Higuma

No, that means that Whistler/Blackcomb does not have the "best" snow conditions in North America... I think in the latest Magazine reports - SKI, I think - Whistler is still #1 overall but only ranks #5 for snow conditions...

Here's a breif overview on Halloween...... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Next to Christmas, Halloween is the most commercialized celebration in the United States and Canada. This ancient festival originated far from North America however, and centuries before the first European set foot on the continent. The ancient Druids who inhabited what we now call Great Britain placed great importance on the passing of one season to the next, holding "Fire Festivals" which were celebrated for three days (two days on either side of the day itself). One of these festivals was call

On a more civil note... I would agree that buying shoes / boots Online would be both problematic and a real gamble... I think it could be a little bit better for ski boots because you can always check shell size - which I have always used for a good starting point when boot shopping... But for snowboard boots there is no such luck..... This brings up another question... what is it like mail ordering something from overseas - US, Canada, Aus - and getting delivery here in Japan ?? Also, what happens if you have to return something ?? Do the normal rules apply as if you where in t

Okay sports fans.... Here's how you can test your Skills of Concentration and Observation.... So.......Where's Waldo?............ And the final test to see if you graduate....

Or if you want to see their "Japanese" site.. Yup they have a Japanese language site... Ski Fernie - Japanese Langauge Site

Fernie is a town in British Columbia, Canada.. It is well know as a small out of the way "Country" atmosphere town which is blessed with great outdoor recreation opportunities and great winter snow and skiing conditions... If you want to learn more go here: Fernie Parks and Recreation or Fernie Ski Company Cheers...

Hutch, Hope you enjoy Fernie... I haven't skied there in about 10 years so I can't profer advice.... I have friends in Kaslo and they say that it's heaven on earth.... Last time I went through Kaslo / Fernie area I was the proud recipient of a rather hefty speeding ticket - so my memories of the area are not that good... Things in BC have changed a bit in recent years.. my advice.... don't read the newspapers or watch BCTV News as it's so depressing.. just ski. live and love.. Enjoy the POW... it's some of the best there is but don't be a stranger we're only

Mugnuts.. Didn't want to offend you delecate sensabilities.... Your veiws are your own and I respect that.. really I do.. honest... What I was stating was only my Own veiw based on personal experience at both mountains... although limited here in Japan to one season... As I tried to say, Whistler is certainly not the be all and end all when looking at purely snow conditions... On this point we agree... but for me the overall experience is based on far more than just snow quality... Also, although I am a skiier, I did snowboard for 1 full season without touching

Fattwins, I am Canadian and lived / played in BC for a little over 20 years.... I now live in Sapporo with my wife who has lived on Hokkaido all of her life... I put a few good years in at Whistler as a regular but I was situated outside Vancouver in the Fraser Valley... so I had lots of access to the interior mountains when it was too wet to play on the coast... Nearest I can tell I am one of the oldest members of the forum at almost 42.... But still 17 inside when on skis.. Being this old affords you some practical experience..... One of the points I was t

Sam, For next years trip check out these for Pristine Powder... It really doesn't get much better than these places.... I am sure that Powder Mag has a lot to say about them.... Red Mountain BC Mike Weigele\'s Heli Skiing in Blue River BC Ski Fernie BC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FERNIE MOUNTAIN STATISTICS AVERAGE SNOWFALL 875 cm or 29 feet+ VERTICAL 2,811 feet or 857 metres ELEVATION Base: 3500 ft/1,068 metres | Top: 6316 feet/1925 metres TERRAIN 106 defined trails | Five Alpine Bowls | 2

Sam, Sam, Sam.... You just can't understand until you've been to both and only then you can make the comparison... And there is NO comparison.... If how good a mountain is depends on the quality of the snow then places like Blue River or Red Mountain in BC kick the crap outa anything Niseko can put down for snow or powder.... Search these mountains on the net and read up... The original post seemed to be a direct comparison of Niseko vs Whistler and not Niseko Snow Conditions vs Whistler Snow Conditions... No insult intended but next year go to Whistler and then let us know

NOOOOOOOO CONTEST.... 700 skiable acres - Whistler Blackcomb combined - almost twice as much as any other mountain in North America and about 10x any 3 resorts in Japan combined... 5,300 vertical feet - come on a "mile" of vertical.. I know that the snow is not as consistant as we might like on the BC Coast... But the mountain wins by itself.... and that's without getting into the clubs, hotels, chicks, etc.., etc.., etc.., I love Hokkaido, but there is simply NO contest comparing anything here to Whistler....

