damian
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Posts posted by damian
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Hang on, I didn't use the word "normal" correctly. It wasn't a literal inference that it is normal behaviour for Americans. More so that pistol carrying and shooting is extremely unusual behaviour outside of places like America (and, more the benefit of making a point, Iraq).
The fact that it is around the campfire in a back country skiing trip is, to me, a totally bizarre and abnormal thing.
Owning guns for your hunting is your business. Shooting them at cans on safe land is also your own business. Carrying a pistol on a back country ski trip is scary, but also ones own business.... until TGR Movies decide to use the campfire shooting footage for self promotion. For many an American viewer, it might be regarded as unpalatable behaviour. But I reckon for a non-American viewer (or non-Iraqi) it is totally out of left field. "Like woooooaaah, what the hell!?" kind of stuff
If someone did that at a camp fire when I was there, I'd pack my stuff and leave.
Toque - its a gun designed for shooting people, and that is not the same as dicking around a camp fire with deodorant can flamethrowers. Its a gun on a promo clip for a major commercial pro skiing movie outfit.
Dizzy - if objecting to a gun in that setting is seen as old fashioned "complaining about youth these days" then see my original conjecture that this is becoming normal behaviour.
I'm not attacking Americans, I'm objecting to TGR Movie production people manipulating that kind of behaviour and whilst its not my business, I also raise my eyebrow that it is seen as funny or cool by the consumer group that they go for.
ps - being a trouble causing Australian, I was firing a few small sky rockets from my hand in the generally direction of some Japanese dudes camping on the beach near us one night in Izu. All the Americans I were with suddenly got super Politically Correct, anal and serious: "dude, that nooot cool". Shook their heads and turned their backs on me. Whilst they reacted like a pathetic bunch of dorks in the face of Australian larrikinism, at least they wouldn't condone gun-play.
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>but spud, your comment? come on mang, there are jerk offs everywhere
That's beyond Jerk-off if you are Australian, British, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, Austrian, Kiwi, Swiss, Japanese..... etc
And what's wrong with my comment?
I have never imagined that a person would own and travel with a semi-auto pistol, let alone fire it whilst sitting around a back country camp fire for a laugh [at explosive objects in the fire]. Especially when they are out back country skiing.
That's not normal behaviour for a non-American westerner like me. I don't agree with it at all. The fact that TGR Movies use it to prompt themselves tells me where to spend my movie money.
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Check out the closing scene in this clip at night around the camp fire.
That's not normal behaviour anywhere except America and Iraq.
So ends my interest in anything to do with TGR movies. What a load of shit.
http://www.tetongravity.com/viewer/Clip_TSS_EP08_COLLINS.aspx
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Here are four freeride board lengths, all 28cm wide. Made by people who so far claim to care.
http://www.venturesnowboards.com/index.php?inc=euphoria.html
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Girlfriend has been living there for 6 months, we rented a really small pad. Sadly those days are almost over (Paris days, not her).Quote:Originally posted by eskimobasecamp:
DB - you live in Paris now? EH? -
>so I appreciate this video for what it is
Gay porn.
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Oh dude, it hurt to read that. Why you man? Of all the people that could have said these horrible things why did it have to be you??!!! Why couldn't it have been some baggy arsed gansta wannabe wanker who I didn't like in the first place?Quote:Originally posted by Kumapix:
another video review by yours truly!
That by Forum
***************
Holy SHit!!!
The music was really good throughout the vid
The riding was awesome. They know how to make rails interesting
There was no big mountain riding
This is THE video you want to put on when you wake up in the morning before you go riding.
I dunno, I.... I just don't feel the same way about you now.
How could you say such things?
aaaaah, Kuma, why you? Why???!
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Beanie, yep its for my CAA1, all back country based which is great: no resort, no town. Just a remote mountain hut for 7 days.
Aftre the course do you wanna swing by and met up for two days of touring? It would be a Monday and Tuesday.
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If all goes to plan then by June next year I will have done 40 to 50 days.
Or I will be dead.
Or in prison for a crime I didn't commit.
Life is uncertain.
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Sure, thats certainly possible at the end of my Purcel Mtns trip when I return to Kimberly. I fly out from Cranbrook two days later.
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A guy I know once claimed that Chinese sounded crass. Strange adjective for a language.
Personally, I find almost any language other than English irritating after a while. They all have annoying features. I can't handle hearing my Japanese girl talking on the phone in J.
And even with English, some accents get on my nerves. Like the American mouthful of hot potatoes pronunciation of R. And their 'er'. I'd rather listen to some innit English guy all day than that.
In fact, verbal communication [censored]s me off all together unless I'm having an unusually good day.
French can be pretty. Some gentle soft eyed French ladies play acoustic guitar and sing in the subway near home in Paris. It sounds so nice.
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one of the boys.
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I've spent 5 minutes trying to open one of those bastards before.Quote:Originally posted by Kumapix:
here is the bakoda tool. get one similar:
Just bought myself a new lightweight Leatherman tool. Oooops, it doesn't have the big Philips head for the binding plate screws.
