HelperElfMissy 42 Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Bonza boys!! More things to look forward to in Hirafu Link to post Share on other sites
Nisoko 6 Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Originally Posted By: SJForums Might be a good excuse for me to go too! Dunno a substantial part of the evening would be us having a good old moan at you.... Just jesting. Link to post Share on other sites
nagpants 1 Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Niseko was the only nighta I have been to that I really enjoyed. I was disappointed with the nighta in Hakuba and also in Yuzawa when I was there. Perhaps I'm just not a nighta person. Link to post Share on other sites
skidaisuki 0 Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 thursday - you're right. But my point was that Hirafu has far more open for a nighta than any other resort I've been to. Some of the best skiing I've ever had has been in the trees off the top triple at night. Mindblowing stuff! At other resorts, it's often one freeze-thaw lower slope lit up and nothing else. SdS Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Originally Posted By: skidaisuki At other resorts, it's often one freeze-thaw lower slope lit up and nothing else. SdS Certainly in Australia! Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 I'm up for a nighta or three. I'll be there from the 20th of December to the 4th of January! See you there!! Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 so how many turn up for these nightas? Most places I have been to only a few turn up for evening skiing/boarding Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Lots less than during the day, but enough Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 enough? Enough to run at a profit? Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 stemik, my guess is that nighta is in a different league in Niseko than it is in Hakuba. I bet the numbers are rather different. Whether it gets into profit or near to it or not, ? , but 'worth it' in lots of other ways. With lots of resorts cutting down nighta, you've got to think in general it isn't really worth it and they have been bleeding money. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 yeah, that what i was thinking...most resorts must run Nightas at a loss, I know that Happo does and probably the same for Goryu. Is it worth it to have a nighta just to say that you can night ski at one particular resort in the evening - but nobody goes.... Very interested in the Niseko nighta business - is it mainly foreigners or Japanese? Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 hmmmm...enough to be profitable - not sure. But as a business person, even if the days were assisting to fund the nights I would see the nights as a bonus for our business as it is 'the point of difference'. People world over are visiting and really feeling they are a) getting thier moneys worth out of thier lift tickets (as most lift tickets include nights), and b)enjoying the newfound flexibility of not stopping for the day when the resort says so at 4pm or 4.30pm. They go home and tell thier friends. Thier friend book to come also. Good business if you ask me. Link to post Share on other sites
snowbender 3 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Niseko nighta is just simply much better than Hakuba nighta and more reliable. So we're comparing rather different things here. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 oh....another new one for me. Lift tickets purchased for day skiing can be used at nights. Great idea! Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Originally Posted By: snowbender Niseko nighta is just simply much better than Hakuba nighta and more reliable. So we're comparing rather different things here. it does seem to be so much better. I wonder if that was developed for the Japanese who used to ski Hokkaido for longer periods than skiing Honshu, and maybe not as tired as driving for 3-4 hours in the morning, for the overnight trip Link to post Share on other sites
snowbender 3 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 One of the big things of it being much better is the quality/consistency/reliability of snow. So you can't really do the same even if you wanted Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 yes i guess that its one of the main reasons, but it does seem to be developed a lot more than honshu resorts. Link to post Share on other sites
freckles 0 Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 I am going up to Niseko this coming season and really looking forward to the mighty nighta. I have high expectations. I will be back to if they are not met. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Being able to board in the trees at night is pretty unique in my experience. One of the reasons I enjoy it so much. Link to post Share on other sites
Matt 0 Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 If you do a nighta in Hakuba don't even bother with the Happo and Goryu nightas which are tiny bunny run areas that take two turns before its over . Go down the road to Kashimayari (about 15 minutes drive). If its dumping its great. Lots of vertical and two runs with a forest area in between which lets in enough light to see by. The runs have a bunch of good hits to huck off and its usually deserted! If it isn't snowing or hasn't snowed that day I wouldn't bother though (and that goes for any nighter including niseko's) Link to post Share on other sites
skidaisuki 0 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 mamabear once again hit the nail exactly on the head. I don't know the economics, but even though Niseko's nighta may not actually make money, the fact that they do it makes the resort more attractive for serious skiiers / boarders over all. If it was just one short lift at the bottom of Hirafu, then we'd all be down at the pub instead, but because they enable you to ski more or less top to bottom, it's a whole world of difference. It's cold, fresh, uncrowded and you can see exactly what you are doing. I'm a pretty enthusiastic skiier (my handle hopefully says it all), but before going to Hirafu I rarely bothered with nightas - too much effort at the end of a long day when you could be in the onsen or bar instead. Hirafu changed this - which is why I when I'm there I am really physically exhausted every night. But in a (very) good way. SdS Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 I've seen plenty of Japanese just do the nightas and then drive home. Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 How good would that be?! To live a short drive away, knock off work and head up for a couple of hours of 'playtime' and then go home - you'd sleep well. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 I used to do that. Get home from work, had something to eat, then off to some nighta. Or eat late after the nighta. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 it can be your gym time for the week too. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts