2023 - what do you need

[cesare]

I had been thinking I need a place where I can crash and host friends near Daistsuzan National Park. The fantasy part is to buy a piece of land and put a tiny house on it. But I have neither the skills, nor the body that would hold up to doing all that work myself. We went on an expedition to see what is out there and found this piece of land in a beautiful spot with killer views near the funky little town of Tohma outside of Asahidake. But the land is too expensive and has a gully running right down the middle of it, meaning it would take some serious land sculpting to divert the runoff, create a dry flat spot, and support a driveway. Plus, it is a little far from the goods compared to the next place we looked at.



The next place was a one room apartment in Higashikawa at the base of Asahidake coming available the end of this month. But it's also expensive and requires a two year lease. I realized doing either of these things would limit my flexibility and now that Japan is open to foreign tourism, I want to ski with anybody who makes it over here and is willing to put up with me. Daisetsu is an amazing place, but I would feel too limited owning or being committed to paying for a place that wouldn't be mine. Higashikawa is a cool town with a distinctly Japanese mountain vibe. The elementary school children all wear yellow construction helmets everywhere they go. Lots of cafes, a pizza joint, and abundant outdoor recreation activities, as well as a flagship Montbell store two blocks from the crib. If I were ever to buy something it would either be in Higashikawa or in Biei, a bigger town more central to the huge Furano valley

But I also realized that I have it great right now with a car I can sleep comfortably in that gets 50 mpg and carries all my gear. I decided it will be better to be able to hook up with anybody anywhere in Hokkaido. For a lot less money than it would cost me to do either of those two things, I can go to Rishiri Island and pay for guided skiing twice every winter. So I didn't need any of those other things after all. My health is coming around. My knees are feeling pretty good. My neck has been real bad but it is getting better now too. And my winter is already booking up with visitors in the peak of the JaPOW season.

"It's not having what you want. It's wanting what you have." Sheryl Crow

[Charley White]

I want to need to replace my Dynastar Cham High Mtn 87. Don't care for the floppy tip or pintail and now I'm 160#, I want skis under 180 long. Am taken by Skimos article about new Free Tour class and looking at https://skimo.co/dynastar-m-tour-90 They call it "pintail" but tail is 20 wider than waist, and a "high effective edge" is cited. No answer yet from them yet on this. [edit: heard back and not pintail.]

[Pherick]

...so please tell me: what is the Harbor Freight of ski equipment stores? lol.

geartrade.com

like everything, it used to be better, but still a go-to. It's largely the returned merchandise of Backcountry.com, I think. Users "GearTrade" and "Backcountry" often have great deals on as-new stuff. I've got a closet full.

[bauerb]

I find that I never have enough gear because I keep deciding to take on new sports. last year was Skimo, this year I am adding Nordic. its endless...oh yeah, not even counting tools. I bought a house, couldn't bring existing tools, needed to then buy enough tools to make furniture. so please tell me: what is the Harbor Freight of ski equipment stores? lol.

[dschane]

Nothing in the way of gear. I’m kind of a gear whore and snob at the same time and my stuff is mostly working well. What I need and am making room for is more time to recreate, chase pow and live the dream more fully. Gear is gear and I have great pickins in that department but time is the gem we all want more of. I’m in a semi retirement mode now. I started a new business giving me more flexibility with my time and making more money to afford trips I hope to do. I’d also like to see a better winter from a consistent snow fall pattern and accumulated depth of snow pack in areas where I hope to ski.

amen to that.

[Allan Fici]

Nothing in the way of gear. I’m kind of a gear whore and snob at the same time and my stuff is mostly working well. What I need and am making room for is more time to recreate, chase pow and live the dream more fully. Gear is gear and I have great pickins in that department but time is the gem we all want more of. I’m in a semi retirement mode now. I started a new business giving me more flexibility with my time and making more money to afford trips I hope to do. I’d also like to see a better winter from a consistent snow fall pattern and accumulated depth of snow pack in areas where I hope to ski.

[chamonix]

I am intrigued by the existence of a foiling conversion kit for the Laser sailboat. No idea how it works, but ideally would it be like sailing a normal Laser in low wind, and then suddenly jumping up in speed once you can foil?

Late to the party, I've been up in Canada all summer. But I like that idea. I am always trying to beat my friend Alan, in our Lasers. Just sailing for fun.. He would freak out, if my Laser suddenly lifted out of the water, on a Foil, and I shot ahead of his boat.

Sailing open water in Georgian Bay

[Todd Eastman]

bauerb, send me a message and I'll update you on nordic track gear.

Todd

[bauerb]

my old Nordic racing instincts refuse to let me buy nordic skis with mohair strips. I can buy 3-4 colors of wax and be good *most* of the time. skimo has taught me that any kind of skin reduces glide. I do understand that good nordic technic where equal weight is applied to each ski should lift the grip zone off the snow if the flex and camber are correct for your weight....i.e double poling or coasting. I think that I will go old school grip wax and maybe demo the waxless skis at some point. Nordic racing suits have big pockets that you can stuff full of wax #livingthatlycralife.

[webby]

Dostie - I have a pair of bull dogz looking for a rig and will check out the fishers before I drill - thanks

[djhutch]

I've even noticed race-oriented waxless skis with 2 little mohair strips permanently attached to the skis. waxless race skis!!??

Those are ones you want - decent grip uphill without waxing and excellent glide. This is not a new idea but it is experiencing a resurgence, and not just on race skis. Much better than fishscales.

[bauerb]

starting to zero in on nordic gear I will be buying this fall. I haven't bought Nordic gear in over 30 years. things have changed a little bit...given that there is now a nordic center about 1 mile from here...the pull of the force is simply too strong to resist. fortunately there is FB marketplace and 2 ski swaps happening later this fall. I've even noticed race-oriented waxless skis with 2 little mohair strips permanently attached to the skis. waxless race skis!!??

[Dostie]

M...ove to find a backcountry oriented skin ski with a waist somewhere in the seventies.

Look at Fischer's S-Bound series. Probably the S-Bound 98 (the 98 is the tip width, and the online description fails to provide waist width details).

[JPTalk Walker]

My beloved Pulk got skewered by a stump last Winter. It was a wonderful homebrewed model made by a fabricator friend who's since closed shop and moved into a Sprinter. Last I heard he was skiing with Skinheads in Idaho. So I either need to buy or make its replacement. I'd also love to find a backcountry oriented skin ski with a waist somewhere in the seventies.

[bauerb]

this past Spring I bought new roller skis , but I bought the 3 wheel kind that are only used for classic skiing, not skating. I also got speed reducers installed. the reducers are great because its more like a skinning movement...without the reducers they are much too fast. I can also go down hills without fear of death.