Has there ever been a case where a ski brand or a company handling a ski brand operated a ski resort? I have never heard of such a case in Japan, other than Wing Hills Shiratori, which is still operated by Alpen, which used to manufacture the Hart skis. Even if you look around the world, there are almost no mega brands that openly operate ski resorts.
Under such circumstances, there are many headwinds in the winter industry such as the corona virus and climate change, and from this season there is a company that will be responsible for the operation of Mt. That is Free Float which imports and sells icelandic skis .
INDEX
- Hakuba Valley is like this
- Why are you working on the restart of Jigatake Ski Resort?
- Regenerate the ski resort with DIY
- The best debut slope Jigatake
Based in Omachi City, Free Float is Icelandic skis in Japan, and is actively engaged in community development projects and creative activities. Speaking of Icelandic, if you take a look at this website , it will be obvious at a glance, but it is a sturdy ski that sticks to MADE IN USA and has beautiful graphics. The lineup, which covers a wide range from the park to the backcountry, is supported mainly by intermediate and advanced players, and is highly recognized among the core brands deployed in Japan.
It is said that a company that handles skiing for such core skiers is entrusted with the operation of Jigadake Ski Resort, a ski resort that is popular with beginners and families. This mismatched feeling is an atmosphere where something is likely to happen. First of all, let's review the big picture of Hakuba Valley before getting into the main topic.
Hakuba Valley is like this
. Have you ever skied at Mt.
I will leave the details to the above article, but to give a rough overview, Hakuba Valley is a ski area that spans the three villages of Omachi City, Hakuba Village, and Otari Village. Hakuba Valley, with 10 ski resorts scattered about 25km north to south, has long been famous as one of the best ski areas in Japan. The Ushiro Tateyama mountain range is behind the ski resorts, and towns spread out at the foot of each ski resort, making it a place where you can fully enjoy a mountain resort.
Although the ski resorts are only a few dozen kilometers apart, the climate and amount of snowfall at each ski resort are different. Each ski resort has a large difference in elevation, making the most of its scenery and majestic mountain body, and offers a wide variety of course variations. .
Under such circumstances, Free Float decided to work on the Jigadake ski resort in the southernmost part of Hakuba Valley. This is located in the valley topography on the east side of Mt. Ji-ga-take, the altitude of the ski resort base is 940m, and the top is 1200m. Although you can hardly see the majestic Northern Alps mountain range from the ski resort, you can see the plains of Azumino that extend to Matsumoto and the Utsukushigahara Plateau beyond.
There are four lifts, and 70% of the slopes are gentle courses for beginners, with an average slope of 13 degrees.
In particular, the Echo slopes, which are the main slopes, are clean and wide with no slopes. Not only is it the best burn for beginners, but it is also popular among instructors for being easy to teach. In addition, there is a slope dedicated to kids park, and next to it is a large towed sled "Troika" which is rare these days. The direction of the ski resort is 100% for beginners and families.
Why did you decide to restart Jigadake Ski Resort
?
We interviewed Shota Yada, the representative of Free Float, who has decided to run the Jigadake Ski Resort, about the latest update project for the Jigadake Ski Resort.
“There were originally five ski resorts in Omachi City: Lake Aoki, Yanaba, Omachi Ski Resort, and Kashimayari and Mt. The general flow is that when you are in the middle of the day, you will be able to talk to me and try to run it.
It's a big adventure for a company of our size, but as a company that imports and sells skis, we see the decline in the number of ski resorts in Omachi City, where we are based, as a crisis of ski culture disappearing. rice field.
When I talk to people in this area, although the scale of the ski resort is small, there are quite a few people who first skied at Mt. Jigatake. There are many elderly people who say, "I skied Mt. Jigadake for the first time," and at least in the area from Omachi to Matsumoto, there aren't many people who have never skied Mt. Jigadake. It's so much. With such a background, one of the local cultures will be lost if the ski resort disappears. history is lost. There are still 100-person ski clubs in Omachi, and some ski clubs are based on Mt. Jigadake.
In other words, it will accelerate the decline of the ski population, so I wanted to stop it.
Also, as a manufacturer, it is precisely because there is a ski culture that core users are nurtured and reach the core brand. Without the ski beginners who are the root of it, we will not be able to survive.
Just because we deal with core brands, we didn't really think about changing the specifications of ski resorts from those for beginners and families to those that would satisfy Icelandic users.
Jigatake is about 8 km from Omachi Station, which is close to the city, so you don't have to drive long snowy roads, and the weather is relatively stable compared to Hakuba Valley. It's the perfect environment for those who want to give it a try.
Certainly, compared to Hakuba Valley and other ski resorts, the elevation difference is small and the mountains are not large. But on the contrary, I think that it is an environment that is easy to accept beginners and families. rice field"
On the other hand, Icelandic has a strong image as a core brand. I also asked Yu Arai, who is the point of contact with the home country, about the situation.
freeriding, and we
have a policy that we make skis that anyone can ride, but we do not make skis for beginners. When I talked to Ben, I thought he would get mad at me for saying, 'Why are you running such a small ski resort?' No, it's good to run a ski resort for beginners.' I think Ben himself has skied once, on a small ski on the edge of Hakuba Valley. There aren't many founders of American ski brands who have such a thing (laughs).
