SamuiKitsune

Damn, that sucks for me. I hate all those front wheel drive cars. I more of an AWD or big block boy.

He was just at the base of the run on flat ground. Popping from the toe to the tail and sometimes throwing in a 180 degree turn. Being the complete noob I am, I was impressed. Now, if I saw him doing this down the run I think I would have barfed. Just ugly doing it down the run.

TB: What board/size are you riding?

Ah, now that you mentioned, I was sitting on my rear leg. The obvious really does need to be pointed out sometimes. As for board size, I am really second guessing my choice. The Custom feels like a little too much board for me right now. I can get that thing accelerating in a blink of an eye. I am wondering when I can start to flex it more (between 5' 11 and 6' 0 and between 86kg and 88kg without gear). I am wondering if I should borrow a board with a softer flex and shorter length. Will it make the learning process quicker?

So, I was watching this guy just bounce on his snowboard going from nose to tail kind of like he was tap dancing. I did not web searching and I think it is called Nose to Toe Rolls, is this correct? Anyways, how the hell can I do it on a 162W Custom? Will it depend like the guy was making his board bend?

Thanks for the advice. I did not get a chance to have a lesson this past weekend. I will have to wait for the official lesson at Niseko Highasiyama on the 22nd. I have tentatively signed up for a full day lesson (4 hours, there is a 1.5hour lunch break) in English. But, I got some pointers from my sidekick. I was stopping by the 2nd run and I was turning left (natural footed) by the 3rd. My right turns are hit and miss. Of course, my first wipe out, on the first run and I twisted my knee a little. I was not used to falling and I think my body kind of freaked out and got me all

This past weekend at Naeba, we found 3 of 4 Onsens permitted tattoos of any size. I will post the location information later. One was about a 15 minute drive North of Prince Naeba Hotel and the other was a 5 minute drive South. Great places!

I checked into Snowboarding Lessons last night. I hope to find a lesson in English at Naeba. I e-mailed one family business, but waiting for a response. Otherwise, I will have to wait until going to Niseko the weekend of December 21st. They have a snowboard school available. I was thinking private was the way to go. How many hours should I do on the first private lesson?

Originally Posted By: Go Native I have a tattoo and I've never had a problem with getting into any onsen in the Niseko area. In fact the onsen I regularly go to in Kutchan often has brightly decorated members of the Yakuza there. How large is your tattoo? I am planning to visit Kogen Niseko around Dec. 21. My tattoo looks like it could be on a Yakuza member. I am love to show it off. So, if anyone sees a white guy struggling with snowboarding or walking around on crutches, with a full left sleeve, try yelling "Maido, Kitsune" and see if it is me.

Yeah, I am a member of Tipness here in Osaka. They strictly forbid membership to members having tattooos. HAHAHA. I have been a member for over one year. Full japanese style sleeve. I always hide it in the shower (wrap the white towel around my left arm and let Mr. Bojangel dangel). =) Oh, I am evil because I have a tattoo. You must live in Japan to know this!

Are there any Onsens or Public Baths near the ski slopes that permit you to enjoy the warm water, despite bearing the mark of the Devil? I have a full sleeve tattoo. The girlfriend has a shoulder cap tattoo. We are evil people. Are there any evil bath waters we can enjoy? I will start with what I know. The Onsen and Public Bath at Prince Naeba Hotel do not allow tattoo guests to enjoy these facilities.

According to the website board shoppers and the experienced boarders I know, I should have no problem flexing the Burton Custom. I am 87-88kg at 178-179cm. To Oyuki: Thanks for the advice regarding my spending. I will be sure to tell my accountant that she is fired.

TO UPDATE EVERYONE: Tonight I headed back into Spotaka for the third night in a row (Thankfully, I got all the gear on this last trip). Anyways, I purchased the Smith Venue in glossy black, size L (about 15,000 Yen before 15% discount). It fits nicely with my Oakley A-Frames. I picked up some cool beanies for lounging after my rides.

Great Advice guys. I especially like the advice about other numnuts running into someone. So, I will be purchasing a helmet tonight. Hopefully, I can get a matte black one. I am going to be getting lessons. Hopefully, the resort I go to this weekend will have an English speaking instructor. Which reminds me, I need to send them an e-mail asking.

Heading out this weekend for my first time on a snowboard. The girlfriend has been snowboarding 16+ years. She tells me to just get some foam padded "thing a ma jig" and cover it up with my favorite pimp beanie hat. She told me my head looks very big in the helmet (I really wanted to make a joke here =D ). So, what do you guys and gals recommend based on your experiences. I plan to just try to get decent control this weekend and ride down the mountain. Hopefully avoiding large objects and small children. How long before I can ride down the pipe? In which case, I will d

Thank you for the additional shop recommendations. I ended up purchasing at Spotaka. They are running a sale of 15% off all new 08 Boards and 50-70% off 07 Boards (only a few 158cm or above). Anyway, I went to Spotaka last night for some more gear. I ended up purchasing a Burton Custom Wide 162cm (white top, but it also comes in Black). Total price was 70,967 Yen. It was about $80 to 100 more than US price, but I did get two coupons each worth 2,500 Yen which I used later on to purchase some gloves. Now, I have to go back again tonight. The damn shop closes at 8pm.

So, my girlfriend is a hardcore snowboarder. Me, I'm a fun in the sun type of guy having grown up in Cuba and Florida. No, I don't speak spanish and I am the average white guy. Novice skater, more into urban assault-type bmx/mountain bike riding. Oh yeah, and I rollerblade. I purchased my boots and bindings tonight. K2 T1 in pimp white (38,000 Yen at Spotaka in Osaka) and '07 Burton Custom Bindings also in white (12,000 at Spotaka in Osaka). They are running clearances on '07 Gear and 15% off all snowboard gear (not sure when it ends). I picked up some goggles at the Oakley out