There are certain views that can only be seen by leaving the snowy mountains for a moment. Momose Junpei continues to create snowy stages that connect his friends with the future - from the basics to freeriding to contributing to society, he surpasses everything. The current location of this Hokkaido mood maker who continues to pursue "fun skiing"
I just took off my bib
"I've never placed in the top 10 in the technical selections, but I think I was better than anyone at livening up the selections from start to finish," he says with a laugh
Junpei Momose competed in technical and demonstration selections for a long time, serving as a national demonstrator for seven terms and an SAJ demonstrator for two terms, for a total of 19 years as a demonstrator, but he hung up his player's bib in the spring of last season's 2024-2025. However, there is no man for whom the word "retirement" suits him more than this
"I'll just never be skating with a bib number on anymore, but nothing will change. And that will continue."
What lies beyond those words? We delve into Momose Junpei's present, past, and future
Burnt-out youth
"I've been doing alpine skiing since I was little, but I stopped skiing for a while due to burnout."
The story began with a surprising remark: Junpei Momose was born and raised in Otaru, Hokkaido, and during his student days he was well-known as a top athlete on the Asarigawa Racing Team
"My peak as an alpine skier was in junior high school. I even won the All Japan Championships. But once I got to high school, I was constantly being overtaken by others. I got completely burned out, so I stopped skiing as soon as I graduated, and didn't go up a mountain once until I was 22. I never even got close to a mountain (laughs). What did I do? I just wandered around town (laughs). I was around 20, so I was full of fun, so I played all the time. But after a while, I got a little bored. So I started looking for a job, and I found a part-time job patrolling a ski resort. I loved snowy mountains, so I ended up going back to skiing; that's the truth (laughs).
While I was patrolling, I was invited to become an instructor at a school, and that was around the time carving skis came out in 1998. During that time when I wasn't going up a snowy mountain, the equipment changed dramatically. Completely.
First of all, I couldn't hide my surprise, and then when I put on the carving skis, I found it really fun. I was like, "Wow! Is it okay to turn so easily?" It was so fun. So I thought, "Maybe I should try entering a competition."
This moment, my own stage
Junpei Momose is a basic skier who serves as a national demonstrator, but he is also known for being a powder lover
"I was 23 when I first took part in the technical qualifying round. But to be honest, I had no interest in basic skiing (laughs). I loved powder and wanted to go into freeride, but at the time there weren't many freeride or freestyle genres around me, so it seemed like it was either alpine or basic
For the first three years, I couldn't get past the Hokkaido qualifying rounds in the technical competition, and it was hard to make it to the finals. I finally started competing when I was 25
Why did Momose Junpei continue to aim for the technical competition, even though he had no interest in basic skiing to begin with, and had not been able to achieve the results he wanted for many years?
"When you're skiing on the slopes, there are a lot of people around, right? But when I'm wearing my competition bib and skiing the course, I'm alone. I can do whatever I want there. It feels like this is my own stage at this very moment, and it feels amazing. So, to me, the technical selection was more like a festival than a competition
When I was around 27 or 28 years old, I was working as an instructor at Sapporo Bankei Ski Resort with Takeshi Fujikawa, a telemarker in Hokkaido. He invited me to go to the mountains, and I started going to the backcountry. There, too, I was skiing alone on a big slope in the middle of nature. This was the same as skiing alone on a competition course; I had the feeling that no one else was skiing, and I had this place to myself at this time! It was really fun."
He says that his attitude gradually changed after he began competing in technical selections
"At first, I just thought it was meaningful to participate, and my goal for the Technical Selection was to participate, so I could meet up with friends and have fun. Then, at the age of 31, I became a National Demonstrator, and at that point I joined the Kiroro Ski School, which made me want to become a ski instructor. From that point on, I started to dream of making a living from skiing all year round, both in summer and winter."
What I left behind
He hung up his bib as a player last season, but many people regretted his retirement. Momose Junpei was a player who was loved and respected by his peers, young athletes, and those around him. At the final 62nd Technical Selection, a retirement ceremony was held to mark the end of his career, and Momose soared high into the sky
Looking back now that he has left the competition scene, what are his thoughts?
"Rather than being a top athlete, I think I was more of a presence that enlivened the scene (laughs). I never placed in the top 10 in the technical competition, and I never achieved any great results. But I do feel that I helped to gradually change the technical competition from a stiff competition into a more frank stage for free expression, a little like freeriding. I wanted the technical competition to be a place like that."
