Japan Gets HAMMERED!
When you are up in the North Island of Japan, there is no telling what
the weather might bring. We landed at our final destination smack dab
in the middle of nowhere. We met up with Pat Moore, Zach Leach and
Heikki Sorsa in the airport and our crew was complete. From around the world, the crew had gathered in the tiny island nation of Japan for a trip that only Red Bull could pull off. We are chasing the world’s best snow all over Japan until we have had our fill. Chuck Olbery from Hokkaido Powder Guides met us with our transportation and we were off. The sky was dark and the snow was puking. We had about 2 hours until we reached out lodge, which was nestled at the end of a road halfway up a volcano.
There is just something about road tripping with your friends that is the best thing in the world. What should have been a 2 hour mission ended up turning into a 3 hour tour! We stopped for candy, we stopped for snacks, we stopped for everything!
Finally we arrived at the lodge where we would spend the next 5 days. It was night when we pulled in and we were beat from the day of travel. A little rice bowl and off to bed, because in the morning everything would go off.
It snowed all night and through the next day. Billowing powder snow, the kind that Japan is world famous for, was ours for the taking. Not another person around and the entire mountain as our playground the guys got to work fast.
For the next three days we did little more than live the dream. Holed up in the lodge with nothing but powder, Shaun’s guitar ripping classic rock licks and the good times just kept on coming. We hiked everywhere. Sweated it out in new terrain. Tested out new jumps, new boundaries, new food. Japan was letting it all slow down and focus itself on what really mattered-riding!
We are right now on a rickety purple bus on our way to Niseko for some secret stashes that Heikki has picked out. More coming from life on the road!
There were so many epic turns and times; you are just going to have to wait for the story to drop in SNOWBOARDER Magazine. Until then, check out all the photos from our time going Big In Japan!
Finally we arrived at the lodge where we would spend the next 5 days. It was night when we pulled in and we were beat from the day of travel. A little rice bowl and off to bed, because in the morning everything would go off.
It snowed all night and through the next day. Billowing powder snow, the kind that Japan is world famous for, was ours for the taking. Not another person around and the entire mountain as our playground the guys got to work fast.
For the next three days we did little more than live the dream. Holed up in the lodge with nothing but powder, Shaun’s guitar ripping classic rock licks and the good times just kept on coming. We hiked everywhere. Sweated it out in new terrain. Tested out new jumps, new boundaries, new food. Japan was letting it all slow down and focus itself on what really mattered-riding!
We are right now on a rickety purple bus on our way to Niseko for some secret stashes that Heikki has picked out. More coming from life on the road!
There were so many epic turns and times; you are just going to have to wait for the story to drop in SNOWBOARDER Magazine. Until then, check out all the photos from our time going Big In Japan!
When you get back, check out Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico, which just opened to snowboards for the first time today. You can see photos and live video from opening day at taosnews.com/ride/
Michael
P.S. Yes, I work for santafenewmexican.com in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Taos News is our little brother with the better mountain!