Nozawa onsen 23rd~27th January 2013
 

Recently got back from my latest trip to Nagano. 5 Days in Nozawa onsen.

First couple of days were blue skies with left over powder (in my top secret stashes) from the day before.

Incredible visibility which tempted me into the park as well as my usual tree runs.

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http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/...psffc88260.jpg

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Could be my last trip with this set up as I will upgrade board and bindings shortly. This is a great board/bindings combination and I can slay pretty much anything with it.

http://i1137.photobucket.com/albums/...psf89f69f2.jpg

Friday Saturday and Sunday brought 30~40cm each day and it pretty much never stopped snowing. Sunday afternoon did clear up and gave great visibility for some killer tree runs.

Light and fluffy, white rooms were in abundance.

On Saturday and Sunday I did my first paid guide work on a snowboard. We guided (me and my ex-pro buddy) a group of 7 riders around the lesser known tree runs and safer side country of Nozawa.

Everyone had a blast, including myself. May upload some video footage later as we had some amazing runs on Sunday. Some of the best I have ever had:D.

fuck yea buddy.

I grew up on that side of the world and make sushi now, I'm a total Nipponophile. I love your posts and one day will make it out to shred.

Nice one. What are you upgrading your setup to?


Since you're doing paid guiding, I assume you're certified, and have the necessary insurance? Just wondering if its hard to get all that setup. One of my friends is studying to be a guide but I have no idea what he's doing

He's probably getting a quiver sent over from NS. :dunno:

Well if he is a legit guide I can get him hooked up with burton ak457

I rode my proto(154 I weigh 180lbs) in knee, mostly waist, and sometimes chest deep pow with my bindings set on the reference points for the last 3 days.

My buddy was riding a Ride Highlife(158 he weighs about 170) and had to move his bindings back to the rear reference points(this deck has 2 sets of reference points with little arrows) I found this to be very interesting as that plank of a deck he has is highlighted by some kind of "2 stage rocker" with "low rise" and "high rise" at different points in the deck? I may be confusing the exact details,

Anyway I know that you (Dreampow) rode the Highlife recently, probably even the same model...thoughts? comments?

Not trying to bash Ride by any means, they have been good to me in the past as well as K2 seems to be on point with gear, imo.

Wow, beautiful:thumbsup:

First pic dreampow... dont think i dont know whats over that ledge there ;)

Glad you had fun. Didnt realise you lived soooo far away. I thought you were in the area or something. So why did you end up in Nozawa so often then? Is it just where your mates ride, or do you really love it that much? Ten days on the season pass (and a shocking destruction of ushikubi which i never even considered would happen until late season when theres no snow), has left me running out of ideas and lines down it. Im trying to stave off hitting up yamabiko until later on when theres literally going to be nothing left worth playing on, so i dont get sick of it. And obviously keeping out of pic 1. But yeah... the eyes are starting to wander across to myoko, kosha, and shiga kogen again. Hell, since they are opening the top lift on kagura this weekend, thats also tempting me.

I am really in the training phase right now, I am helping out a paid certified guide and learning from him. He has everyone sign a contract and its legit. It may be some time before I have all the experience, equipment and qualifications needed to be a certified guide.


For now I am happy to be an assistant and get paid for doing something I love to do.

We will be doing some more tours this year.

I will be upgrading with some new NS boards and staying with cartels, this years restricted. I am also getting a free pair of SP bindings so I can at least see what they are like.

I like the sound of that, but as I said I am guiding as an assistant really.