Of course we went to Susukino to take night photos.....again.Welcome back to the fully sickest crap you'll waste your time on today. Rather than send you into a coma with the boring shit I've been doing since you last dropped by, I've been waiting for something vaguely interesting to happen. It's happening.
At the moment I'm surrounded by the biggest base of snow I've ever seen here in Niseko (or Ne-say-co for the linguistically challenged). I'm here with arch-nemesis, rival and general lazy asshole Mr Liam Kaska, and his mate Mike aka Brain Smasher. We started shredfest oh-ten by dropping into Teine to hang out with my Japanese friends and ride their local hill. It had rained a day or two before we got in, but by the time we got off the quad chair at the top, faceshot mania was on. It was a great day riding to get the legs back on some really fun terrain up at Teine Highlands.
Liam and the Brain Smasher searching for used underwear at Teine.After sampling Teine we tripped out to Hirafu village and straight into a night shred. The conditions were on from the first run, with faceshots and little drops stoking us out right away. Every day for the following week has followed the same formula: score fresh snow overnight, smash whiterooms all day long, have a quick rest (some days), smash whiterooms at night, soak in the onsen with a frosty beer until close, sleep too little, up early(ish) and do it all over. Doing the same thing every day sometimes gets old, but riding the driest snow in the universe is pretty easy to take.
Stormtrooper Kaska hating night riding.
CP stopped by with her tough new knee for some technicolour night turns.Today, Sunday 31st Jan, we were greeted with another load of freshness on the ground, probably the biggest we've had thus far, and to top it off the sun came out. After noticing the top single chair turning, we decided to hang out by the gate and wait for patrol to open the peak. Liam and I got a cracking start ahead of the hundred-strong group that had gathered, and were in the first 5 people to hit the top. It was a grueling hike, but knowing what was up there we went hard at it. We were third to drop over the edge, and the sight before us is what we live for (cheesy but true fool); an open face of untracked (apart from the two well-deserved lines of the guys who'd climbed harder than us) Siberian blower powder. Words are wasted trying to tell you what that run was like, either you've done it yourself and know, or you haven't.
One satisfied photographer. Wait, where's your camera bag?
Backcountry Steve repping GORE-TEX hard.By the way, I sorted out some new boots before I got over here, and damn if they aren't the most comfortable snowboard boots in the galaxy. Yeah Deeluxe! Also, Amine at Rush Distribution sorted me out with a YES. board, and you'll probably notice how much I ride like Tadashi on this thing, it's hella uber dope. Keep your eyes peepin for a mind blowing video feature part from Backcountry Steve, it's going to melt your brain.
The snow is supposed to keep falling until we leave, so if I can stay awake for longer than 5 minutes after killing it all day, you might be lucky enough to see some more of this shit in a few days.
Liam and Mike on the way to a good day.
