Photo/Go Ito
Click here for "Part 1"
[Profile]
Yuta Shimomura
Born in Kimobetsu Town, Hokkaido in 1993. He started skiing at the age of two and started competing in alpine and cross country. In junior high school and high school, he participated in national junior high school ski competitions and inter-high school competitions as a cross-country skier. He became interested in backcountry skiing when he was in the second year of Kutchan High School, and went on to study at the International Natural Environment Outdoor College in Myoko. After graduating, he joined the Color Sports Club in Hakuba, where he works as a tail guide, and continues to participate in photography, trips, and freeride competitions as a rider.
Someday I will officially work as a ski guide
, but right now I just want to focus
──So you graduated and joined the Color Sports Club?
To be precise, it was from the winter of my third year at a vocational school. During the summer, Tone contacted me asking if I would come as a staff member. So from the winter of my third year onwards, I was accepted as a staff member, and spent one season balancing school and color tours.
To work for more than 3 years in Kala, you need the skills to act as a lead guide. So you want them to think in the direction of aiming to be a lead guide from the beginning.
──Heh~, there was such a promise.
However, in my case, while working in color, I came to think that aiming for an official guide was further ahead. I wanted to study guides while working at Kala, and at the same time, I wanted to pursue my own skating as a skater. So, I consulted with Tone-san about this and received his understanding, and spent 6 seasons focusing on tail guides.
──What specifically did you think of when you said you were really good at slipping?
I want to be able to express myself through skating like Daisuke and Takuma Oike (*16), who has been taking care of me since I came to Hakuba. To do that, first of all, I would go skiing overseas for at least one month during the season, and then skate steep slopes not found in Japan with the locals. I think that's the secret to getting better at it.
"You can't settle down in Japan. If you want to improve, it's best to go abroad and play with the locals." That's what Kazuya-san said. "That's why it's better to travel alone, because that way you can have a richer ski life."
──Kazuya Furuse also had a big influence, right?
That's right. That's why I went to New Zealand in the summer of my second year at a vocational school. And it wasn't Queenstown or Wanaka, but because of Kazuya's influence, I spent two weeks alone at Broken River in Clubfield (*18) (laughs).
──You are blessed with good seniors.
No, it really is. It's not just the mouth, everyone shows the posture of skating with their backs. Thank you so much for guiding me on my path forward.
──To begin with, what was the reaction of those around you when you graduated high school with the goal of becoming a guide?
My classmates asked me, "Are you sure you're okay?" But you only live once, so I thought that if I didn't do what I liked, I would lose out.
──At the age of 10, you were able to shake off that much, right?
I thought it was possible that there were actually people living doing what they liked. My mother, who is a nurse, advised me that if I got a job in the medical field, my income would be large and my future would be stable. But for me, rather than earning money, I was attracted to a way of life that satisfied me... If it doesn't work, I should get a job at that time. I had such a sweet idea.
── Your parents were very forgiving.
I wanted to go to a vocational school, and I kept begging for it for a month (laughs). However, my father agreed from the beginning. I'm from Hokkaido, but I love skiing, so I built a house in Kimobetsu and opened a restaurant in order to put myself in a skiing environment. He used to do telemark skiing with Yukio Yamamoto (*18) from Niseko.
── That's amazing! Very orthodox, isn't it? Originally, Yuta-kun must have such qualities.
My mother often tells me You inherited her father's blood (laughs).
──On top of that, Ski Bum's completed style of marrying a nurse.
yes. I thought the same thing when I read Tsuyoshi Kodama's interview on "STEEP". You can understand it well even if you look at my father. I was blessed with my partner to be able to live doing what I like.
*16 [Takuma Oike]
A free skier born in Hokkaido and living in Hakuba. He continues to be a tail guide at the Color Sports Club and leaves videos and photos as a rider. His trip to North Patagonia, South America, which he continued to attend for three years, was splendid. For details, see "Fall Line 2020 vol.2"
*17 [Club Field]
There are several non-profit ski resorts in New Zealand that are built and managed by skiers. Instead of a chair lift, a unique rope toe is installed, and there is no snow compactor, and the snow is almost uncompacted. Wildly enjoy unspoilt terrain
*18 [Yukio Yamamoto]
A legendary skier who once ran a lodge and a professional ski school in Niseko. Ever since he first came to Japan, he has been working hard to popularize telemark skiing, and is respected as a true legend in the telemark skiing world.
I live in a local house and hitchhike to the ski resort.
That's overseas bum style
──Where did you go on your overseas trip?