“Return To Nature” , which is also the concept of Icelandic, is a keyword for various rebranding of ski resorts .
With a corporate culture and management style that values sustainability and community contributions, Ben also likes this concept and wants us to embody it. As we are based in Omachi City, which is rich in nature, we have the joy of creating an environment where we can get close to nature with our own hands.
Even with the renovation of the ski resort, we will continue in a sustainable manner while making the most of what we have now, rather than rebuilding everything. Since we are proceeding according to such a way of thinking, there were no excessive requests from our home country. Normally, they would ask you to put a big brand logo on it. I believe that such a movement that can contribute to the local ski culture is a Japanese original activity.”
Riders and staff work by themselves
to revive the ski resort with DIY
The two major changes were the major renovation of the kids park and the interior design of the center house and other facilities.
In addition to this, there are many detailed and new measures, so I would like to see them in order. All of these movements are largely due to Mr. Yada's experience so far. He competed in alpine snowboarding World Cups, and after retiring from competition, he also worked as an outdoor instructor and photographer. Taking advantage of his various qualifications, including heavy equipment, he proceeded with the reform of the ski resort.
“There were a lot of staff and riders around us who had a job, myself included, so we did most of the work ourselves. Beginners have a hard time sliding down even if it feels a little strange, so we eliminated the tilt to make it easier to slide.
The slopes for Kids Park are 55 meters wide and 95 meters long. After getting off the troika, the gentle slope makes it easy to move laterally, making it easy to slip from anywhere. There was a rider who could put his image into 3D CAD, so I asked Perth to raise it, and Yamashiro "Gacha" Yoshiya, who is qualified as a Shinshu mountaineering guide and can operate heavy machinery, dug up the soil and leveled it cleanly. Did.
All the staff worked on the center house "Echo House" and the interior of the rental house.
The old center house retains the atmosphere of the good old Showa era, but the floors have all been replaced with new carpets to give it a clean feeling. Even if a small child touches it, it shouldn't feel bad. All the walls were repainted white, giving a brighter impression. Among them, the information is set up based on trees. The exterior looks oxidized silver, but once inside, it looks beautiful and clean. Of course, all the rental equipment including the wear has been renewed. You can enjoy not only skiing and snowboarding, but also unique rides.
To be frank, there is also the budget side, but when you ask a contractor, it is always the way to proceed with the company's method. Even if it takes time to come up with the ideas in our heads, we thought that we would be able to make better things if we put our hands into it. If you take care of it, the riders and staff's attachment to the ski resort will come out."
Mr. Yada speaks.
It is quite a rare case for a ski resort that the staff and Icelandic riders create with their own hands.
Because each of them is a real skier and is on the scene, they can feel firsthand what is required of ski resorts.
And this system that can shape it is a big weapon of free float and ice run skiing. Also, instead of changing everything, examine what needs change and what doesn't.
The symbol of this is the large sled known as Troika, which is located next to Kids Park. The cable car-like sled climbs up the slope at almost the same speed as walking, and is still very popular with small children who cannot ride lifts. The price is set at 500 yen for unlimited rides for one day, and it is crowded every day on weekends.
They used to be installed at ski resorts all over the country, but now they are rarely seen.
It looks like this, but there are also skilled drivers who need special operations. The good old ones are kept, and the ones that are no longer usable are replaced with new ones. In addition to skating, we are making new attempts such as the following one after another.
The best debut slope on Mt. JigatakeSlide
here and learn about a wider world
So far, the new Jigatake ski resort is doing well.
Many of the local families and beginners have visited the park, and long lines have formed at the kids park on weekends waiting for the troika (partly because they are spacing out to prevent the spread of infectious diseases). Since information dissemination including SNS is also active, the rumor may reach people who have not been noticed so far.
Finally, I asked Mr. Yada about his plans for the future.
“Our primary goal this season is to attract attention, especially from the locals, by being renewed and operating in good spirits
. So, I want to go one step further and make it a place where anyone who lives in Omachi City can ski or snowboard.
And if it's a big deal, I'd like to see the growth of the children who made their debut at Jigatake. I hope that he will start from a small ski resort and will be active in the big ski resorts of Hakuba Valley, other regions, and the world. That's where the final goal is."
The corona crisis has overturned conventional wisdom, and it is time for each ski resort to reconsider its characteristics, such as who can provide what kind of fun.
Jigatake Ski Resort runs its own course in the ever-changing Hakuba Valley.
If you are asked, "Where would you like to ski for the first time?" or "I want to make my child debut," just mention the name of this place, and you'll be sure. This is because the best environment is in place for skiing and snowboarding debuts.