surfinsmiley

I'm hearin' ya Ziggy. I think the only way is to go have a look and see what it's like for me. My dream is to be able to get good surf and good snow within a couple hours drive of each other. If I find such a place I'll be sure to make it my next home...

Thanks everyone! I understand alot better now after all that input. Much appreciative! Now I'm all kind of bummed... I was hoping the conditions might be better than what it sounds like from all your input. I HATE ice! Give me powder surfing all day everyday. At least the Taranaki area gets more regular quality waves than here huh? I could probably just go surfing and time the days on the mountain to the post storm hike days. Agian thanks to all.

The first year I came here was the first time I'd ever seen snow in my life so I have no idea what snow conditions are like anywhere else and I'm really considering an extended trip to NZ next year to chase the snow season there. How does the snow in New Zealand compare to here? Do they get similar conditions to Japan? As in, lots and lots of powder? If anyone has been to the Taranaki area I'd love to know if it's any good...simply because that area gets good surf and it's not to far to travel from snow to surf and back. Thanks for your input.

Superfett were fairly good 10 or 15 years ago. Here`s the better solution these days... http://www2.yoursole.com/products/footbeds/

Two sepeate things strapped to my feet always seemed like a bad idea to me. Snowboard, and lots of `em.

I just pidked up a new set of Pirrelle snow tyres on some very nice Alloy rims for 6万ï¼ï¼ï¼ Yahoo auctions rock!

OK thomas, I`m keen to hear more about how that boards been going. Esp. considering that you may have spent some time with hardboots on that board by now.

I`m pretty happy with my 7 days so far...... Scored one good powder day to boot!

Last aeason I was treated to a couple of really nice SBX tracks at Naeba and Hakuba, I really caught the bug for running those type of tracks. Any ideas where I might find any this season?

At Naeba I got Snoop Dogs version of an old ?Marvin Greaves? ... I really want to Love you... but Snoops version was just a little more explicit...... Really made me realize that nobody actually understands any of the lyrics. Thankfully up at Kagura it was all quiet on the western front.... Nothing but the sound of digging trenchs in the snow.... just the way I like it!

Quote: Originally posted by AK 77: Need to find some soon, before my hands get too cold... A tough shell mitt would also be good, over either of my existing gloves.... Any decent Have a look at the flexmetrejapan site. Could be just what your after....... I Have some of those mitts and they rock!

No locks but good eyes and better feet and fists than most............it would be a "PRIDE" fight free of charge to onlookers.

Sorry I`ve not been online for awhile.... Yes I`m a kiter. Water land and snow kiting. I agree it`s weird that there is so many Rad Air reviews at the moment considering that I never see them on the slopes.... Maybe we`re just fanatical!

I know where I`ll be heading with the kite this season.......

I`m riding an 03/04 Tanker 200. LOVE the thing. I`m was laughing so hard last year in all that early season powder, flying around in waist deep freshness and watching other people try to follow my lines but getting stopped and having to do the walk of shame. I feel like I`ve got an unfair advantage... It likes to rail good lines on the groomers with Harboots too....... What more could you ask of a board?

So, they`ve added a slightly stiff nosed version to the line-up this year huh? I`ve been drooling over the Dupraz D-1 for more than a year now and I`m stoked to hear they`ve got a stiffer one. Could be REALLY god for riding surf style with hardboots. It`s on my list of MUST HAVES.....

I`m pretty sure they stick a thermometre 10cm into the snow and take the measurement from there. Lots of the alpine racer types actually measure the snow temp before the race so they can buff their boards with the right temp wax.

I`m bummed I didn`t get here earlier. Malamute is the best soft boot out there without a doubt. I`m super interested in the Dupraz D1, it seems like a throw back to the old skool with new construction thrown into it. From the videos on their site it seems to be a do anything board.

Aussie Aussie Aussie. Or should that be Lamb Lamb Lamb. Classic!

Haven`t ridden the Undertaker but it always gets rave reviews. If you ever get the chance don`t pass it up. La Grave- Swallowtailmaina........I`ve heard lots about that meet that makes it sound like stepping into heaven. Ahhhhh......maybe we should have swallow tail mania in Japan instead?

I just got my ultimate longboard. It`s a 200cm Rad Air Tanker. Next best thing to a swallow in the powder with the bonus that you don`t have to worry about breaking tails. Just stiff enough to use with hardboots when the powder is MIA. My all terrian carver is a Rad Air LSD 164. Goes anywhere and digs trenchs with Hardboots like I can`t beleive. I`d like to add a Freecarver (?175) from Madd snowboards at some stage and lastly I`D like the ultimate powder stick/carver from either Dupraz (D1) or POGO (longboard)in a 180.(900 EURO WTF) That`s my dream come true. The only down

I`m no expert but I think Feb is pretty much maximum snow depth time. Judging by what it looks like at the moment, it`ll be at least 3m deep even in the most abysmal of resorts.

Bump, for the most classic story I`ve heard in a long long time. Lucky boys huh!

New Alpineboard setup= Takai. This month-Bookings to the total of 10man. I don`t think I`ll be going at all for the rest of the season when I look at it that way!

I got my new boots punched at my local for 1500 yen. A good ski shop can do the punching thing, it`s finding a "Boot Fitter" that can be a problem.