Akira Sasaki — I wonder when his name began to roar not only in the world of skiing, but all over the world. He is the only Japanese skater to have stood on the podium three times in the Alpine W-Cup and skated four consecutive Olympics from Salt Lake in 2002 to Sochi in 2014. Akira Sasaki is still the only Japanese skier to achieve such historic results in the world of alpine skiing.
After leaving the racing scene, he devoted himself to freeriding and started "Akira's Project" as a new activity to pursue the essence of skiing. Produced “TWIN PEAKS,” a video of skiing on the ultimate steep slopes in mountainous areas around the world, advocated “snow education” for nurturing children’s minds and bodies through snow, and created “edgeless skiing,” which removes the edge from skiing. Trying things out, their thoughts and actions are infinitely free and creative. Akira Sasaki has continued to convey that message in ways and expressions that only he can.
Akira Sasaki's field of expression and playground is endlessly wide, from the snowy mountains of Japan to the sea with waves, and Jeep's Wrangler plays a part in his activities. What kind of specs and uses does his Jeep have?
How did you get started with the Jeep?
―――― First of all, why did you start Jeep in the first place?
Akira: When I dropped out of the Japan national team, I said, "I'm out of money, so I'm retiring." Isn't it funny that money runs out and you retire from playing? But when I said, "I'm quitting because I don't have the money," Tetsu Nii (Tetsuya Okabe), a senior in alpine racing, asked Jeep for support.
Then he managed the budget for the event and said, ``This will probably cover the cost of gasoline first.'' That's why Jeep.
――――What year was that?
Akira: It was the year before the Sochi Olympics, so maybe 2014.
But at first I thought I wouldn't buy a Jeep. I like sports cars. But when I got support and learned a lot, I started to feel the goodness of the Jeep, in terms of running performance.
――――You're starting to live in Japan more and more... So, the first car you rode was a Jeep Wrangler JK.
Akira: Wrangler white. I was riding with a jet bag forcibly attached to the roof.
--- Oh yeah, there were times when Akira's fans were confused, "How do you attach Akira's jet bag? Is there a hole in it?"
Akira: Everyone was wondering (laughs). Do you know Minkara , an information site about cars I sent it to Minkara. I was overwhelmed, I already have inquiries. "What did you do?" I replied, "Be brave!" (laughs)
―――― Wrangler JK is about 5 million yen, isn't it? how to make a hole ！
Akira: They sell all sorts of roof coverings, the worst. If I make a mistake (laughs). That's why when I drilled holes, I asked various people to look at it and say, "Let's go! Please look again! Is there a difference between the right and left eyes?"
――――Eh?! Did you open it by eye?
Akira: Estimate (laughs). Somehow!
---That's right. By the way, after riding two JKs, you changed to Grand Cherokee 。
Akira: The Grachero (Grand Cherokee) is also a good car. The luggage compartment is also large.
――――When the back is fully flat, even a 180 cm ski can be stored with plenty of room.
Akira: Yes.
――――Actually about Ayana Onozuka about her favorite Jeep . Of course, the Wrangler is also good, but the Grachero can sleep with the back fully flat, and the long board is convenient because it can be loaded .
Akira: Yes, even my height (182 cm) can sleep straight.
And the long ones look pretty good. ――――Long, the recently announced Grand Cherokee L. The price is also quite...
Akira: The top price is 9.99 million! what? That 10,000. Did you lose 10,000 yen? (smile)
――――What do you like about the Wrangler?
Akira: I think the number one thing is the off-road performance. The body of the Wrangler is nearly 200kg lighter than the Grachero. Its lightness is directly related to running. Like driving on a snowy road. The Grachero (Grand Cherokee) is also easy to drive, but the Wrangler has a low center of gravity and is light, so it is very easy to turn when compared to snowy roads on mountain passes.
What do you want from your favorite car?
――――What are your expectations for your favorite car?
Akira: I like to play rough sports, so if it's not a car that can be used roughly, it's no longer an issue.
――――I see, the first thing is to use it roughly.
Akira: For example, even if you go surfing in the sea and get in with a wet wetsuit on, you'll still feel like you've managed everything. do you know this? This is it, this hole. (And points to the hole in the floor of the driver's seat)
----e? Drain hole? ! Did you open it yourself?
Akira: No, it's been vacant from the beginning. So that you can wash the feet of the driver's seat. With a wetsuit, the water comes out from the back of your feet and accumulates at your feet. But thanks to this hole, I can put it on properly. This is an idea unique to Jeep Wrangler.
What do driving a car and skiing have in common?
――――I just heard about it, but is there any similarity between driving a car and skiing?
Akira: You know, cars have lower performance (laughs). Because you can turn with skis, but you can't turn with a car (laughs). I have also participated in car races. Both the Porsche class and the Mercedes class are out, but when you enter a corner at a speed of 200 km and drop to 160 km, you will spin if you think that this curve, if it is a ski, you can afford it. . I thought cars were boring.
----(LOL). For example, while driving, do you think, "Ah, this bank on the right looks interesting"?
Akira: In Hokkaido, it's a no-track powder road! By the way, when I drove from Niseko to Rusutsu and Makkari the other day, it was a little detour, but I went out of my way to take a different route and spray powder (laughs).
