Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 It's been suggested there's interest in some Japan snowsports ancient history. I began my skiing career here in March 1980, and I believe there are a few around who go back even further, and have wider experience. So if you have questions about what it was like back in the day, here's a place for them. FWIW, my first day of skiing was at the now Yuzawa Park. I fell down 13,274 times, learned to stop at the base of the lift by crashing into the hut (a technique I then perfected through diligent practice over the next several weekends) and became known as the Doke Doke Gaijin for my screamed warnings to those downhill who didn't realize I had no idea how to turn the damn things. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Good idea. What skijo were around in Yuzawa in those days? Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 Pretty much the same as now, but no Gala, Naspa or Kandatsu, and what's now Maiko Korakuen was smaller, no gondola and no bowl up at the top. I think Hakkaisan was just a small place with a lift or two until they built the ropeway there in mid-80s. Iwappara had a lift to the top, but no gondola and none of that terrain skier's left from the top lift was open yet. Naeba and Kagura were completely separate, no Tashiro and obviously no Dragondola (stupid name!). Naeba was a bit smaller, without those lifts/runs over by the Dragondola (stupid name!) station. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Sadly Iwappara has gone back to not having a gondola, though it still stands there. Always interested to hear stories of the crowds and busy stuff. When did SJ Andrew turn up, 1993-4 or something? Not quite as far back as you Mr Jim! Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan#Andrew 6 Posted June 22, 2011 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted June 22, 2011 I arrived in 1992, so DiGriz has 12 years over me! I used to live very close to Yuzawa IC and people going back home from places like Yuzawa Park, Iwappara, Yuzawa Nakazato and that area used our road to get back to the IC and Route 17. Some of the queues down the road were just madness - not moving for literally hours on end, and chocca from late Sunday morning. Almost hard to believe now. Link to post Share on other sites
sanjo 2 Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Originally Posted By: DiGriz I think Hakkaisan was just a small place with a lift or two until they built the ropeway there in mid-80s. Wasn't it a Gondola originally, they changed it to a ropeway about 10 years ago? Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I can remember back when there were no crowds at all and freshies to be had all day long everyday at Niseko! Ahh the good old days... Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 Sanjo, yes it was a gondola initially, as was Furano on the new side. Not sure what the advantage was in switching to ropeways, possibly savings in terms of maintenance, etc. GN, those days may come back next season if the radiation fear keeps overseas visitors away. Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Has anyone even inferred those old days being "good"? Link to post Share on other sites
sanjo 2 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I would guess the Ropeway moves less. Gondolas always on the move. Ropeways once every 20 mins in the off season. That Ropeway at Hakkai certainly zips up there fast! Link to post Share on other sites
big-will 7 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Were the skis made of wood back then DiGriz? Interesting to hear about all this. What was the LONGEST you have waited in line for a 400m or so lift? Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Most I have is about 40 minutes. I decided not to do that ever again as well! Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 Yes, I'd say 40-45 minutes. I wouldn't call them the ``good'' old days, except that there's since been quite the buildup of mileage on myself Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Admin SnowJapan#Andrew 6 Posted June 23, 2011 SnowJapan Admin Share Posted June 23, 2011 Once waited for an hour for the Kagura quad. That was way back in 1992. Wasn't much of a fun day spent more time lining up than skiing. 30-45 mins for a pair at any of the main places over a weekend was pretty commonplace if my memory serves. Link to post Share on other sites
ShinyDiscoBall 2 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Did people buy day tickets back then? Would be better off with just a few lift individual lift tickets! Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 Definitely, you wanted to take a quick look around before shelling out for a day ticket. Often bought the 12-for-10 kaisu-ken back in the day. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Yeah! Kai-su-ken. Back in those days, the day ticket got changed to sticky tape ribbon, which you attatched to your ski pole. Still, as a Japanese youngsta, we got given left over tickets and day tickets from the Onichan/Ojisan. No problems there. Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Ha, Jynxx! I still have somewhere a pair of old Scott poles, one of them with a good .5cm thickness of those tape Naeba & Kagura lift tickets wrapped around one. Link to post Share on other sites
mitchpee 10 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 I remember back in 2010 when nobody knew where Chiisun was Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Jim, after all those years, it´s good to finally know that the "doke doke gaijin" was not a myth. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Doke doke? Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Move, Move! (or Look Out, or Get Out of the Way, or Make Way...). Screamed loudly and repeatedly when careening down the bunny slope, it can help avert crashes (or cause others who may be equally incompetent to fall or crash into each other while trying to heed the warning). Link to post Share on other sites
Nisoko 6 Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Surely they would have got out of the way anyway, you being gaijin an' all? Link to post Share on other sites
Slippery Jim 65 Posted June 26, 2011 Author Share Posted June 26, 2011 Perhaps, but I felt a responsibility to the skier's code of conduct to give them fair warning. Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted June 26, 2011 Share Posted June 26, 2011 The stories that I heard were: *that he crashes into the (lifties´s)hut to stop. *that he actually took out a lift attendant *they (liftie)piled up snow barricade for him to crash into *that a girl ended up crashing into him and they got married *he is a yank *a pom *it snows after he appears *it´s a bluebird day when he appears etc etc ... Link to post Share on other sites
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