Located south of the Northern Alps, Norikura Plateau and Mt. Norikura Snow Resort are located at a high altitude where snow remains until the summer season. Boasting excellent snow quality during the season, the area attracts a wide range of visitors, from serious skiers to family skiers looking for something out of the ordinary
One event here is currently generating a lot of excitement. That event is " RELAX & RIDE ," which will be held for the fifth time from March 20th to 21st, 2021. *Usually "RELAX & BBQ" will be held on the 21st, but it was cancelled due to rain.
This event is packed with fun elements, such as watching performances by invited riders on specially set-up jump equipment, test-riding freeskis, and drinking alcohol from local stalls while listening to music by a reggae selector.
The after-movie from this event conveys a friendly atmosphere
What's noteworthy is the jumps that are specially prepared for the event. And the fact that all the riders who gather are of a high level. Because extra-large and difficult kickers are created, only skiers who are judged to be able to jump them safely are invited. As a result, only high-level skiers naturally gather
This year's lineup includes a stellar lineup that is unparalleled in any other competition, not just skiing, but in any
sport, including Katsuno Tenran, who has swept all of Japan's major freeride skiing competitions, as well as Japan's national freestyle skiers Matsuura Torumaru, Ota Kankuro, and Ito Ruya (Luka), as well as former Japanese national team members Utagawa Soushi and Higuchi Eigo. Other names include snowscooter Oguri Takahiro and snowboarder Nishii Takahiro.
This event sees riders jump right in front of the spectators, making for some impressive performances
Show-like events, where riders show off tricks and interact with the audience, have a charm that is not found in competitions.
In competitions where points are earned, riders' tricks tend to be similar to each other's in order to ensure they get points. However, in events with a strong element of fun, riders also try to excite the audience, so they try creative tricks and impress with high jumps and dynamic tricks.
Naturally, the audience gets excited, and there were many scenes where the venue became one, such as spectators and riders high-fiving each other.
Items supervised by the next generation of riders
While Saito has been in charge of the jump items in previous years, this season the next generation of skaters, Eigo Higuchi, has been brought in to oversee the jump items. As a former member of the Japanese slopestyle team, Higuchi has seen cutting edge park items, and his involvement has resulted in a transition kicker that tests the skater's creativity like never before
Basically, the kicker is entered from the side quarter and landed. There is an up rail in the center of the item, and a transfer lip to the right of it, so there are a total of four ways to enter the item
Why is an event with such a strong freeride element being held at a ski resort with a general public like Mt. Norikura Snow Resort? The answer is that it is being organized by two professional skiers, Yuji Saito and Yuta Miyazawa
Saito is active both in Japan and overseas in freestyle halfpipe skiing, aiming to compete in the Winter Olympics. After retiring from competition, he has been based in his family home of Norikura Kogen, where he films himself skiing and broadcasts videos to promote the ski resort
The inn he runs, Shikisai no Yado Yamabuki, is directly connected to the ski resort. Saito, who grew up here, came up with the idea for this event with the desire to "spread the appeal of skiing even further."
This year marks the fifth year of the event. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, various measures were taken to ensure the event went ahead. A barbecue is usually one of the main attractions, but this year it was canceled due to infection prevention measures. After much trial and error, the event was finally able to go ahead
"I would be happy if we could spread the appeal of freeskiing and snowboarding throughout the country and have a positive impact on Norikura Kogen as the event expands," says Saito
Winter sports have an element of competition, but they are also sports that excite, thrill, and captivate people. This event made me realize this once again
PHOTO / Satoshi Saijo, Editorial Department