On March 24, Akira Sasaki suddenly announced his return to alpine racing and his challenge for the Italian Olympics. As posts were piled up in real time on SNS, he once again spoke about the true meaning of this announcement.
The following interview was also filmed
Let's wrap it up while this passion is burning. No more escape routes.
Three years ago, in 2019, I was still in a turmoil toward my comeback.
Because after the 2014 Sochi Olympics, I thought I had to skate and learn from racing, so I used the word "converted" from alpine skiing to mountain skiing.
There are two reasons why I said "turn around".
The other thing is that I think it's very rude to say "retire" to the seniors who have created Big Mountain culture. (Mountains) It's a tough place, not an easy world for a retired person.
That's why I used the word "convert".
Originally, in 2019, five years after Sochi, if my performance had not deteriorated, I would have aimed at Beijing. But the video work I was working on, "Twin Peaks (*1)," wasn't finished.
At that time, of course, I was thinking about creating a work and alpine racing at the same time, but after all, my passion, or my soul, is suited to "I want to ski Mt. Tanigawa", so it was impossible to turn on the alpine switch.
From then on, I had to spend my daily life because I couldn't make it in time for the Beijing Olympics, but I had the impression that I spent three years feeling very confused.
That's why, over the last three years, I think my Instagram was like, "Let's just do something that's fun!" I guess I was trying to distract myself.
But the more you do that, the more empty you become.
Even though I have performance, I think I can do it (race), but I have that kind of conflict. However, I couldn't make a decision while being overwhelmed by negative things such as what to do if I couldn't turn on the switch, or what to do if I failed.
At that time, on January 27th, the moment my buddy Naoki Yuasa announced his retirement, there would be a big difference in the Japanese alpine skiing world in terms of popularity and acceptance of training from the world. Anxiety was born. After all, Yuasa's name recognition in the world and the respect of coaches in other countries are amazing, so he was able to train in various places.
I thought it would be a little bad if the cool Japanese players who are now out of the world, so what would be the best? I've been working as a domestic head coach until now, but as I was doing it, I started to think, "These guys are cool." (I) What are you envious of? It's like
Then there was the Tokyo Olympics, followed by the Beijing Olympics. I was moved to tears in front of the TV, and I was so moved that I was like, "This is so cool." Just when I thought I should do my best, I didn't know what to do. I've been looking at it for a long time, but I've been turning away from "return", and I'm like, "This is the only one." I've been feeling hungry since February of this year.
I don't know what to do if I fail, but maybe it's the atmosphere around me or the eyes that look at me... But in the first place, when I thought about how I wanted to live caring about how people looked at me, I realized that wasn't the case.
At the hotel in Sapporo on March 9th. when in the room. I'm sitting on my bed, checking Instagram, flipping my phone down and I'm like, 'I can do it. It was the moment the switch was flipped. All of a sudden it snapped and everything was clear of doubt.
From there, I contacted (Keisuke) Iyama and my partner, and when I reported it, they said, "(Decision) wasn't too late."
From Iyama-kun, "By doing it now, there will be more people who will support me, and something bigger than before will definitely move. Above all, I think everything will change when I do it, so there's no reason not to do it. You should definitely do it."
My partner also told me, ``You can do it, so you should definitely do it! You only have one life, so you should definitely do it.
Then I immediately called my whole team, the medical, the training, the strength, the movement analysis team, etc. and said, 'I'm going to do it, be prepared, just be prepared.' Of course, I called Mr. Ito, the service man, and told him that I didn't know what would happen after this, but that's how I felt, and I contacted the media on the same day.
I haven't decided on a sponsor or anything, and I haven't said anything to anyone, so I'm not moving anything right now, but it's like suddenly throwing a straight ball. While this passion is burning, it feels like I'm going to fold it. No more escape routes.
*1 TWINPEAKS : A video work completed in 2020 in which Akira Sasaki worked out the concept of video production and skied Norway, Mongolia, and Tanigawadake.
Age doesn't matter as long as we stand at the same start. Everyone is a buddy and a rival
There are several ways to participate in the Olympics, but the easiest way is to participate in the FIS race in Japan first. From there, he climbed the rankings, became the champion of the Far East Cup, and joined the All Japan team. From there you go to the European Cup, from the European Cup to the World Cup, from the World Cup to the World Championship. In the shortest possible time. Second year at the World Championships. So, standing on the stage called the Olympics, but I won't go down that path.
I'm doing what I did when I was 16, at this age.
My first race was not in Japan.
It's North America. That's why I'm going to make my debut in Loveland, Colorado, North America, at a very high altitude ski resort, train there, accumulate FIS points in the United States, and aim for Noram's champion. Talking about the ideal, I don't think there will be such a good deal, but in February of next year, I plan to produce results at NORAM and move to Europe.
The reason why it's America is because it's no points.
I started from the same place as the debut players, so I started from number 120.
In order to win from the 120th start, we have to repeat several races. When that happens, the probability of picking up a race with good conditions is very high, given the quality of snow, artificial snow, high altitude, and weather stability in the United States. This is the shortest way to reach the Milan/Cortina Olympics in Italy. At the same time, I think it will be a pretty tough race mentally.
It's okay to participate in European competitions from the beginning, but if the probability (of the course) is high, you can't do the shortest. So, if the second year is not completely in Europe, it will be late in terms of schedule. If I go to Noramu again in my second year, it will be further and further away (for the Olympics). Everything will be decided in the third year. The year before the Olympics, Wengen. I'm moving with the thought that I want to get a job offer in the previous year. That's why I'm imagining the shortest and strongest schedule.
