The Super Kids series explores the pure and innocent skiing life of children who occasionally appear in the spotlight and have extraordinary taste and courage, and enjoy skiing with a free and open sensibility.
Dad, take me skiing
This time we will be introducing Risa Ohno, a third-grader born in 2016, whose name first came to light when she heard that there was a girl who was the talk of the town in New Zealand.
When I heard she was competing in a tournament held in the Southern Hemisphere, I checked the results...and without even having to look for her name, I saw the words "OHNO Lissa" at the top of the U10 division.
She won the championship with aplomb, beating out the local competitors. Furthermore, her work as a child actress and model leaves us intrigued. We immediately requested an interview and connected online to her home in Tokyo to talk to her.
Risa has publicly stated on social media that she aims to be the best in the world. Aiming to be the best in the world at the age of 9, when asked if there was a clear reason or trigger for her to start skiing, she replied, "I don't remember." So her father told us how her family got into skiing.
"One summer when he was in kindergarten, he suddenly said, 'I want to go skiing.' He said, 'Dad, take me skiing.' Neither my wife nor I ski, so our image of it was 'cold, far away, and seems like a lot of work.' We brushed him off by saying, 'Let's go in the winter,' thinking he'd forget about it eventually."
And then winter. Just when you think she's forgotten... she remembers it perfectly. At White World Oze Iwakura, Risa makes her long-awaited skiing debut. Shy, quiet, and not very assertive, this was Risa's first strong wish coming true.
After a two-hour lesson, she mastered the turns at just four years old. Perhaps a natural instinct was already lurking in her little back.
Apparently, he heard a friend from kindergarten talking about how they had enjoyed going to a ski resort and playing in the snow, such as sledding, and that's when he decided he wanted to try skiing. In the summer, in a region where there is no snow, the opportunity to start skiing came down. It was quite an unexpected turn of events.
Encounter with alpine skiing
And so began their skiing life. During a few family trips to the slopes, they happened to come across an alpine skiing competition. Risa said, "I want to try it!" So they looked into how they could take part in gate practice and discovered they needed to join a team.
There are few teams that even kindergarteners can join, and the JFAMILIA SKI CAMP is originally aimed at elementary school students and above. However, her enthusiasm and skiing were highly praised when she participated in a trial session, and she was given special permission to join. Since then, she has been practicing with the same team and under the same coach.
The team, which specializes in alpine skiing and is dedicated to athletes aiming to become world champions, is based in Nozawa Onsen Village, Nagano Prefecture. The coach is Jiro Tomii, a former professional skier himself. The fact that Risa was able to fit in so well in such an environment right from the start speaks volumes about her talent.
We asked Risa, whose motivation is to skate in a way that looks cool and fun, about her ideal style of skating.
"I put my weight firmly on my outside leg and let the ski run."
Although she may seem to be an intuitive skier, she also has a strong technical understanding. Her idol is the queen of alpine skiing, Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States. In order to get even a little closer to the unrivaled figure who boasts a total of 101 World Cup wins, Risa has adopted a unique training method.
This involves skating on a 173cm long board, which even adults cannot turn without putting in a lot of force. The purpose is to master the correct position with a board that leaves no room for manipulation, and to get her eyes and body used to speed, and Risa says she enjoys the speed.
Risking his life to take photos and supporting his family
Her father, camera in hand, desperately follows Risa in order to research and share her skating. It's no easy task to follow his daughter's skating, which is getting faster and faster as she pursues her dream.
During summer vacation, the family travels to New Zealand. During the trip, her father is in charge of maintaining the course and ensuring safety, while her mother takes photos, making it a truly united family system.
Furthermore, wanting to provide the same food environment as when they are in Japan, the mother brings a large amount of Japanese ingredients and seasonings. The ski trip already requires a lot of luggage, but now they've added filming equipment. Their passion for skiing is so great that they're worried they'll be told they're carrying too much luggage at the airport.
The daily schedule for the month-long training camp is as follows:
6:00: Wake up
6:45: Depart
7:00: Warm up
8:00-9:00: First track
9:00-10:00: Free skating
Lunch
11:00-13:00: Free skating
Break
- 15:00: Free skating
In free skating, he focuses on basic slow-speed training as the foundation of his technique. He skates for five hours every day, and after practice he sends 30 to 40 videos and voice messages to his coach in Japan. He then takes that feedback into account when he tries again the next day. He repeats this cycle over and over. He doesn't take a single day off for a month.
