Skis for Japan

I’ve played all these games.

Inserts are fiddly as fuck, and you’re not gonna change the binding out at 8 pm in a hotel room after 3 beers.

I’d say Tecton or Solly Shift (new gen) are a true lightweight crossover binding.

I’m interested in the Cast system for resorts in the USA, but after the pow gets cut up in Japan, I just go touring. I think they’d be great for shorter tours and very similar to my Duke PTs.

Interested in the ATK Raider, but not in its price. No way.





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I like inserts. I can bring three pairs of skis and have a pair of bindings in my boot bag. CAST set up? No problem. Changing bindings after three beers is no problem either. Bindings take up a lot of room in a ski bag.

JP is usually pretty predictable. But there are times every season when I arrive at the hill and the storm either didn’t produce what I was expecting or it produced more than I was expecting up high. Making me have to choose between the two skis in my car.

If you’re staying slopeside, no problem. You can look out the window at 7am. But if you’re chasing storms, fiddling with swapping bindings in a cold parking lot is pissing off your crew.

But if you only have a quiver of one— who gives a shit? That’s what you’re skiing and you’ll be absolutely fine.

If I had to choose a one-ski quiver for all things travel/resort/side-country it would be an HL R120st CAST or DukePT or whatever. Done. Out of mind.


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So a couple of mentions on the Duke PT. Better option than a Kingpin? Solly Shift 2.0 could get my vote. I was a little surprised to see their price point up around all the gucci ATK models. Why wouldn't you just go ATK then? Not elastic or safe enough?

Can’t compare directly to CAST, but they ski identical to a downhill binding and the touring is fairly simple.

Like a previous poster said, snow can get clogged in brakes, that’s my only complaint.

I just picked up a new pair for $200


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Recreationpro

Everybody, listen to Mike Pow... He knows more than you first time posers with your fatties.... Yup, I am being assertive (maybe it was that double shot of High West Bourbon ??), but you Amerikans want to think your super fatties are the way to go... It's not the size of your tool, but how you use it...... I have only done 8 trips to JapPow ( 4 weeks each..) and ski over a 100 days a year in Utard snow (second best in the world after Hokkaido...). My JaPow max mid with ski is 105 and my JaPow touring sk is 96 mid with. No reason to go wider unless you got dinkie shrinkage....

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oye

Just a friendly PSA to those who might be looking for nicer accommodations in Hokkaido, or cat skiing bookings. This is the time to get your Japan trip organized. The company I work for, HBC, has already sold out cat bookings. If you’re going to be in Niseko or Furano, it’s also a good idea to get hotels and restaurants booked ASAP.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fred Pabst

Wife and I are onboard for a trip to Hokkaido next January. Wahoo!! I am not really struggling with ski choice. I'll be bringing either my Head Kore 105's or Kore 111's. Obvious choice is to bring the K111's. Both those skis are currently mounted for Pivots, but I'm considering putting a touring binding on the K111 to bring. What's a good tech binding rec that would work well as a crossover? My only tech binding use is limited to Dynafit FT Verticals and Look HM12's. Seems so I heard some of the newer offerings have a little more elasticity. Not interested in any of the Dukes. Is Strive or Kingpin the better option? Suppose I could go cast. Not even sure how much true touring I'd be doing as that is not the wifes thing.

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CAST-ify those hogs!!

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Originally Posted by HWY12

Been to Japan skiing a couple of times. I took a pair of DPS Lotus 124 in a touring set up and they were great. Much of the best skiing I found was side country or a short climb above the lift served area. I also took my ON3P Billy Goats (116) with Shifts that were great on days when we just skied inbounds.

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Me and my fiancé are planning a trip to Japan for Christmas. We are planning to see Jewellumination at Yomiuri Land. It looks like a good place, which my fiance will enjoy. I have been looking for guides in Japan and came across https://gowithguide.com/ It seems good to me. Did you use any guides for your trip? Also, we plan on going for skii in Nagano. Any resort recommendation?

^^ Evergreen Guides in Hakuba … look em up. Also Good Guides. Never heard of the service above


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Looking at a Japan trip this season as well. I have and ancient pair of Rossi S7’s 9115 or 117 underfoot and can carve when on hard pack) or a pair of j Ski Slackers in 110 underfoot. I am 5-9, a snick overweight but dropping before the trip. I can ski pretty much anything with some style, but I am not a new school slasher type. More classic.

Take both? One or other and the Joyrides I bought for all mountain? Or one pair and live with the decision? Or rent while there? Saves on luggage?

Thanks


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Dufferdan, if you’re in Niseko, Rhythm has a pretty good selection of pow skis for rent. You could send an email and check binding compatibility.

Otherwise, most places in Hokkaido I’ve been don’t have much modern gear.

