NYT SNOW 2010_BLOG
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3/3/10
So, days 10 and 11 are the last days of the NYTS: SNOW 2010 tour before hopping on the plane. We sadly had to say our goodbyes to Rusutsu Resort and head over to Sapporo city for the last activities of the tour. The bus ride to Sapporo was not too long and less than 2 hours. As soon as everyone settled into the hotel, everyone jumped to the streets of Sapporo for food and city exploration. We have been in the mountains for most of the trip, so this was a big change in scenery. Ramen alley was nothing like we’ve seen before with countless little ramen shops lined up. Even though the group eventually split, we ran into each other in the streets many times!
On the following day, we took a shuttle to Sapporo Teine mountain for the last riding day. The conditions on this day were pretty bad to say the least. It was very icy due to the unusual warm weather melting the snow and freezing with the return of lower temps. These conditions were very unusual for the island with the best pow in the world. We made the best of it on this small mountain that was once a location for the Olympics in 1972. The Flux Bindings and A-Seven outerwear has held up very well for the tour. It’s like we discovered new features of the outerwear every day. Very interesting takes on pockets and little hidden secrets on the jackets by A-Seven! It was great to see many people using Flux Bindings on the mountains in Japan.
Everyone jumped into packing mode after returning from Teine. Everyone went out to stroll through the city for the last night in Sapporo. Of course this night saw some snowfall as we were about to leave Hokkaido! Some people left early in the AM to the airport to catch their flights as others set off to Tokyo for a few days. This will be one of the most unique snow tours to Hokkaido to ever go down! We thank all those that helped in making the NYTS: SNOW 2010 happen. We had the best times at Rusutsu Resort and will be sure to return very soon! You can even go to Rusutsu Resort during the summer time to play some golf or hit up the biggest amusement park in Hokkaido! Until next time!
3/2/10
Here is the part 3 video for NYTS: SNOW 2010 tour! Some good times on the mountains at Rusutsu Resort and Niseko Grand Hirafu! There are plenty of things to do at Rusutsu Resort and we took advantage of checking out some of the restaurants after riding. More to come!
2/27/10
The NYTS: SNOW 2010 is on it’s last leg of the snow tour. Rusutsu Resort has been our home since February 20th and we’re living well here! The 7 day tour crew has arrived on the night of day 7. So their first day on the hills was on day 8 at Rusutsu Resort. Unfortunately, mother nature wasn’t too nice (to us) as the weather was at 40F degrees. We were hit with some an extreme spring wave causing the snow to be sticky and heavy! The skies were bright blue and the temps were warm which was nice but not the best for us snow fiends. Most cut the day early as riding in sticky snow was just not enjoyable. Some took to the hot springs for a relaxing time. Others decided to get massages to relax their muscles from many days of straight riding. Unsatisfied with the day conditions, others hit the slopes for the night session. As the temps dropped, the snow was much better to ride on. We were amazed with the amount of good riders riding solo to brush their skills.
Day 9 was spent at Niseko Grand Hirafu. When we went down for breakfast, outside was practically zero visibility due to fog. This caused most of us to be pessimistic on the conditions for the day. The temps were once again higher than average with moisture in the air. When we got to the mountain, as expected the mountains were covered with fog and you could not see 5 feet ahead of you. As an hour passed, the fog cleared and we were hit with awesome conditions with some sun! Though the spring conditions from the day before were horrible for riding, this day was exciting! To get the most out of our time at Rusutsu Resort, a group of us decided for a night session. We’re going to be hit with extreme Rusutsu Resort withdrawals as day 9 is the last night at our new home in Hokkaido! We really couldn’t have asked for anything better! We’re all coming back to Rusutsu Resort without a doubt!
