nzlegend 1 Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 Barok! what is this blasphemy!!! I saw your new signature dude whats going on!!!!!! "powder shmowder . . . It's all about spinning big air! ! " Link to post Share on other sites
barok 0 Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 Well, I have decided that deep down, I am a freestyle snowboarder. I love the chillosity of riding powder, but I am way too type A to do it all the time. As far as blasphemy - I think that riding powder is too easy, and once you reach the point where you can ride drops rollers and burms between trees, on a 35, 36 degree pitch, in various types of powder, there is not much more you can do with it to improve. Sure it's fun, but for me snowboarding is all about improving everyday - progressing if you will. Sure you can ride big mountains, but I don't know if that can be considered powder riding, because I have never done it - It is difficult to access anything over 40 degrees here in Japan. You need equipment, know-how and friends with equipment. The park is easily accessible, and after a few park days, I have seen how easy it is to improve, so I am staying there for the remainder of season, except for maybe a few odd forays into the pow. Of course all of this might have something to do with getting busted, but I have gotta make up for it somehow. Link to post Share on other sites
nzlegend 1 Posted February 26, 2003 Author Share Posted February 26, 2003 right on....I am hearing you about the lack of steep stuff in Japan, but hey you cant win them all. You also hit the slopes alot more than me too, so I can dig your passion for the freestyle, its hard to find and ride pow everyday and the short runs are good, but the desire for little more can never be quenched. I cant wait to go touring with my buddies in the Southern Alps in NZL, get dropped off by helicopter and left to explore for a week....now thats where I want to be at. Link to post Share on other sites
MistaSparkle 0 Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 I dunno man.... as much as I love flying in the park, I don't think i'll ever get sick of floating ontop of waist deep pow at top speed (through trees).... both are equally exciting sensations. Link to post Share on other sites
enderzero 0 Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 Yeah, I gotta say that I enjoy improving and having a break out day in the park, but snowboarding is about so much more than that. You are bound to go through times when you are stagnant and cannot quit break out (I know I have), and if all you focus on is improving you will eventually get fed up and quit. I used to harbor delusions of becoming a professional snowboarder. It was way to detrimental to my fun. I would just get frustrated watching my buddies go bigger than me. Eventually I realized to just forget the bullshit and just ride because I loved to ride. When you get past that you just naturally improve. Freestyle riding is all about personal progression. I spent 6 hours yesterday in the park. I had a great time and landed some huge stuff I am really proud of. I even got to ride a few runs with some good friends (thanks NoFakie). It feels great when you put pressure on yourself and you succeed, but it sucks when you fail. Even though I had such a great time yesterday it didn't even compare to the time I had on Sunday just riding because I love to snowboard. No pressure at all. Just a bunch of really cool people doing what we love to do together. To me that is what it's really about. Link to post Share on other sites
MistaSparkle 0 Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 alright.... i'm gonna sit here and burn with jealousy that you spent six hours in a board park yesterday while I was working... daydreaming about being at a board park! Link to post Share on other sites
jon snapper 0 Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 There`s plenty of steep stuff (above 40/45 degrees) to be had in Hakuba. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 Man do what you want to keep it interesting. I think Barok would still be ridin pow if the patrols didnt mistake his head for a soccer ball. Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 Respect for digging the park-it usually eats me up and leaves me hurting whenever I spend more than 30 mins in it. As Snapper says there's plenty of steeps to be had in Hakuba if you're prepared to seek them out and hike (or break the rules and find them right under nose at the resort). It's all about effort and punishment being ultimately rewarded. Work hard in the park and you'll get slammed a lot but you'll also pull the rad jumps. Work hard to get steep challanging pow terrain and you'll get knackered with the legwork, put yourself at risk and get less actual riding time but you'll also get incredible runs. I'm down with the powder. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 I've had nothing but fun in my short ventures into the park, but I just can't resist throwing myself into the deeps available right next to the lift. Sod hiking. Link to post Share on other sites
Wizz 11 Posted February 28, 2003 Share Posted February 28, 2003 Quote: There`s plenty of steep stuff (above 40/45 degrees) to be had in Hakuba. Where? Link to post Share on other sites
barok 0 Posted February 28, 2003 Share Posted February 28, 2003 yeah, where, it's all well and good to say that steep terrain exists, but unless you say where it is, you are just frontin' i hiked up the backcountry ridge to a point where there was nowhere to go but sideways, in hopes of finding some of this steep terrain, but the only lines i saw emptied out into nowhere, are these the lines you are talking about snapper ? Link to post Share on other sites
zwelgen 0 Posted February 28, 2003 Share Posted February 28, 2003 In my opinion air and pipes are cool, but they will always be what I do when there is no powder around. Floating through pow, racing mates through pow, winding through trees in pow. Its all good. And thats after about 20 powder days this season. Powder is where its at baby! Link to post Share on other sites
jon snapper 0 Posted March 4, 2003 Share Posted March 4, 2003 Don`t know which ridge you`re talking about so can`t answer that one. "Frontin", don`t think so. Next time you`re up at 47, why don`t you take a look at some of the ridges, chutes, ravines, bowls, cliffs, etc... that are to be found in between 47 and Happo. There`s plenty of very steep stuff to be found in there. Do you have any avie equipment? Link to post Share on other sites
talisker 0 Posted March 4, 2003 Share Posted March 4, 2003 I can honestly say I have had 40 odd powder days this season. Coming down throught the trees with no one else around but you and a mate. No noise like the tinny lift music, no wailing sirens , no chatter - just the fall line, waist deep pow and grins from ear to ear. When you get older and you don't have rubber bones anymore you can still ski pow - freeride - that is what it is all about... Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted March 4, 2003 Share Posted March 4, 2003 One may ride the same board, but it's not the same pastime. BC boarders and skiers have more in common with each other than a BC boarder/ pipe boarder. It's the same with many sports. One's about love of the mountains, love of adventure, the other love of thrill/adrenaline. Over simplied, of course, but just to get the point across... Link to post Share on other sites
barok 0 Posted March 4, 2003 Share Posted March 4, 2003 yeah, I always see that stuff Snapper, but I am sketched on it - have you ever ridden it ? It looks slide happy to me - I don't know which direction it faces, but It sure does get cooked by the sun, and come to think of it, I have seen several spots where the face has started to slide - creating kindov melted wax effect. It doesn't look that safe. I have avie gear, but lack the know-how and the friends with avie gear - how often do you ride in Hakuba ? I will have alot of free time this month if you wanna show me something. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted March 4, 2003 Share Posted March 4, 2003 The stuff in those areas is rarely ridin. Most of the stuff that is ridin is the north facing stuff behind Hakuba and tusgaike. Correct me if Im wrong. That stuff looks great I would love to see it opened. Barok is right you dont go jumping into something that you dont know or admittedly dont have the required knowelge. Exampe Avie and a way of getting out. Link to post Share on other sites
nzlegend 1 Posted March 5, 2003 Author Share Posted March 5, 2003 Quote: Originally posted by talisker: I can honestly say I have had 40 odd powder days this season. Coming down throught the trees with no one else around but you and a mate. No noise like the tinny lift music, no wailing sirens , no chatter - just the fall line, waist deep pow and grins from ear to ear. When you get older and you don't have rubber bones anymore you can still ski pow - freeride - that is what it is all about... Amen brother, couldnt have put it more eloquently Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts