Today we again woke to some fresh snow, ground hog day, but in the best way possible! We decided to head back to our favourite freshies spot of Niseko village and with Ritchie leading us, we headed into the trees for some new lines and drops, again everyone was charging, no one holding back and sending it off everything in sight. Tame dogs seem to be the flavour of the week for the snowboarders and were getting sent off anything possible. Special mention goes to big Sam for his front flip/back flip/something off one of the bigger drops.
With the snow still coming down quick, we called the day at lunch so we could get back out and into it under lights, so after a trip into town for some hot dogs and burgers, we were back out on the hill enjoying the fresh snow under lights- soooooooo much fun.
The run at Annupuri, which is lit up consists of a couple park jumps (which had fresh powder landing's) then a tree run from heaven finishing with a spine jump at the bottom.
The shouts and screams of joy seemed to sum up this experience and again to those out there who haven't experienced night skiing in powder, do yourselves a favour and get here to Moiwa lodge, Niseko and I can promise you now... you will never regret it.
The day was scheduled as a day off, even though it was so tempting with nearly a metre of fresh overnight! The sight was amazing! There is just a big wall of snow on each side of the road and the walkways around the lodge. We were going to go ride the ski-doos but due to the heavy snowfalls the roads and mountains were pretty much closed. So we had an easy morning and some lunch at Moiwa. We were hoping the conditions would become better to make it possible to get to Kutchan but the snow just kept on falling so we decided to take a short trip down the road to the Niseko Grand Hotel and relax it up in the onsen. It was a pretty cool experience to be outside in a hot spring while it’s bucketing down snow. After that we headed home for dinner and chilled out a bit more. Hopefully everyone is rested up for an epic powder day tomorrow!
It was a sad morning of sorts here at camp, bidding farewell to 3 of our new friends, travel safe Scotty, Ritch and Chris. we miss you already.
After the tears had all but dried up it was off to Niseko village for the now famous steep and deep tree and gully runs, and with some fresh snow as per usual, the boys were roosting off every hit in sight. The snowboarders were all trying their hand at 'tame dogs' or nollie front flips, and with everyone getting upside down at some point the stoke level was extremely high. Run after run we went about tracking all the fresh lines and when this was clear from the gondola we then headed over to the Hanazono Park for a afternoon session. All the guys park riding skills have stepped up several notches and everyone is clearly happy to have reached their goals and beyond.
With a bit under 2 weeks to go, we were ready for a day off to rest the bodies and get set for the days ahead.
We got a sleep in to recover from the pipe shred we had the night before, many of the campers were still sore. However we were out on the slopes by 9.30 in time for a very fast carve lap then straight into the park to continue where we left off the previous day. It was Scotty, Richie and Chris’s last day skiing on the camp so they were out to go bigger than ever before. Scotty and Ritchie were working on perfecting their 360s and rails. Scotty must have hiked one rail at least 20 times he was so determined. Ryley pulled a 720 and Doug E Fresh had to sit the 2nd half of the day out after washing out on a 360. Ollie and Hugh was working on their take offs and Julian was perfecting his take offs and 360s. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day weather-wise with the sun out in the morning and not a breath of wind!
The night however was a sad one with it being the last supper for Chris, Scotty and Richie, thanks for joining us on the camp 08/09 boys! We have certainly seen a massive improvement in your riding and we hope to catch up with you and shred back in Australia!
We awoke today to blue skies, a perfect bluebird day with no wind and everyone fresh from a solid nights rest.
The obvious choice was to head straight to the freshly groomed park and get straight into it and with 'WEBBY' our filmer now in town with his HD Camera , everyone was throwing down and looking at perfecting some new tricks from their ever growing bag.
Mitch has his fives on lock, Baily and Jimmy both throwing down some smooth front 3's off the big tabletops , whilst big Sam was working on his cab fives, and greasing the big down rail with ease. Jay was stepping it up a notch with front 5's and big nose grab straight airs whilst lil' Sammy has his 180'S both way on lock now and is looking ever so confident on the rails.
Standout skiers from the day seemed to be Ollie, sending it as always, Julian roosting 180's on the bigger jump and Scotty getting some serious pop and stomp with his 3's.
A amazing day seemed to be had by all with everyone taking advantage of the blue skies and immaculate park conditions, and if that wasn't enough it was back home for dinner, then out to session the backyard quarter-pipe and hip.
Peace and love to all.
After a few days away from Niseko it was time to head back to get some powder and some park!
We kicked off the day with some powder laps down Niseko village. Everybody was picking lines and jumping off drops, we also had new camp edition webby filming our every move! The wet powder took its toll on everyone, everyone getting sore shins! So we decided to pack up and move on to Hirafu and Hanazono to shred the park!
We all were eager to get back into the park and get back onto the jumps and rails. Scotty, Richie, Dougy and Julian were all working on grabbing their 360s and Ryley over rotating and almost nailing a 720! We also worked on learning hand drags and sliding rails. By 3 o’clock everyone was tired from a full day back on the hill so after a stop at Siecomart for snacks we headed home!
After yesterdays big powder jump day, everyone was stoked when a day off was called and after hearing about the plans for lunch, at a western burger and hot dog house the guys were even happier. And it did not let us down and the meal was enjoyed by all.
We followed this up by a trip to the Onsen, a traditional Japanese bath house where we soaked away the bruises in the natural hot springs that are everything and more that they are talked of, getting us back on track and feeling fine for a full day on hill tomorrow.
Moiwa Booter day! By Dr Dre!
It was great to get a sleep in till 8 to rest our weary bodies from the previous days shred at Rusutsu, but we were quick to get back out into the mountains to catch some sweet air! So after an awesome warm up lap to get everyone fired up we made the trek to our old jump site which we found to be a disaster! It had been completely tracked out! A few days ago we had caught a glimpse of another jump site so we decided to check it out. Sure enough it was what we had all prayed for! A perfect site for aerial manoeuvres! Two jumps were built for maximum air fun. Dre’s jump had a minor setback when it collapsed as Dougy Fresh was stepping it out, but everyone was all hands on deck with Ryley leading the charge to get it back to its former glory.
After lunch it was on for young and old! Everybody was attempting new tricks they desperately wanted to learn! Almost every skier landed a back flip and most of the snow boarders were spinning and grinning! Everybody had a ball! I heard on more than one occasion that it was the best jump they ever hit! Highlights were definitely Richy Richs double back flip attempts, Rowie’s back flip attempt and Mcgowans 7/11 comments! A special thanks to Scotty for filming most of the day!
We stayed until the sun was low in the sky then we made the trip back home. Later we headed to a Ra-men restaurant for dinner which was an experience in itself! It was a round room that barley fit us all, and if you spoke into the wall you could have a conversation with the other side of the room as if they were sitting next to you because of the acoustics of the place! After dinner we headed home and did our video analysis and got to relive all the funny and good memories from the day just past. Soon after everybody was so tired from the full on day that we all crashed and dreamt about the tricks we will try at Moiwa next time!
Pete reporting here from Moiwa lodge, Niseko.
We awoke to perfect blue skies for the first time in a while and as today was our road trip to the resort of Rusutsu everyone was super excited to get on the hill. The 45 minute road trip was very scenic to say the least and as the clear skies allowed a rare view of the surrounding mountains, all and sundry were glued to their windows taking in the view.
Once at the car park the excitement grew, as it appeared even though it had not snowed in a day or so there was plenty of fresh lines up there waiting for us. With coach Ritchie's knowledge of the resort we set about exploring its terrain from the get go.
All the campers charged from morning through lunch, with some of the highlights being; big Sammy and Chris steeping to a massive cliff/tree drop without hesitation, Ollie getting the photo of the day sending it off a rad pillow drop closely followed by Ben, coach Dre front flipping it and F-J aka 'da boss' showing us all that he still bounces like a pro.
After lunch we headed across to the west peak of the resort for a jib and jump through their Terrain Park and pipe, where Riley was showing us his smooth airs and rail tricks. Both Jimmy and Sammy destroyed the box, whilst Jay and Bailey were working on their front boards through the long box.
Super tired after the early start and long day on hill we returned home, before showering and heading out for the now famous all you can eat buffet.
Peace & love to all.
Hey hey Dre here reports for the 2nd day of the avalanche course and Ollie’s Birthday!
