Dream Gate Co., Ltd. holds a test ride event for the next season's new ski models every year in mid-March at Naeba. As it is jointly held by several pro shops, it is popular because it has a wide variety of brands and genres of skis to test ride. Here is a report on what it was like this year
Over 30 popular brands gather for a weekend in Naeba in mid-March
The "DREAM GATES PRESENTS 24-25 NEW MODEL SKI Test Ride Event" has been held for over 10 years. Every year in mid-March, numerous brand flags are set up at Naeba Ski Resort, and manufacturer tents are spread out, becoming a familiar sight in the spring
This year, the first event was held at Hakuba Tsugaike on February 24th and 25th, in addition to the Naeba venue on March 16th and 17th. Both venues required advance online registration, but the Tsugaike venue quickly reached capacity. The same situation occurred at the Naeba venue, which was fully booked on both the weekend and was sold out
What makes this test ride event unique is that it is being jointly held by professional ski shops operated by Dream Gate Co., Ltd. - Aspen, F-Junk, Fuso & Boots Tune, and Ski Shop Vail - each with their own unique style. As a result, there will be a wide selection of popular models from popular brands covering a variety of genres, including alpine, basic & carving, all-mountain, and freeskiing (powder, backcountry, and touring)
The location of Naeba is also conveniently located. Another attractive feature is the wide range of slopes available for test riding in the vast field. Due to light snowfall this season, the venue was moved from the usual location in front of Prince Hotel Building No. 6 to in front of Building No. 2. With the Prince Hotel in the background, the field is on the far left, but thanks to its location, the loud DJ and background music provided by the special venue resonated well throughout the venue, creating a great atmosphere
What brands were exhibiting?
The brands that were exhibiting their products on both days were mostly like this. Over 30 well-known and popular ski and accessory brands were exhibiting, making it a large-scale test ride event
"This is what's great about test drives!" Participants' comments
The benefit of these test ride events is not simply that you can try out next season's models early! Speaking to the guests at the venue, we learned that test ride events have a variety of meanings and appeals for users. It's quite interesting, so we'd like to introduce their opinions, including what models they test rode.
(Bonus: Of the eight groups of people we spoke to, seven were STEEP users (readers). This made the STEEP editorial team very happy. lol)
You can ask the manufacturer about any board you're interested in, so you can get a better understanding of the board.
Two people were chatting with Wapan riders in front of the Wapan tent. The person on the right said, "I came here to look for a model that I could use on both powder and slopes. So far today I've ridden Wapan, LINE, and blackcrows, but I'm particularly drawn to the cool yellow graphics on Wapan. The ride is also great."
The person on the left said, "I've been skiing for about 35 years. I do everything except backcountry and alpine. The 150cm Wapan ski I test rode also looks good for park riding."
Test rides are great because you can compare different models and hear lots of detailed information from the staff about the board you like. Wapan said that having a rider there allowed him to hear even more detailed technical information about the riding feel and handling of the board, which made him "like Wapan even more."
I bought a board at this test ride event last year too! I found the board I wanted to buy
These two people came to test ride the dps. They're participating for two days starting Saturday and will be trying out a variety of test bikes. The person on the right said,
"For my next board, I'm looking for a thick, short board. But it's hard to find boards like that. It's a shame that the ARMADA SHORTPANTS weren't available this time. In fact, I came to this test ride event last year and decided on the ATOMIC BACKLAND."
I usually ride basic skis, but I discovered the benefits of freeride skiing
The man in front of the ICELANTIC tent is actually a beginner skier.
"I usually do basic training and ride basic skis. When I tried the ICELANTIC, it was so easy. I didn't have to worry about the snow conditions when turning. It's so much easier than basic skis. It makes me want to try freeride skis. As you get older, easier skis work better for you (laughs)."
A place to find great boards - like a graphic art gallery
The two of them posed for a fun photo, saying, "We're watching STEEP!" The man said, "This was my first time riding a NOMADO at ICELANTIC. I usually ride GS boards, but ICELANTIC has a unique feel, it's great."
The woman was very excited, saying, "I rode a NOMADO 94 and a MEIDEN 102. Both were easy to ride. This was my first test ride, and I'm happy to have found such a great board. You can see so many graphics at once! It's like an art gallery, it's fun! The ICELANTIC model with its black base and gold snake graphic is super cool!"
