Super dry n fluffy power snow with Strawberry's in Niseko

How to get perfect turn control in Niseko powder.

Controlling your speed through turn radius is something we all desire to achieve. What a great skill if you could do this for every single turn on a steep powder run.

Your turn radius will greatly depend on how much you rotate your skis during the initiation phase, and this is determined by how much you rotate your feet during the pressure release (aka unweighting).

This is a skill that has somewhat diminished with the new genre of carve skis, but still remains a vital skill for all round skiing, especially short turns.

I have always said that the more energy you put into the start of the turn, the easier the completion will be.

To set yourself up for perfect turn control, you need a strong initiation which includes a well timed pole plant and your eyes and upper body focused on where you want your skis to travel.
Next you need to visualise the skis travel path, try skiing down a medium pitch slope and visualise where you want your ski tips to go.
I always picture my tips tracking a nice round arc through the powder snow, coming out of the snow and then diving back in and being whipped around.
This image perfectly demonstrates Christie Dowling focusing in on the path she wants her skis to track while maintaining excellent upper and lower body separation.

This is great example of where turn completion and preparation are at one.
One thing I have seen quite regularly in Niseko, which really spoils the silhouette, is the lack of commitment with pole planting in powder. The swing is there but no plant into the snow, it makes the turn look incomplete and you loose that extra drive into the next turn.

From this, there are three key things to remember:

1. Good preparation = pole plant and upper body focus
2. Strong foot rotation during pressure release
3. Visualise the desired path you want your tips to take

Skiing Powder Snow - Lessons learned from Niseko Japan.

By Nigel Abbott

I can't help but think about the Northern winter as it draws close and the epic powder that Niseko Japan is blessed with. I have been fortunate enough to have experienced over 300 sessions of superb powder in the last six seasons there. When you get to ski that much POW, you certainly learn the finer points plus get to test a variety of equipment and powder snow conditions.

I believe there are three key things to consider when challenging yourself in deep POW:

• Rhythm
• Movement
• Equipment

Rhythm is what allows us to dance down the slope. You first need to consider the radius of the turn and this will depend upon the steepness of the slope, the depth of the powder and the speed you want to travel at.

Before you actually throw yourself down a powdery slope, you need to know that you can do a solid short turn. Being able to do consistent short turns down a medium gradient slope with a pole plant and some good leg movement is a must, shorts turns will be for another Blog Post.
Once you have set the radius of the turn in your head, then you need to get ready to start moving.

Movement
The first turn is critical as it will set your rhythm and tempo, I always use a little extension by pushing off from both skis as this gives me the time and torque to rotate my skis easily.
The ultimate goal of course is to be able to extend your legs away from your body as you steer your skis, as you do this the skis will bend and store energy. Once you release the exerted pressure from the skis by relaxing your legs, the energy release from the skis will help them to float to the surface and give you an opportunity to rotate your legs into the next turn (see the image above). We call this extension retraction and it is similar to skiing bumps.
If you are new to powder then I would suggest using a little more bounce, this will help your timing, rhythm and require less effort to turn the skis.

Equipment
This is an interesting area as everyone has different styles, tastes and there are many types of powder.
For the sort of POW that I experienced in Niseko, I loved the K2 Hardside with its all-terrain rocker and 98mm under foot, this gives you plenty of float so you ca really let go, but not too wide where you barely sink at all.
In addition, you don't struggle when you get back onto the piste as they still handle well.
I can't praise K2 enough with their backside range, they are really ahead of the curve and leading the industry. Check this video of some solid powder technique in Niseko, these guys are using some bounce to aid their rhythm.

Niseko - Building online Brand awareness and engagement with Video Marketing

http://www.nigelabbott.com/

I quite often get asked the question of how to improve online awareness and engagement with a Brand.

Well, we all know that content is king and the first thing you need to make sure is that your content has clarity of message, distinction of idea and purpose.

An effective strategy we used to put Niseko (Japanese ski area) on the global ski resort stage was to focus in on its unique features and natural attributes. It was evident that Powder Snow, Japanese Culture and Onsens (Hot Springs) were the reason why someone would visit and video was the tool of choice to create engaging stories around these selling points.

The segments we produced were high quality, entertaining, met the key points above and dressed up with sophisticated brand graphics.

We then heavily syndicated these video segments to build awareness and entice consumers back to the website where we could provide incentives to purchase. Our videos became so popular that we started to see visitors from as far as Northern Europe come to experience the amazing powder and culture.

Last winter we achieved several million views of our videos and our strategy was so effective was that our presenters became mini celebrities.

Cocoroya kimono shop in Niseko Japan

Cocoroya offers its visitors a unique opportunity to experience the Japanese kimono tradition. The store is located in Kutchan, a small town close to Niseko on Japan’s north island of Hokkaido. Inside you will find beautiful Japanese kimono’s for sale as well as authentic souvenirs for yourself or as presents for loved ones.

Board the Deep powder storms from Siberia in Niseko

The Niseko area is known for some of the best off-piste powder skiing in the world. No other destination receives such consistently perfect powder. Niseko is a geographical magnet for weather systems delivering snow storms from the Siberian Peninsula and after filling with moisture on their way across the Sea of Japan these massive fronts collide and Hanazono in Niseko is the first place in their path dumping up to 16 metres of snow in a season... The water content of the snow is usually around 8% creating extremely light n fluffy powder snow....

