Conversation between Taisuke Kusunoki and Koga Hoshino: "I want to keep doing things that other people don't do"　　

Introduction

Taisuke Kusunoki and Koga Hoshino talk about someone they've been interested in.
Taisuke Kusunoki is a pioneer who competed in mogul and freeski competitions, and was the first Japanese skier to compete in the top freeride competition, "FWT." He has now taken a break from competitions and continues to ski the snowy mountains, focusing on his long-time passion for video production.

Meanwhile, Hoshino Kouga is a skier who is currently attracting particular attention, having earned a reputation for his park riding in his hometown of Minamiuonuma, and his success in domestic freeride competitions and the short videos he releases each season

The two, who had almost no common ground in terms of age, place of residence, skating venues, or personalities, faced each other for the first time and began to talk

How was last season for you both?

Hoshino Kouga (hereinafter Hoshino): I started skating late last season. I had a knee injury, so I finally started skating again at the beginning of February. I wanted to shoot some amazing footage on the slopes, so I kept doing that. After FWQ, I started shooting street scenes

Taisuke Kusunoki (hereinafter Kusunoki): I decided to take some serious photos with Jackie ( Nishio Hiroyuki, founder of MightyJamming ), so we went to Tateyama from the beginning of the season and started working there. We went to the mountain quite often to look for items (that would look good in photos).
There were many days when it felt like we were on a treasure hunt. We would all go into the mountain and find (the item)! It was really fun
looking at the mountain from below and trying to figure out how to ski.

But capturing footage in the backcountry takes a lot of time. First of all, it's incredibly difficult just to find the slope. Even if you do find it, the approach can be difficult, or even if you get there, the weather or conditions can be bad..

So it's really just a matter of timing

Hoshino: It's the same. In Yuzawa, the snow dies in the morning, so it's a battle with the snow quality. If you drop off at 9 or 10 o'clock, you'll have to leave from the bottom at 2 or 3 in the morning

There's so much I want to ask, but..

Hoshino: There are so many things I want to ask, I have about 20 in my mind, haha.
I've never been to FWT (FREERIDE WORLD TOUR), so I'd really like to hear about it. How many shows did you tour?

Kusunoki: I think it was two seasons and one tournament in Hakuba

Hoshino: Was there any difference in the way you took the line compared to foreigners?

Kusunoki: Yes, that's true. The athletes who are competing have been doing big mountain skiing since they were little, so their perception is completely different. For example, you get points if you do a double (jumping off a cliff consecutively). I was looking at the line I could attack, but (the others) had a much more competitive feel, like they wanted to connect this double more smoothly

Something like this happened. The conditions were right and a tournament was held at short notice. Face checks were only conducted on one day. Some competitors were traveling from other places and couldn't make it in time for the checks, so drone footage, photos from below, and other materials were specially made available. However, there were also competitors who won without a face check and just watched the footage

So everyone is always looking at the mountains and building up an image of what they can do. In Japan, that's difficult. There aren't slopes like that within ski resorts, and backcountry skiing requires backups. But overseas, they do it all with lifts, so it's completely different when it comes to big mountains

I had a pretty good idea of ​​what it would be like, and I had built up a lot of experience up until then, so I think I was able to go straight to FWT. Because before FWT, I had never watched any FWT videos. There were some good guys, but I didn't know any of them

Hoshino: I see. So you're pretty sure that's the line you're aiming for in the tournament

Kusunoki: I made a mistake in the first match. On top of that, the tournament's face changed on the day, and I only had about 10 to 20 minutes to watch. That really put me to the test

Even if you don't want to go to a competition, you have to find your line. By watching how the other riders looked, I got a real sense of the size of the cliffs and how even if they looked like they were doing something crazy from below, they could probably do it. Even when I thought, "It's impossible," everyone was going for it, so I thought I could do it

If I could find a place where I could see it up close, I would go and see it, and I thought, "I can do it!" I think I got a sense of its size when I competed in a tournament

Hoshino: The tension is similar between a competition and a photo shoot. They're both one-shot deals

Kusunoki: Maybe it's the same. When I'm shooting, I feel like I'm running a competition in my mind. That makes me even more nervous. In a competition, there's backup. If I get injured while shooting in the backcountry, it's really bad, so there's that kind of tension

Hoshino: Yeah, yeah

Kusunoki: I had never been to the mountains before the competition, so it felt like it all started from there - the tension, how to spend the waiting period, taking lines, and checking faces

(Since participating in freeride competitions) I've started to be able to see the lines I need to take no matter what mountain I go to. I'm glad I participated

How do the two of them create their films and what are their thoughts on them?

