That support makes athletes who challenge the world stronger and shines brighter.
"Furisake," a platform connecting athletes and supporters through crowdfunding, kicked off in November 2021. From among the seven top athletes with ties to Nagano Prefecture who are featured on this platform, we at [STEEP] want to get closer to Kondo Kokone, an 18-year-old freeskiier from Hakuba Village who has suddenly caught our attention.
KokoneKondo
Kondo Kokone is a freeskier who competes in the FIS W-Cup in slopestyle and big air, and is 18 years old and was born on February 19, 2003
As the name suggests, slopestyle is a competition where skiers compete on a slope with their "style." Skiers perform tricks on rails, boxes, and air platforms set up on a slope about 1,000 meters long, sliding from top to bottom, and are scored on the overall impression, smoothness of the flow, difficulty and execution of the tricks, size of the air, and unique style. As a freestyle skiing event, slopestyle may not yet be as well known in Japan as big air or halfpipe
Kondo Kokone has excelled in slopestyle since her junior days, achieving impressive results in 2nd place in the preliminaries and 7th place in the finals at the 2021 W-Cup Swiss competition, and in March of the same year, she made her debut at the World Championships, climbing to 9th place in slopestyle. As an athlete, Kondo Kokone has always had her sights set on the world. Now, at 18 years old, she is undoubtedly Japan's top female skier, and is aiming to take to the dream stage of the Beijing Olympics this winter
*The video shows the run when he came in second in the World Cup qualifiers
Freeskier's heartbeat
Kondo Kokone was born and raised in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture, overlooking the Hakuba mountain range in the Japanese Alps. Snowy mountains were a part of her life from a young age, and skiing was a familiar sport, but why did she choose freestyle skiing?
This is because her father was a top freeskier. Kokone's father, Makoto Kondo, was one of the riders who led the Japanese scene around 2000, when freeskiing took off worldwide. With his unique style and unique riding style, he was active in big air competitions both in Japan and abroad, and in freeskiing movies, earning him the nickname "Captain." He is also renowned as a coach, with a strong arm who has been mentoring children in Hakuba and developing athletes for many years. Incidentally, Kokone's mother was also a mogul skier and coach during her active career
With parents like these, it was no surprise that Kokone, who was born and raised in Hakuba Village, became interested in freeskiing
Shinonfirst put on skis when she was three years old. Even before that, she had been carried on her father's back and was already jumping around. A common tool used when young children learn to ski is a plastic attachment, which, when attached to the tip of a child's ski, naturally causes the skis to spread out into a V shape, allowing for snowplow turns. Shinon was no exception, and made her snow debut wearing this rubber band. She also had a strap like a dog leash attached to her waist, and Shin supported and controlled her from behind as she skied straight downhill.
"When you pulled the strap from behind, she would squeak and turn from side to side, like a marionette, which was really fun. One time, I thought her movements were a little strange, and when I looked, she was asleep! (laughs) She was skiing while sleeping. I was surprised by that, but she always seemed to enjoy herself on the snow, even when she was little," says Shin.Kokone always accompanied Shin to his ski coaching sessions. Growing up in such an environment, spending time on the snow must have felt very natural to Kokone.
The turning point to becoming an athlete
A big change in my heartbeat occurred when I was in the fifth grade of elementary school
There is an athlete development and support program called the "Swan Project" sponsored by Nagano Prefecture, and when she was in the fifth grade of elementary school, Kokone applied. She passed the selection test, and both her and her mother began participating
The Swan Project had the children clarify what they wanted to be like in a certain number of years and present their goals. Kokone declared, "I want to compete in the Olympics!"
That's when
my image of skiing changed, and my switch flipped into athlete mode.
