Oyuki kigan

I instructed in Nagano for a season, part-time. It was at a tiny hill called Karuizawa. The pay was all right (3000 yen an hour, i think) but NO benefits. NO PASS, and no discounts on anything, including food. We could only ride the lifts for free while in uniform. If you are looking to get hired, check these things out. Also, Australian frims are apparently buying up some resorts in Japan to convert into destinations for those dingos. They are needing english-speaking staff, so check for those too. Good luck. Hope to see you over there next season

Yeah, check on those routes. I heard some guys did it and at least one of them died because they didn't know their descent well, and went off a cliff or something. Good luck

We finally got dumped on in Whistler. Almost 50 cm in 2 days.

'Pop'. Its a snowboarding film that will kick your ass then smoke your cigarettes when its finished.

Thats the burning question right now, isn't it. I think it deserves its own tread

I might be sukebe, not not enough to qualify for either of those schools. Although if i get desperate, i might just go for another english-teachng job. A friend of mine said something about a coordinator position at Nozawa Kaikan. Anyone know anything about that? If it is in Nozawa, i would give my right kintama to work there.

Anybody? Anything?

8 from Canada, that is.

I'm looking for work in the land of soba sandwiches. I am currently applying for a CIR position on JET, but really worried about my chances. Apparently, there were only 8 spots available last year. So i am exploring other options, hopefully with a minimun of english-teaching involved. I am around a Nihongonoryouku shiken 2kyu, and looking for a japanese-speaking job over there. Does anyone know of anything? Or any good websites to search? The old gaijinpot.com and daijob.com stuff is really IT oriented, and not really my thing. Ideally, i'd like to work for an NGO, but alomost anything to get

I hurt my knee doing a canadian bacon today

Well, i'm an instructor at whistler, and when i get someone who wants to start jumping, i go through a little proggression with them. Step 1- Learn how to ollie. When you do a straight ollie, the dynamics are pretty well the same, whether you're jumping 3 feet or 30. Start flat, with your hands hanging out over your tip and tail. You want to be lined up with the board, and you want to be going straight, with the base flat. Ollie off the tail (if you don't know what an ollie is, that is a different lesson), and try to land with both feet at the same time, with the base flat. Its tricky to tak

If you were say on a shit hill like say, karuizawa where there is nothing else to ride, half-pipe can be fun. But then again, so can skiing, i guess

One more vote for happo-one

I've got a sick toeside sideslip

The biggest nightclub in Nagano is in hakuba. Its pretty cool, although the name has changed since i was there. And Kurashita no Yu is a great hotspring to go to.

Whistler/Blackcomb is pretty cold, with no new snow. Good parks and pipes. Skiing still lives here.

bring a snorkel

Toque, the 'write-off coment had nothing to do with the season. I am cool with riding on ice. I've just had some other bad news lately that has brought the whole holiday season down for me. In fact, riding has been the only bright spot lately

Oh, and i can't hate on telemarking. That stuff is rad. And please guys, if you guys are going to air out and grab your skis, lose the poles, ok?

Since i can't respond to all of your keen logic, i'll just tell some more jokes. How can you tell who is the ski instructor at a party? Don't worry, they'll tell you. And whats the difference between a snake and a ski instructor riding in front of his students? On a snake, the asshole is in the rear How many skiers does it take to screw in a lightbulb? 6. One to do it, and the other 5 to stand around clinking their poles, saying "nice turns" ha ha ha?

I love how this thread has totally been hijacked. Instead of hating on crazy japanese trends, we can hate on each other. Rad!

Listen, skiers would not have half-pipes, twin-tip skis, baggy pants, side-cut, much less the chance to even dream of off-axis fakie 1080s if not for snowboarding. It may not be fakie, but check out Travis Rice in this years movie "pop". A double corked 1080 over a 130 foot gap ain't too bad either. Besides, you guys always stick your ass out when you ride fakie in my house we call skis 'misery sticks'

I like to keep the rivalry alive

I saw a great sticker last year that said "Skiing is for little fat boys". But seriously, whats the hardest part about skiing? Telling your parents you're gay. (i'm sorry if i offended anyone. We all know gay people have too much style to ski anyways) And whats the difference between a snowboard beginner and an instructor? About 4 days.

I will be working all though the holidays, teaching beginners how to fear ice here in Whistler. But whatever, this year is a write-off anyways.