The first time I went was Club Field in New Zealand, and in the winter I went to America. 3 or 4 seasons to Snowbird and Alta in Salt Lake City, Utah. After that, I really wanted to go to Alaska, so I stayed at Girdwood for three seasons. I worked in color until February every year, and I was allowed to go there from March. About 3-4 weeks each year.
──Why Salt Lake City?
I was introduced to a local friend by a senior who used to be Snowbird Local. "There aren't many Japanese people, and it's super core, so you should go." I looked it up and found that many of the members of TGR (*20) are from Salt Lake, so this is it.
──What was your ski life like?
I stayed at a local friend's house near the entrance of the canyon going up to Snowbird, and hitchhiked to the ski resort. Snowbird is a luxury resort, so basically the lift pass is expensive, but the spring season pass is extremely cheap for those under 25 years old. I bought it every year.
──How good was your English?
I could hardly do it, but for now, I was able to listen roughly, and I could barely convey my intentions. I managed to talk about skiing and mountains, and after that, I drank beer and let myself get drunk. So we managed to communicate. If you go, you can manage it, or if you go, it's a victory.
──Do you live in a local house in Girdwood, Alaska?
of course. This is also an introduction of a senior who used to be Snowbird Local. The local is a snowboarder, and it seems that he decided to live here when he came to the Alyeska competition after traveling around the world for freeride competitions. I'm a very hot slipper against slipping, and I've been indebted ever since.
──Are you looking for a room over there? Or when you are in Japan?
I will exchange emails from Japan. That friend had also been to Japan, and we happened to meet at that time, so we talked quickly.
That room is also the core, and I live in a ger. "This is your home, so you can always be here." When I go out to eat, I pay a little extra, and they don't even pay for the room. Conversely, when he comes to Japan, I will show him around and entertain him. That kind of exchange is a promise, or rather, an unspoken agreement among the Bums.
──Where were you skating in Alaska?
I skated the Hatcher Pass and the Turnagen Pass (*20). Basic hiking, sometimes borrowing a friend's snowmobile. Alyeska ski resort. For transportation, I borrow a friend's car or get some local help.
──Have you been to Valdez (*21)?
No, I can't go. Actually, this year, another friend said, "You're thinking of going to Valdez in a campervan next time, right?", so I was thinking of going there. I plan to camp there for about a month and ski. But unfortunately I got rejected in Corona.
──So you didn't get on the helicopter?
Well, I had a dreamy experience two seasons ago. The friend who let me stay in Alaska is a sushi chef who works at a sushi restaurant at Alyeska Resort & Hotel. The owner has his own helicopter, and Chugach powder guide rides with him, and he skis about 20 times a day. It was a great dream.
That season was a record warm winter, with only rain in March. I went there for a month and skied at the ski resort, but I could only ski for 7 days. Two days before I had to give up and go back to Japan, I heard about such an impossible dream, and got on the helicopter with tears in my eyes (laughs).
*19 [TGR = Teton Gravity Research]
As you know, the leader of freeride movie production. Along with MSP, he continues to lead the ski scene since the late 90's. The production team is mainly based in Jackson Hole Local, and is also a pioneer of large-scale aerial photography in Alaska.
*20 [Hatcher Pass or Turnagen Pass]
Alyeska is the only ski resort in Alaska with a chairlift. There are several small slopes with rope toes, but the most popular ones are natural fields with no lifts even though they have a "Ski Area" sign. These two passes are also popular major areas
*21 [Valdez]
Called "The Last Frontier", this is the original Alaskan steep that has been the setting for many ski movies. Several helicopter guide companies are currently operating in the legendary area where you could fly a super-cheap helicopter instead of a taxi.
27-year-old full-time skier
Yuta Shimomura do now?
──Well, it's finally the final chapter.
As I said at the beginning, I decided to spend this summer in the city and reflect on myself instead of going up to the mountains. I chose this path when I was a high school student, and at that time, I had made up my mind in my own way. At the same time as wanting to pursue skating without getting a regular job, I also had to make it a form by the age of 30. It was in my head all along. So this summer, when I turn 27, is the time to get my feet on the ground and collect my thoughts.
──I see. Listening to Yuta-kun's story, it's easy to understand that he didn't choose the ski bum life because of the consequences or escapism. Goal-oriented, positive, and ambitious.
Thank you. As I continued with these activities, there was a time when I began to really think about the expression of sliding. Of course, leaving photographs and videos as subjects is one form of expression, but I began to think that this is not the only way to express myself, and I began to search for my own way of expression that only I could do.
