Thunderpants

Powder, so what is it like? Well first of all I have to say that I am in no way powder expert, so why am I writing about it? Because my first few experiences may help you who have never tried, to get started in a safe and fun way. And because I have been at the receiving end of this forum since the beginning of this season, and it is about time that I give a little time back. There are basically 2 things to consider: riding the powder and getting to it! I remember a similar thread I read last fall about powder. At that time, I had no experience with powder myself. I was wonderi

Just my opinion on video editing.... Adobe Premiere scores very few points with me, unstable and too complicated. I am using editstudio from puremotion www.puremotion.com , but not for snowsports.. i crash too much to want to bring my camera

I have to say Epic! i know the snow haven't been as much as last year, but thanks to some great inspiration from this site, i have been pushing my limits, explored "powder-land" and in general had 1000% more fun than the previous 3 seasons i have been here in Japan. had 11 days so far (not bad for an 8-18, mon-fri working man) ATB Thunder

and quiet

Hi! don't drink every night, alcohol is not a permanent solution to your problem! Try some light workout, small jumps, move your feet around in circles. Buy some warm slippers...what do i know?? hope it helps ATB Thunder

Hi cold-feet-and-hands-people Do you smoke? Smoking makes the blood vessels contract, and you get cold hands and feet! there are two things you can do 1. stop smoking 2. drink alcohol. Alcohol wil not make you warmer, but it will expand the vessels, beware though, a very bad advice against hypothermia ATB Thunder

I don't normally send links to news to my firends, but this one is on the "sick side" nice find! Hrrrrrrrr cough thunder

Dear Frannyo! I think it will be Montoya this year, not only because "It is BMW's turn" but because he has matured, he has got the car to do it, and because he is damn good! As much as i dislike MS (i will not call him scum from now on) i can not count him out. I am a great fan of Kimi-san and he is an outsider, but i tip him for 2005, and it is going to be fun to watch kimi and montoya fight it out in McLaren. But what about you? did i step on your toes with my anti-ms post? who do you tip? ATB Thunder

OKOKOK here it is! F1 is not about the best man wins! I belive that the drivers do their best, i don't belive that the drivers "agree" on who to win, it is not like that! if you have watched F1 over some years you will se that about 50% of the fans support Ferrari so "what is good for Ferrari is good for F1" (Bernie ecclestone's own words) The last 5 years Mclaren have come up with some very inovative solutions: berylium cylinders for their engines, Ferrari protested stating that berylium is a cause of lung cancer, yeah right they have no problem with Marlboro painted all over their ca

YUP! japanese politicians are, in my opinion thieves and clownes. Still people vote for them. Therefore the japanese people deserves their own situation. I know this is bit simplified. but we are indeed fuged. ATB thunder

I agree wint most of the neagtive opinions on Bush posted here, so no need to repeat that. Going to Mars is a very big desicion and i think that Bush should make an election issue out of that "if i get re elected i will bla bla bla" ... A country has the politicians it deserves. That is also the case with Japan. ATB Thunder

Hi! I have an old edge sharpner, the plastic kind that does more damage than good. My friend has a very nice all metal, super adjustable edge tool. He got it from a shop wich is not around anymore. As i get more and more into snowboarding, i realize that proper maintenance is very important. Good waxing for example makes such a difference, i have discovered. But to get to the point: do You know where to get a "real" edge tool? what do you use? and what is your setup? thanks snow brothers and sisters atb thunder

Hi! Wore my Giro Fuse for the first time this saturday. Loved it! no problems with goggels. Nice and warm, not uncomfortable, rather the opposite. My confidence used to be below my ability. Now it matches, and i had SO much fun (and no crashes) Now i hust have to get used to having a big(ger) head when i get in and out of the gondola. ATB Thunder

One Thunder to another... Move your swap file to your D drive My computer/Properties/Advanced/performance/settings/Advanced/Virtual memory/Change...(do your thing) ATB Thunderpants