Enderzero, Sorry for the slow reply - busy day... Firstly I have to admit that my mountain experience here is limited - Hokkaido only and even that is limited to the 4 times I got out in late spring conditions... been here less than a year... But, the groomed terrain is comparable to our neck of the woods just shorter runs and a bit narrower - kinda like the clothes There certainly isn't any 18,000' vertical before noon like at Blackcomb but it's snow and it's fun... As far as powder... You will never get the terrain, depth or steeps like at home... but the

Okay, with all the talk regarding a Boarding only Mountian the ? / Poll begs to be asked... How do you feel / what would you support....

Enderzero... You have made the penultimate point.. a resort of any kind that segregates skiers or boarders just futher inflames the problems by limiting your Mountain day friends to that of the same discipline.... You being from Seattle and myself from Vancouver originally - you undstand that, for the most parts, Skiers and Boarders coexist happily most of the times... I tend to not ski where the boarders go and vice versa... At a place like Mt. Baker or Blackcomb I have never had a incident except - as I said before - where a GS Boarder was out carving up troughs in the groom..

How can you possibly not like dessert, living in Japan.... The Japanese pastry chefs have taken the whole dessert thing to a higher level...

On the walk home from the subway tonight in Sapporo 20:00 hrs. 9.4 deg. C... almost chilly out there...

The standards for flash media is universal and you will have no pronlem finding a card at a good price - and potentially duty free as well... Compact flash, smart media, memory stick, super disk... anything you need they got and a at considerable discount compared to overseas... I could check a price for you if you let me know the type...

Sam, Wait till you get here to purchase any memory sticks.... usually flash media, compact flash, memory sticks etc.., are about 30% cheaper here in Japan... I am surprised that Talisker hasn't gotten in on this thread yet.. he's in Niseko and I am sure could fill you in on the local info ( night life / internet conection )... perhaps he's away... knew he was going to be in Sapporo over the weekend...

Quote: Originally posted by Ocean11: But how about the throw-it-in-your-face line that I kept getting when I asked if the current ski resort was the end of the evolutionary road? 'They MUST know what they're doing. What, all you armchair economists know better?!?!?!?' I agree that ski resorts need to be forward thinking and change with the times.. I for one agree that the way of thinking you stated is most detrimental BUT.. what I want to know is.. DO you think that there is enough money out there to be spent within the snowboarder demographic for a segregated resort to be successfull

Here's another casual observation for comment... Strike #1 - My experience with watching boarders has been that the vast majority of them are not the high disposable income types - perhaps un-like yourselves - that the Resorts want to attract necessarily... Strike #2 - My thoughts were - again unlike most of you - the majority of boarders where in the 12- 22 age bracket and therefore not of the demographic that makes alot of purchases beyond the lift ticket... Strike #3 - Alot of boarders that I have met are lunch-baggers and will do anything to avoid spending a buck or two... e

Was going through some old photo archives and found these of the "Super Demo Days" at Whistler/Blackcomb this past spring - April, I think... Now if we could just the manufacturers to do the same here somewhere..... Andrew??

Sam.. I think it helps to be over here and be able to experience it a few times before forming a decision... I used to laugh my arse off at friends who would do this back in Canada.... but once here it's a little different... part of the culture... hard to avoid... And, like most other things in life, your level of enjoyment is sometimes entrenched in what you put into it... Certainly not all Japanese think it's the coolest thing either... but I think it's akin to standing around drunk with yer' mates and singing footie songs or chanting for the local rugby team... To

Just a little pre-season eye candy for the skiers... and for the boarders too...

deebee.... "though does't protest too much".. Your utter distaste would sugest a tramatic experience somewhere in you Karaoke past... Pray tell...Please tell us the story that has made you feel this way... or are you the kind of person who doesn't like stuff "just because"??? Like many things in Japan, Karaoke is part of the social fabric and as such should bear some tollerance - even if you sing like crap, look like hell or are a social leper... I for one fit one or two of the aforementioned, but still enjoy a little sign song around the "Japanese" campfire every once in a whi