daver

Hey everyone, Long time no post. But that's what happens when life catches up with you. I stopped by the site to see if anyone had posted golden week trip reports, but so far my search has been fruitless. Anyone score some big lines over the holidays?

it might not be worth it now. i don't know the conditions anymore on account of no longer living there, but it is usually pretty soggy by this time. but pm me and i can likely direct in the right way for some sweet turns.

nice soubs! i was getting all nostalgic over those photos. soubs is bang on with that mountain, lots of strange planning problems, and the mountain can be flat. there are tricks to riding it properly. BUT, if you know how it is a real treat.

and if so a REAL guide, not like the guy who led his group of unprepared guests into a slide last year.

yeah stay away!

did we try getting into that area years ago with zero success and spent a good hour walking through a field? are you telling me i'm going to have to make a summer ski trip up to zao next february?

Gateway to Paradise? am i to assume it is near the paradise area? how did we miss that? did you get a camera recently? soft landings, katsu kicks ass.

"But let's be honest, Hokkaido is better for snowboarding/skiing. It's like going to the Rockies vs the Appalachians in North America." are you kidding? which area is which? have you actually been to nagano? it's a freeskier's dream come true! BIG LINES, with huge snow falls. not to get into this seemingly never ending debate, but, if you can ski steep sustained lines, and are willing to do a little work for them, hakuba is your place. with good stable snow pack you can have lines unlike any you ever thought possible after only a short boot pack from the lift, and typically they take you

thanks toque. yeah it is good to be back. it took a bit of adjusting though. and now that i have finally found a way to fit in here i'm up and leaving again. can't pin me down. actually i'd love to plug your brain about the kootenays and teaching prospects if you have the time.

Originally Posted By: samurai I was just curious because they look so skinny. Feb 2nd, eh? Sweet packing to ya. (the wife will be in thailand june through august. NZ may be feasible if we're not upside-down broke after that.) yeah man, make your way down. broken river dude.

yeah, he is doing real well all things considering. he is skiing three to four days a week and rippin it up.

Originally Posted By: samurai Nice shots, daver. Thanks for that. What Dynaster is Mtnlion on in that first shot? Keep us posted on your NZ travels too. A meat pie TR would be swell. i think they are the legend pro, but i don't really remember. you know i don't get hung up over that sort of thing. we leave on the 2nd so you'll have to wait a few weeks for a thorough meat pie TR.

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've been involved here. Things are shaping up for a hell of a season here in Canada. A hell of a dangerous season as well, given the avi hazard. I'm heading to New Zealand in less than two weeks so my season has pretty much wrapped up, but I have been able to wrangle a few days in the mountains. Here's the proof! My first week was spent hanging out in the Bow Valley with old friends from my skiing bumming days. This is my buddy Dave (TGR mtlion) on "The Shoulder" at Sunshine Village, Dave in Tee Pee Town Chutes at Sunshine, D

i know there is no standard in snow safety in japan, but is there a paramedic standard that all pro patrols need to have?

you know, for your first time in the country and being interested in extra ciricular activities, (do these mean cultural or strictly beer oriented?) i would recomend nozawa onsen. the mountain is big and has lots to offer, has great snow, and the historic little town(litteraly lift side) has a wonderful asthetic with some great bathes and some cool bars. there are also a number of places that are english friendly. don't get me wrong hakuba is amazing, but it is bigger (several different resorts) and as such you won't really have the time needed to get a good feel of what each mountain offe

weather report suggests upwards of a meter worth of snow in the next three days. just in time for the new year. be sure to post pics!

there is a canadian guy who did that same sort of thing a few years ago. name is rick mercer. the trouble with this type of comedy though is that they don't show the hundreds of people asked who don't make fools of themselves.

look up samurai before you go. he can show you everything worth riding at zao. otherwise you might find yourself scratching you head a lot.

Originally Posted By: bobby12 So what, we are supposed to take this country and their religion seriously now? These guys saved Mohammed from dire humiliation? I really think some people do not have any brain in their head. you're mincing two separate issues here. nobody takes the sudan seriously in regards to its human rights record. ie darfur!!!! but there is no reason to belittle islam or its millions upon millions of devote, passive, and tolerant followers for this. come on man, get a grip.

did you catch the name of the company; felcher! that's horrific.

maybe so gary, the mosaic of multiculturalism is less than perfect. but that is a far cry from blatant state supported racism. thursday, this is aside from the point. we are not comparing racism in japan to racism in other countries. we are discussing racism in japan and its implications on japanese people and the foreign community who try to call it home. albeit there is racism in all places on all levels, some countries make an effort to combat the problem and create a venue for legal action. "Why the qualification? If you are not white, then you are not American. " wrong! the titl

the sign is usually on snack bars with japanese girls. not so often when the girls are from elsewhere in asia. so you don't want to go into a snack bar, the sign doesn't affect you. however, what happens when it is an onsen? that happens. also, gyms and apartment complexes sometimes have policies which forbid gaijin entrance. or even worse what happens when you enter an optometry shop and the owner yells at you to leave, you bring the situation to court, the defendant openly admits he hates people like you and the judge sides with the defendant on the terms that as gaijin you could not h

are you from new york city, or up state? if you know how to drive snow, you know how to drive snow.

racism in japan is certainly more benign than in other countries, but that doesn't mean it is more or less good. it certainly is not physically harmful now, at least as far as the media will let you know about it, but the benign, casual racism here has had a history of turning severely more brutal. not unlike anywhere else, sure, but like everywhere else japan should be held accountable when deserved. i did my best to avoid the bigots but i ran into them enough for it to not surprise me when it happened. my japanese friends of course never liked it when it happened either, however even th

just try asking any japanese person even the most benign questions about china or korea. you will be likely disgusted. i was amazed to hear the hate spilling out of the mouths of the people i worked with. educators no less!