I think the players who debut with me will be happy. Born in 2006, 3rd year junior high school, 1st year high school from spring. Because you can see the standard of the world. In the last 10 years, there has not been a single player who can be called the world standard.
The glaring feeling when we were doing it. There was Kentaro Minagawa who said, ``I'm seriously going to get the best in the world. If you go on an expedition, you will be overseas for three to four months. After all, we are going to challenge the world, so if we don't have a strong will, we can't do it anymore.
That feeling is reflected in the race, and it echoes in places such as not winning a medal in the end, not standing on the podium, creating a fan club in the world or not, being respected or not being respected. It's coming.
To be shown or not to be shown.
Are you just a person or are you a star? Because I think that the feeling will definitely come to that kind of difference. I don't want to take the easy road
That is what we can leave behind in the Japanese ski world.
When I think that I can leave it in the alpine world, both the current players and I get fired up. I don't want to lose to the players I taught, so we get fired up, don't we? Age doesn't matter as long as we stand at the same start. Everyone is a buddy and a rival. In the truest sense, it means that we have become friends who can work together to improve each other.
I'm going to raise my physical anyway. Second priority for skiing
First of all, I have to get my physicality back quickly. There is the muscular system that returns quickly and the aerobic system that never returns suddenly. Also, it takes time for the nervous system, the brain to think, the eyes to see, and the body to react. Of course, I have to do it in a tight time frame, so skiing is my second priority. First of all, get away from skiing and improve your physicality.
In the world of martial arts, there is a word called "Ken Zen Ichi". Simply put, in a state where nothing is done, imagine what you want to do and create an image of your brain, mind, skin sensation, scent, etc. has the same effect as what you actually did. Seven months when I cut a ligament. I didn't slip once, I was just doing physical [training]. The reason is because I wanted to eliminate the re-rupture rate.
During that time (on the pole), I kept thinking that if I could skate like this on the first run, I would be ready. That was the first comeback when I was doing Kenzen Ichichi
That's why, when I can completely embody the image (in my head) of the smell, the coolness of the wind when it rubs against my skin, the feeling, the clip that grips the pole, the scenery, etc. I feel that there is no problem, and I know how to make it. (That's why skiing is secondary) Anyway, I'd like to focus on the physical side first.
When you commit your time, mind and body to the alpine, you have no choice but to go up.
The next mountain I'm thinking of skiing is "Obergabelhorn". An ice wall at an altitude of 4063m. It's not that I can't ski with my current style of skiing, but I still don't have enough time to commit to it in order to ski as fast and as hard as possible. It's physical. The time spent surfing, snowboarding, and skating on powder won't live on that ice wall. The thing is, when I'm 100% ice skiing 1/100th of a second faster in alpine skiing, I'm the strongest when I look up at that mountain.
Above all (that mountain, after this), it will be closer to Austria, which I'm going to use as my base. I can't help but do it. The racing season will end in March, and we will compete in national championships in each country, but that will end in April. I will go when the ice is bare, so it will be after May.
When that happens, I'll be ready, my skiing skills have improved, and I'm a fighter in spirit, so I can skate in a completely different way than before. It stands to reason. That's why I feel like I'm going to be finished in order to skate that mountain at the fastest speed, mentally as well.
(By returning to racing) that eventually happened. So I think I have that kind of thing. Various gears are meshing, getting bigger and bigger, and starting to turn. I think it's possible because we always envision various plans and don't stop thinking.
When things start spinning, my passion is focused on something else, and I'm just resting for now. Quit this and do that, not. That's why I don't throw it away. When this one is already burnt, it absorbs what was left over there and becomes huge. I think it's energy. Because I think it's the strongest point I have.
That's why these eight years were nothing without meaning. People may say it's a long time (before coming back), but I've been skating more than anyone in the last eight years.
Whether it's in Norway, the ice in Mongolia, or the valley river, under the pressure of not being able to fall down, I'm going to maximize my speed, and I don't know what the snow will be like, but I'm going to go into it at max. But I can't roll. There is no situation where you can't make a mistake.
Your skill in skiing will come to life. Then recovery. (In the mountains) It's dangerous if you fall.
If it wasn't for that ultimate state, there would be no such movement. It's like the adrenaline is already running. You will live, absolutely. When you commit your time, mind and body to alpine, you have no choice but to go up. 100% not going down. It's thanks to the mountain that it's up since 2014.
The power of cheering gives us mysterious power
Anyway, the reaction on SNS was nothing but support, and I was told that I had received courage, which I had not expected. Setting a goal of wanting to win at the Olympics, the first step is to decide (to return), which takes courage in me. Because it took three years. I'm a little surprised that so many people understand that.
Unexpected even for me. I didn't think there would be that much of a reaction, and I didn't think I had that kind of influence. Rather, I lived like an ordinary person, so it was a decision made with the determination that there would be more people who would say, "Don't be silly."
The power of cheering gives me a mysterious power, because I felt it so much when I lost to the Japanese national team at the world championships before the Sochi Olympics, and I actually received power.
I feel the same way as I did then, and I think I can make a start now.
Akira Sasaki
Born in Hokuto City, Hokkaido in 1981. He has been on the podium three times at the Alpine World Cup and has qualified for four consecutive Olympic Games, from Salt Lake to Sochi. He leaves a rare record for an Asian. After he left the competition, he started "Akira's Project" while skating around the world, formulating ideas for video production. The video work "TWINPEAKS", produced by himself and skating in Norway, Mongolia, and Mt.
Special Thanks / Amer Sports Japan,INC..(Salomon)
NOZAWA ONSEN