The 2011-2012 season was hit by light snow.
There were concerns throughout the season about whether the snow would last until early spring, but the heavy snowfall in March likely meant that many people were able to enjoy snowboarding and skiing for longer than expected.
During this auspicious spring season, on April 13th and 14th, the event "HARMONIZE" was held at Kyukamura Myoko Runrun Ski Resort. This event was not a competition where participants competed for victory or defeat, nor was it a session event using giant equipment.
Aya Sato, a K2 and The North Face rider, thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere at the venue over the two days and reports on the event.
Thinking about "harmony" through various content
"HARMONIZE" was run by locals from Myoko, led by local Niigata residents Maruyama Hayato (aka BUBBLES) and Maruyama Haruna. The event offered a variety of activities beyond just skiing, including a special terrain course, repair events, talk shows, and a green market. There were also plenty of events the whole family could enjoy
The event name "HARMONIZE" means harmony. As someone who spends time with snow every winter, how can I continue to be in harmony with the blessings of nature in the future?
What should we do to leave this wonderful environment for the children who will grow up in the future? This event brings together people who love snow activities and allows them to share and harmonize their thoughts about the future
By the way, have you all heard of Runrun Ski Resort, where the event will be held? Sekiyama, Myoko City, is one of Japan's snowiest areas. The base area of Seki Onsen Ski Resort, a mecca for powder riding, and Runrun Ski Resort are connected at the top. Contrary to the image of Seki Onsen Ski Resort as a "mecca for powder riding," Runrun Ski Resort is a slope aimed at beginners and families, with a gentle slope with an average gradient of 10 degrees, so you won't gain too much speed even if you ski straight down, and only one pair lift
Runrun Ski Resort is adjacent to Myoko Kyuka Mura, a resort located in an excellent natural environment including national and quasi-national parks. Established in 1961, Kyuka Mura offers a variety of interactive programs and dishes made with local ingredients, with the aim of allowing visitors to experience the unique charms of the area. I believe that holding this event at Runrun Ski Resort was extremely significant
Kyuka Mura may have originally been a facility for people coming from the city to the countryside to enjoy nature. However, considering that children in snowy regions are now less likely to engage in snow activities, places like Runrun Ski Resort, where anyone can come and experience snow at any time, are a valuable presence. Choosing this place as the venue once again conveyed the charm of snow to local children, and provided a valuable opportunity for them to deepen their connection with the local nature. Let's follow the event from here
The special course was 900m long and was packed with waves and banks from start to finish, and it was impressive to see people enjoying themselves in all sorts of ways, including snowboarding, as well as skiing, snow skating, snowboarding and other snow toys, and parent-child sessions
I also enjoyed snowboarding in the morning when the boards were running, and snow skating in the afternoon. At regular events, I often feel a sense of duty to perform well as a rider. However, at HARMONIZE, I felt relaxed in a good way and was able to spend my time doing what I wanted
The atmosphere I felt, of "everyone just enjoying the snow however they like," may have been the real highlight of this event
There were also kids' snowboarding lessons taught by a stellar group of professional rider coaches. The lessons were aimed at elementary school students and were a huge success on both days. The kids, dressed in fully coordinated gear from helmets to boots, and wearing freeriding boards, were a real treat for adults
I started snowboarding when I was three years old, but when I was little there weren't many options for kids' size gear and I really didn't have any friends my age. Seeing kids enjoying sessions with lots of friends over the two days made me feel that the kids' snowboarding culture is spreading, and I was very happy
At the same time, how we adults act in the future will likely determine whether these children will continue to enjoy snow activities until they become adults
There were also exhibits from various brands and organizations. At the booth of Protect Our Winters Japan (POW), for which I am an ambassador, in addition to selling original goods, they also silkscreened the POW logo onto customer-brought body parts
A donation of 500 yen or more will allow you to print one point, and all donations will be used for activities to "protect winter." Perhaps thanks to the large number of participants who cherish winter, as per the purpose of the event, the POW booth was a huge success from start to finish
According to Goro Komatsu, representative of POW JAPAN, the silkscreen printing was the busiest of any event he has ever exhibited at
Printing the POW logo on your belongings not only serves as a donation, but wearing the logo can also provide an opportunity to communicate with those around you about POW-related topics, and can help you maintain a high level of awareness of environmental protection, among other benefits. If you have the opportunity, please help us out!