What exactly do you mean?
"Usually when people reach the finish line, instead of stopping normally, I'll deliberately stop in a well-lit spot, sending up a huge spray of spray. Before the start, I'll raise my hands to the gallery and make an action like, 'Get excited! Get excited!' to show that I'm counting on you to get excited! I'll start off after that (laughs). Even when skiing over moguls, I'll deliberately send up a lot of spray
Up until then, the technical selections had a stiff atmosphere, like a competition that was an extension of the certification exam. I broke that framework in my own way and added my own free flavor. Rather than technical skill, I was simply looking for a cool look (laughs). Anyway, I wanted to express coolness."
On the other hand, did you also feel that skaters who strive for skill and skate with precise, tight skating are too stuck in a box and boring?
"I had a lot of those thoughts in my mind (laughs). But, since it's that kind of tournament to begin with, of course I wouldn't say anything negative to those athletes, but I would often say things like, 'Let's relax a bit and have fun, it's a once-a-year festival!' (laughs). In order to express that in an easy-to-understand way, I drew lines on my head and made line bars with clippers while skating, and I also painted pure white lipstick on my lips while skating. I did a lot of crazy things (laughs), but I hoped that by producing entertainment, I could convey this message
But now, when I see my juniors really enjoying the competition and trying to look cool, I feel like, 'Ah, maybe I made it.'"
Momose Junpei was an epoch-maker who brought entertainment value to the technical selections, a rare mood maker, and undoubtedly an athlete who enjoyed the technical selections more than anyone else.
Be an all-rounder
Momose has been the principal of Kiroro Snow Academy for nine years, but has been a demonstrator for 19 years, during which time he also represented Japan on the Interski team
He says he has always been more conscious of his role as a coach than his performance in the technical competition. However, when he talks about "coaching," he does not mean simply teaching skiing techniques
"I just want to spread the message that skiing is really fun. Since 2011, I have been holding a tournament called the Junior All-rounder Championship in Hokkaido in early spring. I once gave up skiing due to burnout, so I want to get more children into the sport
Skiing is really fun, so I planned this competition with the desire to keep enjoying skiing. It's important for children aiming to become world champions to pursue a specialized field, but skiing is also about the basics, including the simple enjoyment of skiing, because it's not just alpine skiing or freeride
The alpine kids should try mogul skiing every once in a while, the mogul kids who ski on the moguls should try big turns every once in a while, and the basic kids should try pole skiing - it's fun. It's a competition where everyone can enjoy skiing all around. I think kids should broaden their horizons and make time for skiing, and I would like to create a fun place for interaction that transcends the boundaries of different sports
Recently, I've been thinking how glad I am to have been doing this. At first, it was just kids learning the basics, but now kids from alpine skiing have started joining, and recently, freeride kids have started coming too. This has really expanded the kids' network, and they've started communicating with kids from other disciplines. They've become friends on Instagram, and when I see them having fun chatting together on the lift during the competition, I really feel glad that I've been doing this competition."
Specifically, what kind of tournament is it?
"One is a GS competition where gates are set up in the moguls and the time is the deciding factor. The second is freeriding on the same slopes with all the poles removed. The third is freeriding on the moguls? It really brings together all the categories: basic, mogul, freeride, alpine. The idea is to let people experience what it means to have the skills to truly enjoy the snowy mountains."
Junpei Momose started out in alpine skiing but has always enjoyed powder and backcountry skiing. He is truly an all-rounder in the world of skiing. For Junpei Momose, "good skiing" means "all-round skills."
"Powder, carving, moguls, and jumps - when you can do all of that, I think that's when true skill comes out. And it looks cool too. Of course, alpine skiing, where every tenth of a second counts, is incredibly cool. But isn't alpine skiing like an F1 car? All-rounder skis have a different feel. They're like an invincible RV that can dominate anywhere. It's definitely fun to be able to enjoy the whole mountain."
A look at children
"Tsukasa Home POWDER FREERIDE '25 with Bonz Crew."
