Maniwa Karen - The 12-year-old analyst's ongoing search for the form of "beauty"

With extraordinary sense and courage, they push the boundaries of what's possible in a white world without knowing the limits. We take a closer look at the pure and innocent ski life of these super kids

Born in Aomori, living in Canada

Maniwa Karen. Born on July 30, 2012, she is 12 years old. At the 9th All Japan Junior Ski Technical Championships, Junior (Elementary School) Girls Division, she won all three events with a landslide victory. She is a rising star who won her first Junior Technical Championship in her first appearance

Kanae is currently "back in Japan" and lives in Canada. Canada is the home of winter sports, with world-class resorts like Whistler, so why is she coming all the way to Japan to learn basic skiing? Who is this mysterious kid?

I listened to the talk with her mother at her home in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture

--I understand you're currently living in Canada. Are you skiing in British Columbia, where Whistler is located?

"No, it's too cold where I live now, so it never snows. I go to school in St. Catharine, Ontario, near Niagara Falls. It's a boarding school, so I've been in Canada by myself for over a year now.
Why? I just sort of did it (laughs). I thought, 'Oh, maybe I should go to Canada' (laughs). But St. Catharine is such a rural area, there's nothing there, it's boring. Japan would be great to have places like Don Quijote. I love Don Quijote!"

Thus began Kanae's story in a slightly mysterious tone. It turns out that her father is Canadian and her mother is from Aomori, meaning she is half Canadian. While one might think that the family lives in Canada, her father is actually an orthopedic surgeon who runs a clinic called Maniwa Orthopedic Clinic in Hirosaki City

Here's the mother's explanation of the situation:

"When Kanare was finishing the fifth grade of elementary school, she suddenly said, 'I want to go to Canada!' I'm half Canadian, so I had always wanted her to go to Canada eventually. But that decision came a little early.
There are only three boarding schools in Canada that accept elementary school students, and St. Catherine's was the closest to Kanare's father's family home in Ontario. But during the winter, from December to March, she gets permission from the school to come back to Japan, where she completes her homework online and goes skiing every day."

"I feel lucky because in Japan, everyone can still practice while they're at school. Every day, I skate all day in my hometown, from morning until the night skiing ends!"
says Kanae.

I see, the background is finally starting to become clear

Be invited into the world of white adventure

Born in Aomori and an elementary school student who won the All Japan Junior Technical Championships, you might think that Kanae must have been immersed in skiing from a young age, but she says that she first put on skis when she was in the first grade of elementary school

--(Editorial Department) Is there anything that sticks in your mind from the first time you went skiing?

"The ramen at Hyakuzawa Ski Resort was delicious! (laughs) My uncle suggested I try skiing. He had a ski class that was free for Hirosaki residents, so I joined. I thought, '
Oh, so this is what skiing is like, it's fun.' I've been skiing ever since. I also remember how sore my legs were the next day. It made me realize how much muscle strength you need to ski."

Skiing is fun! Combined with her desire to eat some ramen at the slopes, Kanarei started attending school on weekends and during winter break to take lessons. For now, she is focusing on taking the Level 3 badge test, and her next goal is to pass Level 1.

Here is a video of her skiing as a second-year student. Her challenging skiing clearly shows her excellent skiing sense.

He lived this skiing lifestyle until he was in the fourth grade, but in the fifth grade, his environment changed dramatically. He joined a local basic skiing team called "Aomori Rossignol." What was the trigger for this?

"There was a ROSSIGNOL test ride event at a ski resort, and I happened to attend, and the team manager invited me there. He said, 'That's a good idea!' (laughs). He said, 'Why don't you come?'"

The coach saw Kanae's skating, recognized her skiing talent, and scouted her to join the team. The coach's words ignited her desire to explore

However, I wanted to ask her why she chose basic skiing

The reason is that Hyakuzawa Ski Resort, which Kanae calls her "home," is a municipal ski resort in Hirosaki City, and is a small ski resort with a strong local flavor, but it is close to Owani Ski Resort. Owani Ski Resort is famous as the home of To-o Gijuku High School, a prestigious school that once produced Japan's leading slalom skier, Kimura Kiminori (a native of Hirosaki City), and is a mecca for alpine skiing. Why did Kanae choose to pursue basic skiing instead of alpine skiing?
In fact, there is a story behind this.

"I thought racing was cool and I wanted to try it, but it seemed like it would hurt to get hit by a pole and the speed was scary. So I decided to just do basic skiing (laughs)."

I was a little hesitant about alpine skiing, so I decided to enter the world of basic skiing, but it was as if I was being led to do so

12Old analyst

Kanae's growth since joining the Aomori Rossignol team has been incredible. She improves dramatically with each skate. Just by receiving advice from her coach, her technique has improved

Behind this lies Kanare's incredible abilities: her strong analytical skills, her ability to think logically and put it into words. Add to that her cheerful and easygoing personality and her open-minded mentality that allows her to absorb anything, and you have the best of both worlds

--What is the appeal of basic skiing to you, Kanae?

"There's no end to it. I strive to improve my technique and express beauty. Every year my skating technique changes, and I have many goals to improve to. Also, the fun part is the 'analysis'. It's so much fun to find problems in my skating and be able to improve them. Then, when I practice what my coach tells me to do and overcome them, I think the sense of accomplishment is even more satisfying. When I watch videos of my skating and think, 'I've changed!' I do a fist pump (laughs)."

