Jeep Owner Pick up!

What kind of snowy mountains do Jeep owners drive their Jeep to, and how do they spend the snow season? This is a project where a skier/snowboarder who is a STEEP user and owns a Jeep talks about the Jeep and its lifestyle. I would like to convey the charm of a Jeep lifestyle, including the beginning of my familiarity with my car and my feelings for Jeep.

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The Jeep owner who will be appearing this time is Mr. Takuma Kaito, who lives in Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture. I'm a serious skier who goes to air mat facilities in the summer to learn air tricks because I want to improve. What does Jeep mean to Mr. Kaito?

Familiarity with Jeep

―How long have you been driving the Jeep?

Jeep Renegade, color Anvil has been riding for 6 years. I've always liked dull colors, so this color was already doth-like. I think it's really cool.

Until then, I was driving a second-hand Nissan sedan type with over 100,000 kilometers. I became a member of society, worked and saved money, and was able to buy my long-awaited Jeep.

―It was a long-cherished wish. Why a Jeep?

Ever since I became a working member of the Jeep brand and started driving a car, I've always admired it. It feels like an American car. I've been thinking about which Jeep model would be good. I thought the Wrangler was cool, but the Renegade was just the right size for me. If it's too big, I'm not very good at driving, so I thought it would be difficult technically for parking and narrow roads. The Renegade is compact and easy to navigate even on narrow roads, and you can park easily without worrying about parking spaces, so I thought it was easy to use and convenient.

Test drive confirmed my choice

―What attracted you to the Jeep?

Jeep can go on any rough road, that kind of feeling. Also, I was attracted to the fact that "I don't mind if it gets dirty".

-Did you have any hesitation when you bought it?

In order to compare it with other cars, I went to test drives of various manufacturers and models, but in the end I decided that the Renegade was the best.

I was living in Kiso at the time, so I took a test drive at a Jeep dealer in Matsumoto. I will drive around Matsumoto City for about 30 minutes. I also experienced climbing a fairly steep slope, and I had a feeling that it was quite small but had enough horsepower to climb the slope smoothly. Even if you stop in the middle of a slope, it usually stops for a while when you start running, but the Jeep was designed so that it would not go down. I was like, “Yeah, the feeling is just like I imagined.”

For the time being, I thought I'd try other cars, so I rode several such as MAZDA's CX5 and Subaru's Foresta. When I got on the speed, I didn't have to step on the accelerator so hard, and it felt like it was going naturally.

Renegade as a beloved car

―What do you like about the performance and functions of the Renegade since you started driving it?

Despite its compact size, it has plenty of horsepower, so it's the most fun on highways. Sometimes I put out 100-120kg. I don't get blown away by the wind even when I'm speeding, and I've never slipped when I go to a ski resort.

―What about the exterior?

The round light on the front and the face of the Jeep are cute. The rear lamp is a batten ✖, and it's a very playful car.

―In the interior?

I like it everywhere. The air-conditioning vents are generally black, but some parts are surrounded by red, and the casual details are cool. The steering wheel is attached to the passenger seat, but it feels cool.

-What about the storage area?

The Renegade looks small, but the luggage compartment is relatively deep and you can store your gear without any inconvenience. I put a blanket underneath and put my skis in. When the three of us decided to go hiking for the first time, we were able to go at all even with three people's ski gear and luggage on board. Can you stack this much? I was pretty surprised, and it's still an impressive episode.

-Are there any points that you dare to say, "I wish it was a little more like this"?

Well, there are times when I wish the seat could be reclined a little more. Because when I'm tired, I want to sleep for a while. Also, things may easily fall between the seats. If you drop gum or something, you won't be able to put your hand in it, so I'm devising a pocket that can fit in there.

―By the way, how much did you buy? You said that you should save money after becoming a member of society, so I wanted to ask a little (laughs)

It was about 5.2 million including the stud dress. That's why I took out a loan (laughs), but it was worth the hard work, and I was happy when I got the Renegade. Did I get on the high speed for no reason (laughs). I was really happy and happy, and I was really excited. I think I was 24 at the time. I remember being very excited because I thought that from now on I would be able to drive with this guy, his girlfriend and her wife, and go out to various places with her friends.

A Jeep is something that expresses your personality.
For a long time, I didn't want to be with people, so I thought, "This is it."
When I drive the Renegade, people say, "You're driving a strange car."
Cars leave a lasting impression on people, don't they?
That's why it's one of the most important forms of self-expression.

ーTakuma Kaito

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The work I've been working hard to get this guy

―By the way, Mr. Kaito, what kind of work do you do?

I am a nurse. I work at a hospital in Nagano City.

―Male nurse…Why did you want to become a nurse?

