mitchpee 10 Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Do a lot of freestyle skiing? Basically it will either be just me or just me and a friend there so I am wondering if we have anyone lurking around here that wants to shoot with us, build stuff with us, ski some gnarly stuff, etc. Basically I am trying to see if anyone likes to record this type of stuff since I don't know any filmers there or anyone that likes to hit/build backcountry jumps for certain days. Plan on doing a lot of touring to find cliffs and fun natural stuff to jib on. If anyone seems like they would be interested just let me know...trying to get my contacts down now! Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 If you're planning on coming to Niseko to do freestyle skiing you're missing the point. Well until April anyhow. Nov-Mar is pow Apr-Jun is resort based and backcountry jibbing Link to post Share on other sites
mitchpee 10 Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 Mike I don't come to Japan just to jib. I love skiing pow but like to throw stuff in it just as well. Thanks for the heads up though Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 The park is normally pants until spring because of too much snow. Plenty of backcountry hits though. Link to post Share on other sites
mitchpee 10 Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 I'm not really talking park. I am talking in the months of Nov-Mar I want tofind a lot of cliffs to huck, the occasional BC jump build and find a bunch of lines to ski and fun natural things to jib around on. Wasn't sure if anyone was into this kind of stuff on here and was hoping to find someone who wanted to do some filming, jibbing, etc Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Best to just come over and check it out while you're here rather than trying to find stuff out on a website imo. At Niseko it just tends to snow all the time so people don't really stand around building stuff, they just ski pow and try to keep their goggles and shit dry, which is perfectly fun imo. (like Mike said, I think). Anyway, you might want to check out Hakuba for a few reasons like better terrain, arguably a better scene overall for what you want, and intense storms but more sun and fun in between - maybe like Ut but with heavier snow (can't have everything). Then again if you just want to get yer freak on in snow that makes Ut look like East coast granular then go to Niseko. Link to post Share on other sites
panhead_pete 27 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Hey Mitch if you do go to Hakuba and Im in town at the time I'll come out and help build kickers etc and watch or film if you have a camera and some time to teach me but wont be hitting them myself as my skills arent there for that. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 btw, not that Niseko = Hokkaido but outside of Niseko things are a lot more spread out with full on BC that's not as accessible as the Niseko sidecountry for punters like you or me. Link to post Share on other sites
mitchpee 10 Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 Originally Posted By: panhead_pete Hey Mitch if you do go to Hakuba and Im in town at the time I'll come out and help build kickers etc and watch or film if you have a camera and some time to teach me but wont be hitting them myself as my skills arent there for that. Yeah Pete! I will definitely have to make the trip down there at some point. Sounds like a plan! Ger, I am not sure you guys are getting what I mean. It's hard to describe what I do via online web forum. I love skiing pow. I live for the deep stuff. Unfortunately it has come to a point where I need just a bit more...and that bit more is mostly upheld by my hucking tricks on cliffs whilst skiing deep pow. That is why I want to come to Niseko. I am dying to get some of the cold smoke and at the same time experience some good terrain. I understand UT probably has a much more dedicated freestyle scene and the terrain to match (much more rocky, steep, higher, etc.), but that is why I made this post. To connect with people who may be into the same thing and would be willing to reveal some "spots" or something. I am not looking to set up park photo shoots but I am mostly looking for people who want to build jumps when the time is right and shred pow/cliffs ALL the time. Hope that clarifies what I am saying...sorry for being a bit confusing. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Hey Mitch, I know quite a few guys who head out backcountry for some freestyle stuff including the guys who often guide pro skiers/boarders when they are here making movies. I can help hook you up with them when you're here. Most of them run guiding businesses and will be busy through much of winter but they can at least point you in the right direction and help you meet up with like minded people during your stay. Link to post Share on other sites