His focus on the children of the future is clear when you look at his other activities. Last season? Momose launched the Hokkaido Freeride Network last year with his Hokkaido friend Kodama Tsuyoshi and others
"My first goal is to give children in Hokkaido the chance to take part in FWT competitions in preparation for the 2030 Tokyo Olympics. Currently, there are no FW races in Hokkaido where you can earn FWT points
I thought it would be a shame to give up any chance in Hokkaido, known as the powder kingdom. I think this place is important in order to pass on the history of skiing that we have had to the next generation
Especially now that FWT has come under the umbrella of FIS, I think there will be more movement on a global level. We, who were born and raised in Hokkaido, want to create opportunities for them. That's why we started the organization, and I think it will not only increase the number of skiing options for children, but also lead to a strong message about freeskiing in Japan and Hokkaido to the world."
A variety of activities
There are still many interesting things that Momose Junpei is developing
Momose
has hosted "FUN Skiing for kids at KIRORO - Ski with professional skiers! - Produced by ZASSO" for three seasons. This charity event, in which professional skiers and children use skis as a tool to enjoy playing in the snow, raises money for Ronald McDonald House, a facility for children who are hospitalized or receiving outpatient treatment for serious illnesses and their families.
"I'm sure that even among children with serious illnesses, there are some who love snow. I wanted to give those children even a little bit of energy, and I wondered if there was some way I could support them. People around me would say, 'You're doing a great job teaming up with such a large company,' but I'm not good at sales, and I'm not good at that sort of thing, but my friends around me help me out. In this project, one of my friends knew the president of a McDonald's franchise, and he approached me, saying, 'There's this guy who is so passionate about wanting to do a collaborative event,' and that's how we got connected and made it a reality."
Momose Junpei's passion and desire to "do fun things with people and have fun times" naturally attracts people, motivates them, and becomes a strong energy that draws new encounters and good fortune
Momose's desire to support children through snow is also evident in her participation in the Junior All-Rounder Championship, the Hokkaido Network, and charity events for Ronald McDonald House
"That's right. Hokkaido is a place where children can grow and make lots of friends through skiing, surrounded by its rich natural environment. I want to take advantage of the local characteristics to create opportunities for children to enjoy skiing and grow to love skiing. That's what I want most."
Everything starts from "I love having fun"
Momose Junpei is someone who truly loves people and wants to do fun things with them. His own ZASSO , started when he "created a neck tube to make it easier for strangers on the slopes to communicate with each other."
"We're all skiers at the same ski resort, and I hate it when we ignore each other when our eyes meet. It would be nice to have a conversation, like, 'The snow is nice, isn't it?' or 'The weather is nice, isn't it?' So, if someone I don't know is wearing the same ZASSO neck tube around their mouth, I thought it might be an opportunity to communicate, like, 'Oh, you're a ZASSO, too!' or 'Oh, thank you!'
That's why I started out. So I never even thought about making money by selling things (laughs)."
...Starting a brand out of that makes him quite an eccentric, or rather, a tough guy. But this is the kind of man Momose Junpei is. Which makes me want to ask him, "What was the one movie that changed Momose Junpei's life?" What kind of answer will he give?
"I didn't make it to the finish line, but the first time I made it to the finals at the All Japan Championships, there was a carving event and I fell. I feel like that was the jump that marked the beginning of my career. It was a jump where I won in a way that was completely different from skill or coolness, it was more like a character win (laughs)."
??? What on earth does this mean?
"At that time, about 50 out of the 60 people who made it to the finals ended up first in their respective events. Because I fell, the calculation formula went wrong and everyone got the same score. So I was like, 'Because of that guy who fell, everyone else got first place! Who is this Momose Junpei from Hokkaido?!' 'Yes, it's me!' (laughs)
Thanks to this, I, who was completely unknown at the time, was able to instantly make my face and name known. This made it easier to convey my desire to bring fun to the technical selections, and livening things up became my specialty (laughs)."
knew there was such a root?
No one can replace Junpei Momose, the man who livened up the scene and surprised even the 62-year history of the Technical Selections.
ProfileJumpei
Momose JUMPEI MOMOSE
A native of Otaru, Hokkaido, he has been active for 19 years, from alpine skiing to basic skiing, competing in technical championships and demonstrating. In 2019, he represented Japan at the Interski Championships. He retired from competitive skiing in the 2024-2025 season.
This marks his 10th year as principal of Kiroro Snow Academy. He is an all-rounder who also loves powder and freeriding. He presides over Snow Kitchen Co., Ltd., where he teaches lessons and camps, plans competitions and charity events, and is a multi-talented man who develops everything from skis to accessories through his own brand, "ZASSO."