SnowJapan.Com#3 0 Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 A new SnowJapan.Com interview have been put online. http://www.snowjapan.com/e/features/interviews-pineridge.html "We spoke with Jong Lee from Pine Ridge Resorts about the company, their new Resorts in Japan (Kandatsu in Yuzawa and Geihoku in Hiroshima), and his thoughts on the current Japanese winter sports scene and how he sees it evolving in the future." http://www.snowjapan.com/e/features/interviews-pineridge.html -------------- Please note that the views expressed in any Features on Snow Japan are not necessarily those of Snow Japan. -------------- Discuss this Feature here... Link to post Share on other sites
mogski 0 Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 Nice to hear the thoughts of the guys in charge, but some more secret stuff on expansion of course would've been a welcome bonus. I would be happy to offer my expertise as an avid skier to assist in the course expansion and development at Kandatsu. For a fee of course... I can be swayed to offer some freebies. Link to post Share on other sites
rachael 0 Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 Interesting read, thanks for taking the time. So good to hear something positive instead of the darui feeling you get "everywhere else apart from Niseko". Link to post Share on other sites
sakebomb 0 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Thanks again SnowJapan. Good to hear a positive insight, makes the future of this industry exciting. Many things to come I guess! Link to post Share on other sites
veronica 2 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Always interesting to read things like this. Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 sj.com thanks for the interview, very informative and interesting. Love to see similar articles with other resorts also. Would be fantastic if the questions that came up in the other thread could be forwarded to Pine Ridge Resorts someday as well. Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan.Com#2 0 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Will do. ------------ Just to publicly reply to a (pretty rude) email we got just before. We don't think it jusifies a response, but just want to make the point clear: We are not showing bias to any resort(s). We would be more than happy to do interviews with ANY resort in Japan if the management at resorts were interested and what they had to say was worthwhile. We have in the past approached other resorts who have either refused to be interviewed or declined once they saw the questions (!) If anyone knows of management at any resort that might be interested in talking directly to their public, then just let us know and we'll be on the case. --------------- As a footnote....sheeesh, some of the mails we get....make us sad Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Given the enthusiasm that some people I know have for winter sports, it's disappointing to see that the man had only been skiing once before getting the job. While its good to have young blood in the industry, I would place several years skiing around the world and Japanese ability (a mogski type?) way ahead of MBAs or experience in other countries doing completely unrelated things. Some people love skiing so much that its sad to see this kind of job going to a "suit". Still, they're up against overcapacity, increasingly cheap foreign holidays (the real killer of domestic demand, I reckon), and widespread price dumping in the ski industry, so good luck to them. I hope they can pull it off. I really do. Maybe they should do a Niseko and try selling condos to Aussies who think their "investment" will appreciate 6% a year Link to post Share on other sites
KlingKlang 1 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 It's hardly seems like a case of "getting the job" though. Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems he's one partner of the company who bought the company (not something many 'non-suits' can do), so it's not as if he's going to be hands on operations every day is it. Perhaps the other 2 are mad skibums. I would have thought the enthusiasm for making changes is the big point here. Wish them well. Link to post Share on other sites
mogski 0 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 I have suits too! Don't like to wear them skiing, but am prepared to negotiate on this point if necessary. Link to post Share on other sites
green 0 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Many of the "love skiing so much" people I know start cutting down on food and don't do anything the days before their monthly payday --- let alone buy major ski resorts. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 I'm not sure whether Hanazono was a good deal, but one of the Aussies who bought it said he does 100 days a year. You never know, but he might have a bit more idea of what a good ski resort is. Link to post Share on other sites
KlingKlang 1 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Right - you never know. It seems a bit harsh to come up with the "suits" argument when we know very little about everyone else involved. One of the Aussies of Hanazono did 100 days a year? OK, great, so what about all the rest of the people involved? All of them? Don't know, right? Link to post Share on other sites
boardbaka 3 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Great interview.... Agreed..Kling Klan..sounds like he is a switched on cat with experience and contacts in a variety of industries in which he can draw from.. I heard from a very reliable source that although it probably was a good buy Hanazono is still not for certain yet. They may have the land but are stil deciding what to do with it as far as I can gather.They plan to either ping it/ subcontract it heavily or do it all themselves in 3 Stages. This guy said there will most likely be nothing ready in the next 3-4 years as there is not the infrastructure that the Village has and or Sewage facilities and access roads. Link to post Share on other sites
Roger's head 0 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Are you sure that Aussie isn't just an instructor or something? A resort is hardly gonna go anywhere if all it's management are hardcore skiers out there everyday just enjoying themselves. Sounds very much unlike a recipe for success. Interesting interview, would like to read more. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 The Niseko thing is connected Mt. Hotham in Oz. They're bringing a lot of experience of their market (Aussies) and have obvious potential for reverse season tieups. One of the bloke's wives is high up at Qantas who are flying the people in. The 100 day a year man is an executive. I can't remember his name because I'm not all that interested in him or in Niseko, but at least he's keen as. Maybe I'm just a romantic, but I think it would be nice if the managers of ski resorts actually went skiing or boarding more than "once". It's a common criticism of bigwigs at Seibu, Kokudo, Tokyu,.... Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 I heard that the chairperson of Seibu (who recently resigned because of the Kokudo scandal) was really ski-baka.... Link to post Share on other sites
DokiDokiWakuWaku 0 Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 The interview was with one person. We know nothing of the others who may be snowboarding pros for all we know. Personally I would hope they were not. And he said "once" before he was doing what he was doing. I wonder if he is getting out there now? I can't see what the point of the comparisons with the Niseko situation is either. We seem to know little about that, and know even less of these Pine Ridge people, just an interview with the one guy thats all. I think the guy certainly sounds way different than Seibu and Kokudo way of thinking. I wish them luck gambatte! Link to post Share on other sites
DokiDokiWakuWaku 0 Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 Yes, don't know if it were the same guy but the top Kokudo guy was absolutely crazy about skiing is what I heard - even building new resorts just for his "hobby". Wasn't Hakkai-san built in part to satisfy his mogul-needs and he coptered in from Tokyo for a day mogul riding?? Link to post Share on other sites
jared 0 Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 If I understand correctly the owner of Hachimantai sometimes mans the lifts with the other lifties. Link to post Share on other sites
andrew@yuzawa 0 Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 I know a few resorts round here where the managers can often be seen doing liftie duty at peak times..... Also met Mr Lee quite a few times, and can definitely confirm that I have never seen him in a suit. Link to post Share on other sites
7-11 2 Posted February 24, 2005 Share Posted February 24, 2005 Very omoshiroi. "renewed sense of energy and momentum". Can't be bad. Link to post Share on other sites
marnix 0 Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 So he's not wearing suits, but he can still be a "suit". Being in the leisure business you could get away with not wearing suits. Mr. Lee is not really running a skiresort. He overseeing his small but growing leisure empire. And this company is investing in their resorts probably just to get a profit when they sell it in a few years time. If the investing company would consist of avid boarders and skiers they probably wouldn't have the money/contacts to buy the resorts they bought. Link to post Share on other sites
Karnidge 2 Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 Very interesting to read that. I wonder how the staff and people involved feel about the gaijin coming in and buying. Link to post Share on other sites
guzzlers-baps 0 Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Me and guzzler went to Kandatsu at the end of last week. We both really liked it - and interesting to go after reading the reviews and interview here. The courses just about suited our level and it wasn't busy at all (good for us!) Great food as well actually, not the most important thing for us but it was different from the usual dross you get at a skijo. Hope to go back when there's more fresh snow (we went before the snow of the weekend ( Link to post Share on other sites
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