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  • pow pow

    Thursday, Dec 20, 2007 9:37AM / Standard Entry / Members only
    18 comments

    it's 7 am in HK. I'm up early because the last few days I've been in Hokkaido, Japan, up a mountain called Niseko, throwing myself down it on a snowboard. After getting up every day so early to get on the gondolas first, i'm now in the habit of being up early so until i get back to my usual HK midday awakening, I'll have to fill a couple of hours with something.....like this blog.


    I've been snowboarding for many years but this was only the second trip to Japan. It's a small mountain and not very steep but it makes up for it by having the most amazing quality of snow, and lots of it. It did not stop puking elephant flakes the whole time I was there.





    December is considered early season, they hadn't even built the board park and half pipe yet but that meant that the mountain was empty and you could find fresh powder every run. The dryest, fluffiest powder i think i've ever been on. I surf too and boarding on deep powder does have a similar feeling under your feet. The difference is, in the water your wave is maybe 10 seconds for a good one, on the snowboard your wave can las half an hour!



    tons and tons of snow with no-one on it!



    with few humans on the mountains, even the squirrels were going for it.



    aw yeah!


    tried to get it started for a bit of jackass humour but no luck.

    snowboarding is so all about the gear, gotta have the right toys.

    sucha cute little village

    always must have a vending machine photo...


    here's the obligatory food shots. seems like daniel's always taking pictures of the food wherever he goes so since i want to be as cool as him, here are some shots of hokkaido's finest...

    before


    after


    sashimi and hot camembert, sounds kurazzee but it works.

    cookin'


    this is the main event, big crab legs. such a hassle to eat, i think maybe you use more energy getting the fucking meat out than you get from the crab.

    before



    after


    choice of weapons


    the never summer SL, possibly the finest snowboard ever made...


    can't go wrong with the Burton Cartels

    mexican wrestling mask, don't leave home without it.


Entry comments (18)

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  • rottendoubt
    posted on Monday, Dec 24, 2007 2:05PM [Report]
    love the mask!  lucha libre!
  • Melly
    posted on Friday, Dec 21, 2007 1:54PM [Report]
    Great shots!  Especially the squirrel and mexican mask, always gotta have a bit of humor ;)
  • sadandx
    posted on Friday, Dec 21, 2007 1:24PM [Report]
    what a cool clever squirrel!love it
  • tigergirl
    posted on Friday, Dec 21, 2007 1:14PM [Report]
    wow
    is that a real squirrel ?how cool !
  • stylista
    Official artist
    posted on Friday, Dec 21, 2007 12:38PM [Report]
    Hey Simon! We have a house in Niseko called Latitude 42. It's at the number 5 bus stop. We've been going there for 6 years. The snow looks awesome and I love the mask!

    Here are my recommendations in case anyone of you ever goes there: Bar Barrumba, Jam bar, the Ice bar, there's also a place right at the bottom of the slope. I think it's called Apres? For dining I recommend Sekka, Yummy's pizza (they have fondue) and Ryu Izakaya.

    There's also a cool onsen with outdoor sulfur baths near bus stop 5 or is it 6?
  • ivy17
    Official artist
    posted on Friday, Dec 21, 2007 10:57AM [Report]
    Looks awesome, I'll have to check out the slopes in Hokkaido! I haven't snowboarded in almost 5 years and have been really missing it.
  • musicnote
    posted on Friday, Dec 21, 2007 2:22AM [Report]
    looks like fun!
  • ryanhui
    Official artist
    posted on Friday, Dec 21, 2007 1:45AM [Report]
    That mask rocks! I haven't been snowboarding for almost 4 years....aah!!!!!
  • babyfaceChina
    posted on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007 6:30PM [Report]
    kingcrab woo!!!
    great mask!!
  • andrew
    Official artist
    posted on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007 5:48PM [Report]
    awww dude.. you went there by yourself without teamo extremo????  I can't believe it!!  But it's okay,  check out which slope is better and tell us when you get back.
  • DoQBe
    posted on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007 5:01PM [Report]
    wow the snow looks soo nice~ I snow board in China (near Beijing) and the quality of the snow is not that good.
  • Parnmusic
    posted on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007 3:47PM [Report]
    I use rental
  • phat
    Official artist
    posted on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007 3:42PM [Report]
    i love the mask man! DOPE!
  • nigelong
    Official artist
    posted on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007 3:22PM [Report]
    I was snowboarding Hokkaido Nesiko last March. It was pretty fun. Man, your mask is sick!
  • iggypuffygirl
    posted on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007 11:28AM [Report]
    The snow looks great!  Nice pics, thanks for sharing.
  • w-bird
    Official artist
    posted on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007 10:46AM [Report]
    Nice! That one photo of the squirrel is pretty funny b/c it takes you off guard. Wait - where the heck did you get that? Is it a sculpture?
  • Etchy
    posted on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007 10:40AM [Report]
    wow awesome.  i am tempted to go up there this winter.  

    asahikawa ramen is ok,  but nothing compared to Hakata!
  • MADEinHK
    Official artist
    posted on Thursday, Dec 20, 2007 9:44AM [Report]
    looks fun.....i am sure u enjoyed it a lot.....damn i have been out for a long time.....that get me really jelious.....

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  • A full time artist, Simon Birch is a young Hong Kong artist who's made a huge impact with his energy and vision in the last few years. Apart from his critically acclaimed, dramatic paintings, he's man...

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