Everyone was stoked with the sleep in, and especially Dre’s favourite – bacon for breakfast! Looked like it was to be a great day! We started with a hike up Moiwa (much to Doug’s disapproval) to dig avalanche pits and to further our knowledge about avalanches. Our fearless leader Nick led the way digging an almighty pit! He began to teach every one about all sorts of things to test avalanche safety and awareness. Everyone got into the swing of things, pitching in to help, all eager to have a go at the gadgets which was good to see. Everyone took something new away from the experience with Scotty and Richie going on to build their own pit! After that we checked out a sight for a possible future Booter before making the trek home.
After a dose of fried chicken at the Moiwa restaurant we got straight back into the course and did an overview followed by the exam. Good news everybody passed! So we celebrated with a tip into Kutchan. Many thanks to Jacqui for the CD she burnt for the drive! Everybody loved hearing Miley Cyrus with some campers knowing all the words to the song “See you again”. Later in the evening Par built us a sweet quarter pipe that had everyone excited! We had a great session on that for a couple of hours, with many hand plants and spins getting thrown. Then we all headed to bed to rest up for our journey to Rusutsu Mountain in the morning.
Pete will fill everyone in on that now! Much love! Dre.
Today was the first of our 2 day avalanche awareness course, and with the numbers at a record high we were so very happy that all the campers were willing to learn about safety in the mountains. Every sport has its risks and to lower those risks through knowledge is an amazing tool to keeping the mountains a safe haven for fun and good times.
With camp director Nick Franklin-Jones at the wheel, the campers were in for a treat, his knowledge and experience as a certified teacher of the course came into play from the first words, with a briefing session in the morning right through to testing and learning to use the beacons and probes, to mock rescues, in the afternoon! It has been running very smoothly enabling the guys to get as much as possible out of the experience, and one I highly recommend to any enthusiasts of the alpine lifestyle.
Another amazing dinner from chef Yasu rounded out the day with the younger guys heading down stairs to watch shred movies and a few of the over 18's helping Ollie celebrate his 18th birthday with a few quiet beers in the bar. HAPPY BIRTHDAY my brother and welcome to adulthood- play safe.
Peace n love to you all - Pete
This morning we awoke to another magical day here at park and powder heaven, and with new coach & Niseko seasoned local Ritchie on hand the snowboarders set about searching out some new terrain to get our shred on. After a short traverse we were into what seemed like pillow and hit heaven. Dropping into the lines, all the boys were in the element, hit after hit, face shot after face shot. We were again realising that this is what it is all about.
Both Jay and Jimmy were sending it off everything in sight, lil' Sammy had a close call with a tree and with new knowledge through experience was able to avoid further injury and rode it out well. Chris then showed us all he has progressed in all areas as when we got to the park he had no qualms stepping to the super high street style down rail, along with Big Sam and Mitch.
The young buck Bailey just keeps blowing me away with his amazing ability to pick things up at the snap of a finger and was on the method train today sending them off every hit in sight. Remember this one ladies and gentlemen, for a 12 year old, his style, riding and maturity level is top notch, and I'm sure we will see more of him in the future.
Calling a half day so we could get home, rest up and head back out for some night skiing was a great idea by both coaches alike(ha ha) and when the night fell, as had the fresh snow and let me tell you know, if you haven't had the pleasure of night skiing in Japan with fresh snow.. DO IT son as it is a experience that will be with you for life. Again I will take this opportunity to thank all the young men here on camp for their great behaviour and willingness to learn more about the sports/lifestyle that they truly love... now for Ski coach Dre's account from the skier’s view....
Thanks Petey boy! The skiers had an almost identical day starting with powder runs down strawberry fields with everybody sending it off cliffs! Riley and Sam led the way finding a bunch of new cliffs and pillows and everyone followed suit! After the powder turns we headed into the newly rebuilt park for some jumps and rails, Scotty went back and nailed the T-Box again and Ollie followed suit.
Because we called a half day we headed back home with a brief stop at 7/11 for snacks! And later on night skiing! Our night skiing session was amazing, we still managed to get powder and some small cliffs and a few little hits everyone was flying off! All in all it was a great day!
Everybody was still dreaming about their purchases from the day before until Pete crashed into the camper’s room at 7 to wake them up for breakfast.
