HOUYHNHNM SKI CLUB♡ in FURANO Supported by SALOMON STATION
How to enjoy skiing for adults. The Case of HOUYHNHNM's Ski Club♡.
The weather is getting colder by the day. The long-awaited winter sports season has arrived. The first report for the 2016-17 season is from a two-day and one-night ski tour to the Furano ski resort in Hokkaido, Japan. Skiing is a word, but there are different ways to enjoy it. . Here are some tips on how to enjoy skiing for complete beginners and adults who have been away from the slopes for a while, from a HOUYHNHNM's point of view.
In search of the finest powder snow, go to Furano, Hokkaido!
HOUYHNHNM's Ski Club♡ was just launched in January 2016. This time we headed to Furano ski resort in Hokkaido . We flew from Haneda Airport to Asahikawa Airport , and then drove to the site.
On the morning of departure day, at the meeting place, Haneda Airport . The four main members of this tour are. . From left, Aya Tonozaki (photographer), Issey Enomoto (writer), Hiroshi Yamamoto (HOUYHNHNM deputy editor-in-chief), and Dai Ishii (stylist).
. Sotosaki, who is in charge of filming, is more of a snowboarder than a skier. . He will be taking pictures of the members' skiing scenes while skiing on his board with a single-lens reflex camera. Yamamoto, the founder of the handsome HOUYHNHNM's Ski Club, just started skiing when the club was founded. He has been to the slopes several times and is making rapid progress, but he has yet to break out of the beginner level. For Enomoto, this was his first time skiing in about 20 years. Although he was crazy about skiing when he was a student, he has been away from the snowy mountains since he became a working adult. There must be a surprisingly large number of people like that. Ishii, on the other hand, was a complete ski virgin, going to the slopes for the first time. Well, let's see what will happen.
After arriving at Asahikawa Airport, we boarded the "JEEP® Wrangler" prepared by the staff of Salomon, who arranged this tour, and headed for Furano! JEEP® is a good choice for snowy mountains!
It takes about one hour by car from Asahikawa Airport to Furano ski resort. During the drive, you can see the magnificent nature of Hokkaido from the window of the car from start to finish.
Salomon Station is the place to rent the latest gear!
At the Salomon Station, located at the Furano Ski Resort, visitors can rent a variety of gear, including skis and snowboards by Salomon and Atomic, as well as clothing, gloves, and goggles.
Salomon Station" at Furano Ski Resort. Located right next to the New Furano Prince Hotel , the slopes are just a stone's throw away.
If you look closely, you will see that the clock on the wall is a "Suunto" clock! Salomon and Suunto are part of the same Ameer Sports group, by the way.
I'm new to skiing, so I don't know what's right or left ....... Even if you are such a beginner, don't worry. Our staff, who are experts in gear selection, will be happy to help you.
The latest models of the season are available in abundance, and they are all maintained by skilled staff for your safety. You can enjoy Furano's excellent powder snow even if you come empty-handed from Tokyo.
Stylish and functional. Ski wear these days is amazingly advanced!
I used to be crazy about skiing when I was younger, but I haven't done it for a while ....... Some people of that generation may have the image that "ski wear is so dowdy. . However, recent ski wear has been transformed into something surprisingly stylish.
The members of the HOUYHNHNM's Ski Club ♡ wore this season's latest collection from "Salomon". . All of them are finished with modern and sophisticated designs. If you thought ski wear was dowdy, your image will be easily overturned. Moreover, they are light, warm, waterproof, breathable, and functional. You can enjoy skiing comfortably all day long without worrying about getting cold or wet.
Yamamoto's styling is a vivid contrast of blue and orange. I want to try mountain skiing this year!" . So he puts on a backpack to lift his spirits. Knit cap ￥3,000+tax, Jacket ￥48,000+tax, Pants ￥38,000+tax, Backpack ￥26,000+tax (all Salomon/Amere Sports Japan)
I haven't skied in about 20 years, but I was surprised I could ski! Enomoto, who says, "It's been about 20 years since I've skied, but it was a surprise! Knit cap ￥3,000+tax, jacket ￥78,000+tax, pants ￥48,000+tax, (all Salomon/Amere Sports Japan)
. Ishii, a skiing novice who coordinated his entire body in vivid yellow. . He was like a newborn fawn at first, but by the end he was able to ski reasonably well. Jacket ￥35,000+tax, Pants ￥30,000+tax, (all Salomon/Amere Sports Japan) *Helmet, goggles, and skis by Atomic
The hotel directly connected to the slopes is too comfortable. There is also a full range of after-ski fun!
This time we stayed at the New Furano Prince Hotel, located next to the Furano ski resort. The facilities are magnificent, the hospitality is excellent, and we enjoyed a very comfortable stay.
The New Furano Prince Hotel is on the far left in the photo above. As you can see, the slopes are right in front of the hotel.
Change into ski clothes, leave the hotel, rent skis at the "Salomon Station" and board the gondola at ......
Once you get off the gondola, all you have to do is to ski as hard as you can. The line is smooth, so there is no stress. This is what adult skiing should be like.
Furano Ski Resort offers 80% of its courses for beginner and intermediate skiers, including a 3-km gentle slope from the top of the mountain. . It is also suitable for beginner groups such as HOUYHNHNM's Ski Club♡.
After a full day of skiing, visitors can stroll around Ningle Terrace, adjacent to the New Furano Prince Hotel.
Ningle Terrace is a shopping area dotted with log cabins in the forest, including stores, workshops, and cafes offering Furano-style products. After sunset, the area is lit up to create a fantastic atmosphere.
And speaking of Furano, there is "Kita no Kuni Kara" ("From the North"). Speaking of "From the North Country," Akira Kuramoto is the name of the movie. So at night, we went to "Soh's BAR," a bar supervised by Satoshi Kuramoto, located on the grounds of the New Furano Prince Hotel.
Soh's BAR is an adult space based on the concept of a "hideout for smokers. In addition to enjoying drinks while smoking purple smoke, the restaurant also offers a full menu of food items.
First to the slopes in the morning . Enjoying the "first track"!
Furano Ski Resort offers "First Tracks" for a limited time only, where you can ski on empty slopes first thing in the morning (for a fee and by reservation only). Depending on the day, you may also have the opportunity to ski with Kiminobu Kimura, a former national alpine skier who competed in four consecutive Winter Olympics. The morning after HOUYHNHNM's visit was one of those days, so we enjoyed the fast track with Kiminobu Kimura.
The quality of the snow the day before was excellent, but the fast track slopes were of a different dimension! I didn't realize how good it felt to ski on soft snow that no one had skied yet.
In the center is Kiminobu Kimura. He is a very friendly and open person who gave a gentle lecture on how to ski to the members of HOUYHNHNM's handsome ski club, all of whom are beginners.
K ski resort and Fujimi Panorama Resort, which opened this year, in addition to HOUYHNHNM's. The "Salomon Station" used by the HOUYHNHNM Ski Club ♡ this time is available at a total of 16 locations nationwide, including Nozawa Onsen, GALA Yuzawa, ban.K ski resort, and Fujimi Panorama Resort, and "Fast Track" is available at a total of 7 locations nationwide, including Naeba and Manza Onsen in addition to HOUYHNHNM's. K ski resorts, Fujimi Panorama Resort, etc., and the "First Track" is held at Furano, Naeba, Manza Onsen, etc. More details can be found on the website below, so please check it out if you want to enjoy a fun and comfortable adult skiing experience this season.
