Oyuki kigan
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Posts posted by Oyuki kigan
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SKIS?!?
Be off, young whelp!
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Originally Posted By: triplerinteresting what you say, Jynxx. I sometimes ponder what the perfect job for a chronic snow addict is. I'd say barman because they don't have to start work till after the lifts close, leaving them all day to do their own skiing. But in Japan if your Japanese isn't good you're probably more sure to gain employment as an instructor. Downside - you have to nursemaid crying kids all day and maybe not get to do any of your own skiing. Upside - you're a cool ski instructor who all the girls want to sleep with. It's a tough one...
Snowboard instructor isn't bad at all (in most places in the world).
I've been lucky enough to work near Vancouver, in Banff, Whistler, and a few places in Japan. Since its assumed that you are there to ride, most places overseas give you season passes (unfortunately not so in Japan, you need to wear your uniform if you want to use the lifts at some places).
But generally, you get to ride as much as you want, or work as much as you want. And average resort might work like this
You get to work at 8ish, and have the option of going up for session with the other instructors (on powder days this just means straight pow riding) and you are back for whenever the lessons start.
The lessons are announced, and whoever wants to work usually does, and its not really a problem except on powder days.
You do your lessons, try to get your students to have a safe, fun time and show them how to get better and enjoy more of the sport, and thats it.
Not bad, and not much money either. But you have the best office in the world. -
thought this might be interesting to students and instructors alike.
i've worked at Japanese resorts as an instructor now for 4 seasons, going on 5. In that time, i have seen many, many odd things done by Japanese instructors that don't jive with what i was taught in Canada by the instructor courses there. Akward teaching strategies, over-complicated explanation, 2-hour long meeting talking about technical points, and an obsession on carving.
All of those things were given a new perspective two days ago when i learned a very interesting and bizarre fact
the Japan Snowboard Instructor Association (JSBA) does not really teach instructors how to instruct. Literally.
In Canada, we are on-hill for the majority of instructor training, learning the skill progression for different techniques, as well as different strategies for teaching them.. There is also some classroom time and a written test, but the big thing to pass is the practical, on-snow exam where we not only have to demonstrate different techniques, but teach them in a mock lesson.
In Japan, the emphasis is on riding skill, and the actual teaching is mostly ignored. It is taught in the classroom, but there is no actual on-snow practice. Japanese instructors are not taught how to instruct, and when they do, they are pretty much winging it.
Not to say that all Japanese instructors are inept, nor that all non-Japanese instructors are amazing, but the fact that JS(BS) qualifies instructors without actually teaching them how to 'instruct' still boggles my mind.
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i tried skiing for the first time in about 17 years a few seasons ago, and couldn't get into the poles thing either. It was more fun to ride without them.
However, after 4 runs, i couldn't get back into the skiing thing, either.
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Forget Tokyo, that stuff is picked over and almost impossible to find anything. The gems are in the smaller cities/towms within an hour of the hills. I've seen amazingly cheap stuff and rare boards (in great condition) in Tochigi and Nagano prefectures.
My girlfriend got a pretty much brand-new Santa Cruz board, boots and bindings for 3000 yen, and sold the boots and bindings for 2000 on yahoo.
I've found an Option kevin sansalone in mint condition for (w bindings) for 7000 yen, and a classic Burton 7 (handpainted by Jason Brown, with bindings) for 5000.
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My girlfriend was telling me about this a while ago. The old saying was 'carnivorous guys' (肉食男å or something like that to explain 'macho', but now the 'herbvacious' term has come to explain guys that aren't really interested in girls or other 'manly' aspects of trad. japanese culture.
It was kind of a joke, because when my friend first introduced me to my girlfriend, she said 'Oyuki is a 'è‰é£Ÿç”·å ' (a joke because i'm vegetarian) but loves sex."
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may i humbly suggest the next time you visit a crowded resort playing J-shlop and blatant food propaganda, you invest in an ipod and have Ludacris' song "Get out the way" on repeat.
That or the Misfit's "Last Caress"
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continuing in the context of the copenhagen summit, here is some inflammatory commentary (with a bit of humor)
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Cheers!
Merry Christmas
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i was in Karuizawa last year, and saw a guy walking his fluffy toy whatever though the outlet mall. the dog had on a little judo outfit, complete withblack belt, and i noticed it had a name embroidered on the back-
Beckham.
If you can do worse Thursday, i want to see photos.
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and some slightly-more up to date info on soy
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1665
(only 10 years old)
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Rob, first off, i should say that i'm alaso not stoked on all those thigs you mentioned (water consumption, GM crops, pesticides, ect)
But a huge reason we grow all these crops, not to mention destroy rainforest and divert huge amounts of water is to raise animals.
The maybe about 15 years ago the UN estimated that we actually grow enough food to meet the caloric needs of all the people on Earth. But instead, we feed it to animals. This is increadibly inefficiant and a waste of resources.
