samurai

There is ZERO English in this clip. But its Extremeness should have the capability of starting at least one topic of conversation for which you can develop a lesson plan. It has been on this forum before... but Osman was ridiculous

I just opened the link and will read. Thanks for the bump. I've seen something I couldn't identify. I still can't. It was a light-- and it was sick-- and it wasn't normal-- then it disappeared. I find it interesting that I have met people that have never even a satelite. maybe you shouldn't have bumped this thread...

a fifth star?

Originally Posted By: Bushpig Thanks MR W Samurai, how much you willing to pay? How about a highly private tour to the lost garden of Zao's Enchanted Forest? Perhaps a taste of Pablo Escabar's covert line? Racing sluff in steep trees. Tronning Tarzan's Mecca? I'll show you a world never before seen.

I need that for my desktop. Got a bigger file? Thanks ahead of time if you do. If not, thanks anyway.

The Waiting Game is my all time favorite Big Mountain ski flick. There are some interesting stories in there too about how long skiers wait for the right conditions to hit their dream lines. (4 years for the Grand.) It also covers some of the Big Mountain IFSA tour. "Just sit in the parking lot... and twitch." (about AK) I once showed Push to my students and some even thought it was fake. They couldn't believe that skiers did that stuff.

It will be busy. Since you don't know the place, you're missing out on flat walks in (likely) heavy fog and/or blizzard conditions trying to get to someplace you think you should be while looking at a map that doesn't define all the varying terrain or explain the network of lifts required to transfer from one side of the mountain to the other. It's not user-friendly for the tourist with a snowboard. Your friends will come back talking about how annoying their first day was. Let them go, learn the place, then come later. (the front side is the place to be for gelendes, though.

I don't have any links, but just wanted to mention that there are heeps of hotels (most of which are mostly empty) all over the Zao village. There are other hotels (yes plural) on top of the mountain that also have private night skiing. (Sangoro, etc.) I would just call them. I believe there is also a 3000Y hostel somewhere at the base.

FWIW mamabear, I think you're in the clear aside from "Huge" dumps. being a nOOb with kids, I imagine you are far from getting hit. It's great that you're paying attention though. And- that is where the "Huge" dump factor comes in. Huge dumps have buried resort base areas. But even those resorts are at the bottom of huge faces. Enjoy the winter, mamabear. Your kids are lucky to have you taking the precautions while introducing them to the glory of snow. These trees in japan are keeping you much safer than may be assumed.

quattro, you have got to work on that grammar, mate. That was painful. As far as avi-gear is concerned for the inbounds stuff, I wouldn't sweat any groomers/courses virtually anywhere. (I'm a a certified Level 3 Avi cert from American Avalanche Institute.) Off piste, however, in or out of bounds is completely different. I've ridden slides in-bounds. My work on Patrol taught me more about starting slides than anything. I can't even count (or estimate) how many slides I've started. All of the recent inbounds slides making the news recently are offpiste, on big terrain. Even aft

I'm even tired of my iPod. managing music is wwaaaaay too much of a pain in the ass for me. I need XM on my phone or music device. It's coming... I'm sure. Satelite radio will soon be available in the pocket.

Not that I know the story, but... "The boy handed his father a rifle. Shoot me, he said." before pushing his father against the wall while throwing knives around his silhouette. Obviously there is more to the story than six sentences quoted above? It would be nice to hear the whole story before dropping my jaw in angst.

Our first meter/base is here. the trees are juuuuust opening their gates. if the snow keeps up, it'll be full on in the next week or two. my skis are fast as hell right now.

I'll be riding tue-fri. Paradise holds the best snow, but is short and gets old quick. But- it is the main artery/transfer to/from both sides of the mountain. Ropeways #1,2; kurohime lift, and the map's right side provide decent terrain. The opposite side of the mountain- Hahnenkamm area (#37)- also has some good highspeed quads with decent steeps. The map isn't up to date, there are other chairs there and Hahkenkamm is actually a double. Stay away from the Chuo area back by chair #34. It's flat and useless. However, #12 is your transfer back to paradise from hahnenkam

snow-forecast is my bible. It underpredicts accumulations, but the freezing-line is usually spot-on. As are the wind predictions.

I wanna see Believe- Tanner Hall and Seth teaming up- (after Tanner went independent a few years back and Seth left MSP as well for like the first year, EVER. Surely, they're up to something.) I also REALLY wanna see Linescore. The 2006-07 World Tour Big Mountain tour documented. It's the first time the BM tour has been documented into one feature. I'm quite sure this film will wrap up the core of BM riding more than any other film. (although winkinc did a kick ass job with The Waiting Game.) I'll order both of them from actionsportsvideos.com one of these days when my credit card ha

I saw this somewhere. It's quite old. Funny though. I like how the one guy turns off the stereo. If you wanna beat the devil- mock him. In this case- turn off the music and wonder what the F*** the naked guy is dancing at. Quite simple really.

My vote for Northern Honshu- #1. Hachimantai is phenomenal for the price. Also not so bad when there is no vis. #2. Hakkoda can white out and can run upto 7,000yen a day. (assuming you score 7 runs in; that's right, 1000/run.) But it is bigger than either. (this would be #1 in the spring/BC season) #3. Zao is loads of onpiste, spread out with 4 gondolas. The tree patches are short but glorious when they're on. Zero competition for that snow too.

Haven't done it yet, but I can skin over to the top of Miyagi Zao's Cat Drop-off from Yamagata Zao's peak. Haven't had any need though as our trees never get skied out anyway. Could be a fun day trip though. Skin over, ski that terrain, ride the cat back up, skin back over to this side. That would cancel the need to take the train/bus or drive from here to the Miyagi base.

Squampton, you can't receive PMs yet either. After christmas break, I'm pretty much just riding one day a weekend... likely sundays, but depending on the storm, amongst other things. let us know which days you wanna hit zao and if I'm free, I'll show you around.

Originally Posted By: tripitaka So what's a better buzz. Skateboarding or noboarding? You had one of those hammerhead Hosoi boards? Yeah, I used bungee cords through the truck holes and dremeled out the deck so they laid flush, then filled it with epoxy. We rode hills around the neighborhood. skateboarding was definetely a better buzz. Not that a Hosoi deck is the best noboard. But when you're 12, you can ride anything. My mom even drove us to one of the bigger hills across town. When we got out of the car, my "girlfriend" was at the top of the hill. We were so shy to ride our

I own zao. (not financially, of course.) trees won't be ridable for another 1-2 meters. We're getting snow, but it's just kinda lingering its way in. No huge dumps yet. the base came in super wet and sticky, so that's good. shoot me a pm... I'll try to make zao's vast layout manageable at least.

Originally Posted By: Fattwins Man did anyone read my TR? I was on the pontoons and the snow was almost too deep for those crazy sticks! perhaps I should have waded through the novel. I just saw the shot of you carrying a noboard and my jaw dropped. dizzy- I'm just taking the piss. I'm sure it's a good laugh with mates. to be honest, I made a noboard when I was 12 out of my Hosoi deck. it kinda worked. we laughed, anyway. I still wouldn't give up a pow day though.

do a search... and yes, we're around.

FT- I'm going to be very disappointed if you carry this trend beyond early/no-base season. Did you really give up your skis for a noboard on (what looked like) a sick deep day? I understand that little off-piste is ridable now, but I can't wrap my head around choosing a noboard over pow-sticks on a deep day. I can imagine taking my unborn child out for day in the park with a noboard, but I just can't get my head around an accomplished skier giving up a pow-day for a fricking noboard. I know I'm way out of the loop here, and that's okay- I have no desire to ever pursue a trip