First of all, I wanted to help someone. When I was a junior high school student, there was the Aichi Expo. There was a Red Cross booth, and there was an exhibition about the misery of war and the history of how the Red Cross saved people. I thought I wanted to do something that would help people. So I went on to the medical path from junior college of nursing. I am currently working in an emergency room.

Patients who have been transported by ambulance are in pain, but in many cases they do not know what is causing their pain. Finding out what the problem is and how to quickly find it and connect it to treatment is a race against time, in which every second counts in an emergency, but we were able to immediately connect it to treatment and improve the patient's condition. Sometimes I think it was good from the bottom of my heart. Doctors actually treat patients, but nurses prepare for tests and treatments, so it's a race against time, and there's a lot of tension.

However, I think that the mindset of pursuing the best in that limit and the high level of expertise are the environment that suits me. Of course, there are night shifts, and ambulances come and go. I'm not particularly stressed, I've never wanted to quit, and I've never wavered in my desire to provide medical support.

-It's kind of cool. But isn't it hard to go skiing in such a harsh site?

That's not the case. It's a clear shift system, so there's no particular stress. I go skiing about 30 times a season.

Skiing is no longer the pleasure of winter, but the pleasure of life now

―What is your home slope?

I like the park and I have a season pass for Takai Fuji, so I go there often. If you're with friends, go to Komaruyama in Kitashiga. Nagano residents can ski there for 1,000 yen. Madarao is the place to go for a tree run. I also go to Togari when it snows. It's convenient because you can go anywhere in this area within an hour.

―Hmm, Takai Fuji for the park, and Madarao for the tree, but when it snows, Togari? ? what is it?

(laughs) That's right. But Togari actually has a lot of powder. There is a place where you can get off on the other side of the ski resort after taking the top lift and walking for a while. The pillars of the lift are still there, but it's an area that's not being worked on now. But it's okay to slip, and if you go down to the bottom, it's about 1km. The snow is compacted here and there, but everything else is powder, so you can enjoy a powder run of more than 1km! A bus is waiting below. If someone slips, they will go back and forth with piston transportation. It's also free!

-yeah yeah? I've never heard of that. It's a rare local story! What does skiing mean to you, Mr. Kaito?

…is something you can't live without. I've been skiing since I was about 3 years old when I can remember, so it's been a lot of fun. I did alpine skiing in elementary school, and when I was in college I encountered freeskiing, and that's when I started freestyling. . 　

The junior college I attended was in Kawasaki, so I worked part-time at the indoor ski resort Snova Shin-Yokohama. Actually, I started learning about free skiing there. I thought it was cool to see them actually doing tricks. There was also a jump table and a rail of about 5 to 6 m.

I practiced a lot beside my part-time job.
When I was able to fly the 360 ​​on the air platform, I was overjoyed and exhilarated. Since then I have been freestyling. After I moved to Nagano City, there was a place called "Obuse Quest" where I could do off-training, and I started to put more effort into my practice than ever before.

I also like gear maintenance. I have a dedicated space in my house, and I do things like tune-ups and waxing in earnest. This is also good, so I'm elaborate to enjoy sliding more.

―So you are a core skater who has been serious for a long time. That's amazing.

Skiing is no longer a winter pleasure, but skiing is the pleasure of life now. Right now, I'm enjoying myself in the park and I like jumping with kickers. I want to be able to do various tricks, so I go to water jumps even in the summer.

―What are your favorite tricks?

Is it your skill? I like Bio 720. I naturally flew around and thought, "Huh? This isn't Coke, is it? There aren't many people around who do bio. That's why I like it even more (laughs). I'm the kind of person who doesn't really want to hang out with people.

―When I heard that, I wanted to ask. what board are you riding?

Now it's WAPAN. HO (ho) Kana, a center 100 all-rounder. Daruma graphics. I like it. Because I don't want to wear it with people! (Laughs) It's light and slippery not only in the park, but also in powder.

-on second thoughts! (laughs) Do you have a favorite rider? 　

I think Tom Wallish is cool. The rail ride is so beautiful. He likes air, but he wants to be good at jibs, and Tom's jibs are really cool. I often watch movies on Instagram.

―What are your goals and goals in skiing?

I want to skate for a long time without getting hurt. Some of my skating buddies are still freestyling at the age of 50. I think I want to continue for a long time until I reach that age. More than that, my current dream is to go skiing with my child in the near future. I want to enjoy parks and powder with my kids.

―Lastly, Mr. Kaito, please tell us what you value in life.

I wonder if it means "passionately enjoy yourself". Skiing is my main activity right now, but I want to pursue what I like to the fullest. I always want to have fun and I like to have fun. A car is essential for that. Because my car is an important companion for me to enjoy my life and hobbies.

"Enjoying life wins!" I live like that.
I will continue to enjoy myself with Renegade.

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