I tighten my screws every outing. I don't trust snowboard bindings at all. They are over hyped junk held together in such a way that constant care and maintenance is required. On the other hand, mid level ski bindings are safe and soundly constructed. There is way too much reputation to blow if you put a shit binding to market. Pity the quick-thrill teenage-image snowboard crowd wont hold snowboard manufacturing companies to the same standard. -
Get 4wd, its a no brainer.
Ever driven in fresh snow before?
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Hey Thomas, its good to hear from another D1 rider
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thanks Oyuki. I have a spare day at each end of my trip so will likely ride around the resort on both of them.Quote:Originally posted by Oyuki kigan:
db le pu,
i am from Cranbrook, and i grew up on Kimberly.
Cranbrook is by far the closest airport, and is midway between Kimberly and Cranbrook. Its about 15 minutes from the airport to either town. You can fly into it from either Calgary or Vancouver.
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Snosurf sorry for the bombardment mate - I set out trying not to be too tech for you, but failed. Too much jargon in one big lump. But you responded well to the flurry of posts regarding the avvy risk. Thats cool.
Besides the risks of riding alone in avalanche terrain, if there is anything to take out of this side topic it could be the causes and dangers of windslab on a 35 degree slope. Just focus on that for the moment. It is essential knowledge for any off-piste rider, especially in crowded Niseko when searching for fresh tracks after no fresh snow for a windy week, so you start sussing out protected gullies and groves into which the wind has blown snow and covered the crud (yes, I have read that in the Niseko Now reports).
I'll leave the research up to you:
http://access.jibc.bc.ca/avalancheFirstResponse/index.htm
Getting equipment is important, but keep in mind that letting crew see your beacon whilst eating some shitty curry rice for lunch in Niseko is irrelevant to being avalanche aware. Equipment is secondary: If I die in an avvy, I bet I'll be wearing my beacon at the time. Its the decisions that you make that matter. And decisions are based on info and knowledge. So get into it. You should all own beacon-shovel-probe, but this winter you can lead your mates in the knowledge department. And then if you come to the Alps in your travels next season I can take you out to do some big long steep couloirs that would make Fattwins shake
See you there.
OTHER STUFF, not to distract from the above:
My opinion is this:
1. if you don't know the angle, shape and aspect of a slope you are on/near AND
2. if you don't know the direction of recent wind AND
3. you don't understand why this is important
THEN: you shouldn't be off the groomed run at all.
Its like rocking up at the beach and not knowing what a rip is nor how to identify one. I'd tell a Swiss tourist in Sydney to swim between the flags if they didn't know.
I totally identify with the Australian mindset of "give it a go", "she'll be right" and "I lived to tell my tale". They play in my mind all the time. And I know that they will get you into trouble in the mountains. But mate, don't be the uninformed Australian that dies in an avalanche this winter. Take the time to do the online course.
(I'm not trying to preach, I just used to do exactly what you did and now that I know different I cringe at how much risk I was totally unaware of)
In some countries, perhaps. I have ridden slopes that patrol opened after blasting and failing to produce a slide. Hell, I have ridden over the little dirty holes in the snow from the small dynamite sticks they use. I felt safer, but not safe. The avalanche risk indicator that day indicated a risk of 3 out of 5. Loads of deaths happen on 3/5 days. Do Niseko parol blast? Do the fly avalanche risk flags? Do they supply new info each morning on recent weather activity and the things to look out for on different slope aspects?Quote:1 point though - The patrol opened the peak so one would assume that the snow-pack was reasonably safeps - Its good you noticed the cornice! They are the good buddy of wind slab. If there is fresh cornice then expect some slab. But no cornice does not mean no slab.
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Snosurf - sorry to push the point, but I think you missed it. Please don't feel criticised or attacked, you probably are really nice guy.
Reading your response, this is what popped into my head:
1. having av safety gear would have been almost useless to you since you were alone. And it doesn't prevent an accident anyway.
2. even if you were wearing a beacon, no one could see you anyway. So no one could rush to your aid and search for your buried quickly dying body. [i repeat from my first post: do not depend on other people seeing you in the first place]
3. you were over confident having ridden the peak several times in the last 2 weeks. Conditions change fast, especially after a day of wind and snowfall.
4. you cited wind and heavy snow had closed the peak. Wind causes windslab, which is snow that has blown into place from another spot and settled in a denser slab on top of the existing snow. Wind slab is arguably the number two cause of avalanche deaths. The number 1 cause is the people who trigger their own death slide.
5. you said you were not in any danger, but that was in retrospect. It sets a nasty precedent and reinforced the sense of "she'll be right" whilst adding nothing to your avalanche risk awareness.
6. how steep does a slope need to be for an avalanche? How steep is Niseko peak? How long do those steep bits have to be to result in death? FYI: 50m vert of 35 degrees will probably do it, even less if there is a side loaded gully into a terrain trap.
I honestly don't care if a person doesn't take any avalanche safety gear into the back country, so long it is just him and his mates. But if I am in the area, I'd prefer people to be properly equipped so that they can participate in a rescue of me if needed and so that my beacon search for them is not in vain. And obviously if you are part of my group on the day, you will have all the gear and have practised using it with me.
