Will Lee

Oh man Markie, you were one of those unfortunately souls who were tricked into goinig down The Wall of Destruction (as my friends and I call it). That is NOT a trail for normal boarding consumption, I swear! I've seen too many people literally roll down that wall while taking the quad. Even my crazy one-footed skier buddy told me it was "not so pleasant." So to all you first time Teine Highland goers, get that "I can do this" mentality outta your head and stay clear of the very right side!

I'm stoked for you guys! I wonder how much longer before the gondola at Sapporo Int'l begin operation. I just found out this morning that Mammoth has already exceeded its snowfall record for the month of October at 64"...and it's still dumping hard as we speak! Gonna take my board to get it tuned after work today.

Hell, Travis Rice rides for them so they've gotta be doing something right.

From what I've been told the place is mostly skiers and kinda weak. Short lifts and courses aren't very well laid out. No real park and lift tix doesn't come cheap either. But don't just take my words for it...going check it out yourself. One of the main reasons I would bypass this joint is because there are several options in the area that are more attractive...Nozawa being one of them, Myoko Suginohara is another, heck, even Kita Shiga Ryuo looks tempting!

Sapporo Int'l (Kokusai), Teine Highland, Kiroro, even Rusutsu. They all have day-trip buses departing in front of Sapporo Station. If you just wanna hang with the boys, do some jib and catch some air then go to Makomanai (kinda hard to roll off your tongue).

From what I've heard the comments are usually positive. My only gripe with them would be that they're a bit bulkier, the plastics they use look on the cheap side and they cost much higher than your traditional bindings, relatively speaking. I believe FLOW's top of the line bindings for '04~'05 cost around $500. BTW, has anyone seen/demo'ed K2's top of the line for this coming season? The set-up is almost like FLOW's except they kept the "strap" design. Oh yeah, they'll cost you a pretty penny too. About FLUX, I believe it is a respected and reputable brand and in Japan it's got so

If you don't want to travel too far away from the city, try Sapporo Int'l (Sapporo Kokusai). Rusutsu's got lots of steeps for skiers to carve and don't knock Kiroro. Yes, it's not as big as Niseko (that's because it's 3 resorts combined into 1) but believe me you'll have plenty to play with for a whole day. Plus the snow condition is just as good and the resort is really nice and gives you a comfortable feeling as compared to nothing but minshuku in Niseko.

Ahh...it reminds me of the good 'ol dayz when I used to be able to designate Fridays as my "ride day." No lines, no crowds, slept on the overnight bus, first one on the lift, the same onigiri and green tea for breakfast. I miss Japan.

It's all up to your personal preference but I got a pair of DRAGON FOIL w/ dark amber lens last season and they worked great both down here in bright&sunny Southern Cali and up at Mammoth where the climate sometimes gets a little nasty. All I know is they sure beat the hell out of the crappy Oakley I'd been using for the previous 3 seasons and the Dragon never fogged up, not even once! Generally speaking Rose lens are for milder/overcast condition. But I think fit is also very important. Good luck.

Mammoth for me. It looks like they're opening up more trails everyday. According to the website they've already got a small park going...sweet! Gotta go get my "new" board waxed and prepped tomorrow after work.

Greetings, my fellow snow-loving SJ members! I was in hiberation mode during summer but I'm back. Not sure if anyone of you have heard but over here in Cali Mammoth Mountain opened last Thursday and I'm heading up there this Friday!! Originally the resort was planning to open on the 11th of next month but we've been blessed with unseasonably cold weather this month. I first heard about the "rumor" from one of my co-workers last Tuesday. At first I was doubtful but after checking the live cam on their website (www.mammothmountain.com) I was in shock and my jaw almost dropped to the

I'm surprised no one mentioned Shinshu Nomugi Toge. It's by no means huge but big enough to keep you busy for a day (no park though). Of course, Norikura Kogen Onsen is not bad, either. I'd put these 2 resorts up against any "lower Hakuba" resorts. The best part about these 2 places is virtually no crowd, even on weekends. If you're not willing to drive all the way up try Kamui Misaka by Kawaguchi Lake. It's got both an indoor area and an outdoor slope. They've got jumps and rails too but I wouldn't recommend going there on a weekend.

Does anyone know the peak elevation at Gassan? I'm debating whether I should hit up Mammoth this weekend one more time or not. Ahh...temptation

Hey, someone is actually mentioning the name of the mountain resort now I'm forced to call home. I'll check it out later but I doubt I've got the answer.

Not sure if you guys can get The Discovery Channel in Japan but I JUST saw our beloved Barok on TV here in the States! Damn Barok, you're famous! I wonder if Snow Japan will be hosting an autograph signing session soon...

Quote: Originally posted by arupensutairu: I'm interested in the baggy one-piece suits that the oh-so-cool snowboarders wear. AFAIK, these are not sold anywhere else in the world. Take a look... I love those brown rubber slippers...they bring back memories!

Our boy Barok is defecting to Noz! I wonder whether the patrols at 47 would beat him down even harder if he ever goes back there...

Quote: Originally posted by frannyo: I'd rather not go than be confronted by that kind of thing. It just spoils it. Wait until next season. No dude, you've gotta keep on shredding til there's none left! I'm heading up to Mammoth again next weekend (so I can finally pick up & start using my season pass).

You've only got a few choices so you can't be too picky. Hakuba Goryu/47 may still be open and Happo-One is usually open til GW. If you're situated close by go there. I hit up Shiga Kogen last GW and it was pretty pathetic...skating through bamboo fields while dodging dirt patches and rocks. Although '01~'02 season didn't see much snowfall, I remember Tashiro/Kagura wasn't bad at all for GW. If you feel the need to go out of the way then give Okutadami Maruyama a try. But I heard it was crowded and icy up there last season. Hope this helps. P.S. you WILL get slush anywhere you go

RIP...til next season.

I'd rather go to Tanbara (albeit smaller) and save myself from the grief of getting stuck in traffic. BTW, are they still charging boarders an extra 1000yen for that bullsh*t license (not to mention the "mandatory class")?

My buddy (a boarder) is going up there this weekend for a "mogul camp." I can't imagine what that's going to be like...

Quote: Originally posted by Markie: So are you saying AmTrack beats JR? Hahahaha...that's a good one!

Damn, that's one big mutha! I think I've only been able to clear rails 1/3? 1/4? of that. Hey Barok where do you go riding up in Wis? Here in Southern Cali you've got two choices...icy or slushy. But screw all that I'm heading up to Mammoth in less than 12 hours!

Nice sequence shot dude! Can I have you fly out to Mammoth this weekend to take some photos of me (mostly falling)? According to the forecast it's gonna be a white weekend!!