The keyword is "confidence"
So she took on the challenge of an overseas race. The Southern Hemisphere was in the middle of its season. While the local skaters had plenty of gate practice, Risa only had a few weeks of freestyle skating. Despite this, she achieved the remarkable feat of winning three out of four races in the U10 division.
"Even as a parent, I feel that the fact that they can still win is what makes alpine skiing so exciting."
Apparently, some athletes were unable to accept the situation and refused to shake hands at the award ceremony, asking "WHY!?" However, he said that the friends he made at the venue came to cheer him on at the start, which gave him confidence and may have contributed to his victory.
We asked Coach Tomii, who prepared a special menu for Risa, who is serious about aiming to become a world champion, what he said that made the biggest impression on her.
"When you get to the starting point, remember what you've done so far."
It is clear that he values not only thorough technical training but also mental support. During races, his father stands at the start and makes sure that he skates with confidence.
"Even if I'm scared, I want to become the best in the world, so I keep trying, no matter how many times I have to."
What keeps this young girl going is the careful support of those around her and a clear goal. Another factor is the presence of athletes she admires.
Times have changed, and there are more opportunities to watch top international skiers ski on YouTube and other platforms, but the presence of skiers close to home remains a major source of motivation. He Taiga Tomii in New Zealand. As they both share similar interests, they have built a brother-sister-like relationship, collaborating on videos and learning skiing from each other.
The video shows Risa interviewing Ohga herself. Her proactive attitude is the epitome of "aggressive learning."
Without relying on organizations, athletes spontaneously interact with each other and improve each other. This kind of "organic communication" will no doubt foster a ski culture and enrich people's lives beyond the sport.
The courage to jump into the valley
We also asked Risa what she hopes for in terms of her future and education.
"I want him to not just do what he's told, but to think for himself about the meaning and essence of things and act accordingly, not just in skiing. He's never been a confident child, but skiing is the only thing he can be confident in, so I hope it will become a support for him someday."
His father is now like a personal coach, and technical terms come out of his mouth naturally.
"When you're on the Grünigentarn or a steep slope, even if it scares you, you have to lower your body into the valley. When you take a bold step, you feel like you've grown."
It's not like the proverb "a lion will make its cub fall into a valley of depths," but her father is the type to stand by and watch his child walk towards the valley of his own accord. He also talked about how overseas athletes interact with their coaches. He says he's telling his daughter to be proactive in communicating with them.
"I send videos to my coach every day and always write down my thoughts in a notebook. He doesn't treat me like a child, he treats me like a player."
She also expressed her gratitude to Coach Tomii, saying, "He has a scary face, but he's kind." Risa may seem quiet at first glance, but both her teacher and student share a strength and kindness that belies their appearances.
The connection between acting and skiing
In addition to skiing, she is also active as a child actor and model, so we asked her father, who also manages her entertainment activities, about what inspired her to get into this field.
"Just like skiing, some of my friends around me were involved in similar activities, so I wanted to try it out."
As an expressive activity, does it have anything in common with skiing?
"I think the basics are important in both skiing and acting. It's like practicing slow speeds in skiing and taking care of your body, or in acting, practicing your voice."
I see. Thorough basic practice and daily accumulation are important. Incidentally, she also likes piano and swimming, and perhaps these wide-ranging activities are also connected to her speed on skis.
To the world's best skiers
A "super active kid" who follows her curiosity, Risa has another athlete she looks up to: Lara Colturi, the world junior champion who brought Albania its first World Cup podium. Last year, they happened to ride the same ski lift together in New Zealand, and the two exchanged ski bands, interacting in English.
Just as chance encounters have guided her skiing career, we asked Risa to give a message to skiers who may get to know her through this interview.
"I think it's important to never give up on anything, even if you think it's no good, and to see it through to the end."
I was deeply touched by the honest words of this young athlete.
"Also, if you say hi, I'll give you a sticker!"
The steady distribution of stickers is also part of the athletes' activities. It also serves as an opportunity to communicate with supporters. For the parents, Team Lisa's activities have become their reason for living. Finally, we asked them what they would like to say to parents who want to provide an environment where their children can seriously pursue what they want to do.
"Because you always support me, I feel like I have to work hard. I hope you will continue to support me."
What a brave wish.
Risa is scheduled to join the team's European camp in November. We hope that she will continue to travel the world, meeting many people, learning, and enjoying skiing.
Team LISSA
Official Instagram: @lissaohnoOfficial
Youtube: LISSA SKI CHANNEL