jared 0 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 My brother is likely to be there - he'll be keen. Don't worry about being confusing, the people you are looking for would know exactly what you mean. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Freestyle = park Freeride = what you're looking for Hence our confusion. Bags of freeride all over Hokkaido, from windlips at Niseko to scare the shit out of you cliffs at Kurodake. There's a cat sking operation out of Niseko that hits some wild, wild terrain. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Mike, you coming back next season? Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 Originally Posted By: MitchPee Originally Posted By: panhead_pete Hey Mitch if you do go to snowjapan with people who may be into the same thing and would be willing to reveal some "spots" or something. I am not looking to set up park photo shoots but I am mostly looking for people who want to build jumps when the time is right and shred pow/cliffs ALL the time. Hope that clarifies what I am saying...sorry for being a bit confusing. If you're looking for cliffs and good terrain, then Niseko isnt really what you are after. There is a much better cliff band at Rusutsu from about 3-5 meters but that isnt that big really. I know M.P. mentioned Kurodake, some stuff over at Asahidake and Furano, too. But some of the biggest terrain I saw in Hokkaido was Tokachidake. It was siiiiiiiiiick. I think at peak season most of it is closed out so later in the season (I would think) would be a better bet as a lot of it was just closed out to us forcing us to spend more time over at Furano rather than touring. As Ger said, Hakuba is a much better bet for what you are after. This pic is sustained 40+ at 1000+ meters of vert. Straight top to bottom. http://www.snowjapanforums.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/348353/1.html In Hokkaido some of the really famous runs like "strawberries" at Niseko is 25-30 for what... 400 meters max? If that? I think 300 or so is prolly more realistic. Drop off the back of the peak and you will have some fun. I have spent the last 2 winters up North but will be around Nagano/Niigata this winter for sure. Both are amazing and have so much to offer both on the slopes and off. TGR offers lots of info on terrain too. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 Plenty of extreme stuff in Hokkaido CB. Up around Kurodake and Tokachidake there's a heap of extreme terrain. Even in the Niseko area there's plenty of places that make Strawberrys look like a beginner area. Using an inbound area of the resort like Strawberrys as an example of what Hokkaido has to offer in terms of extreme terrain is more than a little misleading. Link to post Share on other sites
mitchpee 10 Posted July 21, 2010 Author Share Posted July 21, 2010 YESYESYYES Creek boy that is EXACTLY what I am talking about. Some nice lines, cliffs to trick woohooo. Mik, ah yeah sorry. I tend to call everything freestyle that contains tricks be it in park, BC, in bounds on cliffs, etc. Freestyle has gone from meaning mogul ripping...to park....to whatever it is now haha. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 G.N., there is tons of great terrain in Hokkers as I said myself. The best area for sure (at least that Ive been to) would be the Asahikawa area - insane. >Using an inbound area of the resort like Strawberrys as an example of what Hokkaido has to offer in terms of extreme terrain is more than a little misleading. I should have said Niseko, not Hokkers. The fact is that Niseko doesnt really have the terrain. (broken record here? ) Off the peak to Goshiki and Mizuno are among the better runs you can get there. Haru is pretty steep but its short. Super short. My only complaint about Niseko is the lack of terrain and long runs, as well as the flat traverse sections. My point to Mitch was that if he wants terrain then I wouldnt go to Niseko in Hokkaido. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 But you're still just looking at terrain easily accessible from the resort itself. There's a lot more out there than just that in this area. If you're prepared to really earn your turns then there's some really interesting terrain to be found out there. When you can ski right to sea level the terrain options are almost endless! Sure we don't have the really big mountain terrain like they have down on Honshu, we don't have 3000m+ peaks, but for the sort of thing Mitch appears to be looking for, building a few kickers and finding some cliffs and other natural terrain to huck off there's plenty of that here. Much safer and easier to access than the sort of terrain in your pic above. If Mitch hooks up with the right guys (which I think he is) then he'll have an absolute ball up here. Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Originally Posted By: thursday Mike, you coming back next season? Hopefully. Will know more come September. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Tremendous Mike, hope that works out for you. I really do, not just because I want to see you pics. Link to post Share on other sites
mitchpee 10 Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 Yes, Mike's pics = Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Pow 52 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Thanks guys Link to post Share on other sites
rider69 18 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 As an American the hardest part is going to be the VISA. Creekboy there is only one operation in Hakuba that would even consider sponsering an American. It is easier and much cheaper to deal with people on working holiday Visas than to sponser people. So bringing up the Hakuba card is a non starter really. http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-7108b.html Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 I thought he was just suggesting hakuba as it has the big mountains that Mitch is more used too.....I don't think he had any alterior motive. It gets tiring when people ask about "where to go" and the board becomes polarised between the Big H and the Big N. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Big H as in Hokkaido Link to post Share on other sites
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