Check out the link in this post for an example of how easily you can die.
http://www.snowjapanforums.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/5/116.html#000008
Take this online Canadian Avalanche Association training course. I bet you learn something good.
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Quote:Originally posted by Rag-Doll:
Get the 7:10 am shinkansen - if you can't book line up early for a seat but even if you don't get a seat, the 7:10 is quite quick and you'll get there around 8:30. Go out of the Echigo Yuzawa station via the lefthand exit (as you walk through the ticket gate). Hail one of several taxis that are waiting there. Be sure to go straight out with no stuffing around (there is only a handful of taxis) to ensure you get a taxi. There are change rooms and coin lockers and gear rental at the Mitsumata ropeway building. There are other places near by that also rent if you can't wear Japanese sizes. You won't get first tracks but you it is possible to be on the snow by 9ish if you don't need to rent gear. Getting from Mitsumata to Yuzawa in the afternoon is a bit more of a scramble, but not really a problem and if you time it right you can be back in TY by 7.
You're out of control mate. I'm laughing after reading that. Mr Planning Geek reveals himself. Reminds me of me. Does he have time for a piss after the train or...?
And you forgot one bit: before getting in taxi, stick middle finger up at Snow Japan dotto comu web cam. -
Cheers Daver.
What resort is in the Kimberly area?
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Looks pretty close. Local bus should do it.
I'm going to the back country in the Purcell Mountains, staying in the Ptarmigan Lodge (after flying in by heli. Sorry, I'll buy some CO2 offset credits)
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So Calgary is the best international airport? I can get direct flights to there which is good.
I really don't want to rent a car to ultimately reach Kimberly as it will sit there unused for over a week. And sadly I don't have spare time to traverse the great nation of Canadia.
How do I get from Cranbook to Kimberly?
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Shock horror, ultra conservative SKI, conformist and some might say bland, reacted in the expected manner when tattoo was mentioned. If ever there was a 'just ignore him' moment, that was it.
The problem with tattoos is that undoubtedly, a lot of absolute morons have them whilst a lot of clearly not-morons don't have them...and that makes the entire idea easy to dislike.
In terms of appearance, who cares? Some people are born plain ugly, some people choose to get permanent tattoos, and some people dedicate their life to owning a home entertainment centre, a two car garage and a suburban home. Big deal.
In terms of being a social impediment: they are, unless you choose your social and work environment to suit your skin, in which case it controls you. And that issue doesn't just apply in Japan.
Yellowsnow, one possible take on this question:
> .... planing on getting my first one. But I like onsen after a good run on the slopes.
If something so small is a factor, then perhaps you shouldn’t jump at the chance to get a tattoo. Who cares about an onsen? I wouldn't let that shape my life and decisions. If that minor aspect concerns you then a tatt isn’t right for you at the moment. And if being judged and excluded concerns you then same result: don’t get a tattoo.
And, take this the right way: if, as it appears, you felt subconsciously motivated to tell people about your tattoo plans on the forum then… don’t get one.
Pan_head:
Yeah, I know you have heard it before.... but you have quite a bit yet to personally discover about Japan. Mate, don't rush into buying anything just yet, not before living there for some time. That place is a different world in ways that you cant imagine and whilst I now have stronger connections than ever to Japan, and quite miss many positive aspects, after 1 year living there I couldn’t get out fast enough, a common response. I ended up being stuck there for two years. Someone like me will go back there, but it will be with the benefit of programming my head in anticipation of the way things are; I’ll hit the ground prepared having put in a 2 year initiation/reconnaissance mission earlier on. Some popole love it off the bat and man more don’t. My advice: spend some serious time there first, get a job in a bar, live in the community. Do it for long enough so that the honeymoon is over. Then consider buying, not before.Of course, you could all tell me to stick my advice in my pipe and smoke it.
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If only I could correctly calculate the lag variable in the moving average of the missiles trajectory.
TGR movies, big turn off
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
You can all take your closing swings at me, get it out of your system. I'm quite relaxed with being the 'blithering' odd-one-out on this topic. And I don't care to 'convert' anyone either, so no need to act defensively. I've said what I think and note with interest who here thinks fooling around with semi-auto pistols in the back country and then giggling over it on a commercial ski footage is par for the course.
Ocean:. Playing with fireworks around the camp fire is an entirely different thing to playing with a pistol (and then commercialising it for the ski-porn watching masses). You know that. I mentioned that experience in Izu because I am honest. I don't strategically structure what I say so as to remove all possible points of manipulation by a debating opponent. If what I say opens up a weakness that can be exploited then so be it. I'm honest. I also mentioned the Izu thing because I wanted to highlight that I personally know Americans who are far for sensible than I am. I wanted to quell the "he's attacking American's" emotion that seemed to be building.
I guess the fact that I only own two ski movies, 4 dvds and haven't had a tv in 10 years has lead to my shock at what I saw and confirms that a life isolated from it is a good thing.
ps - I only saw Jackass on tv once in a hotel and they didn't play with guns, perhaps I got a boring episode.