Poster: A snowHead
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A rare incident, and thankfully she was extricated in fine form, but it's a hook into this interesting article about ski patrolling in the Japanese ski resort of Niseko, which is the largest on the north island of Hokkaido.
Niseko attracts heavy snowstorms, but avalanche detonation isn't permitted, as explained by local patroller Akio Shinya. Click here to find out more, from US magazine 'Skiing'. The feature is by Bevin Wallace.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 9-11-04 14:53; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I enjoyed reading about Akio. First time I've wanted to ski in Japan.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Here is some independent opinion on the resort concerned - Niseko - from the resort review site GoSki.com.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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snowball,
Go for it it really is a great place. My one regret is that I did not really discover it untill I was just leaving the far East. I skied there four days late season which was enough to realise that there is some great skiing there as well as a fantastic snow record. I would love to go back again sometime.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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When the Japanese Min of Ed started the JET programme little did they realise they were going to change the face of Japanese skiing. One of the results of bringing thousands of fresh graduates from English speaking countries to teach in the highschool system here was to provide the skiing/boarding community with a lot of very positive energy, but unfortunately a few headaches. Where Japanese had for years avoided anything outside the ski boundary, these young 'uns took one look, said "Wow!" and headed off. The video makers moved in next and off-piste suddenly became super cool and you didn't have to go to Europe/N.America to enjoy it. Ski patrols have had to cope with the increase in the number of accidents and new, tougher, policies have been introduced.....confiscation of lift passes, reports to the police and the threat of fines. The young, however, have tasted the forbidden fruit and if they see any 'fukai yuki'(deep snow) off they go. Let's hope the number of Descente-clad Japanese on the latest skis who snowplough after a heli drop will decrease as a result!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Mac46 wrote: |
if they see any 'fukai yuki'(deep snow) |
Sounds more like slush to me.
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