Marunuma Banked Slalom Vol.2, which was very popular last year, was held the other day from March 3th (Sat) to 30st (Sun).This year, it will be changed to the best time system of 31 per person, and the adult section will be held on the first day and the junior & ski section will be held on the next day.What kind of course was completed this year for this tournament hosted by Marunuma Kogen Ski Resort, which has abundant terrain?
Photo: Tomokazu Kuwano
A tournament where ski resorts, locals, and shops come together to excite
Marunuma Banked Slalom, which attracted a lot of attention last year.It is a tournament where the course layout that makes the best use of the strengths of Marunuma Kogen Ski Resort, which is a treasure trove of terrain, is attracting attention as the course is created by the slopes and locals working together.This year, the power will be further enhanced, and the total number of participants for the two days will be about 2.It was just growing into a big event.
The course was created by local riders from the past, including Katashina Bian, Katashina Sudo, Kosuke Miyazaki, Toshiya Seyama, Keisuke Katayanagi, Kensuke Numano, and Miwa Tateyama, who have supported the local scene in the Katashina area since the heyday of snowboarding. , Supporting this tournament held by the ski resort behind the scenes.Toru Ishiyama, who became Marunuma's park producer from this year, has become a hub for communication between the locals and ski resorts, producing the entire tournament in an exquisite balance.In addition, the pro shop in Gunma Prefecture also supported the tournament to liven up the tournament, and many people concerned gathered together to make a big event.Banked slalom, which is a concept of ski resorts, is a user-first tournament management, and the locals' commitment to course creation is condensed.This can't be exciting.
Course design that takes advantage of the strengths of Marunuma Kogen Ski Resort
This year as well, a wonderful course was completed in which the insistence and speculation of the makers can be seen everywhere.The first half was followed by a tight rhythm section, and in the 8th corner there was a section that looked like a bowl, as if it were a "bowl bank".As if you actually slipped, if you do not remove the line, you can flow from the 1st bank to the 7th bank at a good tempo to the automatic transmission, and even if you put some speed on it, the bowl bank in the 8th corner will firmly accelerate its speed. An image that accepts it.However, if you put too much speed and make a mistake in taking the line, you will be blown away at the corner on the way, so be careful.
After that, when the bank-to-bank feeling was just right and the flow cleared each section, the bowl bank was waiting again at the 12th corner.Moreover, it's oversized.
This was the most difficult section of the tournament, and more accurate line taking and speed control became important.If you accelerate too much, you will be crushed by the danger of DQ and the bowl, and if you decelerate too much, you will not be able to speed up to the subsequent banks.However, I think that the amount of scooping is the real thrill of playing in the terrain on snowboards.Besides, there is another important thing about this Marunuma Banked course, which is the gate set up in each bank.If you can't pass the upper part of the gate as a rule, you will be disqualified, so you have to slide on the high line of the bank, but that line is the one that you can feel the G of the bank to the maximum, so it is transcendent. It feels good.It can be said that the appeal of this tournament is the condensed course that has the "joy of sliding on the terrain" that is typical of Marunuma Ski Resort, which has abundant wall terrain.
To a tournament format that participants can enjoy more
In order to make the tournament more exciting this year, the ski resort side also made use of last year's experience, including changing to two skis per person, categorizing the first day and the second day, and in the junior section, elementary school lower grades, elementary school upper grades, junior high school students Three classes were set up.As a result, junior participation and parent-child participation can be enjoyed more than ever.
Of course, this year as well, the winners of each class will be given priority entry rights to the headquarter of Banked Slalom "Tenjin Banked Slalom", and the movement to liven up this Banked Slalom continues throughout Gunma.
Banked slalom that anyone from adults to children can enjoy beyond the barriers of generation.Nowadays, the attention to each course is getting more attention as it is held all over the country.Even if you couldn't participate this year, please try this Marunuma Banked, which is scheduled to be held next year.
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From here, the locals (Katsura Sudo, Toshiya Seyama) who were involved in the course creation told us about the points of concern about this course design.
"The concept of the course is that you can row (step on) using the R and G of the bank, and I wanted to make it a course where people who can use the bank win quickly. It's not that it's fast with, but it's a course where you can step on the surface of the bank firmly to accelerate the speed. Because it is a banked slalom, if you do not use "bank", it will be just a slalom tournament. I wanted to create a course where I could slide on the high line using the R, and I could speed up and slide comfortably. I shared that with the main members of the course development staff.
Among them, the big feature of this year is the bank bowl section provided in the 8th and 12th banks on the way.It is dangerous if the person who stepped on and speeded up accelerates too much, so there is a section where there is a proper reception to return firmly.
In addition, the rhythm section in the first half was intentionally developed speedily.Last year it was a relatively strong vertical line, and it was a course where you could get on more and more speed, but this year, on the contrary, I made it a course where you can get off while shaking it sideways and feeling G.I wanted them to be more aware of sticking to the wall.Also, last year I used the bottom of the lift line of the rider's right, so this year I used the left side.I thought about how to make the best use of the left wall and adjusted it according to the amount of snow.If all the rhythm sections are the same and feel good, it will be monotonous, so at first it will be a little difficult, and in the middle you will feel a strong G and you will feel a strong G, and at the end you will dare to change the rhythm so that you can get out comfortably. I put it on.It feels like you've set up mischief on the course design side everywhere (laughs).
Normally, when building a bank, we cut out the snow with a chainsaw and pile up snow blocks to pile up the snow, but Marunuma cannot pile up because the snow quality is powder snow.However, the skill of the operator who drives Pisten is very good, so I am building the base of the bank to some extent with Pisten.Since the breathing of Aun with the operator, Kosuke Miyazaki, who is in charge of mountain design in Marunuma, is exquisite, it is quite easy to share the image and shape it.
I think the best part of banked slalom is that it can be enjoyed by a wide range of generations from children to adults, so the position of the gate was also changed depending on the class.In the children's class, I tried to be a little gentle and adjust the perfect balance of not being too easy and not too difficult so that I could get a line that I would never get tired of. "
▼ This is the train ride by the makers!
