A long introduction to snowboarding in Niigata
Some people rate Japan as one of the best countries to learn to snowboard. A lot of resorts are affordable and easily accessible from Tokyo by bus or Shinkansen. In late December I booked my first trip to a ski resort in Japan. While the trip did have its share of unforeseen hiccups, it convinced me to take up snowboarding. A friend of mine was keen to try out snowboarding and we booked a one night two day trip Yuzawa Park in Niigata.
I initially decided to try skiing since I didn't know much about snowboarding at the time, and snowboarding looked very clumsy, almost a bad mixture of skateboarding and surfing. Fortunately my friend convinced me otherwise, since he thought snowboarding looked cooler – another good reason to try it.
We left from Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo around 11pm by bus on a cold night in January. The travel agent told us we would arrive at around 6 in the morning, which would effectively give us two full days in the snow. That was what was supposed to happen.
I don't know where things started going wrong but after about three hours on the the road the bus driver appeared lost, as we stopped from time to time, during which he conferred with his co-driver. When the sun rose we were driving around in snow, though I don't know where. Due to the heavy snow in the Niigata region there were frequent delays on the roads. We knew we were somewhere in the vicinity of the ski resorts as there were ubiquitous signs for different resorts as well as the copious rental shops dotted in the snow.
As the day progressed we found ourselves in the bus for close on 12 hours and like most people, were getting slightly apprehensive and agitated by the time it was taking to get where we were supposed to. Finally the driver and his assistant started calling out the names of the people who were to be dropped off at the different resorts. Our names were called out and we stepped off the bus into slushy puddles of ice cold water and made our way across the road to the resort. The bus driver apologized for the delay, but that was of little comfort. We handed in our vouchers and sat down, exhausted. Twelve hours in a bus, whether it's in India, Pakistan, Egypt or Japan is way too long.
The next bit of news didn't go down too well either. The receptionist kindly told us we had been dropped off at the wrong place; this was not Yuzawa Park. Off we went and took a shuttle to Echigo Yuzawa Station, from there we had to take another shuttle which we were told would take us to Yuzawa Park. I contemplated ending the agony by taking the train back to Tokyo, away from the slush and incompetence. Thankfully, Yuzawa Park saved me.
The staff at the hotel were welcoming and in characteristic Japanese style, were incredibly courteous and helpful. We left our bags in storage and were directed downstairs to pick up our rental equipment. I had to fill in a form at the rental shop and was then given a board, boots and snowboard trousers and a jacket and of course a lift pass. Since it was after midday, the ski school was closed so lessons would have to wait until the next morning. The staff at the rental shop looked slightly worried when I asked them in my non-existent Japanese how to strap into the snowboard, “Was snowboarding difficult?” I asked. More concern. “A little difficult,” was the answer. How difficult, I would soon find out. Luckily it was snowing so the beginner run had a foot of soft snow on it.
It's advisable to do some research before trying a new sport or hobby but I can imagine most people don't, my self included. Fortunately strapping on a snowboard is quite straightforward and I managed to do this without any assistance. The next part – actually standing up and moving on it is another matter altogether. At the top of the beginner run we got ourselves ready. My idea was to try and make it down the slope slowly get acquainted with snowboarding that way. The reality though was somewhat different. The progress to the bottom of the slope consisted of standing up, going forward a meter or two and falling. I wouldn't go as far as to say the first afternoon was a total waste of time, but it came pretty close. Snowboards are strange things and direction of travel is largely controlled by where you're looking and if you don't know this, it's a long and painful process to learn. Worse, if you don't know how to stop or slow down it becomes even more painful as a snowboard or ski picks up speed very quickly once it's got some weight on it and is pointing down a slope.
We retired from the slopes after sunset on the first night, wounded and down, but not totally out. The next day would be better, it had to be!
Sure enough, after relaxing in the hot spring or "onsenA hot spring, often used for bathing. Bathing facilities are often, but not always, communal. May be outdoor or indoor. ," as it's know here in Japan, we were ready to take on the slopes again. We booked a morning lesson at the ski school from 10 to 12 o'clock. The lesson was in Japanese, another reason why I should have put my head down the previous year and studied the language of my host country. The lesson was a great help and even though I didn't understand the finer details of what the instructor said, she taught me how to stop front and back side, and as most people will tell you, when you know how to stop you can pretty much take on any slope. That's the theory anyway. I agree you can navigate your way down any slope, but whether you would ever contemplate it so early on is another matter.
After the lessons things went a lot better and slowly the skateboarding techniques I learned when I was a teenager started coming back and I started to feel more comfortable and spent the rest of the day on the beginner runs. It felt great after gaining some speed using the edge to slow down and do so without panicking. I did have a few falls but being on the conservative side when it comes to sports I tried to stay within my limits, a very good idea any snowboarder will tell you. When you're in control you can stop and control your falls and stand up and carry on down the run. When you're going too fast and you're out of control, you can't - it's that simple. You start to panic and do things you're not supposed to, like looking around, straightening your legs and fighting the momentum of your turn. The result is painful to imagine, an edge digs in and you have an uncontrolled fall, what results can be an injury to yourself or someone else and a big blow to your budding confidence and getting up again after a bad fall takes courage.
I made it through the afternoon without the painful falls of the day before and left Yuzawa that night hooked on snowboarding, planning to return later in the week. I think the most important things I learned from my first snowboarding experience is have lessons from a professional, don't try and learn on your own, it's a waste and you won't achieve anything. Second, don't try to do things that make you scared. Your body has a reasonable idea of what it can and can't do. Those instincts are worth trusting. Lastly, enjoy it.
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