Markie

Are you kidding? When I was last in Hokkaido hardly any of the J-girls had black hair. In fact, that was almost always a sure way to spot the Chinese in a crowd of Japanese...those that were loud and had black hair.

I think the incredibly enticing thing about skiing (I don't know about boarding but I expect it's similar) for newcomers is how much you can improve with each outing. I have found that there is always something I can do each time that I couldn't do before and there is always at least one slope I find each time which I thought was difficult before but then mastered. It is a great thrill from the sense of accomplishment. Since I am still between a beginner and intermediate skill with plenty more to learn, I still get this feeling. But I'm sure for the veterans, it's much more difficult to move

Are you back in Japan, now? Must have been good going back to "jolly ol' England".

Yeah, the 12 hour ones are the worst and usually take at least a week. Anything more than that is actually better, cos a 20 hour time difference is actually only 4 hours difference in the other direction. I usually make a trip every year to Ottawa in the Summer (exactly 12 hours)and I have never gotten used to the time lag each year.

Thanks for that bit of info, Higuma. Now I don't know whether I am overjoyed or worried. But I sure can't wait to go back there again. BTW have a great time in Rusutsu, that shouldn't be hard!

ICI in Tanuki-koji! Very impressive shop for snow sports. Great variety of high quality stuff at reasonable prices. I can never get myself to leave once I step inside. Luckily my Japanese is not too good and neither is the English of their staff, otherwise they'd have no trouble selling me half the shop.

Oh, so Alpina is the brand and Edge is the model, you mean? Ha! I thought Edge was the brand! Silly me.

Edges are by Heads? Really? I always thought they were two separate brands. I have a pair or Edge-Alpina and a pair of Head-EZon. Anyway, like I said, don't know much about boots!

Going back to the question of the 6 naked women...I believe the original question was "Ideas for heating van for sleeping". I really can't see how anyone is going to get any sleep with six naked women in the van! I can just imagine the predicament and the ensuing dialogue:"Markie, I'm cold...me too...hey what about me...etc" Definitely not getting any sleep.

I don't know too much about boots. However, I thought it is just a funny coincidence reading your choices, sunrise, because I bought two pairs last year: a pair of Heads and a pair of Edges.

Keep counting, my friend, with a little more effort I might be able to squeeze in a decent skiing holiday in the future.

Yeah, I did the Free Passport thing last year in April and tried out all the courses in all the areas (except them blackies). However, if you are only doing a day trip you could consider doing only one area a day and save since the normal lift passes are cheaper. For example, you could do Annupuri on one day, Higashiyama on another and then Hirafu (including Alpen, Kogen and Hanazono) on another. Try to get a Gelande map in advance and plan your route then you can make the best of your time. Trying to do more than one area in one day is possible but quite hectic. You would probably enjoy yours

The Free Passport is 4500Y for a 1-day pass up to 4.30p.m.. The 2-day pass is 8800Y which includes the nighta for day 1 and ends at 4.30 of day 2. The 3-day and 4-day passes are 12300Y abd 15800Y respectively including the nightas and ending at 4.30pm of the last day. There is also an extra 1000Y charge as a deposit for the pass which you can get back at the end by depositing it into one of the many machines all over design specially for collecting used passes.

Oh yes, NoFakie, no shortage of gorgeous sexy gals in HK. Appearance wise, just as appealing to me as the J-girls. However, it's the J-gal culture and personality which turns me on. I also have some Japanese female friends who were born and bred in the U.S.. They didn't have the same appeal.

Yes, Niseko links up at the top. You can either buy a "Free Passport" which gives you access to all of them and is a bit more expensive or separate ski passes to each area. There is an Annupuri pass, a Higashiyama pass and a Hirafu pass. The Hirafu pass covers Kogen, Alpen and Hanazono.

I agree with kamoshika on the socks. I hate cold feet and numb toes, but wearing thick socks doesn't help much. Good boots help the insulation the most and thin socks are important for comfort and good control in your skiing. However, I discovered Montbell has some nice thin fleece socks and I find these are great for skiing. Furthermore, don't be scared by the cold temperatures. I hate the cold and my friends laugh at me for wearing a fleece jacket in my office because I find the air-conditioning too cold. In fact, right now, it's 14C here in Hong Kong, yet I am wearing more now here tha

You crack me up, enderzero! Btw, sunrise, I notice you have Furano as your favourite resort, followed by Niseko East-Mt. Furano is one of the other places I would like to try out (the others being Kiroro and Tomamu). So what was so great about Furano to make it your No. 1 choice?

That's an easy one! In the weekends, he surfs the snow or the water depending on the season and his location. On weekdays, he surfs the net. A very full-time job if you ask me.

You're missing the point, indosnm. For me, poring over the map weeks in advance is part of the pleasure while you're waiting to get there.

Quote: Originally posted by sunrise: Markie, your post isn't frivilous it's right on topic. Don't worry about that one, it's just part of an on-going joke between ender and me. Carl is such a great guy, I would never have wanted to put him through any trouble, it's was sort of a "did you happen to have a ski-pass in your drawer which I could borrow?" kinda question. As for the wrist-guards, I only put them on when I do moguls or jumps or other crazy things. And when I do these, I don't hold poles so I can't really answer you whether it affect the pole grip.

Don't worry about the egg-rolls. They are in an air tight tin and are edible and crispy for months, though in my experience, they never last that long once they are within my reach. Them wrist-guards are cheap and not really noticeable once they are on, just an extra precaution I suggest you try. Day trips to Niseko are definitely easily done and highly recommended. There are regular bus services so just check with reception and they'll set you up. It's only 30 mins away so there is no need to stay overnight, and believe me, once you're set up in Rusutsu you won't want to stay in Niseko, j

Sorry, for the confusion. When I said agent, I meant travel agent. And my knowledge of music is limited, as is my talent for it. BTW if you can make it to HK that would be great but even if that's a bit to far off maybe we can meet up with db at sometime in Japan.

Hey, S_Freak, as a collector of trail maps I can have one in the mail for you if you give me your address. It's A4 size, covering Annupuri, Higashiyama, Alpen, Kogen and Hanazono and in full colour BUT in Japanese. So just let me know if you can't wait.

Naughty naughty, indosnm. What was with you name change a few weeks back? Do you ever check you private mail in "my profile"? I sent you a private message a few weeks back.

I've been to Niseko, Sahoro and a small place near lake Toya. All round, Rusutsu is the best for the luxurious resort facilities. Niseko Prince Higashiyama is also very luxurious and as far as skiing goes, Niseko is the best. But for overall enjoyment, I choose Rusutsu. What do you mean by doing a "gig". Don't confuse me with sunrise. I would love to be able to do gigs, but you need talent for that. No, my trip to France is just skiing, that's all and it's going to be a lot cheaper than going to Japan.