Niseko Powder Japan snowboarding ニセコ

Snow boarding in back country Niseko Japan

With a Niseko United lift pass, you get access to 4 linked areas that share a common pass -- Hanazono, Hirafu, Niseko Village and Annupuri. Visitors can explore over 50 km of runs serviced by 43 lifts, the longest run a spectacular 5.6 km. The area offers 1,000 vertical metres of consistent deep powder and immaculately groomed runs for Beginners (30%), Intermediate (40%) and Advanced (30%).

It is no surprise that Niseko has become Japan's most acclaimed ski resort for the International guest. The blend of accommodation, restaurants, culture and activities suit all tastes, add in the breathtaking scenery, champagne powder, high tech facilities, constant upgrades and you have a perfect formula to attract skiers and snowboarders from around the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjkIj8xRNSY

Niseko Freedom Inn Specials Discounts & Offers | Freedom Inn | Hanazono

Special Discounts and Offers
Freedom Inn offers great savings on its already low rates with special discounts so that your Niseko holiday can be enjoyed stress-free. Check-out the below programs and tune into this space for more to come!

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT
15% off of published accommodation rates for 2010-2011 winter bookings made and fully paid by September 1, 2010. First 20 people receive a FREE 1-day lift pass!

CORPORATE AFFILIATE DISCOUNT
10% off of accommodation, lift tickets, lessons, rentals and more for registered corporate partners and their employees with no black-out dates

FREEDOM INN REFERRAL POINTS
Receive 3,500 Freedom Points for introducing new guests to the Freedom Inn. Each introduction of a new staying guest equals a free lift ticket; 5 new introductions can be converted into a free night!



http://www.freedom-inn.jp/en/content/special-discounts-and-offers

Niseko Powder TV : Wild Bills restaurant review

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Samara Tanton samples some of the amazing Tex Mex food & cocktails at the famous Wild Bills restaurant in Niseko Japan...

Niseko : Powder TV goes Kendo

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Training Kendo & using a Katana are all part of the daily training ritual that these students go through with their 83 yr old Master. Close by is Niseko which has awesome deep powder snow with a long season. Niseko (; -chou) is a town and ski resort located in Abuta District, Shiribeshi, Hokkaido, Japan. Niseko is widely regarded as the best ski resort in Japan for three main reasons: weather, size and infrastructure.

Amazing hike up the peak in Niseko yesterday.

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A change is due for Wednesday and Thursday, which may see some shower activity about the lower runs.
All adventure park activities are 40% off, so try driving your own snowmobile or go snow rafting if you are here.

The latest storm cycle delivered over 50cms of fresh to Niseko. Epic snow conditions for spring.

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hecking out some footage from the season while we look around the mountain: Light winds. Most lifts, should be up running. Wind chill should see temperatures down to -18 with a top of -2. Check out skihanzono.com for more info on the 3rd of April crazy fun bag jump mania event and DJ line up After party.

Outro
Back-country hazard is high, have avalanche beacon and respect the Niseko rules. Sun with possible snowfalls are forecast into tomorrow.
Chat with us on our Hanazono in Niseko Japan facebook page or on twitter.

A beautiful morning over 10cms of fresh overnight here at the base in Niseko

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17 are up and running this morning along with the BagJump, Terrain Park and Adventure Park.

We had another dusting overnight in Niseko. A partly sunny day ahead with light snowfalls forecast.

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16 lifts, the bagjump and terrain park are up and running.

A sensational sunny spring day yesterday and the snow pack is holding up well in Niseko

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There is still over 2 mtrs at the base with over 4 up top. A cloudy day ahead with light winds around 5 to 15 km/hr.

Around the mountain: An excellent cover of snow for March.

A beautiful springtime day in Niseko.

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17 lifts are running and go check out the bag jump its crazy fun and try out that new trick you have been wanting to do.

The snow keeps falling and we had a dusting overnight in Niseko

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15 lifts, the bag jump, adventure park and terrain park are up and running.
Wind chill is down to - 15 degrees with a day time high of - 6.
Moderate winds should be between 15 to 30km/hr. Going back country carry required avalanche beacon, watch for wind drifts and check at lift stations for gate status.

Snow is forecast to continue to fall today and through the night with a chance of some sun tomorrow.

We had quite the snowstorm yesterday in Niseko with 10 to 15cms falling overnight.

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Wind chill should see temperatures down to -22 with a top of -4 degrees. Its possible that some lifts will be subject to wind conditions today. It's a requirement to have an avalanche beacon in the backcountry, watch for wind drifts and check at lift stations for gate status. Winds are forecast to progressively drop over the next few days

Everyone was raving about their fresh lines yesterday in Niseko

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Light winds today increasing into the evening.

Japans First BagJump Event - April 3rd Hanazono Niseko Japan

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BAGJUMP MANIA - Hanazono April 3rd

The categories are below and anyone can participate, lots of prizes and giveaways.

Grommets (15 & under Snowboard or ski) Guys

Grommets (15 & under Snowboard or ski) Girls

Chicks (16 39) Ski

Chicks (16 39) Snowboard

Guys (16 39) Ski

Guys (16 39) Snowboard

Old School Guys (40+)

Old School Girls (40+)

Fun for the whole day and a dance party in the evening at Hanazono Niseko.it is free to enter the comp.