I was drawn in by the gap between the carefree smile on his face as he spoke and the mindset of an athlete stoically pursuing the improvement of his skills

Pursuing beauty and honing strengths

--What are the strengths of your skating?　

"I guess it's turning using the flex of the board. And sharp edging."

What do you usually pay attention to when training?

"My coach keeps telling me the same thing over and over: 'Inward lean angle, inward lean angle' (laughs). I want to increase the inward lean angle and see how close I can get to the snow surface. I think that's a challenge for me to overcome in order to make it look good.
In fact, my coach has sent me on a training trip (laughs). Since last season, I've been joining Hirosaki University's alpine team, and now I'm racing with university students.

It's amazing that an elementary school student like him is allowed to join the pole practice of his university's ski club

“Recently, the techniques used in racing have been incorporated into the technical selections, and there are many skaters in the adult All-Japan competitions who have a background in racing, and there are also skaters in the All-Japan Junior competitions who have come from racing. I think that the techniques, such as edge angle and turn entry, are becoming more racing-oriented. I also think that the visual style is becoming more racing-oriented

So I think that in terms of fundamentals and racing technique, they are surprisingly similar. The obvious difference is beauty or speed. I think that in the technical competition, they are looking for beauty above all else."

Thanks to the skiing of Ryu Takeda, a six-time consecutive champion in the Technical Championships and former FIS World Cup athlete, it is said that the evaluation axis for the Technical Championships is now centered on alpine skiing techniques. Is it possible that the
Junior Technical Championships are also following this trend? And Takeda himself has said, "I always tell the juniors that if they don't do alpine skiing, they won't improve their fundamentals!"

In other words, Kanae is practicing poles in order to ski more beautifully in basic skiing

1"I can win" in the event

Last season, Kanae Kanae had her first big stage experience. She competed in the elementary school division of the 9th All Japan Junior Technical Championships, held at Sugadaira Ski Resort from March 28th to 30th, 2025, for third to sixth graders. We asked her about what it was like

"It was my first big competition, so I was actually quite nervous. But when I got to the start, I kind of let it all out, in a good way. I think that's how I was able to show my true potential. I think I'm pretty strong in real competitions. My condition was improving too. After the first event, I thought, 'I can win now.'"

The first event was "Tight Turns and Rhythm Changes." Despite poor visibility due to thick fog, she made sharp turns with sharp edges and came down at high speed. Her powerful skating was hard to believe coming from an elementary school girl, and the judges awarded her 85 and 86 points one after another. The audience erupted in excitement at this high score, which was her first time receiving such a high score

Here is the video of her skating. Maniwa Kanarei (bib 313) appears from around 18:45

"But in the second event, a tight turn, I messed up completely right before the finish line. The snow was softer than I expected, and my skis started to slip. I didn't get much points, but I thought it would have been cooler if I'd been able to ski properly all the way to the end. I mean, it would have been a little annoying if people thought I'd messed up even though I came in first place."

His pursuit of perfection is what makes him a top athlete. Despite making some small mistakes, he came in first in all three events and achieved the overall victory with overwhelming strength that surpassed the others

In fact, Kanarei was in the fifth grade and wondered whether to compete in the Junior Technical Championships, but decided to postpone it for a year because "I wasn't yet strong enough." In just one season, Kanarei has improved her level remarkably. We asked her what she thought was the biggest improvement she made last season

"I think I improved a lot during the three days I spent in Nagano for the Junior Technical Championships. Coming to the national tournament, I was inspired by the people around me, and by experiencing a tournament, I think I got used to the environment of a crucial match, and in a good way, I think I was able to improve by being absorbed in it."

He even calmly analyzed how the intense tension of a tournament helps players grow

I can't stop loving you

Kanare says she watches and analyzes videos of various top athletes in order to improve

"Being on the Aomori Rossignol team, I of course on Rossignol's YouTube channel (laughs). I also often watch videos of players Mirai Kuriyama and Shun Okumura. I watch almost all of the YouTube videos of top players in Japan.

The athlete I want to be like is Nana Miyanaga, who came in first in the last technical competition. She's good at everything. She uses her lower body well, and her hips don't move. Her ankles are also very flexible, and she uses her joints incredibly well. She's also a master of both basic and alpine skiing, which I think is amazing

My favorite skier is Miku Kuriyama. Her inward lean angle is just amazing, and her edging is deep, which I admire. Her skis return incredibly well, and her quick transitions are so cool. This is something that is unique to female skiers, but their hip joints and joints are so flexible, and I think both Nana Yanagi and Miku Kuriyama are really good at using their joints

...And the analysis continues like this

It is certain that Kanae's analytical ability has been put to good use in her rapid growth and improvement of her skills. In addition, her intellectual curiosity. When asked what she is into besides skiing..

Thanks to Team Karen

Her growth to this point could not have been achieved through her passion and hard work alone. Her parents, especially her mother, have always been there for her and supported her.
Almost every day during the season, her mother drives her car from around 8am to Hyakuzawa Ski Resort, a 40-minute drive one way, and waits for her at the resort until the night skiing ends around 9pm. What dedication!

It was a truly warm and heartwarming sight to see such a family. There is no doubt that it is "Team Karen" that is supporting Kanare's super kid-like behavior

Curiosity gives you wings

She enjoys skiing, becomes obsessed with it, and before she knows it, she's skiing faster and more beautifully than anyone else.
Her driving force is her endless curiosity and her love for it.
Maniwa Kanarei is a super kid with a future ahead of her.

Her story of an unknown adventure has only just begun.