rob_e_mason 0 Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Hello folks, Me and the missus are having a week in Furano at the end of January and I have a few questions regarding ski equipment rental, if anyone has any answer they would be much appreciated Righto, to start we both have done no skiing other than a full course of lessons at Ski Dubai (learning to ski in the desert, go figure! ). With that being said it's safe to assume we won't be doing anything crazy on the slopes, starting on greens and blues and easier reds towards the end (if my progression on my first snowboarding holiday is anything to go by). So onto the questions: What sort of ski's should we be asking for? I guess the hire shop assistants will be helpful but I feel a bit of pre-knowledge wouldn't hurt. What are the hire shops in Furano like? A colleague of mine visited Furano last year and he got his stuff from the New Prince Hotel shop (he was staying there) and he reckons they had good kit and loads of it so no need to reserve, however the not reserved bit worries me as a skiing holiday without skis seems a bit pointless Are any of the shops better than the others? Is reserving recommended? I suppose it's worth stating that neither me or the missus are overly tall, short, fat or thin (basically average Brit on height weight and shoe size) so I'm hoping we shouldn't have too many problems with kit? Anyway, thanks for any help you can give Rob Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 If you are staying at one of the Prince hotels there, they will fit you....out no problem. Beginners are normally set up with relatively softer skis which will help you turn more easily. You will move on to stiffer skis as you want to ski at higher speeds later. The length should be about your own height at "eye-level", i.e. about 10 cms below your actual height. The Furano Ski School has English speaking coaches so you can ask for them but you may need to book at least a day in advance. That can be done at the Prince Hotels. I remember that a 1-day course for 2 people (private lesson) costs 30000 yen. Besides the hotels, there are many ski rental shops at or near the base station of the Gondala at the Kitanomine area and also the the base of the Ropeway (cable car) in the Furano area. You can look around and compare prices. Don't be shy to ask what discounts they will offer. Bargaining is rare at shopping but quite normal for ski rentals in Japan. Also, feel free to approach their Ski Hosts for advice and information. These are volunteer guides (free of charge) who wear distinctive blue ski-jackets/snowboard jackets with SKI HOST clearly printed on them. The will hang about the base stations and can also be seen sliding on the slopes. They will be happy to point you to where to ski for your skill level as well as other things like where is good for lunch. Not all of them speak good English but none of them lack enthusiasm to help you out. Link to post Share on other sites
xxx 2 Posted January 4, 2008 Share Posted January 4, 2008 Just if it might help on this site http://www.snowjapan.com/e/furano-guide/furano-gear-and-rental.html Link to post Share on other sites
rob_e_mason 0 Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 Hi, Thanks for the answers, been crazy busy here at work trying to get to the point where I can leave it for 2 weeks in other peoples hands, so only just had chance to check them out. I'm not staying at the Prince, I'm in B&B Furano in the town. But the Prince seems to have 3 affiliated hire shops so will end up giving them a try, thanks Link to post Share on other sites
rob_e_mason 0 Posted January 10, 2008 Author Share Posted January 10, 2008 The hire shop linked from this site is at North Country Inn and isn't that a trek to get to? Not that I'm lazy, but I am Link to post Share on other sites
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