At the booth of outdoor wear brand Patagonia, there was a repair truck called Worn Wear "Tsugihagi," with a cabin made from recycled materials and loaded with fabric, thread, sewing machines, etc
The Worn Wear tour, which has been held in various locations with the aim of spreading the word about "keeping clothes in good condition for a long time," includes sewing repairs on clothing, experiences with self-repair with support from staff, and clothing maintenance methods, and was a big hit at HARMONIZE as well
One popular workshop that parents and children could participate in together was making original repair patches by drawing pictures on plain repair patches and cutting them out into any shape
Local bounty and our lives
One of the things I was really looking forward to at this event was the GREEN MARKET, which is usually held periodically from spring to autumn in Shinanomachi, Nagano Prefecture
As a "market that connects with the earth and nurtures life," this market brings together environmentally friendly products, with a focus on locally harvested natural bounty
This time, the event was an on-snow version, featuring a variety of local gourmet options, including local bakeries and apple farms, coffee shops, Asian cuisine, and spicy curry
On the first day, I had Pad Thai from Sapa ( @azianoyataisapa ), and on the second day, I had spice curry from Nakago Cumin ( @nakagocumin ) and banh mi from VRAC Shokudo ( @vracmarket ). Everything was delicious and filled my heart and stomach.
The presence of GREEN MARKET, which is usually held during the snow-free season, at the venue made the purpose of the event even clearer
By offering fresh, locally produced food and environmentally friendly products, it gives people an opportunity to think about what it means to live an environmentally conscious life
Not only will this teach participants the importance of preserving the local environment and living sustainably, it will also support local producers and revitalize the local economy
On the other hand, it will be a good opportunity for participants to understand how their everyday shopping affects the global environment and to take concrete action
Even for those who are already thinking about their own lives and the environment, this event may have suggested concrete actions to take, or may have made them realize that they can live more environmentally conscious lives more easily by taking advantage of opportunities provided by others, such as this event, without having to take any major action themselves
Actions you can start right away include actively choosing produce that is produced close to where you live and finding out if there is a market like GREEN MARKET in your area. I usually go shopping at the nearest roadside station when the harvest season is in full swing. Just knowing what is harvested in your area and when can make incorporating local production and consumption into your everyday life a fun experience
The accumulation of these small actions will be a step towards achieving a sustainable lifestyle
HARMONIZE was a wonderful event that allowed children to once again realize that play and blessings are right there in our daily lives. This is true not only for children, but also for their parents and us adults
Throughout the two days, I felt that in order to harmonize with the natural environment and our peers, it is important to continue playing in the fields close to us and to continue to feel the preciousness of that environment
Organizer Haruna Maruyama said the following after the event
The two days were themed around "HARMONIZE" and were filled with hints for living in harmony with nature.
Adults and children alike enjoyed the lingering spring snow, environmentally conscious items and activities came together, and the space created by the local community was filled with smiles, with a peaceful atmosphere throughout. What's your "HARMONIZE"? What does harmony mean to you? We're sure many people had all sorts of thoughts about this question written on a message board.
The answer is different for each person, and there is no right answer. Cherish your community, connections with people, and your lifestyle.
Through running HARMONIZE SNOW SUMMIT, we have learned that the accumulation of small things and better daily choices brings about harmony and is the secret to creating abundance. After all, it is only a healthy natural environment that allows us snowboarders to spend happy times on the snow.
In order to continue protecting it, it is essential that each and every one of us be aware of the issue and take action. There is always something we can do. Let's keep moving forward."
It would be wonderful if more events like this could help the next generation develop a love and appreciation for nature, and have the will to pass this on to the next generation
Photo: Kazushige Fujita
Information
HARMONIZE SNOW SUMMIT
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