pow pow

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.