We all headed to Hirafu to start the day and then over to Hanazono to ski some warm up laps on the fresh power groomed! Everyone had a ball working on their turns with every camper picking up some pointers on their general skiing. The new Wave Park also opened so we all played on the rollers doing 180s and 360s. Then the Quicksilver Stomping Ground Park opened its gates and we rolled in in force with every skier doing a 360 off the big jump and Scotty finally nailing the T-Box in style. Everyone had a sweet morning taking away new tricks! Then it was up to Ace Hill for the best fried chicken in the world and straight back into it in the Hirafu park for some afternoon jibbing. Ryley impressed all with his spins and grabs and Ollie was greasing rails left front and center, all in all it was one of the most productive days in the camp so far with everyone progressing so much! Well done everyone.
Sapporo day trip (by Pete)
As today was our Sapporo trip, a sleep in till 8 was called. After breakfast we loaded into the big bus, hit up 7/11 to load the wallets for the days shopping and away we went.
The trip down was very pleasing to the eyes, with snow covered hills and road side shred features everywhere you looked. The main theme of conversation seemed to be the MacDonald’s stop (it has been a while for the lads) and since a few things were left a surprise, we tried to guess the rest.
First stop was an amusement centre of gigantic proportions, and as the Japanese are renowned for their electronics and gaming. This place was just next level!
The boys set about trying to win as much stuff as possible attacking those machines where you have use the claw thing to pick up a stuffed toy, or box of chocolate etc. Ritchie, Doug, and Mitch seemed to stand out from the pack with Bailey also showing us how it was done, so pockets full of chocolates or new best friends (stuffed toys) close by, we again hoped on the bus for the next stop- macca's!! Which seemed to be enjoyed by all.
Onward again we rolled to the 3rd and final port of call. The biggest, brightest, noisiest & most amazing 2nd hand store you have ever seen, everything from clothes, ski gear, electronics. Nothing couldn’t be found here. The boys all found themselves a bargain - lil' Sammy and Chris scored some b'ball jerseys- now claiming gangsta status to coach Pete’s delight. Other notable purchases were Dougs rad XL hoody, Bailey scored some sweet cheap goggles, and jay some original ray bans - BARGAIN.
Back onto the bus we piled, bags in tow we settled into a cruisy trip home, either snoozing or trying to avoid listening to Rileys ever present voice.
Upon arrival back at the lodge the hype seemed to be growing for tomorrow’s shredding, as a much needed day off to heal and/or nurse some minor injuries had re-lit the fire within us all to get back out there and shred the gnar.
Peace n love to all
Pete
For the 2nd it was back to the same old routine! Breaky at 7 in the vans at 8 and off to Hirafu ready for first tracks. The skiers headed straight over to the Hanazono park to find out it hadn’t opened so we went exploring! We soon found the magical legend that is Strawberry Fields!
We investigated the area to find a bunch of new cliffs and drops for all to hit! Now we just need another dump of snow! The snow wasn’t ideal however new campers Ryley and Sam couldn’t believe what they were skiing in! Like nothing they had ever skied before.
Once the Quicksilver Stomping Ground Park opened we went straight in and worked on our tricks. Ryley and Sam impressed everyone with their spins and Scotty had everyone on the edge of their seats while he was trying to nail the t-box. Everyone had a sweet sesh in the morning and worked up quite the hunger, so off to Ace Hill – heaven on earth.
After everyone had finished their fried chicken we were pretty worn out so put our heads down and caught some Z’s! (Actually not kidding there was 9 skiers just napping in the middle of the restaurant) Once we were refreshed from our nap we got back to it heading to the Hirafu Park where we jibbed and played for the last hour of the day then it was back home for din dins and bed!
New Year’s Day! With Dre!
Everybody was slow to rise, even with the 8am sleep in! But the weather had put on a beautiful morning for us so for those who made it out of bed quickly threw on their ski clothes and got out to Moiwa for a foot of fresh powder!
It turned out we couldn’t have picked a better day so ski Moiwa! They opened the Quad chair for the first time for the season, and that meant untracked powder runs basically to ourselves!
By lunch everyone was super tired and the snow got real wet so we headed in for everybody’s favourite - fried chicken. After lunch we headed over to the kicker we built last week and rebuilt it, ready for the next powder day.
Later we took a trip to 7/11 to top up on snacks. For dinner we had a favourite meal – tempura. We also welcome our 4 new campers to Moiwa ski lodge who arrived.
Through Pete’s eyes:
Today we awoke to the results of the biggest storm of the season, with a few feet of fresh snow at the lodge steps we were super keen to get breakfast out of the way and hit up the mountain, however mother nature had other ideas.
The wind was howling and as we made some calls we soon found out that the whole mountain was on wind hold, leaving us to make the most of the morning off.
