in stuff which you add to the washing machine with your gear. Has anyone had any experience with the wash in stuff and how does it compare to the spray? The ski shop guy also recommended th

186cm/66kg! Dude I think your concern should be whether the locals can see you when you turn side on. Go out and eat a big katsu curry right now!

Deep down Japanese ski resorts don't want foreign tourists. That's way nothing changes to accomodate them. Underneath the friendly facade Japan is xenophobic. Sucks!

Just to answer virgiles question without a tongue in cheek. Happo-one in Hakuba is the one resort in Japan which has continually challenged me. Most runs are steep enough to sort the men from the boys if you straight line em and the powder is generally consistent and quality. Location of downhill in 1998 Nagano Olympics speaks for itself I guess. I'd be interested to hear if anyone rates a more challenging place to ride in Japan than Happo?

Will defineately hit up Happo, Iwatake, Cortina, Myoko Suginohara, Kagura and Manza Onsen. I also hope I can get to Nozawa and Hakkoda(two of my favourite places to ride in Japan!) at some stage, too. Just bought a car so I'm keen to check a couple of places closer to Tokyo which I haven't been to yet in Kusatsu Onsen and Tenjindaira. But honesty I don't care where I ride if the conditions and company are good. Bring on December!

What about meeting some locals? A welcome change in pace and attitude to alot of the Aussies you meet up there.

Dunno if it still exists but try Wazzas World. It's located in Kutchan and was priced 1500yen a night. Fills your desire of cheap and a place to sleep(not much else tho!) Good luck.

I spoke to some Belgium pro riders in Niseko a few seasons back and they said the same thing. That Niseko has the driest, lightest powder they'd ever experienced. These blokes had riden all over the world too, even in obscure places such as Iran, India, Chile and Argentina so I guess they know what they're talking about.

Yep. Flew from Tokyo to Chitose with them a few years ago. Took a big wheelie type board bag and experienced no problems.