sock_monkey 0 Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 There's an article in this month's issue about skiing in Hakkoda. You can check it out online here: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0602/sports/ski-japan.html or pick up the issue and see if you can find the picture with me in it . my usual BC crew accompanied the author for the first few days. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Good article But I get annoyed when ski writers that come to Japan all want that "Japanese Ski Experience" Why can't you just go skiing and if you have a good time you have a good time. Why does it have to be "Japanese" I'm not sure how to explain myself here. Maybe it's just that I'm used to it and find onsens, sake and futons normal and anybody that finds them strange is an idiot. If you have the article Sock Monkey you should scan it and show us the picture. I can't get National Geographic where I live Link to post Share on other sites
number9 0 Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Probably because they need to write an article or two to pay the bills (and articles must satisfy the required "Japaneseness" quotient ). Maybe if they came here on their own dime, they wouldn't be so picky. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Yah I know they are not writing the article for me. It's for uniformed people in the States It just annoys the **** out of me Quote: I had scarcely thought of Japan as an off-piste haven until I met Aihara, 36, through Tokyo's International Adventure Club. An avid backcountry skier and guide, Aihara forwarded me photos of some of Japan's 671 ski areas (the U.S. has a mere 492). The slopes looked terrific, but most were too reminiscent of Western resorts. I tell Aihara that I want something challenging, something exotic, and most important, something quintessentially Japanese. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 quintessentially Japanese... What a wank! What, does he want a kimono-clad geisha serving him sake while looking at Mt Fuji with a sumo match going on in front of his onsen? I'm with you Toque. Link to post Share on other sites
sock_monkey 0 Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 well, it is a travel/adventure magazine, not a ski magazine. i'm pretty sure stephen's original article must have read quite differently. i get the feeling there were quite a few national geographic editorial suggestions. Link to post Share on other sites
uggggllllyyyy 0 Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Originally posted by Toque: [QB] Yah I know they are not writing the article for me. It's for uniformed people in the States Military?, police?, postal workers?. Just what type of uniformed people are we talking about?. Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 Cheerleaders I hope, or maybe some of those baton twirling girls. I'm with you as well Toque...exotic schmotic...spare us the excruciating cliches and homilies please! Nice article but it reads,in part,like a story in an airline magazine. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by sock_monkey: well, it is a travel/adventure magazine, not a ski magazine. i'm pretty sure stephen's original article must have read quite differently. i get the feeling there were quite a few national geographic editorial suggestions. Sorry dude I don't mean to take away from your part in the article Sounded like a cool trip from what I read online. Just some things that I don't like about foreign writers writing stories about Japan Link to post Share on other sites
sock_monkey 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 no worries, according to stephen, i was mentionned in the original but my part got cut out and is lying in the trashcan of someone's laptop. they pushed the article back two months as well so i'm not sure what happened. i actually agree with a lot of what you guys are saying, those parts feel forced and they don't need to be. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 oh SM, just spill your heart - you know that youre bloody pissed off you were cut man, C'mon ...Im sure Fattwins has a few (dozen) boxes of tissues laying around for ya if you need one Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by Davo: Cheerleaders I hope, or maybe some of those baton twirling girls. Cheerleaders in the US just seem like Trailer Trash to me Now if they were Japanese Cheerleaders Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Beanie please tell me youre not thinkin bout your HS cheerleaders... Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by Creek Boy: Beanie please tell me youre not thinkin bout your HS cheerleaders... Would that be a problem with you? Saddly we don't have any But we do have a baton/ribbon team though Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 a problem for CB? C'mon Toque! You know him better than to need to ask that question. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Well that would be the CB of last year Circa Yamakashi Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 CB was already CB from last year January mate! He just refused to admit it!! Link to post Share on other sites
Davo 1 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 SM, didn't mean to sound unecessarilly negative there, and Hakkoda sounds awesome. Would've been a truer representation of whats what if you wrote it though, I imagine. BTW I found your hipflask on the floor at Fattwins's & he's got it there for when you return. Jgirl cheerleaders Link to post Share on other sites
sock_monkey 0 Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 hah, i've had a busy week and hadn't noticed it was gone yet. i hope i can retrieve it very soon. got the free tickets to use too. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 You had a busy week, that's nice! After such a fun weekend, I was so bored in Tokyo and counting the days until next ski trip to Rusutsu, 1,2,3..........18,19,20,21! Link to post Share on other sites
SerreChe 2 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Thanks for the Link SM. Had been looking for it earlier on (too early). Having been to this very special place this season as well, it was nice to read about it. Personally I think it is a good article with useful info although it tends to 'sensationalize' things a bit, but again it is most likely targeted towards a specific audience. The only thing I would like to point out: "These fears come to a head on our third day, when I find myself on an exposed 50-degree slope in blistering winds" There are no 50-degree slopes there except maybe for the parking lot's snow walls, people should know that. Still, the Hakkoda range is an awsome spot and I will go again. Link to post Share on other sites
sock_monkey 0 Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 yeah, i was wondering what the heck that was about too. the only thing close to it was a 15-20 foot drop we had to negotiate while hiking. other than that i'm thinking the steepest was maybe 35 degrees (i'd have to check my map). Quote: Hakkoda range is an awsome spot agreed. part of the gang i was with went back up there same weekend as the SJ party. If i'd had the funds and the time off I def. would've gone again. i had a blast last year. Link to post Share on other sites
SerreChe 2 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Yes, I think I remember reading 37° on Simon's site. SM, I realized that you have no member page! Would like to see some of your pics if you have some(and the time to post them). I think starting March Hakkoda gets a whole lot more busy, with the japanese spring BC buffs starting to get into the action. Wish I could go back in Feb, but will try to do some other mountains closer to Tokyo. Link to post Share on other sites
sock_monkey 0 Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 i have some stuff on a blog that i don't use much. i should transfer the ski trip stuff onto the SJ site. March is busier because that's when they open the road that circles the range and you can do the really long BC runs and shuttle it back, there's also the chance the sun might come out. Link to post Share on other sites
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