
Text: Itaru Fujinuma (SNOWBANK Pro Snowboarder / RIDE FOR A SMILE)
"Tokyo Snow Festival SNOWBANK PAY IT FORWARD 2021" was held at Yoyogi Park B District Event Plaza from November 11th to 13th, 14.
This event, which marks the 11th time, was donated by Yoshimasa Arai, a professional snowboarder who was diagnosed with the intractable blood disease "chronic active EB virus infection" in 2008 and saved his life by bone marrow transplantation. It has been held every year since 2011 with the aim of communicating the need for bone marrow donor registration and the appeal of snowboarding to the world.

A special slope was built in Yoyogi Park in the middle of Tokyo, and the "JIB STYLE BATTLE" held there is synonymous with the season-in that announces the arrival of winter to snowy mountain freaks who are looking forward to the winter season in recent years. It has become.

I'm sorry to say that I'm a professional snowboarder, Ritsu Fujinuma, who is in charge of blood donation & donor registration cooperation call through microphone, event guidance, sponsor booth introduction, tournament MC, etc. from the first holding of this event.YOUTUBE ch Toru Fujinuma Professional Snowboarder / RIDE FOR A SMILE)is!
This time I will deliver the event experience report C ~! !!

It is still difficult to hold an event due to the influence of the new coronavirus, but there are many patients waiting for blood transfusions and bone marrow donors.In that case, this event is inevitable for all of you, so this time we will set up an entrance gate by surrounding a corner of Yoyogi Park with a fence, and visitors will wear masks, disinfect their hands, and social distance. It was held thoroughly to prevent the spread of infection with the new coronavirus.




Many of the people involved in the event on the management side of SNOWBANK are volunteers, students, and snowboarders, but there are also music, fashion, and artistic artists, prominent dancers, farmers, snow skiers, and the outdoors. People of various genres such as maker and ski resort gathered in Yoyogi Park.







The "Snowbank", which grows year by year, is sponsored by Shibuya Ward and the Shibuya Ward Tourism Association, and schools such as "Tokyo School of Music", "Tokyo College of Sports and Recreation" and "PSA ASIA (Pro Snowboarders Association Asia)" and Snowboard Associations. Has grown into a big event that is one of the cooperating companies!


I think it's an event that anyone can enjoy regardless of age or gender, such as snowboarding competitions, live music, sledding slopes, experiences and games at each booth, and meals at eating and drinking booths.



The target number of blood donors and bone marrow donor registrants during this two-day event is XNUMX and XNUMX, respectively.With the super-cooperation system of the Japanese Red Cross Society, where three blood donation vehicles are in operation, all the parties concerned will do their utmost to achieve the goal.


By the way, those who cooperated in blood donation and bone marrow donor registration during this event will receive various novelties at the booth of the sponsoring manufacturer!I think one of the attractions of this event is that you can bring back souvenirs that you can't hold if you get all the novelties such as stickers, socks, tote bags, shirts, towels, bandanas and soaps.


The mission given to us as snowboarders during the event is to convey the wonders of snowboarding to everyone who attends!The participating riders are slippery, and I will liven up the tournament with senior riders Norifumi Rosaki and DJ Ryohe (Kashiwa Embroidery Shop Nui).

The special slope set up in the venue by the Brave Project crew and volunteers who came from Fukushima this year has a down rail in the center and two double down rails installed on both sides of the course. From the way, each player chooses a rail to perform tricks, and the ranking is decided by Shuhei Sato, Masato Chiba, and Ryoki Ogawa in the amateur game on the first day, and Atsushi Hasegawa in the professional game on the second day. , Kenji Taguri, Yoshiaki Endo, the gorgeous riders judged.



A chance to ride in the middle of Tokyo!If you survive the finals, you will fight on the same stage as the famous top professionals, and if you win, you will definitely be able to make a name for yourself in the scene. Gathered together.
The winners of the rail jam on the first day were female champion Yuuki Fukuda, runner-up Jinnai Haruka, XNUMXrd place Matsuoka Anju, kids champion Kitayama Hakuto, men's champion Horiike Souta, runner-up Noto Yuga, and XNUMXrd place Mabuchi Gaku. General participants.Is it possible to play a role in Gekokujo by mixing with the invited players of all the powerful players?



During the event, the pecan sun was in full swing and under the clear autumn sky, it was crowded with a large number of visitors from the first day.The finalists of the 2nd day professional women who made such a venue very exciting were Haruna Ishihara (suica), Aoi Takahashi, Junna Asaya, Himari Takamori, and Momoka Fujikawa.Five finalists who are familiar with Yoyogi Snowbank's handrails excited the venue with various tricks.



Winner: Himari Takamori
Runner-up: Haruna Ishihara
3rd place: Momoka Fujikawa

The male finalist who made me feel the high level of the jib scene in Japan now, losing to the success of female players,EnomotoRyota, Keita Inamura, Takashi Tamamura, Ryoki Ogawa, Conrad Yamamoto,(I.e.吏 玖,Mabuchi Manabu, Ogiwara Daisho, Imamura Yura, Jinguji Ama, Watanabe Yuga, Horiike Souta, Noto Yuga.



The boys had a hot development in which all three players who participated in the general public advanced the pieces to the final, and together with the invited players who greeted them, the audience was excited by slipping too dangerously.It is these three people who have won such a fierce battle.
Winner: Takashi Tamamura
Runner-up: Keita Inamura
3rd place: Ryoki Ogawa

I think that the slips of all the players grabbed the hearts of many visitors, but the moment when the venue became one most during the event, it was not WOW time ... (Of course, a show of funny friends led by doggy). The time was super exciting!)



Blood donation RUN!
Fairy blood donation, who showed us a lot of buzz that has been featured on various TV programs this year, has united Yoyogi Park again this year!


The big success of blood donors and players, and the big hot power gathered in Yoyogi thanks to artists such as LOW IQ 01, G-FREAK FACTORY, Kiribarebare, DAZEBAND, was the original goal of blood donors and bone marrow donor registrants. The number of people has greatly exceeded the target number of people, and the number of people has reached a record high!




I would like to conclude this report by listing such blood donation & bone marrow donor registration collaborators and tournament winners together with event official information below.
"Thank you!" With great gratitude and respect to all who were involved in the event with great results.
See you next year at Yoyogi Park Tokyo Snow Festival Snow Bank!

<Results of blood donation bone marrow donor registration>
Number of receptions 482
402 blood donors
121 registered donors
The official site is here