2/24/10
Ah, Hokkaido. We’re loving every moment of our time here for the NYTS: SNOW 2010 tour! Days 6 and 7 were spent at Niseko Grand Hirafu which is around 40 minutes away. We took a shuttle from Rusutsu Resort to Niseko both days. We were more than impressed with the care and punctuality of the Rusutsu Resort staff members in helping us board the shuttle to get us to Niseko. The tour crew were pretty much blown away by the Niseko mountains. It’s interesting to see so many Australians in the Niseko area. Almost 50% of the people in the area must have been Aussies! The atmosphere is very different in Niseko as it’s a way more developed tourist destination. If you like the tourist heavy areas, then this is the place for you. Some of prefer the laid back feel and nature feel of Rusutsu Resort. The terrain in Niseko is wide open and you’re pretty much free to ride any where you wish except for the restricted areas. The park riders were happy to see that Niseko has some parks. Both male and female riders at Niseko have some great style going! After riding, we went to check out the town in Niseko. Lots of interesting things going on with restaurants, bars, souvenir shops and others. Of course we ended both days by hopping into the hot springs to heal our worked muscles. We took a stoll through Rusutsu Resort to see what other things the resort has to offer. Check out the photos to see what we saw!
2/23/10
We are back with a part 2 video for NYTS: SNOW 2010 tour! Sunny conditions or cloudy conditions, anything mother nature decides to throw at us, works for us here. The snow is just that amazing! The great outerwear by A-Seven is protecting us from the terrains with style and Flux Bindings are helping us improve our skills! Stay tuned for more parts!
2/22/10
Day 4 of NYTS: SNOW 2010 was a perfect bluebird day with fresh powder from the non stop snow fall since the night we got here. Even though we weren’t the first to be on the mountains, there was plenty of untouched powder for us to shred! We tried to get more familiar with the different mountains at Rusutsu Resort. The 3 mountains are West Mt., East Mt., and Mt. Isola. Our favorite is Mt. Isola as it’s the tallest and has many secret stashes in the trees. The weather has been great to us with very reasonable temperatures. We checked out Lamp House for dinner which is right by the Highland Lodge. We stuffed ourselves with some good food over the teppan! Day 5 was another day at Rusutsu Resort! It didn’t snow the night before but the powder from the day before was better than anything we’ve ridden in the east coast! We found a pillow in the tree runs that we had fun with. We hope to find more interesting things in the trees! We love the hot springs so much that some of us hop in at morning and after riding. We had some good ramen and takoyaki at East Mt. before returning to our rooms. Everything is very relaxing at the resort and the service is top notch. Life is good. Thank you Rusutsu Resort! Check out photos after the jump:
2/21/10
Here is a look at our NYTS: SNOW 2010 tour through video! We have some experienced riders who have traveled across the globe that just can’t get enough of the amazing time in Hokkaido. We are very thankful to the amazing hotel and staff at Rusutsu Resort! Take a look at what we’re seeing through our video parts! More to come!
2/20/10
The NYTS: SNOW 2010 crew is finally at the Rusutsu Resort in Hokkaido! The only word we all have for the tour so far is, epic. On the 12 day roster of riders that are here, we have some riders who have been riding for over 20 years that agree that the world’s best powder is here in Japan. We were greeted by a beautiful scene of snow covered streets as soon as we landed in New Chitose Airport. Rusutsu Resort is a very beautiful resort with many activities. The hot springs after a hard muscle crunching day of slashing through the pow is pure bliss! The rooms are amazing with multi-level rooms, living area and bathroom area that is actually beautiful to look at. We love the monorail system the hotel uses to get to the other hotels and mountains. We have never seen a monorail take you to mountains before! The A-Seven outerwear works great in these conditions and the colorful fun designs make it fun to locate your friends in the zero visibility blizzard like conditions! Of course Flux Bindings are the choice to cut through the pow with the great response. Check after the jump for some photos from day 1 and day 2!
2/14/10
Tobio is starting to pack early for his trip. He leaves this Thursday! If you’re going on the tour, you can bring your own Tobio by making your own here! Bring some friends for Tobio!
2/9/10
Night riding in Japan!
2/7/10
Some more Japowder!
2/5/10
Our friends from 7 Samurai (Kazuhiro Kokubo, Daisuke Murakami, Kohei Kudo) are on the Japanese Olympics team! Good luck to all!
1/30/10
So, who watched the X-Games last night? Yup, Kazu of 7 Samurai has placed on the podium with a bronze! Another boost for the 7 Samurai riders!
1/27/10
A sneak peek at some 2011 Flux Bindings!