A few of the boys chose to head back to bed for a nap whilst others chose to do some washing, and just chill watching a DVD.
Lunchtime soon came round and we jumped in the vans and made our way to the base of Annipuri resort for some good old fashioned Japanese tucker whilst talking about the year that had passed and looking forward to this afternoon’s activity- the Hilton hotels indoor adventure park.
Upon arrival we were greeted with a series of massive inflatable castles, bridges, and trampolines … let the games begin!
The one obstacle to get the most attention was the gladiator style duelling match, and after everyone got the feel for the padded sticks it was on like Donkey Kong. Notable duels included Jimmy absolutely belting Coach to the head, and Ben Vs Julian, never giving up and just going and going. Many other worthy battles were fought, and those not involved were off working on their spins and flips on the tramps and into the pits.
Back home for a quiet rest before gearing up for dinner ( pizza and pasta) and preparing to see the new year in, all the while knowing it was still dumping snow outside just waiting for us rip into tomorrow.
HAPPY NEW YEARS TO ALL!! May it be one choc full of all things fun and magical
WOW...WOW...WOW, same word, 3 times, but best word I could come up with to describe today’s snow sliding. We awoke to what seemed like just another day on camp, waking the kids up this morning with two key words and the flick of a light switch.. “powder & bacon”.
With these two words getting all the campers to their feet we were in the vans locked and loaded and on our way to today’s destination - Niseko Village. Arriving at the Niseko Hilton gondola still not sure that some of the best turns and all mountain freestyle riding we had yet was in front of us.
It wasn’t long and we were at the top strapped in and looking down at some of Japan's steepest and definitely deepest powder bowls.
And to the sound of many a hoot and holler we set about tracking the place out, run after run of dry cold face shot after face shot.
Mitch, big & lil’ Sammy, Chris, Jimmy and new comer Ben (after a close encounter with a tree whilst still getting his snow legs back), all seemed to be loving the conditions as fresh soft snow = soft landings.. so all proceeded to launch themselves off everything in sight.
With the skiers and snowboarders, sticking together for most of the morning, we called lunch at our favourite new eating venue - Ace hill. After lunch, a few park laps were in order with everyone’s legs still burning from the mornings powder runs.
Both Dre, and myself called it a bit earlier to head home for some hot chocolates and a good rest before dinner and video analysis, to sit around the fire and chat about what seems like another day in park/powder paradise.
Peace n love to all :)
Yo what’s up everyone?! Dre here reporting on Sundays activities!
As usual everyone was up at 7 for another delightful breaky, then in the vans at five to 8. The weather looked fairly nasty with some high winds up on the peaks. So not risking being caught in the Annupuri gondola again, and not being able to get across to Hirafu, we drove straight there for the après bar rail jam! On arrival nothing was set up in the rail park so the skiers and boarders split for a few hours and went and skied some powder lines!
I think I speak for everyone that these were some of the best turns they have had - ever! After a few runs the skiers and boarders met up and tried out the menu in a new restaurant. After lunch Pete, Dougy `Emerican Gangsta` Fresh, Mitch and late entrant Dre headed up for the comp! The others watched on for the qualifiers then went and hit some more powder! The boarders were met with some fierce competition from the many snow board crews that ride niseko and just missed out on the finals. For the skiers Dougy E Fresh came 3rd and won himself a sexy new pair of goggles and Dre came 1st picking up a lovely set of pink thermals which he is rather happy about! Much to Doug’s delight they also picked up a bunch of red bull! By then it was dark and everyone was tired so we drove home, ate dinner and did some video analysis and called it a day!
DRE
This is Mitch here with today's report.
Today we awoke to a few feet of fresh snow at the lodge steps, and in keeping to our regular routine we had stomachs full of a beautiful healthy breakfast , and were loading the vans by 8am. We rocked up to the base of Annupuri again first in line for fresh tracks and patiently waited around for about 20 mins, getting pumped to hop on the gondola and go shredding! We hopped on and away we went, about 1 minute into the ride, super strong winds began to pound at the gondola's and forced them to slow right down. One full hour later we all finally made it to the top, after the longest hour ever looking down at all the fresh snow we were ready to shred, but mother nature seemed to be the boss today, pounding us with wind, so we all cruised through the knee deep pow, down to the base and went up and down the lower chairlift a couple of times, cold and toes a bit numb we decided to call it.