Among them, for example, the energy felt in nature, and the pleasant vibes of snowy mountains can be conveyed directly to people. I came to think that it could also be an expression as a sliding hand.
I like interacting with people, so I want to continue to interact directly with people, and just like the new world of skiing opened up at a coffee shop called Sprout when I was a high school student, I can create something that will inspire people. I want to be human One of the paths that came into view when I thought about it was to open my own store. That kind of expression is also an ant.
──Do you want to open your own store?
My parents' house in Kimobetsu is a restaurant that is still in business, but ever since my father became ill a few years ago, I've been thinking about what to do with his restaurant in the future. However, it is not because his father is sick that he wants to take over the store, but because I have a strong desire to own my own store. I want to create a place where people can easily gather.
So, the plan is to renovate the store and turn it into a cafe. Not immediately, but in the process of planning. Of course, skiing will continue to attack as before. Besides, I haven't skied much in Hokkaido yet, so my motivation for that point is bubbling up.
──I see.
Kimobetsu doesn't leave much of an impression on me. There are many farmers and asparagus is famous, but many young people, including myself, are leaving the city. For slippers, I think it's just an image of the crossing when going from Chitose Airport to Rusutsu and Niseko...
──I guess so. I don't think it looks that bad. From a ski bum's point of view, Niseko is too expensive to live in, but Kimobetsu seems like a reasonable place to live, and it's easy to get to Niseko, Rusutsu, Sapporo, and Chitose Airport.
That's right. Mt. Shiribetsu and Mt. Yotei are nearby, the air is good, the land is good, and the river is good. I think it's too wasteful that the potential of the natural environment is not fully utilized. If that's the case, I'm sure there will be many places where I can make use of my experience, and I want to tell the kids of Kimobetsu how good it is to play on land. I feel strongly that I want to liven up the area in this way.
──In that case, you will be leaving Hakuba, but do you have any regrets?
Of course I have regrets. It's just that I'm still attracted to it. However, what I noticed is that no matter how much you play this game, you will never get the feeling that you have completed it. For example, I've skied Fukae many times, but I've never been satisfied, and there are countless big lines in the Northern Alps that I haven't skied yet. But I'm just as attracted to activities based on my family's home in Kimobetsu-cho...
──What will happen to the pursuit of sliding?
I would like to continue. Even if I go back to Hokkaido, I would like to continue skiing overseas for a long period of time, and I would like to continue participating in freeride competitions as much as possible. I don't want people to think I've settled down, and I plan to continue to pursue my own skiing for the rest of my life.
──How was the result in the freeride competition so far?
The best is 5th place in FWQ Hakuba. The first one was Big Sky in Montana, but in Japan I have been in Freeride Hakuba (*23) and JFO (*24) for three seasons. If possible, I want to participate more, and if I do, I want to win. , It doesn't seem to focus only on the competition.
──That’s right, there are a lot of things I want to do.
That's right. In my 20s, I focused on perfecting my skating skills, but in my 30s, I want to give back to others the energy I have received. But if I don't make it through the remaining three years of my 20s, I won't be in my 30s, so I want to push myself even harder.
──Is there a path for ski guides on that extension?
That's right. I always have my sights set on that. The experience I gained at the Color Sports Club in the mountains of Hakuba is invaluable, so I want to make the most of it. Spending time with guests in nature is also perfect for conveying your thoughts.
──Lastly, sponsors.
Sweet Protection, TONES SKI, ROXA SKI Boots, VERTS Japan, Colorsportclub. Thank you all for your help!
*22 [Freeride Hakuba]
Japan round of the Freeride World Tour (FWT). The FWQ, which is also a qualifying event, is held at the same time, opening the door to domestic skaters. Taisuke Kusunoki and Yu Sasaki, who stood on the podium here, were invited to compete in world championships
*23 [JFO = Japan Freeride Open]
A freeride tournament held in Hakuba in February, the month after the FWT. Organized mainly by Japanese riders who live in BC, Canada and have participated in freeride competitions. Many riders feel sympathy for competitions made by skaters for skaters
[Editor + Writer]
Chikara Terakura
After working for the Miura Dolphins led by Yuichiro Miura for 10 years, he has been involved in moguls and freeskiing for nearly 30 years as a member of the BRAVOSKI editorial staff. Currently, he is working on "Fall Line" as the editor-in-chief, and is active in various media as a freelancer. He has been writing interviews for over 10 years in the mountaineering magazine PEAKS.