Location: Madarao mountain resort
Currently, the strongest cold air of this winter is pouring in, and the biggest cold wave of the season is coming. It is a blizzard mainly in northern Japan, and it is necessary to be vigilant in the mountains. According to the weather forecast, strong cold weather is expected to persist through the weekend. After that, the low temperature trend will continue until the end of the month. Then, of course, heavy snow and powder in the mountains! can be expected.
This is the perfect time to try fat skis and powder boards that work well in deep powder, and models other than your gear! So let's take a closer look at test centers where you can test ride fat skis and powder boards, and ski resorts where you can rent them. Let's ride a fat ski powder board with powder this weekend!
Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu｜Hokkaido
Niseko, the sacred place of JAPOW, whose name is known all over the world. Powder reset rate is also one of the best in Japan. Grand Hirafu is characterized by a wide variety of 22 courses and a big scale night game. There are many courses with steep slopes and undulating terrain, so even skiing on the same Niseko powder is a lot of fun. The night game is Japan's largest in both course area and variations. Skiing Niseko's fresh snow at night is fantastic and feels great.
The rental corner of this Grand Hirafu, "Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu Rental Annex Store" is in charge of the test center for Icelantic Skis and BLASTRACK. For Icelantic, this Grand Hirafu was the first rental facility in Japan for the 2021-22 season. Therefore, the rental models are very complete, and it is great to be able to compare popular models such as SABAPRO and NOMAD.
In addition, Vector Glide and DPS fat skis are also in the lineup. Also interesting is the "Japan Brand Corner" where you can find the brand ROKO SKI from the Niseko area and the snowboard Gentem Stick. If you rent it continuously for 2 days, you can enjoy Niseko's night pow with the fat ski that you wanted to ride even at night.
■Price
(Premium) Single ski item 1 day ¥6,500｜2 days ¥12,000｜3 days ¥1,400
* Rental details: https://www.grand-hirafu.jp/winter/rental/#icelantic
Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu weather forecast
■ Live camera
The current situation near the Ace No. 2 Center Four platform
Official site｜ https://www.grand-hirafu.jp/winter/Official
SNS｜ Facebook ｜ Twitter
Summer Oil Kogen Ski Resort｜Iwate Prefecture
Natsuyu Kogen ski resort has recorded the highest amount of snowfall in Japan in the past, and has been the fastest in Honshu for the past three seasons, showing the amazing “plenty of rain”. "Powder" is commonplace, and in addition, "heavy snowfall". As of January 25, there is 290 cm of snow on the summit, and in this cold wave, about 30 cm of fresh snow has accumulated in 24 hours.
This summer oil boasts a huge tree run area. Each of the 14 tree run areas is unique and varied in terms of slope, distance, natural topography, depth of snow, and distance between trees. Its scale and fun are overwhelming. The strongest package of "heavy snow + powder + tree run" is the best in Japan. Here's a list. Isn't it rare around Wapan ski!
You can also change the model during the rental, so I'm happy to try various things. In addition, at the "Shop JaJa" in the ski resort, there is an on-time service where you can purchase a rental fat ski or powder board if you like it.
SPECIAL rental fee/single item
| Brand (SKI) | Price/1 day (with bindings) | Intermediate exchange/charge | Rental place |
|---|---|---|---|
| K2 & LINE ski | ¥4,500 | Possible (up to 2 times) / Free | rental 2 |
| Ogasaka ski | ¥4,500 | Possible (up to 2 times) / Free | rental 2 |
| Majesty | ¥4,500 | Must be exchanged every 2 hours/-Free | ShopJaJa |
| 4FRNT & Wapan ski | ¥4,500 | Must be exchanged every 2 hours/-Free | ShopJaJa |
| Brand (SNOWBOARD) | |||
| GENTEM STICK | Possible/Free | mountain information | |
| BAKERY | every 2h/free | ShopJaJa | |
| TEMPLETΩN | every 2h/free | ShopJaJa |
* Rental details: https://www.getokogen.com/winter/02rental/index.html
■Natsuyu Kogen ski resort weather forecast
■ Live camera
Official site｜ //www.getokogen.com/winter/index.html
Official SNS｜ Instagram ｜ Facebook ｜ Twitter
Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort | Niigata Prefecture
"Performance Rental" started in Ishiuchi from the 2021-2022 season.
It is a service that allows you to rent high-performance and topical skis and snowboards that allow you to fully enjoy Ishiuchi's attractions such as powder, parks, and grooms. This new initiative was very popular last season, fulfilling the desires of people who wished to skate on a board that was more suitable for Ishiuchi Maruyama than on their own, but hadn't bought it yet.
includes popular freeride brands such as VectorGlide ICELANTIC, EXTREME, and SEASON have also joined this season, making it even more powerful. Snowboards have a lineup of the latest models centered on the ever-popular brand BURTON.
■Fee
¥4,900 per day
■Rental method
Apply for rental in advance on the Ishiuchi Maruyama website and issue a QR code. Present the QR code at the resort center ticket counter on the day, pay the fee, and then receive the gear at the rental counter. You can make a reservation in advance, so you can rent it smoothly on the day.
*Rental details: https://ishiuchi.or.jp/school-rental/rental/
■ Weather forecast for Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort
■ Live camera
Near the Sunrise Express drop-off point
Official site｜ //ishiuchi.or.jp/Official
SNS｜ Instagram ｜ Facebook ｜ Twitter
Kagura POWDER STATION | Kagura Ski Resort | Niigata Prefecture
Kagura is a popular ski resort with a good reputation for its snow quality due to its high snowfall and high altitude, in addition to being easily accessible from the Kanto region. The "Kagura Powder Station" at the base of the Kagura Ski Resort is a great spot if you want to enjoy powder and backcountry skiing in Kagura. It can be said that it is a free ski information base for this area, where rare information unique to the area is flying around to enjoy the Kagura area. The shop has everything you need for the backcountry, from gear and accessories you want to use during the season! We have hot items that you think.
A backcountry guide service is also provided, and a 1-day tour limited to beginners, a 2-day, 1-night Wada hut tour, and a backcountry workshop are also held. Skiers and snowboarders who want to challenge powder and backcountry can rent all the necessary gear except ski boots, such as fat skis, powder poles, and avalanche gear. To fully enjoy Kagura's powder, the latest fat skis and powder boards such as "4FRNT" and "K2" are available. You can of course try fat skiing on Kagura slopes, but it might be a good idea to join a tour and try fat skiing in the backcountry experience.
■Rental fee
Ski: ¥5,000/day | Poles: ¥500/day
* Rental details http://kagurapowderstation.com/rental
■ Kagura weather forecast
■ Live camera
Kagura area