I love skiing full days in the backcountry, and if that’s your plan, I’d consider bringing a true touring setup.


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I settled on some vision one eighteens that I snagged from corbetts for three fifty Canadian!! And I got a pair of Duke PT sixteens My one o eight skins should be good as well.
I’m thinking for mounting -one from rec. I’m five ten one seventy fiveish. My one o eights are on the line, and I’ve had no complaints both skis are one eighty three long lol


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Wtf


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New iPhone types gobbledygook when you input numbers on this forum


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Attachment 502767
Pescados with Shifts - almost like they were made for Japow

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SUPERIOR;[emoji[emoji6[emoji640

[emoji638]][emoji640][emoji639]][emoji637][emoji640][emoji637][emoji6[emoji640][emoji637]][emoji639][emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]]]New iPhone types gobbledygook when you input numbers on this forum


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Lol thanks. I’ll. Retype


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by dufferdan

Looking at a Japan trip this season as well. I have and ancient pair of Rossi S7’s 9115 or 117 underfoot and can carve when on hard pack) or a pair of j Ski Slackers in 110 underfoot. I am 5-9, a snick overweight but dropping before the trip. I can ski pretty much anything with some style, but I am not a new school slasher type. More classic.

Take both? One or other and the Joyrides I bought for all mountain? Or one pair and live with the decision? Or rent while there? Saves on luggage?

Thanks


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I'm looking at the part where buddy sez " carve when on hardpack" and I really don't remember hardpack in Niseko even on the low snow year we were here

we took BC setups which were fine and we seen a lot of people also on BC setups

/shrug— he just means groomers.

Groomers exist in Japan.

My resort, daily driver is not a BC set up.

One ski to rule them all via resorts would be an R110/CAST. Maybe even R120.

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Originally Posted by tgapp

would it be absolutely crazy to take Marshall's c132s as a touring ski

and then maybe mfree108s/cast as a resort ski?

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I'm bringing C132s with FR15s and Jeffrey 118s with CAST.

It'll probably rain the whole time

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Recreationpro

Everybody, listen to Mike Pow... He knows more than you first time posers with your fatties.... Yup, I am being assertive (maybe it was that double shot of High West Bourbon ??), but you Amerikans want to think your super fatties are the way to go... It's not the size of your tool, but how you use it...... I have only done 8 trips to JapPow ( 4 weeks each..) and ski over a 100 days a year in Utard snow (second best in the world after Hokkaido...). My JaPow max mid with ski is 105 and my JaPow touring sk is 96 mid with. No reason to go wider unless you got dinkie shrinkage....

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What’s your daily driver in UT?

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Originally Posted by Mustonen

What’s your daily driver in UT?

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UT: Depends on snow conditions and mission. Lift served hardpack day is an 84 or 88, pow day is a 96, unless one of the few exceptional pow days, then 105. AT is 86 for firm snow, 96 for very soft or pow day. Tellywhacking BC on Voile Objective BC.

Pretty useful context, that.

My penis is too small to ski less than 120 on a hudge pow day, and anything less than a 95 otherwise. Preferred DD is 105-110.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mustonen

Pretty useful context, that.

My penis is too small to ski less than 120 on a hudge pow day, and anything less than a 95 otherwise. Preferred DD is 105-110.

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Hmm, I need the extra float for my massive dong.

;)

Japan's not in the cards this year but checking in for the micro peen club.

Skinniest skis are 98, Snowbird daily drivers are 109 but honestly I'm grabbing the 120s more anymore. Never regret it.

My swiss army knife travel skis are 110 waist BC Corvus Freebirds with Shift16s (they don't work everyone but they do for me) but I feel like I'd want something bigger for deep days in Japan.

Alotta tight trees in Japan, and low branches to duck. Skis can be wide but they better be maneuverable too. If you go early-ish there's underbrush that will grab your ankle, I'd rather go wide than skinny and float over them instead of through them.

Also go back to epic ski, Recpro. Happy you are having fun on narrow skis, that's what matters, but nobody is buying your bullshit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gaijin

/shrug— he just means groomers.

Groomers exist in Japan.

My resort, daily driver is not a BC set up.

One ski to rule them all via resorts would be an R110/CAST. Maybe even R120.

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Well I'm sure they groomed something, maybe that run on the left just up from the bottom lift area where it looked like maybe they were setting up some gates but for the most part i didn't see conditions that woudl indicate I should have shleped multiple skis & boot setups to that side of the pond for a couple of weeks. For someone over there for extended periods a resort setup might be nice but if you don't have it no biggy IME,
lotus 120 which is wide but still carves was awesome and i would bring them again

So Mike P, who skis (and teaches) in more JaPow than probably anybody posting on this TGR forum is on this for his DD : 177cm, 115-84-106 (at 6' 2" and 210lbs).Per Mike P: allows to get deep, nimble in trees. And in my many trips to Hokkaido, the well experienced guides I have skied with (Jap and gaijins) are usually on 90-106 mid. Neophyte guides (mostly young NZ or Aussies) are on much wider. Facts, not opinion..... Yes, you can bring them fatties, but like the well experienced guides, many of us prefer to get deep and nimble in trees.....

