This is the time of year when the snow melts on the mountains, and new greenery spreads from the base to the top, creating a beautiful gradation of green.
Even when there is no snow left on the ski resorts or mountains, some people continue to ski persistently in search of remaining snow, while others go to jump and jib practice facilities or work hard on off-season training by skiing over brush.
On the other hand, there are many people who enjoy completely different activities unrelated to skiing and snowboarding. Bicycling, surfing, SUP, trail running, mountain climbing, skateboarding, inline skating...
Of these, the number of people who are into cycling, especially mountain biking (MTB), is increasing year by year. Like skiing and snowboarding, MTB is divided into several categories, but the one that is attracting the most attention is downhill. This is a category that is specialized in literally racing down mountain trails.
What is so interesting about this activity? What is the appeal? Does it have anything in common with skiing or snowboarding? The easiest way to answer this question is to hear from people who actually do it
So, Furuse Kazuya, a skier and snowboarder from Hakuba who are both deeply into mountain biking, and Minamiura Takashi, talked about the fun of mountain biking while riding up Hakuba Iwatake
Takashi Minamiura
runs
Hakuba Silkwood Hotel Hakuba Village Instagram: takashi.minamiuraSponsors
: Green Clothing , Voltage Design , Flux , Dice , and others
Kazuya Furuse
is a professional skier and ski guide based in the Hakuba area in winter. In 2019, he launched LOCUS GUIDE SERVICE KazuyafuruseSponsors
: Patagonia , Marker , Dalbello , Volkl , Smith , and others
Commonalities between MTB and skiing/snowboarding
Minamiura Takashi (hereinafter Minamiura) : I originally did motorcycle trials (a competition in which you ride a motorcycle through a course with set elevation changes and slopes) until I was in high school.
After that, I quit because I found snowboarding more interesting, but one day I saw a local older guy riding a mountain bike and thought it looked fun, so I started riding. I've been immersed in the joy of riding two wheels for nearly 20 years now.
Kazuya Furuse (hereinafter Furuse) : I first ran Iwatake as part of an activity experience when we held a Patagonia ambassador meeting in Hakuba about five years ago. It was so much fun that after that I even became a course digger, helping to maintain the course, haha.
Minamiura : What drew you to it so much?
Furuse : It's hard to explain in words, but the sense of speed? MTB is very similar to skiing, and the sensations of R (turns) and G (gravity) are almost the same in many ways. That's why I think I got hooked on it, as if it were an extension of my winter activities.
Minamiura : Snowboarding is similar in some ways. It's fun to go down the mountain using gravity and your own strength.
Furuse : Skis are facing forward, so the movements of skiing, such as angulating your hips and rotating them, apply exactly to mountain biking.
Minamiura : The use of the terrain is almost the same.
Furuse : It's interesting how each rider's individuality is reflected in the way they ride.
Minamiura : Styles vary from person to person. I think skiing, snowboarding, and mountain biking all have one thing in common: they can be enjoyed on any terrain.
Furuse : Even when skiing with someone new at a ski resort you're familiar with, you get the feeling that you're going at that speed and flying, and it's exactly the same on an MTB. When
you're riding in front of someone on an MTB, you can't turn around, so you have to follow the person in front and you can see their riding for the first time. Because of the close distance, you get the feeling that you're in a session, even more so than on skis.
Minamiura : That's true. When I watch them from behind and see running or movements that I can't do or would never have thought of, I get excited and say, "Wow!"
Furuse : Skateboarding and surfing are fun because they have a sense of session, but the feeling of riding through a forest or hitting an open slope is probably closer to skiing or snowboarding. Just like in winter, it's affected by the mountain conditions, so every ride is different.
Minamiura : I like the fact that it's not uniform. The road conditions are pretty much the same on a skateboard. Even when it comes to how you turn a corner, there are all kinds of different ways to turn, and the difficulty of having to adjust to the conditions at any given time is part of what makes it fun.
Furuse : It's the same as changing the way you pedal depending on the snow quality. With mountain biking, you'll fall if you don't move in a way that suits the conditions.
This is what you need! MTB is great for winter
Furuse : Skiing and mountain biking are very similar. Position, balance, rotation, and other movements using the axis all feel almost the same. In addition to those athletic aspects, the fact that you are constantly targeting the conditions is also similar.
Watching the weather and waiting for the right timing for the soil on the road to dry is also the same from the perspective of judging the snow conditions.
