This winter's hottest area "HOKKAIDO POWDER BELT Talk Show in Asahikawa" in OMO7 Asahikawa by Hoshino Resort

A talk session event by professional skier Takeshi Kodama and photographer Kei Sato was held at OMO12 Asahikawa by Hoshino Resorts in Asahikawa, Hokkaido on December 15th last week.To commemorate the release of the photo book "RIDE THE EARTH Journey on the Earth" on November 7, 2021, we will hold a publication commemorative event at OMO11 Asahikawa, which has "Asahikawa, Ski City Declaration". It is.On the day of the event, Yoshiharu Hoshino, the representative of Hoshino Resorts, who has 1 skiing days a year, joined us and the three of us talked about the snow scene in Hokkaido as well as the photobook.


The 8th photobook is set in "Hokkaido Powder Belt"

In this photo book "RIDE THE EARTH Journey through the Earth", taking a picture of skiing and snowboarding with Takeshi Kodama, who has skied in the snowy mountains of the world, with the life work of "traveling the world with skis on his back". Kei Sato, who plays an active role in the center, is a project started in 2012 by these two people.She slides on snowy mountains far from the standard ski trips, touches on the local culture through skiing, and has published the past seven works as photo and essay books.In this talk show, we focused on the various areas they have traveled to and talked about their memories and episodes.

Two people who have slipped on the snowy mountains of the world
Mr. Kodama (left) who introduces episodes of his own trip, and Mr. Sato (right) who is active mainly in shooting skis and snowboards.

And this time, which is the 8th work, "Hokkaido Powder Belt" is set as the stage, and it is drawn to slide in the snowy mountains such as Asahikawa, Furano, Tomamu and enjoy the land from various aspects.

"Hokkaido powder belt"" Is a general term for one of the world's leading powder snow areas, which stretches about 200 kilometers north and south in the center of Hokkaido.There are many local ski resorts in this area, including popular snow resorts such as Furano, Kamui, and Tomamu.The good snow quality created by the unique climate has captivated many snowboarders, and one of the attractions is the backcountry in the 2,000m class mountains such as Mt. Asahidake, Mt. Kurodake, Mt. Tokachi, and Mt. Furano.It is also characterized by its easy-to-access location, which is centered on Asahikawa, the second largest city in Hokkaido, and the extensive after-skiing activities such as dining and sightseeing.It has been gaining popularity over the last few years as a charming area with an environment where you can fully enjoy the city from snow resorts to backcountry and after-snow.Currently on saleFREERUN November issueThen, I have posted a 16-page article about traveling with Shinya Nakagawa and Kazushi Yamauchi on a powder belt in Hokkaido, so please take a look.

Published in the December issue of FREERUN "Dense 12 days around Hokkaido powder belt-Shinya Nakagawa x Kazushi Yamauchi"
A powder belt that has been attracting attention in recent years, extending about 200 kilometers north and south in the center of Hokkaido.A dense 6-day riding trip by Shinya Nakagawa and Kazushi Yamauchi who know this area well.How do they slide in each field and enjoy the 6 days?

 

The charm of the Asahikawa area

The venue for this event wasUrban sightseeing hotel "OMO7 Asahikawa by Hoshino Resort" to enjoy Asahikawa.. In 2018, the "Asahikawa Ski City Declaration" was announced, and this year marks the fourth season.In Asahikawa, various variations of ski resorts can be accessed from the city center in about 4 minutes to 30 hour by car, and there are many restaurants where you can enjoy the taste of Hokkaido and gourmet food in the back alleys when you go out to the city. OMO1 Asahikawa believes that Asahikawa is suitable for snowboarding and skiing trips in the city, and aims to be a snowboarder / skier-first ski city.In the talk session, Mr. Yoshiharu Hoshino, the representative of Hoshino Resorts, also joined and talked about the snow scene in Hokkaido.

OMO2018 Asahikawa announced the "Asahikawa Ski City Declaration" in 4, which is the fourth season of this year.

Although there are only a limited number of successful ski cities around the world, Hoshino says the Asahikawa area is a place with all the favorable conditions such as airports, cities and ski resorts.The wonderful environment where you can easily access the ski resort from the city, and the Asahiyama Zoo is also nearby, so the city has many attractions.That's why he says he can take advantage of staying in the city and sometimes choose the option of "not slipping."With that choice, for example, when my family went to Asahikawa, my father and son went to the snowy mountains.One mother can also enjoy the trip from a different perspective, such as refreshing in the city.It was impressive that he said that the strongest combination of the city and the mountain area is the biggest attraction of "Hokkaido Powder Belt".

He also said that it is important to make rules firmly before it becomes popular worldwide as powder belts are attracting attention in the future.He says that it is necessary to work with the community and think about how to avoid the problems caused by overtourism at the same time.There will also be backcountry issues.If the area becomes popular, slippers will concentrate on the mountains.As a result, various problems such as the risk of mountain accidents such as avalanches and local troubles should arise.Under such circumstances, he said that it is important to prepare for acceptance in advance so as not to give a negative impression to locals and tourists.

Mr. Hoshino who talked about the potential of Hokkaido powder belt and OMO7 Asahikawa's "Asahikawa, Ski City Declaration"
A snap of Yoshiharu Hoshino (left) and Takeshi Kodama (right), the representative of Hoshino Resorts, taken at Asahidake in winter.

In this way, Mr. Hoshino speaks a clear vision for the future of the Hokkaido powder belt.The talk session was lively from beginning to end, with many people from local skiers to guests, snowboarders and skiers involved in the winter scene listening to them, and the beginning of winter in this area, which will be even hotter in the future. It was a day I felt enough.

The chills have continued since last week, and the Hokkaido powder belt is finally entering the full-scale season.Please try the finest dry powder in this area this winter.


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