Test rides are a fun opportunity to communicate and interact with manufacturer staff!
The three of them were having a lively discussion about skiing in front of the SWANS tent. You'd think they were Yamamoto Kogaku's "family", but the staff member said,
"We meet the two of you every year at the test ride event in Naeba, and have been friends for 10 years. We were just waiting for you to come this year. We value the test ride events as a place to communicate with customers, not just to lend out products, and we use the feedback we get here in our development." That was a bit surprising. The two of them said,
"We don't own any products other than SWANS! It's because they fit the shape of Japanese faces and the lenses are incredibly good. At these test rides, we can try out the goggles and helmets on the snow, so if we like them, we buy new ones every season. We also look forward to chatting at Naeba every year," she said. The test rides are not just a chance to experience the performance of the products, but also a place to interact with the manufacturer's staff
Test rides are good because you can actually ride the car and then make the final decision to buy it
A self-proclaimed freestyle beginner from Tokyo, he currently uses the K2 RECONA, and during today's test ride he tried out the ARMADA ARV94, FACTION Prodigy1, and LINE BLADE
"The ARV94 seemed quite stiff, the Prodigy 1 was very solid and easy to ride, and I had been interested in the BLADE for a while, but I couldn't decide until I rode it. It turned really well and was a lot of fun, so I wanted it. The good thing about test rides is that you can make the final decision to buy."
Since it's a local place, you can easily go out and enjoy the local love.
A couple was chatting at length with the staff at the MOMENT tent. They live in the Yuzawa area, so they decided to drop by casually. They are big fans of the Kagura-based brand MOMENT, and are also regular customers of the MOMENT Pro Shop. They appreciate the friendly support they can always get from a local brand, and they say it's their first choice when choosing skis
"This guy bought two pairs of MOMENT skis!" his wife said with a laugh. The great thing about MOMENT skis is that they glide smoothly without weighing you down. He said that after comparing them with others at the test ride event, he was reminded of the quality of the skis and their love for their hometown
This is your chance to try out boards that you don't normally ride to improve your freeriding skills!
The two, who came from Kanagawa, have been skiing for over 20 years, have season passes to Arai Resort, and ski in powder on a daily basis. They were excitedly talking about powder in the 4FRNT tent, but when I asked them, they told me that their purpose for coming this time was to "try out basic skiing." "I don't usually ride basic skis, so this was a great opportunity. Basic skis are highly maneuverable. Carving is easy because the power is transmitted to the skis immediately. They're especially easy to turn! I'm also thinking of taking the basic certification exam, because I think if I get the basics down I'll be able to freeride well."
I see! Test rides are a great way to try out boards from different genres and to jump into new genres in the pursuit of freeriding
What are your thoughts on Dream Gate, which hosted the event?
We spoke to Mr. Maruyama, the on-site general manager of Dream Gate, the organizer of this test drive event, about the results and impressions of the event
"The test ride event held at Tsugaike in February was a full house, specializing in freeskiing. The event at Naeba was even larger, including basic and alpine skiing, and was very lively, with around 200 people attending on Saturday the 16th and around 150 people attending on Sunday the 17th. These kinds of large test ride events are becoming less common in the snowboarding industry, but if you come, it's a valuable opportunity to try out a variety of models, and I think you'll be able to experience their benefits
This time, we had Muscle Rikiya as a DJ to liven up the venue, and we played a lot of cool music, including old favorites like ZOO's "Choo Choo TRAIN," to create a bit of a flashy atmosphere. And, this was a pleasant surprise, but actress Anna Umemiya came to visit!
At the Naeba venue, the majority of visitors were skiers who used basic or carving skis. One trend I noticed was that people who liked fairly expensive brands and models were paying attention to them and actually purchasing them
In terms of freeride models, RMU and FACTION are probably popular among VAIL customers. Among my ASPEN customers, fat skis from alpine ski manufacturers like FISCHER, ELAN, SALOMON, and ATOMIC seem to be selling well. It also depends on the color of the pro shop
For our users, this is a valuable opportunity to see and try out products from so many different brands all at once. We hold this event every year, so please come and visit us again next time!
Interview cooperation: Dream Gate Co., Ltd.