dizzy

got a link or URL? i just thought there was only one big air @ Makomanai stadium in Sapporo. i went the year Jonas Emery won, haven't seen it since

yeah i don't wanna instill fear in people, it's just that whenever i ride in the states, (especially Lake Tahoe!!) i lock my stuff up. in wisconsin, where most people come to ski like 3 times a year, there R bastards who want to steal other people's stuff...different mentality here in japan, i think. BUT, a 700 yen lock and an extra ten seconds locking/unlocking Ur gear WHEREVER U ride/ski, could save U a big headache later...

as in theft of your snowboard

ski resorts R different from other places in that most people R still honest. just a few rotten apples might try 2 steal a board or a pair of skis 'cause they can't afford their own--the bastards. sometimes maybe they R genuinely taken by mistake and brought back, but i've heard of ski/board theft in the mid-west of the US (where i'm from), as well as in colorado (where i went to university). one time in northern Wisconsin, the people staying in the room next 2 us had four pairs of skis stolen overnight--they had left their skis on their (locked) ski rack on their car. (hello?!?) but som

gotta respect that slow.

Snowboarders, what is your stance--regular or goofy?

had 8 days over new years, getting in the weekend warrior mentality now, living in tokyo. epic season when i lived in hokkaido--40+ full days that year, plus another 20+ night skiing/snowboarding at the local resort, but do those 3 hours after work really count?

Does anyone know of when & where the "one-make" snowboarding contests start in Nagano/Nigata resorts?? my knees R 2 old 4 the pipe and rails remind me of my fractured scaphoid bone, but this year i wanna start competing (4 fun) in kicker contests that R open 2 anyone. any suggestions?

i wish i could 5 this weekend!! but i've got a bunch of stuff 5ing on, plus my board doesn't get back from the repair shop until 2morrow evening. have a blast!! U all R in 4 some sick, sick powder!

RIP

yeah, good luck! just watch out 4 Ur wrists! I use rollerblade wrist protectors underneath my gloves. an i also have Serius brand snowboard gloves that have the protector inserts stitched in2 them. I had to order them online, as I've never seen these type of gloves sold in Japan.

let it snow let it snow let it snow...i'll B @ hakuba 47 from the 29th... a beginner friend is joining me from the 31st. i'd be happy 2 join any other park/pipe skiers/snowboarders.

don't plant Ur hands when U fall i've been on skis since i was 6 and snowboarding since i was 12, (10+ years of snowboarding now)and then two seasons ago, i fractured my scaphoid bone, a small bone in Ur wrist! it was a complicated fracture and has taken 2 years TWO YEARS to heal. i'm stoked 'cause this winter i can finally snowboard again. Doh!

i've never worked at a ski shop, but i've never had a problem waxing my own boards. scraping's definitely gonna make a mess, so have a tarp on the floor or do it outside.i use the same iron for my clothes, but when i wax my board, i wrap it with aluminium foil first. this way, wax doesn't get in2 the holes. two or three layers is enough. just remember to take off the aluminum B4 U iron Ur clothes again! to spread the wax out evenly, move the iron in circular motions like daniel-san sanding the floor. good luck.

yeah, sounds like there's not much terrain 2 do it in honshuu. i noticed a couple snowmobiling fields close to where i participated in the yuki gassen (snowball fight) tournaments for a couple years in hokkaido, but they were just that--fields. practice for peeps who want 2 go in2 motorcross comps, contests, etc. you get more out of the experience hiking up, you know putting some work into your ride down. but what's the difference between smelling the afterburn of patrol zooming by on a groomed course and enjoying heliboarding in places like alaska and BC, Canada? you can't really smell t

anybody ever rented snowmobiles for the Japanese BC? i did a search or three on the forum for any past threads, but i didn't find anything. looking for anyone with experience or stories to tell about going to the BC on snowmobiles....

yup, that's the book, Free Riding. captain: thanx 4 the tip. nothing but good things to say about it. and yes, i choose my words carefully and make the fundamental difference in my choice of words; everyone knows what i'm saying. skier, snoboarder, telemarker. anybody do any snowmobiling in the Japanese BC? oh nevermind, i'll start a new thread.

a good read is "Free Riding in Avalanche Terrain: A Snowboarder's Handbook" by Bruce Jamieson and Jennie McDonald, published by the CAA. it's just as relevant to skiers as it is to snowboarders. somebody mentioned this handbook on this thread or another one... anyway, it's a good primer on the BASICS of backcountry riding. personally, one of the most important things about going into the bc is understanding and ACCEPTING the riding/skiing/telemarking level of everyone in your group as well as their level of knowledge. it's key to decide as a group what peoples can and cannot handle. if a slop

i found a place in saitama that has tampolines to practice on. one tramp is 4 socks only, and the other is 4 skis/snowboards/mini boards (that U can practice with just gym shoes-boots). trampolining helps 2 visualize Ur jumps...i strapped in a board and was out of breath in three minutes. they've got a branch in osaka. this one has two smaller tramps, and one big one. both places are quite a hike from the stations, but still pretty fun. i heard there was a third branch somewhere else...

thanx 4 the pointers. fattwins, found the post from B4, very helpful. looks like the advantage of 'slip-in' out wieghs the disadvantage of occasional snow build-up on the highback. i, 4 1, HATE the time it takes to strap in/out with other bindings!!! talk about wasted time. will shop around again 4 the best prices of pro s-fr. anyone HATE the flow bindings?

i'm interested in the new FLOW team bindings, my 02' salomon bindings are gettting a bit rusty. i want as much ankle support as possible b/c i ride park the most. something like the the TEAM model or the PRO S-FR. anyone like 2 use FLUX bindings?

highly recommended, been to the snow fest twice. warm amazake helps U warm up. the most interesting times are at the before and after the fest when the Jei-tai (Japanese SDF) show up in Odori-Park. picture a bunch of army guys in camouflage sculpting out a 20-meter Mickey Mouse or Hideki Matsui, hilarious! Teine Highlands is prolly one of the best closest resorts, just a quick train and then bus ride away from JR Sapporo St.