Rossignol News
International News
Crazy powder in Japan 
25/Mar/2009
While most of the United States was seeing dryer than normal precipitation Japans North Island, Hokkaido, was receiving plenty of the white stuff. Japan has been big on my list for several years and this was my 4th trip.
Japan is a cold snowy place and it gets tons of snow. Hokkaido is the Northern most islands in Japan. Looking at its position geographically and having been there several times, low pressure systems sweep down from Siberia crossing the Sea of Japan and unloading its moisture on Hokkaido. It is one of the snowiest places on earth. You would think that being an island its snow would be heavy, let me tell you it’s the driest and lightest I’ve ever skied. Angle dust or diamond dust is what the locals call it but in essence you go to Japan for several reasons.
If you like to ski powder, eat great food, soak in natural hot springs and visit a unique culture, Japan is a great destination.
Along with the amount of snow, it blows at times and the result is, expect weather days. The great thing about that is, all accommodation I stay in has its own Natural hot springs attached. The hot springs themselves are fantastic not for just their external bathing experience, they are separated male and female which take away all barriers associated with mixed bathing, turning it into more of a spiritual experience.
Aside from the onsen the Japanese take pride in their food. It is one of the highlights of the trip. The hotels I stay in have beautiful Japanese food every night with the option of a western/Japanese style breakfast. At times you have no idea what your eating but you know it’s been prepared just right.
We think we are in the service industry in the U S. Not even close. The Japanese can really teach us something about service and it’s a pleasure to be surrounded by it. They are such a humble race and the crime rate is next to nothing. It shows and they are constantly trying to please in a genuine way.
Niseko is where I have started with many trips in the past. One of its big positives is the constant snow it receives. However it is a ski resort, which means all the resort based powder frenzy. They’re real bonus is using the gate system to access some great backcountry. You can traverse from the lift served, hike to summit and ski in many directions. A favorite this season being the ski off the backside of Hirafu ski resort to an onsen (hot springs) soaks a while then skin up and gentle track out.
After Niseko I travel inland to several places.
Asahidake is the powder capital of the interior. This place gets weather so hang on and the 100-person sight seeing lift has access to limited terrain but the snow amount and quality is second to none. This place is what they call in Japan a ropeway. It is a sight seeing lift that runs all year round. There is a base facility and a small Japanese eating-place. It has no patrol, ski school etc. It sits below Mt Asahi, which at 2290 m is the tallest mountain on Hokkaido. You can climb to the summit and ski off the backside. It’s a great ski.
Tokachidake, This is my favorite place mostly due to the fact that its all self powered. I think there is more to be gained by hiking for your turns, being out amounts’ birch and steaming vents. This place gets plenty of high quality snow and weather. At times the best skiing is down lower in the trees but has some great natural couloirs’ that ski great. This is a backcountry Mecca with the Japanese but it is still quiet. The days can be cold so skinning at 0 f while it’s dumping is not uncommon and it has plenty of sweet shots.
Ross Matlock / photo : Andrew Burr
Scufoneda 2009 Telemark and Freeride Week
08/Mar/2009
A group of Italians from the town of Moena, located in the Dolomites, have been organizing the Scufoneda for the past 12 years. This telemark ski week packs backcountry skiing, on- and off-piste resort skiing, a freeride competition, and fantastic evening group dinners and parties into
one short week. Mark Sanders and Lizet Christiansen went out to experience this event for the first time this year, and they weren't disappointed! We started out the week with over 4 feet of fresh powder, and skied untracked trees for days. Once the skies cleared, we skied couloirs that were accessible just a short hike from the lift, and also some that required some longer hiking.
The week finished with the 4th annual freeride competition, in which snowboarders, telemark skiers, and alpine skiers race down at 2500-foot vertical venue called the Col Margarita at Passo San Pellegrino. Competitors are judges based on time, with line choice and technique being taken into consideration. Mark was one of the judges for the event, and Lizet competed, placing third. This weeklong telemark skiing extravaganza was definitely an amazing experience, and if you ever get the chance, check it out!
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Alpine Meadows Telemark
23/Feb/2009
The end of February brought the return of the Alpine Meadows Telemark
Freeskiing Championship. After missing the event at this venue for the past
few years, Rossignol athlete Lizet Christiansen, together with Tough Guy
Productions, rallied to make this event happen again. It was a huge
success, with great competitors, many spectators, and fantastic
sponsors. Rossignol
athlete Mark Sanders ran the MC, commentating as competitors skied their
run. Rossignol athletes Shawn Raskin and Lizet Christiansen were both
competitors, placing 5th and 7th respectively.
Be sure to look for the Alpine Meadows Tele comp next year. Dates will be
posted on the Tough Guy Productions web page as soon as they are determined.
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Tahoe ski season is on!
22/Dec/2008
The snow finally came to Tahoe this past weekend, and the resorts started spinning their chairs. We got a few feet of snow in places, and unlike our usual wet, maritime snow, this was light, fluffy powder. After letting the snow settle for a couple days, we headed out to the Mt. Rose backcountry! We had fantastic turns in cold, light, deep powder! Already the skies have clouded over again, with another storm on its way. Tahoe ski season is on!
Mark Sanders and Lizet Christiansen
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FreeHeel Fall Ball
16/Dec/2008
November has come and gone and now we are rapidly approaching the bulk of our ski season. November is a time of film premiers, creating holiday wish lists of endless ski gear, and holding your breath hoping that the season will bring an endless supply of deep days. November also is a time where ski communities get together and rally around local organizations.
This year, in Park City, Utah we were fortunate enough to hold the third annual FreeHeel Fall Ball. This event was put on by Josh Madsen of freeheellife.com to benefit the local Park City youth telemark program, the PC Tele Tribe. The party was a huge success, with tons of people showing up to support our local, Utah freeheel community. The majority of the proceeds went to help the Tribe acquire insurance for the upcoming 08/09 season, insuring that the program will be able to get off the ground for its third season.
The PC Tele Tribe is a community fed and led organization based out of the Canyons resort. The group's mission is to inspire and build a noncompetitive, youth based telemark community that will continue to fuel our sport and industry for the generations to come.
Freeheellife.com will be sponsoring many parties throughout the season in an effort to continue building a strong and united telemark community. Keep your eyes pealed for FHL 's bash up in Park City, UT some time in February TBA and also the after party up in Alyeska, Alaska after the US Telemark Freeskiing World Championship plus more TBA.
Keep checking in with www.freeheellife.com to find out the latest freeheel happenings that may be coming to your area.
For more info on the PC Tele Tribe go to: http://www.pctelemark.org/
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