1/24/10
Some interesting choices for the hill.
1/21/10
Ray Takahashi of Flux Bindings gives us some insight on current marketing strategies for the brand.
http://business.transworld.net/snow/flux-bindings-201011-binding-preview/
1/14/10
Neil Hartmann reports on a shoot for honeyee.
Japan is currently getting DUMPED! Supposedly the coldest front in 50 years is hitting the region.
1/13/10
Check out the A-Seven outerwear shoot we did! Get yourself some!
1/12/10
Face shots in Hokkoda!
1/7/10
Though we won’t be in Niseko until February, The Burton Mountain Festival is going on from January 9th through the 17th.
1/4/10
Happy New Year! Well it looks like Hokkaido is heaven for snow lovers at the moment. Neil Hartmann shows us what’s going on out there. We’re PRAYING for snow like this on our trip!
12/30/09
yeah…right.
12/29/09
One aspect of NEW YORK – TOKYO SPORTS: HOKKAIDO is to attend the annual TOYOTA BIG AIR competition. The competition is significant as it attracts world class snowboards to compete for the top spots. The TOYOTA BIG AIR is broadcast via HTB of Hokkaido, Japan. The TOYOTA BIG AIR attracts names such as Kevin Pearce, Shaun White, Anti Autti, Mikkel Bang, and other star names in snowboarding. Make your way out to this event! Not only will you enjoy the best powder in the world but you will get to see your favorite riders challenging for the titles.
12/29/09
This is how Tadashi Fuse and his crew in BC spent their Christmas. Can’t get any better!
12/27/09
FLUX BINDINGS are the binding brand of choice for us. We believe in the technology, design, and the direction delivered by the brand. With riders like JP Solberg, Romain De Marchi, and Nima Jalali, it’s evident that relevant riders stand by FLUX. For those that join us on the tour, you have the chance of shredding in some goods from FLUX!
12/24/09
What else is new?
12/23/09
Check out how these kids from NZ live their days in Niseko every season.
12/22/09
Here’s a sneak peak of the A-Seven outerwear photo shoot! A-Seven is our supporter for the tour and flown us some outerwear. If you’re on the roster for the tour, you have the chance of rocking some A-Seven goods! Check out the LIFESTYLE page for more info on A-Seven!
These goons are nice! They can size down on their outerwear now.
12/17/09
Niseko ATLAS guide! This will be useful for Niseko visitors such as ourselves! The book is in both Japanese and English. Get it here!
via Neil Hartmann
12/16/09
Aki Hiraoka who rides for A-SEVEN, one of our tour supporters, shows us how serious it is in Hokkaido at the moment. Resorts are just starting to open in the east coast…
12/14/09
Serious business!
12/11/09
Winter is finally here! The temperatures have dropped suddenly the last 2 days. Perfect for snow blowing this weekend. Anyone hittin’ up the slopes this weekend? Let us know how your season is looking like on our facebook page!
12/10/09
Eero Ettala and the Oakley crew in Japan last season. Look how deep the powder is! Will you be bringing your powder board? Oh, and Eero went to the TOYOTA BIG AIR after to take the title! Will he do it again this year?
Remember, the deadline for deposits is on Dec. 31! Sign up now!
12/9/09
These kids have some serious ground tricks!
12/3/09
Here are some photos of the Rusutsu resort we’re staying at! If you have a larger group of people and would like to book together, that can be arranged. But if not you’ll be in one of the 2 people rooms. Some of us will probably want to stay in the 2 people rooms. Not so sure if we need all the commotion when rest is needed to ride that pow! But then again, getting rowdy with some new friends can be fun also..
11/3/09
We’d like to introduce you to Chibby! He’s been with Shin Tanaka training in Japan. He’s thinking about joining us on the trip. He”s probably more familiar with the terrain than us so this might be a good idea. We’ll see if he’s coming along!
11/3/09
I think the above photo explains enough! Rusutsu Resort which is a part of Kamori Kanko (one of our destinations for this trip) has sent this photo today! We’re still seeing inconsistency in weather patterns in the east coast. So we’re getting teased left and right. We’re definitely excited!