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Hoshino: I want to do things in my videos that other people don't do. That's especially true when it comes to filming on the slopes. It was really interesting to see how big I could get the sense of scale, even though I couldn't make huge (items)

I made a little item and tried it out on the slopes for the first time, matching it to the landing there. Arthur Longo (Volcom snowboarder) also does it. After all, videos of the slopes are watched by the general public.

That was something I aimed for, and it was really good. I'd like to make a season edit, but honestly, I haven't been able to shoot much. I haven't been able to shoot much, and I only have about two or three shots in the mountains, and two or three shots of the story. I feel like I won't release it unless it surpasses last year's work

Kusunoki: I feel like my skiing style is finally starting to suit the natural terrain. I want to show a skiing style that is more suited to the natural terrain in my videos

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Hoshino: Is there a theme to the video?

Kusunoki: The theme was "Zen." The meaning felt really real. I wanted to capture that in the video

Hoshino: I wanted to use the word "ascension." It has a bright image, sounds good, and the kanji is really cool. Since everyone didn't give their all in the 20-21 season, I wanted to let them ascend a little and give it their all

I'd like to ask you about the filming process. I think you work as a group, but is Taisuke in charge of the arrangements?

Kusunoki: Well, that's quite difficult. There aren't many lines in Hokkaido. Even when we go together, there's only one exciting line. I like to ski with everyone and have fun. I think a lot about where everyone else is going. Sometimes it's not a place I want to go

It would be nice if there were lots of lines, but there aren't, so I might have to think hard about the balance. But, since shooting at BC is something you can't do alone, I might have to think about where to find a place where everyone can have fun

Hoshino: That's true, when you're working in a group, you want to take pictures of everyone together. But you're always on the same page. Do you ever work one-on-one with a cameraman?

Kusunoki: I don't think I do many one-on-one shoots. If something happens, we need rescuers. I probably only shoot on the slopes

Hoshino: So, you have a group and then you contact them to let them know you can go tomorrow?

Kusunoki: That's right. Hokkaido is a pretty large area, and the travel distances are huge, so we have to gather from all over. That communication can be tiring. You have to travel a lot

If one person lives nearby, but the other person lives very far away, you'll have to move every day. That's a common thing in Hokkaido. The travel is long, so it can be really difficult to find a balance. You'll have to find a middle ground between everyone. Sometimes it's past midnight before you decide on a location. It can be tiring

Hoshino: Are there any late-night outings?

Kusunoki: We don't often meet up at night, but we do get together really early in the morning. But sometimes the conversation goes on past midnight, until 1 or 2am

Hoshino: Wow. Do you ever try to get two shots in one day? Maybe you go for a big line and if you get a good shot, go back up

Kusunoki: I definitely do it. I'll do it once and then move to another location

Hoshino: That's the difference with Yuzawa. The snow will kill you

Kusunoki: I understand if it's spring, but there's no high season at all. There's the issue of the sun setting, though

Hoshino: What kind of image do you have of what Taisuke wants to do?

Kusunoki: There are some big lines that only I have found. I want to capture the image in my head on video. When I get to the bottom of the mountain and take a quick look, I probably think that no one else goes there, that I'm the only one who can see it. I can go there without being scared, and in my mind the line looks safe, so I want to record that kind of skating

Hoshino: That's right. Taisuke-kun's pillows are incredible, and I'm sure you can see the lines. How do you see the pillows? Like facing each other?

Kusunoki: First, I look at it from the front. But there aren't many places where you can see it from the front. Other times, I look at it from the hiking trail

Hoshino: Is that the first time you saw it?

Kusunoki: Yes, it was my first time seeing pillow lines. I used to do moguls, so I like pillow lines

Hoshino: The way you hit it is by hitting it with the tail

Kusunoki: I really like it, but there aren't many pillow lines. I think it's probably my favorite, even more than Menzuru. If anything, I prefer places where the terrain is bumpy and you can hit something (fly or hit it)

Hoshino: The terrain is so complex that it's hard to understand what's going on

Kusunoki: If there are images or videos taken from above, it's pretty clear. If you look from below and then from above, you might be able to do it

Hoshino: You couldn't see it from the beginning, right?

