RayInJapan

Hem Now - do you guys bring snow shoes with you? Its been over a month since we've been to Hakkoda last - thinking about going this coming Monday since we have that day off. We'll have to hook up next time we're up that way. Ray

Now I'm really beginning to feel old. I was in elementary school when "Joy to the World, an old 60's school song" first came out... But at least I'm not a grandpa yet!

Mine came with its name already written on it: Burton But occasionally I, like Ocean, change its name to things not fit for reading here...

..."subsequently a switch jump is a jump that goes uphill." say what?

Can't understand what their politicians are saying anyway, so what difference does it make? No different than America... Although I do wish I had the right to vote here so I could vote for the one guy who might someday have the guts to run on a platform that says: "I'll get rid of those loudspeaker vans that say 'vote for me' and drive through your neighborhood when the children are sleeping, or when you are trying to relax and watch TV, or at night etc..." Those are very annoying...

Mountain Biking is really cool, especially when you're able to clean a hill or obstacle that you couldn't before, then as you get fitter/better you do. I did alot in Okinawa but haven't up here yet, I guess cause most of my "warm" day weekends are taken up by weekends. Plus the wife isn't strong enough (or doesn't really want to) so rather than go by myself, we stick to jet skiing cause she loves that too. Thats the problem with having too many hobbies, you just cant do them all... Seen any Bears yet? Jared - I love that pic of the bear in the tree at Geto.

We like to kill time playing 9 ball on occasion, usually as a prelude to karaoke. We suck at it (billiards), but its still fun. Haven't played as much since we moved up here from Okinawa though...

MY - "keep them in the dark and feed them shit"... Kinda like the crap spewing from your keyboard? Terrorism has gotten way out of hand. Too many innocent people dying. Why fight? If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem.

I don't know, maybe it was cause I was only 10 when I started surfing (kids don't think/appreciate, they just do it), but for me, it was always the rush, especially when big waves came and I caught them instead of going over the falls. No thought process either - the waves always broke in the same spots so there was no thinking about being "in the right place", you just went. Wave jumping on a jet ski is a pretty big rush too - Like taking a big jump on a motocross bike but with a much softer landing. Keep in mind, that you don't have to have a surfable wave to be able to jump it. In

So far this winter, every weekend and holiday has been spent snowboarding. Can't imagine doing anything else cause the season is so short... When its warm enough to do so (8c/45degF+), and too warm to snowboard cause of slow slushy snow, we charge up the batteries and hit the lake with our jet skis (see pics on my member page). Last year we started on 31 March, and stopped on 10 November. We have dry suits of course. I like to mountain bike but the jet skiing takes up almost every day off - if I'm not riding, then I'm wrenching/modifying the skis in one way or another. I us

Seems that most mass murders, rapists, dumb bank robbers etc are in their 40s...I remember being a teen and thinking "those guys are old"... so the worst thing about turning 40, is reading a newspaper clip about some 40-something year old pervert committing a crime, all the while your subconcious is still thinking like when you are 18... ...and then realizing you are the same age as the perverts...

LMAO @ O11!!!!

I do have a daughter who will be 23 next week - going to college in Texas, and my 2 boys are back in Hawaii learning how to be adults all by themselves. But they'll all be here for a visit next Christmas - can't wait to teach them how to board. They're already decent at skating/wake boarding so I think they'll pick up pretty quick.

Its 10 deg C up here I hope this is a fluke, I'm not ready for winter to be over already.

dolphins are cool... db - if you have some time this summer, please come spend a weekend with me and my toys. We'd be out on the lake, which is good, cause riding a stand up is tough enough without having to worry about waves too. I swear I get more water up my nose riding it (falling off actually) than I did when I was surfing all the time. I'm serious about the offer - bring your board too cause there are some pretty good waves around here, especially if a typhoon passes waaay off shore. K - the Pepsi is my favorite. Very fast - over 120kph with accelleration that will dislocat

heh heh - which one?

Wow - I'm the old bastard of the bunch - almost 42...old enough to have grand kids but fortunately dont though I do have 3 children over 19.

Very good - almost riveting. I borrowed the first 3 seasons on DVD from a friend and we spent the next 2 weeks watching 40 epsisodes. Can't wait for the next season to come out on tape/dvd...

I have to agree there are A-holes out there on jet skis - the same as there are on skis, snowboards, motorcycles, fishing boats, and surfboards too. At least here in Japan you have to get a regular boat captains liscense (not cheap) before you can operate a jet ski so most folks here know and follow the rules. I grew up in Hawaii, and started surfing at age 10. Stopped at age 22 cause I wasn't in areas with decent waves but i'm thinking about getting back into it cause the waves up here near Misawa are usually pretty good. I still dream about surfing a lot so maybe this summer, I'll s

hmmm...I've never ridden a snowmobile, but I own 5 jet ski's. Been riding/racing them for 10 years, in lakes and in the ocean. There is no denying jet ski's have carbon fueled combustion engines, and the end result is some form of "pollution" (2 or 4 stroke motor, doesn't matter - it pollutes). Most of the hype over how much ski's pollute is fueled by environMentalists who prefer there are NO forms of combustion engines. They just pick on jet ski's cause ski's are in the minority but you can bet that eventually they are going after all carbon fueled motors, just like they do sno

I was gonna say there are pensions that let you but I see db already said it.

yes for all the reasons No Fakie said, plus one more: I'm stupid and will probably get going too fast for my ability someday and hit something. Also, you can get hurt by the guy who hits you from behind too. We had a guy get hurt really bad about 2 weeks ago cause someone plowed into him. Also a 6 year old boy who hit a pipe and was unconscious for over 2 hours (bad parents). My preference is to not wear one but my brain tells me - "Coma's are baaad. You can't jet ski in the summer if you're in a Coma". So I always wear a helmet. Now if I can just get to be g

In the interview I watched last night, he started snow boarding at age 6. He also skates and is very good at that too but doesn't compete in skate. A few pro skaters are worried he'll commit more time to to skating but he said Snowboarding is his passion...

Yes - as far as I know, the Ladies downhill is closed mon-fri cept for holidays, some of the Japanese "pro's" practice there from what we could tell when we went. There are a few "flat spots, but nothing that will stop you on a board, but there are plenty of groomed slopes where you can get lots of speed. I didn't see too many places you could go into the trees even if you wanted too. Given the right conditions, I think Shizu has a lot of potential but when we went, the skier/boarder ratio seemed like 70/30 with most of the skiers acting like they owned the place - running very fast

cigarette butts on the ground (and other litter thrown out car windows) and running red lights/not stopping at stop signs.