The thing that strikes me most is that the way you move your eyes is exactly the same as when skiing
Minamiura : That's right. You're constantly looking at your field of vision, which is constantly moving. I've heard people around me say that they've been skating lately and their eyes can't keep up, but that's not the case for me at all.
Furuse : While driving on dirt, moving your eyes, gathering information, and making the necessary movements instantly is not something you do on a daily basis. I think cars are moving at the same speed as skiing, but it's completely different. I feel that the work of your eyes is particularly noticeable at the beginning of the season.
Minamiura : I think mountain biking requires you to use your eyes more because you can see more. The small roots are slippery and dangerous, haha.
With a snowboard, it's easy to find a wall and jump off, but it's really difficult with an mountain bike. With an mountain bike
, your feet come off the pedals, so I think it's difficult to get a sense of unity with the bike. It's heavy, so it's hard to control.
Plus, you can traverse steep slopes with a snowboard, but you can't do that well with an mountain bike. You just have to ride up the big slope. You just have to go.
Furuse : That's true, in those situations you have no choice but to point your body and bike toward the fall line.
Minamiura : But that moment is unforgettable. When you're going down a slope, it's like snowboarding. You know you can't stop immediately even if you brake, but you still have to go. It's fun.
The benefits of starting a new activity. Year-round positive effects
Furuse : Unlike winter, it feels fresh and I feel the excitement of improving. I can do things I couldn't do before. That simple thing is incredibly exciting. MTB reminded me of the feeling of trying something I've never done before and overcoming it.
Minamiura : That's right. In the beginning, there's a lot of room for improvement and it's fun. But as you become more capable, the risk of injury also increases, just like in winter.
I once tore a ligament in my shoulder and had to have surgery, which affected my winter as well. The price of a single injury is even greater than in winter.
Furuse : If you fall, you're going to bleed at the very least. But even so, I don't feel like I'm just doing this off-season training for the winter. Well, in the end, I think it's the best off-season training I've ever had...
Minamiura : I don't think of mountain biking as a way to train for the off-season. It's so much fun that it's become a part of my life. When it snows on the mountains, I snowboard, and when it's gone, I ride my mountain bike. That's it.
Furuse : There's a difference in sensation between skiing and running down the mountain. If you think of it as training, it feels a bit different.
I think life is more interesting if you try to find ways to make yourself feel like winter is here, to feel comfortable in the situation you're in
Minamiura : I'm busy all year round, having fun, lol. I can do both, especially in the spring.
As I was taken to groomed trails, I began to feel a desire to see new places, just like with snowboarding, so just like in backcountry, I would do some preliminary research on the countryside, carry my bike on my back, and ride up the mountain. Seeing the roadless areas and collapsed terrain, imagining the lines I wanted to follow while riding, is just like backcountry snowboarding.
Furuse : I'm still mostly being taken to those unpaved trails, and haven't been able to explore them myself. Riding on Iwatake or Fujimi is like skiing at a ski resort in winter. On the other hand, riding on unpaved trails is like backcountry. That's what I was told when I started riding mountain bikes, but I've only just started to understand that recently.
The two riders rode at Hakuba Iwatake MTB Park
Hakuba Iwatake MTB Park has a course where you can ride your mountain bike from the summit to the base of the mountain on a gondola. Its greatest attraction is the 3,672m downhill course, which boasts an elevation difference of 521m from the summit at an altitude of about 1,300m. With a variety of locations, including an open course where you can enjoy the summer Hakuba mountains and a forest course that runs through the trees, it can be enjoyed by people of all levels, from professionals to beginners. We asked Furuse and Minamiura about the appeal of Iwatake
Furuse: "What's interesting about Iwatake is that it has flowing trails (flow trails). There are berms (smoothly sloped sections that make cornering easier) and banks everywhere, so anyone who skis or snowboards will find it easy to imagine pumping into corners. The
carefully maintained berms are so beautiful that you might think you could even skateboard on them. Only at Iwatake can you have the fun of pumping along them. I think it's very easy to get into, even for first-timers."
Minamiura: "For skilled skaters, it's a great place to practice techniques and improve your skills by memorizing movements. The course is long and well-designed. I think you can do a lot of different things depending on your ideas. And above all, it's in a great location in Hakuba."
There is also a rental MTB plan that allows you to experience downhill skiing, and on weekends, many people visit from all over the country.
Why not try the course known as the "Mecca of MTB" when there is no snow? Riding through the courses of a ski resort without snow is a more pleasant experience than you might imagine.
Photo = Go Ito
(Reporting cooperation: Hakuba Iwatake Mountain Resort)