Think about it, how long does it take to feed a cow through pregnancy, and then feed the calf until a slaughterable weight? How much grain does that consume? How much water? What if humans consumed that grain directly?
Most estimates i've read say that to grow a kg of beef, it takes about 10 kg of grain, and maybe 100 liters of water.
an estimated 2/3rds of all farmland in the US is devoted to livestock in one way or another.
And because of issues with GM foods, its unacceptable to feed much it directly to humans, but is legal for animal.
So yeah, all that waste of farmland, grain (and all the water and pesticides that go with it) are not going to be made worse be not eating meat, the ARE worse precisely because of the way we raise animals.
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It was never turkey in my house, always duck or goose.
I'll probably just end up going out and having some soba.
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Originally Posted By: thursdayI was thinking about this footage when I was shopping for a turkey. Ended up with an ultra expensive free-range from the states.
There were loads of butterballs, but that East Anglian accent of that bloke in the turkey fram in the vid put me off.
both I and the turkey salute you
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Originally Posted By: RobBrightand where did you get that amount from, as if it was wikipedia, that number was from the 1960s'
From a book in the late 80's, but i try to keep up with the reading and haven't seen any different numbers given. perhaps you have a more up-to-date percentage that still makes your statement look ridiculous? -
these guys do an awesome cover of that song in... you guessed it, Ukranian.
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Originally Posted By: RobBrightwhat else are we supposed to eat Paul?
GM crops?
Crops that are over watered and fed with chemicals to stave off the insects and pests?
Rob,
where do you think most of the overwatered, chemical-fed GM crops go to?
Here's a hint, over 90% of the soybean crop in the US and much of the GM crops are NOT produced for human consumption. -
Um, Thursday, can we talk?
the um... animal rights thingy stuff... well, thats my gig. i post the reactionary stuff, and you add some dry sarcasm. Thats the way its supposed to work. You stealing my fire!
Pezby
As for nothing changing, please get real.
strict animal treatment laws are in place in much of Europe, due to information like this and the efforts of activists. America still has extremely lax laws, but got MUCH better after the publication of 'Diet For A New America'. Even McDonalds has improved the conditions for the chickens it buys due to outside pressure.
As for Japan... well, they still are cool with filleting a fish alive, have no influential animal rights orgs like PETA or the SPCA, and dress their pets in the most humiliating outfits...
And if you don't like what you see, than you can at least refuse to give those industries any money, and purchase free-range meat (preferably from conditions you can see for yourself) or reduce the amount you consume.
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then you are one of the lucky ones.
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Picklehead, the "new fashion"? I assume that you are new to the slopes?
i've been wearing my pants low since for about 16 years now, but there is a fine line when 'comfort' becomes 'waddling like a duck to keep your pants from falling off'.
I saw some guy like that yesterday, riding low, with a high-cut jacket and no powder skirt. Hope he kept to the groomers.
The new fashion trend with no grounding in reality (9-6 years ago-chalk bags, 3-2 years ago-condom toques) is the 'layering' look
where you sag your XXXL basketball jersey or whatever underneath your jacket, because apparently having a brick of snow hanging around your ass is 'gangsta'.
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MamaB,
just one more opinion to confuse you, but i don't think there is any need to buy a powder board.
Can you justify the cost and weight of carrying another board overseas to how many days you will actually use it? What if you go and there is no new snow?
The only people i know that actually have powder boards are full-time ski bums, and not even all of them find it neccassary to get one.
In your position, my advice would be to rent a pow board (or longer board) on deeper days and try it out. Some places both in Hakuba and Niseko rent them out.
As for losing speed on the flats, there are two reasons for that.
Its either wax or your riding. Not the board.
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i wasn't "itching" at all. I honestly was just suprised at the news the the sig was actually complained about. This is the first i've ever heard of it.
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well, back in the day it was a smaller circle of english-speaking skiers and snowboaders who were living in japan, and this was the only place they could congregate. I don't remember being chastised for toilet humor.
Perhaps it is just my memory, and i am just wearing rosy glasses, but it seemed that something like that sig would not have been a big fuss back then (not that i am going to bother to dig up old theads to prove it.
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Originally Posted By: SJForumsActually a few people have said that to us and I tend to agree - please change it.
Thank you.
if thats the case, it seems that the user population has become markedly more conservative since i first started using the site.
Regarding Snowboard Intrsucting in Japan
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
its the same way they approach English, learn the 'grammar', but ignore the tools that actually allow one to use it freely, in real-life circumstances.
But like i said, they are only trained to ride in a very narrow set of conditions, ie: perfectly groomed runs with an aggressive stance and board. Change any one of those things (as in, ride in actual conditions) and its useless.
For example, they way they are taught to carve is pretty much an alpine way, lots of rotation in the knees and a very forward-facing stance. Fine if you are on an alpine board, but not suitable at all for the majority of freestyle board riders. In fact, it puts too much pressure on the knees and is not only very uncomfortable, but not very stable either