snosurf

I hear that they're working on getting one installed that exclusively dispenses Australian bank notes (As discussed in another thread $AUD is almost as widely accepted as Yen in Niesko) On a more serious note (excuse the pun), get your money changed at an Australian bank such as National or Commonwealth before leaving! While this adds an element of risk (theft/loss etc), the crime rate in Japan is relatively low. But it's important to understand that the Niseko exchange rates can be 10-15% LOWER than the actual rate, and Sapporo rates around 6-8% lower. Given the current economy, yo

Quote: Niseko is not that steep... but steep enough for me in the trees off Hanazono They're some really fun trees. Look out for rock drops, natural hits, jumps and jibs. Wouldn't really want them to be any steeper otherwise it would almost take the funness out of the freestyle elements. Only problem is that every man and is dog knows about them. That's why it's important to get there first on a fresh day....

i find the lower your expectations, the more appreciative you are when you hit the awesome conditions. And the less disappointed you are when it stays average for most of the trip. That's not to mean don't get excited. The weather always conspires against me to ruin all my surf/snow trips so that's why i now have this pessimistic approach to trips Still, it works for me.

Sounds awful spud... I prefer hands-on work like lanscaping and construction because you're always a part of the job and plus there's no dealing with office-pricks most of the time. But at the same time, i'm f***ing sick of labour work.

I remember working as a snowshoveller in the dark on a -22'C day in Whistler a few seasons ago. There was wind too.... And I was only 19

Yeh 10am is a bit early, i had a 11.30am flight and was still sketching it... Best bet would be to consult your hosts and see whats available when you get there... Play it by ear - if the snow sucks you can leave the night before and hang out in sapporo or otherwise you can always take a private transfer for 20,000Y if it comes to it....

That's tough.... You're going to hokkaido but you want steep. My advice would be to spend some time at niseko and rusutsu searchin out the 'steeper' areas (ie Annapuri bowls/ some hanazono tree areas/hirafu peak area) then head to Furano for a a week or so. I've never been to Furano but from what i hear it has some steeper terrain than the Niseko area - only problem there is (apparently) ski patrol nazism. If you really want steep then I am told that Hakuba and other Honshu areas are the place to visit. But since you've already organised hokkaido that's probably not much good to you.

Let me think about this for a while.... 1 (actually, I have a retired board too but i'm not even gonna count it)

If you know your US boot size, ordering online won't be a problem. And company policies will let you send them back and exchange them for a different size at no extra cost. And of course I am talking in reference to boarding here. You still haven't told us if you're a skiier or boarder. It makes a difference. Ski boots are a different story. For the record, both my mates who ordered online found that their boots to be a perfect fit (they're boarders).

typo *bloody good fun (not gun)... I'm not that crazy

When you ride niseko everyday for a month, you get to know certain areas where even the most hardy of aussie infiltrators can't find! While they're not super steep runs, they're bloody good gun! For that reason, i'll go back to Niseko. I'll laugh at the drunken antics of rowdy revellers. And i'll quoff at their naive cultural perspectives. But not this season....

nice video spook. different perspective - i like it.... Surfed turtles a few times in june..surfed turtle rights a bit as well....nice camera work there as well!

Only if it will provide financial benefits... Why else would businesses give a shit about the environment?

Big deal. I gapped the springfield gorge... No wait, that was Homer.

I noticed you are in Australia. Are you a boarder? Some mates of mine just bought some boarding boots the other day online from an Australian supplier. They're good quality boots and cost less than $200 (per pair). Since you'll pay around $10-20 a day to rent boots, it may be wise to consider this option. If you are in west oz (or other parts where gear is scarce)like I am, the shipping is relatively cheap and the boots turned out to be great value. Do a search on google. Buy boots before you leave. Save yourself money and hassle. Sorry I can't drop any names, it's unfair and agains

I've never injured myself badly but have come close to dying on several occasions!

I watched Taladega Nights the other week and found it hilarious... there is something about Will Ferrell That just cracks me up. I rated this one almost as highly as Anchorman. Really want to see it again...I almost suffocated with laughter at the part where he drives the car blind-folded and side-swipes several cars before mounting the curb and crashing into a house...

(i) Hakuba Resorts (ii) Naeba (iii) Nozawa (iv) Furano (v) Shiga Kogen PS Is it easy to get from hakuba to nozawa? How long does it take?

Mantas, you add a lot to this messageboard it would be a shame if we never got to read any more of your thoughts again mate. Maybe instead of quitting you could just 'cut-down'? I still think your signature ('the older I get, the better I was') is the best i've seen on this forum. It's so true! The number of times i've heard 30/40 year old guys crap on about how good they were at skating/surfing etc 'back in the day' is ridiculous! But the fact is, that will be me talking my young self up in a decade or so!

Quote: I wouldn’t defend Australia against all criticisms though, because, like any other country/culture in the world, there’s always going to be things that could be made better. Well said. There's wankers all around the world. The key to avoiding them is obvious - find the place where there are less wankers per capita... I believe Australia is one of these places. Apologies to bushpig - you're absolutely correct, I did mean to refer to mantas (not yourself) in my previous post on page 2. I too enjoy reading everybodies opinions and I think it's great that they constrast and in tu

I just had vegemite on vita-wheats....they were really good. I'm going to have some sweet dreams tonight. In terms of colour and consistency vegemite would have to be the exact opposite to powder snow i reckon... But remember, opposites attract. Based on this theory, eating vegemite will result in powder snow, and more importantly, me absolutely shredding fresh, perfect powder lines in hakuba this february. Ahhhh, now back to those sweet dreams. Spud seems to be 'pro-vegemite' bushpig so in my opinion that should redeem him for any aussie bashing that has occurred in the past. O

Just ordered a Lib Tech TRS (total ripper series) online the other day.... I think it's last seasons, but got a good price. Featured in the transworld good wood top 10 so i thought it would be good value. Looks nice and is 162 cm which is about perfect for Jap pow for me... Anyway ever ridden this one before? I would love to try the magne traction, maybe next time....in the meantime, i'll let you know how this one goes when i ride it

vegemite is great on toast....you naysayers are obviously spreading it on too thick. Keep it nice and thin and it's a gastronomical delight. Another reason to hate George Bush. I demand Australia severs all ties with the U.S.Gay immediately.

spook - thanks heaps for the link to the surf rage article. I am currently working on a university project (I study tourism) which discusses issues and impacts involving tourists and local residents in ski resort communities. A major component of the project is devoted to conflict 'on the mountain' - eg People getting in the way of others, collisions, not waiting your turn in the park, machoism/fights between mountain users etc. Anyway, that research article will be very very helpful in my discussion of these issues (ie I can now draw a comparison between surf/snow). It's exactly wha

Buying a snowboard is like....ly to break the bank. Just blew $3000 online last night. Ouch!