Been into F1 for 15+ years, but last season i kinda had enough. It seems to me that the thing is fixed. This year it is Williams turn to win. After Bernie helped Ferrari and M. Scum to his 6. title last year, BMW and Frank are next in line. There is too muck money involved to risk a fair result. FW will get 2 years on top, and then it will be Renault, then McLaren. Still i went to Suzuka in 2003 and it is a great show. I love it! but don't call it a sport! ATB Thunder

hmm yeah, they come up with new things every year Check this out : http://www.ridehead.com/ and yes i own one the question is if the technology actually works or not? To be honest, dont know, but it is a great board that has improved my riding a whole lot. all i need is some more snow under that board in minami alps, but i can look at it this way: this weekend will give me a great chance to test my board in icy conditions, unless i find the energy and money to go to Hakuba ATB Thunder

I'm happy for you Hakuba going people, BUT i am so unhappy with my Ontake Season pass no snow there, even Norikura got 25 cm (u win fattwins) Ontake... 0 cm i just can not make it to Hakuba Have fun!! ATB Thunderpants

So, how do you do it? I read about you guys going to Hokkaido, i check the weather forecast, look at the webcams and make imaginary runs down The Niseko slopes (whitout ever being there!) With only weekends off work, and not unlimited acces to hard japanese currency, Hokkaido seems like a no-go for ordianry people in Shizuoka, or am i missing something like bargain airplane tickets or time warping. Any tricks you would like to share? Thanks in advance (i don't want to make "thank-you-posts" every 2 hours, but your input is realy appriciated!) ATB Thunderpants, who is inc

hehe, i did not use that term "Ms. Thunderpants" on purpose but if you must know, she is a very tolerant person, an expert surfer, and the best part: she loves me! But i have been away every weekend since seasonstart, did the "getaway" for 4 days during shougatsu. spent all of my summer bonus on gear, and still spending those hard-to-come-by ichi man bills as fast as i can on my addiction. Time to show some appriciation ATB Thunder (sorry for the spelling)

Funny, Fattwins, i was going to recommend the opposite. Ontake is way bigger than Norikura. it is not a small place! Ontake though, probably wins the prize for worst homepage in japan, ugly, not informative, and those 2 webcams?!? they are a complete turnoff. But i'll recommend the place over Norikura anytime (to people at my level anyway) I've spent 7 days at Ontake so far this season, and one at Norikura. I am no Expert boarder, i don't go to the board park, (Ontake got it) i like to stay on the ground and i don't know much about back country, something that you, Fattwins

I'll recommend Kiso Ontake! looooong ride, board park, Gondola, high altitude. backcountry?? dunno, if anyone knows the place better, i too would love some info! i really like that place and the people there, but so far the whole resort is not open, but you can still get a 4 km ride. We still need the last 2 km at the bottom and the "Champion course" to open. Yeah, i know Hakuba and Nozawa are better, but Ontake (and Norikura) is as far as i can make it alone on a friday night, driving alone. ATB Thunder (now with less gas:) )

1 meter must me REALLY nice to my wife this week, to get permission to go... ATB Thunder

So, what are the "Snow Japan expert's" thoughts on this week?? I'm still a novice at looking at the snow data maps, but i seem to remember O-11 talking about the "big" snowmen lined up for days before he was happy, i see only small snowmen now ATB Thunder

All night Ideling cars in the parking!!!!

I went! Saturday and Sunday i went to Ontake. The conditions was not the best, but at least the moutain was covered with snow (20-40 cm) and it was cold! I was able to hike the last 1000 m to the top and lay some tracks, that was sweet!! Some times my wife drags me in the water for surfing when the conditions are bad, small and closing waves, and you end up having a lot of fun anyway. My Ontake experience was just like that. It felt Great to snowboard, it was nice to be in "winter-land" and it was wonderfull to feel al little freedom on the road. You can either sit in front of