Everyone was super hungry so we all piled into a resturant with an all you can eat buffet just off the slopes. Dougie was the first person filling his plate, talking to the food before he ate it. Sammy junior was very happy about the dessert bar, and after one plate of food he starts up the soft serve machine...about two hours later, everybody was absolutely stuffed, ready to burst. Best buffet in Niseko! When we got home, most of the boys strolled into their rooms and began watching their favourite soap 'Greek'.
The phone in the room rang, and Nick told us all to rush to the bar for our "industry seminar". After about 15 mins of waiting for Dre to get his pants on, we settled into a very informative discussion of the Australian Ski & Snowboard industry, learning everything from, how to go about getting sponsored, to all the other jobs that people do to support there shred addiction. Up to the dinning room again where another beautiful meal awaited us and to then settle in to a good nights rest to prepare for what will be another amazing day of Japanese Powder and park Skiing/Snowboarding.
Hello , I would like to start by adding just how impressed I am with everyone, not only their commitment to the skiing and snowboarding aspect but the general vibe around the lodge, out on trips to the shops etc, everyone has shown the utmost respect to the Japanese culture, food and locals. The idea of spending Christmas day out in the mountains building a jump, to me is one that fulfills dreams, and to share this experience with such amazing young adults so eager to learn everything from the tricks, building jumps... right through to such an important thing as safety in the mountains makes mine and the other staff members job's that much easier.. and for this i would like to thank them all.
Moving onto today - boxing day, a day off called and a well deserved sleep-in was had by all, and after another amazing hot breakfast from chef Yasu, everyone settled back into a relaxing day of DVDs, internet and a few quick trips to the convenience store to stock up on some treats for the week ahead.
Merry Christmas all!
This is Scotty, Peter-san and Dre reporting for Christmas and Boxing Day! The camp was slow to rise as the feast (roast chicken and roast beef) from the night before was still working its way down! We jumped straight into it, eating our bacon and eggs and opening our kris kringle gifts which were interesting to say at the very least. The most creative gift would've gone to Sam from coach Dreizzle which consisted of a variety of items including a toilet plunger and an empty beer can! After our stomachs were filled to the brim we trekked to the top of Moiwa to start the construction of the first Camp booter. The location was sought out by FJ and was the perfect spot for a backcountry kicker; clear run in and smooth powder landing. However the trek into the zone wasn't so perfect with Doug picking a fight with a tree and loosing! He ended up with 2 rather fat lips which he was the butt of many Botox jokes! It's safe to say everybody had a ball constructing and hitting the kicker! With the coaches leading the way with Pete throwing some big spins and Dre doing a double backflip, but crashing which put him out for the day. It was great seeing everybody practicing their newly acquired skills from the park jump the previous day.
Notable tricks were Mitch's back5 and Doug going big and over rotating his 360s and almost stomping a 540! By the end of the session everyone was pooped, and we retired to the Moiwa restaurant for some fried chicken! Then everyone stayed out for another run or two before they realised how tired they were and retired to their rooms for some serious Greek watching and video feedback!
Later that night we said hello to 2 new campers Ollie and Julian who are both eager skiers ready who are ready to hit the slopes!
The Days Write Up – By Scotty And Sammy
Hello from the camp 24/12/08. This is our first entry so we will need to summarise the last few days.
The first days at The Camp were basically all the boys meeting each other and getting our legs back. We got our passes and explored Annupuri scoping a few hits along the way. As we progressed we advanced to Hirafu and Hanazona. After the first day of riding we came home and constructed our park at the home base of Moiwa lodge. It consisted of a tree jib, a barrel jib, box and a mini kicker. Doug e Fresh killed the first session by stomping a clean 540. Everybody else had a good session getting the feeling back of sliding boxes and getting air. After day 2 the skiers and boarders split.
This isScott reporting for the skiers led by FJ and Dre-izzle, we attacked the tree lines and constantly found powder round waist deep with constant face shots, apparently the season hasn’t even begun yet! The coaches led the way and everyone had an epic coupleof pow days which resulted in some intense thigh burn!! Young Doug came into the camp having some advanced park skills which he learnt as part of team buller, easily stomping 540’s and doing switch ups on the boxes. Hugh from Sydney is a very competent freerider and is constantly improving and working on his jib skills. Richy rich also a competent freerider has the grabs sorted and almost stomped his first 360 today after a few attempts but called it a day in the end. I landed my first 3 today whichI was stoked about being one of my goals for a while whilst improving my jib skills!