Kusunoki: Not at all. I couldn't see it from the beginning

Hoshino: When did you start to have that image?

Kusunoki: It's all the accumulated experience I've gained up until now, and really the last five or six years. Snowboarding and sideways riding might have helped, too. My eyes are looking sideways. I used to only be able to see vertical lines, but once I learned to look sideways, I felt like I could see the whole picture. I can see the terrain better now too

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Hoshino: Taisuke, I think the way you use the terrain is very stylish..

Kusunoki: I think that's because I snowboard and snowboard. I think it probably comes out in how I control the board and how I adjust to the terrain. Skis are vertical, and the place where you hit the board is the same, but the way you look at the board is different

Hoshino: Taisuke, you're riding a little on the tail, or more like on the heel

Kusunoki: It feels like you're operating it with the soles of your feet

Hoshino: That's the kind of style it seems to be. I like the walls and the lips

Kusunoki: I love it. I'm only looking at the topography. I like it way more than the other members, haha

Hoshino: Do ​​you currently save up for your video work for about three years?

Kusunoki: No, I don't want to just put it out there and give the impression that I'm doing it. It lets people know what I'm doing. I've been thinking recently that it's fine if people look at it from that perspective

Hoshino: It will also serve as a teaser (for the video to be released)

Kusunoki: Especially with Instagram reels, you can choose the sound freely. You get direct feedback. Even just adding sound to a single cut is really fun. Before, I would choose sound sources from my favorite DJ mixes that weren't subject to copyright, but now I can use them freely

Hoshino: Compared to the past, it's now possible to release something on a one-off basis

Kusunoki: I wasn't the type to use Instagram or other social media either, but it turns out that everyone is not just looking at Instagram. I realized that a lot of people are looking at it. When I started using social media, I got DMs from people I used to follow. It felt like I was finally connected to the world, haha

I've always wanted to somehow link what I do with people I really admire. It's so fun to be able to do that directly now. They might repost my work or say it sounds great

Hoshino: Yeah, I don't really like it either. I'm not one to post it on social media at all

But if I upload something that gets a great response, it acts as my business card. Like, "That was awesome the other day, that's him." I can really feel that now. I want to continue uploading memorable one-offs, really awesome stuff.

Is there anywhere you want to go next season?

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Kusunoki: Because there are so many places I want to go and things I want to do. There's one thing I want to do that won't change much, and I want to keep doing it the same way. I want to never get bored of (skating) and enjoy life as a whole. What about Kouga?

Hoshino: That's right. I have so many ambitions that I can't really put them into words... But overall, I wonder how far I can go before I die. As with competitions, I want to focus on filming, and in five years I don't want to enter competitions that much. I want to make DVDs of my incredible footage and sell them by hand. I want to go in that direction, like getting them stocked in my favorite shops. To achieve that, I want to become more well-known now, and become someone who can express what I do even when I go overseas

Wherever I go, I can always tell he's there

Kusunoki: It's passionate. I want to keep skiing. It's not a goal, I want to keep going. I've never had a "I'm going to do this here" attitude while skiing. I think of it as my life

I would like to improve even more, but I don't know if that will become clear as I go along. I think I'm really happy that I can continue doing this without getting bored

It's a once in a lifetime encounter, and the terrain is also an encounter. I'm also meeting Kouga. Let's have a session

Hoshino: Please do. On the other hand, I'm the type that gets too excited...lol

Kusunoki: No, it's better to be fired up. If you're not fired up, you might get scolded, haha. Even if you try to act cool, once you put on your skis you end up getting super pumped..

Hoshino: But that's why we fail so many times..

Afterword

Hoshino Kouga remained fascinated with Kusunoki Taisuke throughout the entire conversation. Rather than a conversation, it seemed as if Kouga was checking his own actions and thoughts against those of his senior, Taisuke, who is way ahead of him.
The two are known for their fast, vertical turns, incorporating freestyle elements like jumps and tackling.
What kind of slopes are they looking for? And what kind of lines will they draw there?
The two have promised to meet up on the snow, and after the conversation they immediately mentioned specific locations, such as Mt. Tateyama in November. We can't wait for the release of this video of these two influential skiers, both at home and abroad, skating together.

Interview cooperation/ Peak Performance Sapporo
SPECIAL THANKS/ FACTION JAPAN