What is Burton Mystery Series?
This season, Hoshino Resorts Arutsu Bandai and Nekoma Ski Resort have been connected and are attracting attention as "Nekoma Mountain", one of the largest snow resorts in Japan.The "Burton Mystery Series" will be held at this popular resort again from last year. It was held on Saturday, January 2024, 1.
Last year, this event was held in the current South Area (formerly Arutsu Bandai), but due to the lack of snow due to the warm winter at the beginning of the season, this time it will be held in the North Area where you can enjoy the best snow quality.
In the past, BURTON has held a number of events focusing on the top snowboarding scene, such as ASIAN OPEN, an international competition that brings together the world's top riders, and RAIL DAYS at Roppongi Hills, but this Burton Mystery Series is open to everyone from professionals to beginners. It is a grassroots snowboarding event where all snowboarders can participate, respecting not only the differences in skill, but also all differences in age and gender.
The concept of this event is to revitalize resorts and communities in each region, and to stimulate people from all walks of life who share the space to come together and have fun. It started in 2021 and has been held at various resorts in North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania so far, and continues to enliven various regions and create snowboarding communities on a global scale.
Participation is free, and top-ranked students can win prizes!
Expectations rise from the opening ceremony
On the day of the event, the Nekoma Shokudo in the Nekoma Mountain North area, which was the venue for the opening ceremony, was packed with snowboarders of all ages, from small children to senior citizens.
It is said that there were 279 participants, but if you include accompanying people, there were even more people. In addition to Ben Ferguson and Mikkel Bang from overseas, BURTON riders such as Raimu Katayama, Yuya Nakayama, and Yuki Furuhata will be introduced as guest riders, raising expectations for the upcoming event.
Some of the participants said, ``I participated last year and had so much fun, so I was looking forward to this year's as well,'' and ``I saw last year's event and thought I'd definitely want to participate in an event like this.'' These are comments from professionals who are unique to this event. I heard many people say they participated because they wanted to have fun, regardless of their skill level, even beginners.
The event has two stages, one is a banked slalom with prizes and prizes up for grabs, and the other is a park session where riders can enjoy a fun park session. At the park, participants who perform well in a mini-contest can receive gifts from guest riders. What's more, it's such a fun event that participation is free.
The banked slalom course has a length that even beginners can complete, and it has just the right balance to make you feel like you can enjoy it yourself. Even small children's snowboarders can ski while attacking the corners. I'm sure there are some snowboarders who experience Banked for the first time here and get hooked on the world. Perhaps due to the information about last year's event, the 200-person entry slot for this year's Banked event was so popular that it reached its capacity quickly after pre-registrations began.
Anyone from children to adults can easily enjoy it
Park session
The park itself was designed so that no matter what level you were, you could find a variety of lines to play in, nothing was too big or difficult, and everyone enjoyed the park in a style that suited their level. Many families attended and enjoyed the day's events to the fullest, with everyone remaining at the venue until the final closing ceremony and smiling broadly as they posed for commemorative photos.
Afterwards, there was an afterparty, and the next day there was an event called ``Ride with Burton Riders'' where guests enjoyed free riding at Nekoma Mountain (participation was free).
This time, the event was held in the north area of Nekoma Mountain (formerly Nekoma Ski Resort), and some people seemed to be enjoying the high-quality snow in this area for the first time. The snowboarders who participated must have taken advantage of this event to receive new inspiration and expand their range of ways to enjoy themselves.
Next time, I would like you who are reading this article to participate as well.
(Photo by ZIZO)
The next Burton Mystery Series will be held on Saturday, March 3th at Ski Jam Katsuyama in Fukui Prefecture.
BANKED SLALOM (Result)
(Award ceremony photo: Taro Koeji)
Super Grom[Elementary school students and younger]
Boys
1st place ＿Sawa Masatoki
2nd place ＿Ichibuki Sugita
3rd place ＿Nakamura Kana
Girls
1st place ＿Rin Otani
2nd place ＿Herai Mako
3rd place ＿Yūku Urushiyama
Young star[Junior high school/high school]
Boys
1st place ＿Kobayashi Seiyo
2nd place ＿Kosugi Eidai
3rd place ＿Mikami Hayato
Girls
1st place ＿Sugiura Luka
2nd place ＿Sawa Fuuka
Open[19-29 years old]
Mens
1st place ＿Licht Shibata
2nd place ＿ Rikiyasu Maeda
3rd place ＿Yura Imamura
Womens
1st place ＿Kakubari Misaki
2nd place ＿Hayashi Ena
3rd place ＿ Tamada Kami
Master[Over 30 years old]
Mens
1st place ＿Sugiura Eisuke
2nd place ＿Takashi Hirabayashi
3rd place ＿ Sawa Masashi
Womens
1st place ＿Saito Mei
2nd place ＿Kobayashi Mayumi
3rd place ＿Cruz Lisa