This is Sammy actually reporting the truth and not fabricating up stories to make Skiers sound more advanced than the Boarders. We were led by the one and only ‘Pistol’ Pete Long. Once we split from the Skiers we concentrated our time on finding tree runs with pillow drops and little kickers to practice our jumps on. The young ones of our crew Jimmy and Sam Junior have been really getting into it, andare some of the cheekiest kids we have met. Jimmy had a minor fall and injured his wrist needing a day off but is really got his backside 180’s on the flat down. Sam has really advanced on his box riding, having never tried one before the camp. Mitch hasnow got his backside 3’s down and is working on his frontside 3’s. Hannon(Chris) is loving his nose presses on boxes and has also got his frontside 3’s. My riding as everyone else has improved heaps, I have my front 3’sdown and am working on my back 3’s.
The most notable stacks of The Camp so far are listed below:
-Mitch ending up between the fork of a tree with only his board face up showing.
-Doug e Fresh face planting off a small cliff whilst trying to impress the camera(caught on video)
-Sammy face planting off a pillow drop and losing his Camera in the process.
The food at Moiwa Lodge has been amazing thanks to the master chef pronounced ‘Yasu’, we cant figure out how to spell it. All the boys have been getting into his food and he has been serving up traditional Japanese and some Western meals also. Favourites so far have been the Tempura, Sushi(Crazy according to the boys), and of course the hot breakfast every morning. ‘Oishi’ – that’s delicious in Japanese.
It hasbeen a busy few days for the campers with one day off already with the older boys shredding Moiwa and the younger bouys having a rest. Everyone had a trip into Kuchan to gather supplies, mainly 1.5 litre bottles of coke to gain some energy after each day.It is only going to get busier and with the first camp kicker to be built tomorrow and numerous backcountry sessions to follow.
Thats the report from the first 6 days of the camp, Scotty and Sammy signing out!
Hey hey everybody! Welcome to the camp 2008/09!
Well this time last year we were in the land of Canada, but as you all know we packed up shop and moved on over to Niseko, Japan! We have kicked off this year with a bang, having just had their firstdump of the season just before the camper’s arrived.
On Wednesday the 17th of December Pete and I greeted our eager campers at Sapporo New Chitsose airport. We were expecting to find a tired and jet lagged bunch, but we were met by a bunch of eagercampers just itching to see snow and get on their skis and boards and rip up the slopes! Pete and I were stoked to see the level of enthusiasm and we knew that this is going to be an awesome 6 weeks ahead! We answered there many questions about this crazy land, explained the basics and then got on the bus bound for Niseko where we were met by Nick who took us to our home for the next few weeks….Moiwa Lodge.
After doing the tour of the lodge we introduced everyone to the Moiwa Lodge family, the fearless leader Par, Par’s partner Reiko and the very bubbly Yukari, then headed upstairs to the restaurant for one of camp chef Yasu’s famous meals and general entertainment he brings to us! He didn’t disappoint making an awesome meal that everybody enjoyed!
Two days in now and the campers have had good taste of Nesiko. This area offers a bit of everything but nothing more than the endless snowfalls which blankets Nesiko in the worlds best powder.
After a few days riding the campers have sort outany packing faults and equipment checks and are ready for all this place has to offer. You would think that a days riding would be enough. Not for this eager bunch, the first steps to building the Lodges first Jib track around the grounds of Moiwa lodgehave began. Table slide, tree jibs and jumps are the first editions. Rails and box’s will be the next edition and are in the process of being built exclusively for the Lodge right now. These new editions will be a great addition to an already fun after ski jib track.
Did I mention the food. Moiwa lodge offers some off the best Japanese style food we( and all camper agree!)have ever tasted. The Lodges Top Chief Yasu boast a incredible history having work across Europe and Japan. It is truly the bestfood I have ever tasted. This along with Pars Incredible personality and Local knowledge and our two lovely host Yukari and Rieko, this is set to be an experience all the campers will remember for a long time.
Five day forecast shows on andoff tomorrow followed by four days of heavy light fluffy magical snow falls.
Stay tuned for personal accounts from the campers and a great selection of photos.
Nick F-J