No that’s cool. Totally get it. Much respect, seriously.

But “I recommend sizing down for Japan” is how your posts are reading. When really it’s just “I like to ski max one oh five for pow days.” And those things are different.

I think what you really mean is “it’s not all bottomless blower and you should prioritize maneuverability.”

That’s cool! Nobody is trying to have a waist width gnar-off.

Probably.

This thread is borderline painful.

And it happens every year. These guides/instructors who cater to skiers that don’t have pow skis always chime in about how you don’t need pow skis. They’re trying to recruit clients. I get it.

But look— skiing is different sports. It’s groomers, riding chairs, spring, blower pow, March forests, and high alpine.

To suggest that “we’re guides who ski more than anyone else and we don’t need a quiver of tools” is asinine.

Knock it off. People spend thousands of dollars for their bucket list ski trip. To sit over there and pretend like your one-ski quiver, Swiss Army knife, is fine for them is asinine. They’re spending $10k just to ski for a bit. You think they won’t drop cash on a real ski?

Be honest. They’re asking what ski they should buy for their dream trip to Hokkaido. To suggest anything other than a legit pow ski is absolute BS.

“I ski a 177 85mm just like you do back in Australia. In fact— why even visit Hokkaido? It’s the same thing where you’re from!”

Maybe not a waist-width gnar-off— but definitely an honesty-off.

^ Gaijin is correct.

Also, I think there’s a matter of style at play here as well.

Can you have fun on a narrower ski in japan? Sure. Are they easier to drag up Mt Yotei? Definitely.

Can you slarve a high speed turn and kick your skis out sideways?

Can you ski all that pow when it gets slightly sun affected and starts to get creamy?

Narrower waisted skis with camber suck in variable conditions.

Fat and rockered for Japan!

If I had a Japow guide tell me that he skied on 177 cm, 84 mm waist skis at that height and weight......I'd promptly keep searching for a different guide based on the fact that we probably have different goals and styles.

Well, and not to dunk on Mike Pow at all cuz he seems legit and his advice upthread is actually very good…. But leaning back and taking the straightest line through low angle pow to maintain speed, which is what you see in the video, doesn’t look like reaching the highest potential of that snow condition. For me.

Anyways. Recpro brings his fattest skis to Japan, which is all we needed to know. It’s good enough advice to not go buy some 210 fattypus at 140 underfoot if you’re used to skiing your 180cm 110s, and well taken.

Also, watching this thread with interest as we’re probably ~16 months out from a trip that way.

Relevant so I'll play. I'm bring HL ST120s w Cast and a pair of Wildcat 108s. Only question is whether I bring the WC tours w ATKs or std WCs w Shifts depending on how much touring vs resorts I think we'll do but leaning toward the Shift setup. Since my every day ski is a 108 in CO aint no way I'm going all the way to Japan and skiing skinny skis.

Pow is pow so its all in the past, what I think about is carrying all the gear on 6 airplanes and countless buses, multiple setups maybe if I had a wife to carry it all,

The ski I'll be bringing for our January 25 Hokkaido trip is the Head Kore 111 in the 184cm. Snagged a pair from Corbetts for a little over $300. I plan to mount with a Shift. I have the K111 in the 191cm with a pivot, which I think are awesome pow skis, but went shorter for the more maneuverable thing.

?±+×

I brought Protests and Cochise 106s last season to Hokkaido. Didn’t get any dumps, so only skied the Cochise

I just booked my first trip to Hokkaido for Feb and I'm debating between Bodacious and HL FR110. I am leaning toward FR110 as a quiver of one for this trip due to maneuverability and how much fun they are on low angle soft snow.

No snow here so ski bro sez do you have a passport wana go and in a week we were wheels up with zero planning but didnt think about the fact neither of us speak Japanese but we know someone here at home who's uncle is a guide in Annupuri SO we were getting the boot from our cheap Air BnB wondering how we would setup more accommodation ?

We text Mika back here for ideas, she texts her uncle Tomoki who fortunatley sets us up with a couple of cheap pensions where we only have to shlep gear across a P-lot for the rest of the trip and we hooked up for a day of riding, we were all riding different gear from a board-120's-106's

so really the biq question was not " which ski ? " it was shlpeping gear around and wTF are we going to sleep tonight ? but it all worked fine and Tomoki's daughter came to Canada the next fall for a HS exchange