The ELECTRIC ALL FLAT CASH JAM, which has been held six times in the past as a gateway to becoming a strong jibber, was held for the first time in two years on January 6th at Maiko Snow Resort in Niigata. This time, we will report on the huge success of the event, which exceeded the entry capacity.
Photo: ZIZO
The park concept has changed with the creation of the middle class this time around
ELECTRIC, which supports many riders who lead the freestyle scene, is holding the "ELECTRIC ALL FLAT CASH JAM (AFCJ)" to liven up the Japanese jib scene. The event is filled with the brand's desire to spread the coolness of jibs and the greatness of snowboarding. This was the seventh time the event was held, and jibbers from all over the country gathered at the Maiko Snow Resort in Niigata, the stage for the event.
The rules of this event are very simple. Anyone who loves snowboarding, regardless of whether they are professional or amateur, can participate and jam in a special jib park created for this day. The winner is decided by showing off their style to the ELECTRIC riders who are the judges, and collecting as much CASH as possible made for this event.
There have been some changes to the previous event format this time. The first is that the venue will be held near the main lift on the slope. This will attract attention not only from event participants but also from customers visiting the ski resort. The second is that a new "middle class" has been created to make it easier for beginners to intermediate skiers who have just started jibing to participate, and this class is a mixed-gender heat with no age limit. As a result, the course layout has also been changed slightly from previous years, and Koshigoe of SNOWCASE DESIGN, who was in charge of building the special jib park, explained the concept of this tournament as follows.
"This year, we designed a layout that allows advanced skiers to think creatively and attack while keeping in mind the classic jib course so that people of all levels can enjoy it. We've included boxes in the lineup of items and made the angle of the double down gentler so that a variety of people can try it. We've also created lines that can be hit with a box lip to rail or a rail lip to double down, so we've moved these three central items tightly together in the middle. We hope that skilled skiers will be able to show off their creativity in this section. We've also made the first spine rail into a skate-like rampage section, so we hope that skiers will be able to rub against it and decide the line afterwards. We've incorporated a variety of lines into the classic layout, so we hope that the experts will be able to find them and have fun."
Participants had fun and enthusiastically tried out different techniques
On the day, the weather changed rapidly, with snow falling and sunny spells. In the midst of all this, the jam session began with the middle class of the preliminaries. The first to attract attention in this class was the performance of three siblings, ages 1, 4, and 6. Although they were very small in stature, they thrilled the audience with their aggressive skiing and attacking spirit that put adults to shame. It should also be noted that skiers were now also allowed to participate. The first heat, with participants from all genres, from 7 years old to 3 years old, was immediately very exciting.
Next up was the women's class. A total of 14 riders from all over Japan, including Tohoku, Hakuba, Myoko, Gunma, Gifu, and the western area, entered the competition, and a heated battle unfolded from the qualifying round. After that, the men's class was divided into two heats. This heat featured riders with brand sponsors and shop support, as well as riders from overseas, bringing together a truly powerful jibber. Some riders showed off their skate skills on the first spine rail, while others overcame the obstacles with giant ollies, and the highlight of the day was the central section and the final wall, where riders performed some big tricks to impress the judges. In addition, ELECTRIC riders jumped in during the jam session, and the participants seemed to be excited to watch the riders' skiing and sessions up close.
In the afternoon, the final jams for each class were held, and the event got more exciting as it drew to a close. The final heats for women and men featured some very high-level tricks, with some people doing front flips on the first item, some women doing stylish backtails on the double down in the middle section, and some people showing off back lips, 270 in & out, 360 out, etc. There were also some big tricks, such as nose pressing double downs and transfer 270 ins. Regular participants also got the crowd excited with a full make-up of all items all on one foot, and some people used hand plants on the wall and the R to get big airs. It was impressive to see each participant doing their favorite tricks, grasping the characteristics of this park, appealing to the judges with creative lines, and attacking to earn more CASH.
Haruna Ishihara, aka SUICA, who livened up the day as an ELECTRIC rider, looks back on the event as follows:
"In every class, everyone was having a lot of fun, but they also had clear goals and were actively trying their tricks. It was impressive and fun to watch. I was also a judge, and the transfer that Daiki Kurata, who won the men's class, showed with a double down was amazing. I think the back 270 in and the back tail of Ayako Ishikawa were quite popular among riders. I used to participate in rail jams such as Jaslib, and it made me excited to see the people I used to skate with at those events at the time coming to this event. I think the influence of ELECTRIC riders Shingo Itaya and Shoma Takao, who were also there this time, was a big factor. I also think that the brand ELECTRIC is what brings together those kinds of members. The special park this time was a section where beginners and intermediate riders could easily show their style, and high-level riders could choose various lines creatively. The participation fee was free, and it's a rare opportunity to skate with riders from brands. I think it was a great event where you could see the good riders' skating up close, find your own goals, and try the tricks you want to do.
AFCJ brings together divers of all levels from all over the country.
What I felt at this event is the importance of AFCJ, which continues to be held as a gateway to becoming a strong jibber. The jibber scene has been gaining momentum recently, and there are events such as "SNOWBANK" held every year in Yoyogi Park in Tokyo, and "COWDAY STREET" held last year in the center of Osaka, where Japan's top jibbers can perform. Furthermore, the next generation of riders are active in the street scene at a dizzying pace, and every year the FREERUN editorial department receives crazy photos of riders. In this environment, a real grass competition like this AFCJ, where jibbers of various levels gather from all over the country, participants compete with each other, and improve their own level while having sessions with riders, is probably essential for the future development of the Japanese jibber scene. I hope that this event will continue in the future and build the foundation for tomorrow's world-class snowboarders.
At the end of the event, a photo session was held with the winners of each class and the ELECTRIC riders by professional photographer ZIZO. We will be publishing a selection of photos taken there in the Fall 2025 issue of FREERUN magazine, so please look forward to that too!