From then on, the father and son went to Swan every week, with Kokone enthusiastically doing physical training, and Shin studying nutrition for athletes thoroughly. It was his mother who put that knowledge into practice and prepared the meals, managing his nutrition. Nutritional expertise is essential for building an athlete's physique. This was based on the idea that athletes cannot be developed by children alone, and that the supportive environment provided by parents is also essential
In addition to Swan, the family would also climb mountains every weekend. When Shin couldn't go because of work, his mother would coach him instead. By the time he reached the upper grades of elementary school, there were a fair number of competitions he could participate in, so the family would practice together, aiming to reach the podium
The Hakuba area does not have a place to practice half-pipes with world-class specifications. He naturally practiced mainly at places like HAKUBA47, which has a large park, and he naturally acquired the slopestyle technique. By increasing his free-running potential on Hakuba's big mountains and skiing freely in the park, Kokoro honed his overall skiing technique
In the midst of regret
"I've never been particularly athletic and I'm easily scared, so there were many times when I had to fight my fears in this sport, and there were times when I was crying while practicing. But I'll never forget the sense of accomplishment I felt when I finally mastered a technique I'd never been able to do before and it became one of my own, and it was so much fun that I started to love this sport," says Kokone
In fact, he had already grabbed his chance to compete in the Olympics in PyeongChang 2018. Although he was technically within reach, he missed out on a ticket because he was just two months short of the legal age of 14 at the time, and he swallowed his disappointment
She has struggled with injuries countless times. She would get injured, then recover, and the cycle would repeat. Two seasons ago, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament during the W-Cup in Italy. Such a serious injury takes time to recover, and a return to the sport requires not only persistent rehabilitation but also strong mental strength. Last season, she competed in the World Championships and the World Cup, but this was her return match following an injury sustained the previous year. Her strong results, placing 9th in the World Championships and 7th in the W-Cup, are the result of Kokone's athletic spirit and hard work
On the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has become a problem beyond my control. Being thrown into disarray by the pandemic has been extremely frustrating. Normally, I'd be able to train thoroughly in New Zealand during the summer, but the restrictions mean I can't travel abroad. Feeling frustrated and anxious, I've been bombarded with videos and photos of people overseas training on glaciers on social media. It's been emotionally tough
It was late October when Shinone was finally able to leave Japan. She is currently training in Europe to improve her condition, and is gradually getting used to the feeling on snow. After this, she will travel to Switzerland, Austria, and the United States to compete in W-Cup and Big Air competitions, before finally heading to the Beijing Olympics in February. The key will be to get her into peak condition during this period
Kokoro has already achieved the Olympic qualification standard of "finishing within the top eight in the W-Cup" at the 2021 Swiss Cup. She is the only Japanese female skier who meets the qualification standard in freeskiing events
The driving force
Despite all the difficulties, Kondo Kokone has finally reached the Olympic stage, a dream come true. What is the driving force behind this?
"Slopestyle is a highly entertaining sport that can give courage and inspiration to those who watch it. I want to raise awareness of slopestyle, which is still not very well known in Japan, and try to convey its many charms through my activities!"These were Kokoro's words before the start of the season.
"Kokone is always so enthusiastic about it. She absolutely loves slopestyle. She wants lots of people to see it and know about it. Her love for slopestyle is incredible (laughs). Also, I started a freeskiing training program in Hakuba three years ago, and Kokone has skied with a lot of the elementary and junior high school kids there, so they all look up to her and are really supportive of her. I think that's also encouraging for her. Kokone has a 12-year-old sister named Kanon who also does this sport, and it seems like she's thinking about competing in the Olympics together with Kanon next time,"(Shin).
A commitment to style that won't compromise
Kokone has worked hard since she was a child with the goal of competing in the Olympics, and has grown into a strong athlete with her sights set on the world. She has an incredible commitment to her style. She has always told those around her that she never wants to skate in a girly style that is immediately obvious to those around her. Her natural movements and the outlines of her tricks are certainly powerful, yet she also has a supple and unique style
The first 3D trick Kokone learned was Misty. It's amazing to think that she had already mastered it perfectly, and in her own style, by the time she was in elementary school. She also says that she has two double tricks that she has yet to officially perform on snow. They are a switch and a double trick from a regular, which no other woman in the world has yet performed. It's unclear whether she'll be able to perform these tricks at the Beijing Olympics, but Kokone is surely hoping to show them off somewhere this season
He is challenging the world with unreleased high-level tricks. However, what makes slopestyle interesting is that it is not just about the flashy tricks, but also about looking at the overall flow of the sport
Slopestyle is a flowing sport, so it's similar to figure skating. Judges don't evaluate based on time, but on technical and artistic merit. It also incorporates the essence of street skateboarding, which attracted attention at the Tokyo Olympics. When viewed from this perspective, the sport of slopestyle becomes even more interesting. Kondo Kokone is particularly skilled at flowing, and we'd love to see her style throughout the entire slope
Slopestyle is a star event at competitions around the world, including the X-Games. Be sure to support Kondo Kokone as she takes to the world stage this winter!
Kondo Kokone -
Official Website:http://kokonekondo.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/coco.freeskier/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/cocone_kondo/
Special thanks to Makoto KONDO
The official website for "Furisake" will feature live reports from athletes traveling both domestically and internationally during the season.Join in and share in the athletes' passionate battles and their dedication to their sport.
