Su-No-Bo-Do (Snowboarding) Japanese Style!!

This last weekend was spent up in northern Hyogo (my "prefecture" - like a State (ie. California), in the US), in an area called "Tajima" at Hachi-Kogen Mountain (http://www.hachi-hachikita.co.jp/), having a forkin' awesome time people-watching the crazy Japanese skiiers and snowboarders, carving up fresh powder tree runs, and eating more crab than you can shake a claw at.

My first trip to the ski resort was two weeks previous, where I had taken a 5 hour bus-commute to arrive at 100% humidity (read: pouring rain) conditions that majorly sucked, and ultimately gave me the flu for three days (hey, I'm at the mountain, I gotta ride it, right?!). This time proved to be MUCH much better.

The trip was part of a big JET Ski weekend, so about 70 of us English teachers rented out a slopeside lodge and made a big weekend out of it. Day One was spent riding around cutting up the trees and dive-bombing Larries in a snowstorm, and then eating two dinners back to back (first was Pizza and Ramen, second was Crab Nabe - Japanese Hot Pot).

(Zainabu and I are about to wrassle for who gets the big claw. Look this HUGE plate of crabs! Between 5 people, we ate the entire thing... and 3 orders of fried chicken, a huge plate of veggies and tofu, and a big cauldron of hot-pot soup. DANG!)

(Here's a shocker - I ate way too much and am about to pass out... again. Nikster get this crab away from me!!)

After being subjected to some of the worst kareoke known to man (a bunch of old Japanese dudes crashed our hotel room and started belting songs out on the kareoke machine), I got a few hours rest, ready to take on the blue bird (super sunny and nice) Day Two. The morning was spent teaching Nikster and our friend Zainabu how to snowboard, and the afternoon chasing down the last runs of the day (our buddy John videotaped on his "follow cam" - I'll try to post the videos later, they are wicked funny).

(It's a Japanese Larry Convention!)

Japanese people love to do things in groups. Usually when they travel, it's through a travel agency that books a package tour - this was probably a "Learn how to Ski" tour group - I saw several of them on the hill this weekend, same clothes, same skis, an army of accidents just waiting to happen. It was really funny to see all of them stretching out in unison in the morning, and then going through the same exact motions when learning to ski. Snowboarding in the US is all about individuality - different art on your deck, the way you dress, the style that you ride, and here in Japan they are building a uniform army of skiiers. Cracks me up.

(PS - "Larry" is a Michelle Mikulic-ism for a lame-ass on the slopes that either 1) is sitting around and gets in your way, 2) rides out of control and gets in your way, 3) falls off the lift and makes it stop, thus getting in the way of your riding, 4) a yard-sale skiier, or 5) anybody who clogs up the lanes and somehow impedes your day.)

(Who let the skateboarder on the mountain?! (photo by Markane)

(Nikster says: "Skiing is for pussies!!")

(My Japanese riding crew: Yuka "Ninja Style" Aoki, and Markane "Ground Tricks is Where It's At" Sipraseuth)

(It's your boy - last one on the hill, closing out the mountain, riding off into the sunset...)

Can't wait for the next trip!! God I miss the free Tahoe lift tickets in SF. Mikulic and Bort you guys had better be appreciating it! Peace and think snow, - SHU.