Hey, I'm Goofy. (In sideways sports such as snowboarding and surfing, the right foot is in front.) That's why I'm better at skiing with the right foot outside the turn. It was the same during the race. Right foot is better. Come to think of it, the car is also spraying up. (Cornering from right to left)
Goofy style can also be seen when driving. After all, it is easy to bring the body to the right side. There is also a right-hand drive.
What are your preferences when choosing a car?
――――Mr. Akira's Wrangler is white.
Akira: My cars are mostly white. This Wrangler is the same, but the Grachero I have is also white. My previous BMW was black.
――Why are you white?
Akira: White lasts the longest, I never get tired of it.
White doesn't show dirt. ――――Hmm, I feel like there's a lot of mud splashing on the side snowy road
Akira: It becomes art (laughs).
Mud splash. It looks like a jeep! It gives off a rugged feeling (laughs). Also, the number is Hakodate on purpose. I'm from Hakodate.
--- Oh, really, it's Hakodate.
Akira : If I had a Shonan number, it would be Kya (laughs)! Please think about it. If I showed up at the ski resort wearing my Shonan number, I'd be annoyed. It's like, "Oh, I just started surfing, so what's Shonan about, you bastard?" On the other hand, even the Shinagawa number is disgusting (laughs). But if it's a Yokohama number, it will be "I'm related to you". So, if it was a Sapporo number, when I went to Sapporo, I would say, "You're Donan."
――――(laughs) It's not Sapporo. I see, so it's a local number.
Akira: Local love.
――――The model you are riding is “Unlimited Sports 3.6L”.
Akira: I prefer the 2.0L because I want to handle it roughly. The initial speed is also crisp and easy to run. But if you think about pulling a trailer or putting a bicycle on the back, it's 3.6L. You have power, don't you? After all, it won't be comfortable unless it's 3.6L.
what does the interior look like?
――――I would like to ask about the area around the driver's seat. Do you use Apple CarPlay while driving? By the way what kind of music do you listen to
Akira: A lot of reggae. Reggae, HIP HOP, Chiharu Matsuyama, and even Koji Tamaki.
――――Is that a group of musicians from Hokkaido?
Akira: Of course (laughs). Hokkaido.
--- Wide width! (smile)
Akira: Yes. Wide range (laughs).
――――Is the song in the iPhone? Or...
Akira: On Spotify. In the midst of all the amazing reggae stuff, there are things like "in the sky and the earth" and "in the countryside".
――――Koji Tamaki is really impressive.
Have you heard him live? Akira: None. The concerts I want to go to are definitely Tamaki-san and Matsuyama Chiharu-san.
――――By the way, why did you remove the passenger seat headrest?
Akira: To put the surfboard down. Even if the seat is knocked down, it will not be stable just by having this.
--- In that sense, do not many people ride? In the passenger seat or in the back.
Akira: I don't ride. I don't want to go from the inn to the ski resort by myself, or share a ride to the station.
----why?
Akira: It's my castle, so this is my castle.
――――That's good。
Akira: The Wrangler really feels like a partner. Also, it's like a house with a lot of luggage, so if you pull out the luggage one by one and move it again, you'll forget 100% of the things. 100%! (smile)
――――If you go to the mountains with this car, you'll know right away. It's like, "That's Akira's car parked over there. He's here today."
Akira: You'll be noticed right away in the mountains or at the sea (laughs).
Let's talk about today's car show highlight Carrie
――――How do you stack the boards?
Akira: Don't you think it's normal to climb and put it on? That's what I'm thinking about (laughs). Is that okay? May I show you my greatest self-confidence work now? Looking at this as a whole, do you see anything different from a normal rack? I have an idea. When you lift your luggage, you'll be like, "Oh, it's heavy." That's what I thought! A method that is easy for one person, a woman, or a child.
――――Oh~! ! ! That's it! You're becoming a roller!
Akira: That's right! This is so convenient. This is all full order. Everything including this socket. You want to handle both skis and surfboards with care, don't you? With this, you can easily unload your luggage.
――――How do you fix the load?
Akira: I don't use stepping stools. Climb up here and here, climb up to the roof (laughs), and secure the luggage with ropes.
--- So you put the boards in the ski bag (DB) and stack them.
Akira: I ran a long distance in heavy rain, but I was surprisingly okay. I thought about adding a rudder, but when I added the rudder, I felt that it was too tight. There are many things inside me. (laughs)
from now
――――What is your next goal? I heard that there are plans to go down the Obergabelhorn in Switzerland, right?
Akira: I'm thinking of going to check it out as a team after the consecutive holidays in May, but it depends on the situation. It doesn't matter if it's summer or spring because it's just a check, and the snow situation is ice anyway.
--- That's right, I'm looking forward to your future activities!
<Editor's Note> At the same time as this article was being published, Akira-san in Hokkaido sent us a nice photo, so please take a look!
Profile
Akira Sasaki
Born in 1981 in Hokuto City, Hokkaido. He is the first Japanese to stand on the podium three times in a FIS W-Cup alpine race. He entered four consecutive Olympic Games from Salt Lake to Sochi, making his name in the history of alpine skiing. After leaving the competition, he devoted himself to mountain skiing and freeriding, and started "Akira's Project". "What will you do next?"
❖Teaser for the first video work "TWIN PEAKS -Akira's Project" produced by himself
Photography / Shotaro Shimura Interview / Kensaku Yamane (STEEP)
