dyna8800

Originally Posted By: Creek Boy what bout Kansai dyna? Poss option? Osaka? Travel costs may be drive the price of the course up, but could be done. I had another idea, perhaps we could do a course somewhere in a ski resort area, combining it with a ski/board trip.

Thanks for the replies and interest in the EFR Courses. I sent PMs to me jane and longboardsk8man. Anyone else interested? Also, I have a GREAT story regarding the training and the courage to act, will compose a new message and post later today or tomorrow.

Quote: i started skiing from last season (jan/feb 2006), and now have an SAJ Grade 2 (Ni-Kyu) cert (considered 'advanced' by Japanese ski schools). why do you ask? The reason is that at upper levels (intermediate and above), we do not concentrate on drills unless they are necessary to correct a serious problem. While your instructor was probably not the best at conveying the ideas, by giving you mileage (after riding the gondola to get you up to the best ski runs), he was attempting to get you to ski and mimic his moves, hopefully. I feel like I have spoken on behalf of that partic

WantToSki, what is your skill level?

What is your skill level? Background: I am a CSIA certified ski instructor. One huge difference that I have seen with Japanese ski instructors is that they tend to focus a LOT on drills. I took an all day private lesson at Zao a few years ago and we did tons of drills. I wanted to ski a few runs without doing such drills so that the instructor could give feedback, but we always lapsed back into drills. Now, my comments on customer service and satisfaction: If you do not provide immediate feedback and your wishes and concerns to the instructor, he will not be able to recti

Are there are any PSIA or CSIA certified ski instructors in Japan on this forum? I'd like to know more about working with ski schools or as an independent, etc. Thanks,

Try doing the 500 yen coin bank savings plan. Throughout the year I put my 500 yen coins in one of those piggy banks that cannot be opened unless you cut it with a can opener. Then, come November or so, I open it and count it all. These days, I have more discipline and use an electronic coin saver that automatically counts how much you put in. I prefer to stay at inexpensive minshuku that offer full meals, usually booking package tours. There are a lot of bargains to be found. You can save money by taking those overnight bus tours, but most people I talk to cannot sleep wel

There is a shuttle bus that operates until May 7, 2006: Kagura Shuttle Bus Schedule It departs from the west exit of Echigo Yuzawa Station, from Hatago Isen. First stop is Mitsumata, the second stop is Tashiro. Note that this is different from the Echigo Bus (local) service. This is run by Minami Echigo Kanko Bus. Hope this helps,

The Harb Carvers look better to practice the initiation and transition of skis to carve, while the Street Ski seems to be like a longer inline skate. There are other variations of the long inline skate.

Here is the version for skiers: Harb Carvers However, I'm not ready to give up on the snow season, at least for a month or so!

Sanno, that's exactly the point.

Here is the ranking: Mapion Slope Ranking Oops, meant to say there are 3 other resorts with 42 degree slopes (not 45).

Regarding inbounds, reported ski runs, Kandatsu has one run with 45 degree, as well as Kitajimadaira. Cortina is "only" 42 degrees. There are about 3 other resorts with 45 degree slopes, but I don't have that information at hand. Will post after I dig it up.

At Arai Mountain I was surprised to see the revival of the sticky ticket with plastic wicket (the lift ticket is a sticker that must be folded over the wicket to be worn on your jacket or pants, threaded through a zipper pull or non detachable loop). It looks like a step backwards, especially considering that some resorts in Japan are using the newer technology with smart IC chip cards that are used to open lift gates or bar coded tickets which are read with a scanner. Also, I like the environmentally friendly, reuseable IC card system. Disposing of the ticket/wicket in the past also re

Hey, quattro, you're right, the more common phrase is Sierra Cement. Oblivion, some of the best skiing in the eastern Sierras is at Mammoth Mountain...

Sierra Sludge, applicable to west coast USA snow, aptly named from the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. It is heavier and more dense than the Yuzawa variety.

I had lunch with Blair yesterday. He wishes that he could post more replies directly in the forum but as this is the busiest time of the year, he is unable to. However, he appreciates the depth and perspectives of the many forum members who took the time to post regarding the topic. First and foremost, he is concerned with the safety and well being of all the guests visiting Arai Mountain, which is why he made the post on Snow Japan forums. Second, he told me that patrol does their final sweep but the mountain is so large and sometimes there is so much snow that every nook and cran

Friends... Think corn. (Yes, I still dream of fluffy powder...)

Actually, Snow Japan did give a 1 day advance message. Thanks again to Snow Japan for the additional chance to win FREE tickets!

Quote: Originally posted by nagpants: What sort of total fool doesn't know their own address (especially when being asked for it to send a prize!) The kind who doesn't get the ticket...

Interestingly enough, when e-mailing a forum member, my mailer (gmail) refused to send it, I got around it by sending it via another account. Aggressive spam filters sometimes give a false positive for a legitimate mail, and people only periodically check junk mail. And interestingly enough, many gaigin don't know their own real addresses...all those funny Chinese characters or something.

Thanks very much for the chance to win, Snow Japan! I already sent my entry in, only 1 resort, it would have been nice to know how many tix for each resort are available, seeing as how Fattwins and Creek Boy are going for Hakuba 47. Also, I like the drawing rather than the first come first served method, many people can't watch in real time and it is more fair to them. Cheers,

Fattwins, your point is taken and I respect your viewpoint. There are clearly marked gates that Patrol only open when it is deemed "safe". I consider that out of bounds "lite" because it can be seen from the main ski area, it has direct access back to the lift, and does not require hiking to get in. I am tired of seeing posts with "we have our secret pow stash, and we're not going to share it with you." Having said that, I'm not going to divulge some other spots that need to be earned, but that location in Hanazono is well known. As a side note, I didn't see anyone with f

Quote: Originally posted by Fattwins: I really dislike pointing people into OOB terrain on forums. The last thing we need to do is put someone into danger who doesnt have the skill level or equipment to head into non patrolled areas guys. That is exactly why I gave information about mountain guides.

Also remember that Niseko gets a lot of good windbuff, just like Zao. So even if it ain't fresh pow, you'll have some nice windbuff pow. Just watch out for the crust layer in some areas where the underlying layers softened, melted, and then refroze with windbuff on top.