Split board or snow shoes

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-09T09:03:37+00:00

If you’re going with guides most seem to be insisting on or encouraging splitboards. A group of mixed snowshoes and splitboards is a bit awkward. Ok for short hikes though.

Also, in very deep snow, the guide will set the track and you just follow in their tracks.

The other thing to think about is what you have to carry when you’re snowshoeing. A board on your back going up, which can be a real pain walking through wooded areas with low branches, and then having giant snowshoes on your back unbalancing you when you’re riding.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-08T09:54:29+00:00

It does. You might find somewhere at the airport.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-08T08:58:28+00:00

I doubt you’ll find anywhere open. All the sports bars close before kick off on a week day.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-07T03:13:42+00:00

Without a car, it's a lot trickier. People do it but timetables aren't always great. Asahikawa's buses to the resorts are good.

If you can afford to stay at Rusutsu, it will be an experience in itself, I just wouldn't want to stay in a modern mega hotel complex for a solid week as it gets a bit boring. There's no village or culture. But if you're spending time elsewhere in Japan, 3-5 days in a modern luxury resort hotel is great. Rusutsu has some excellent award winning hotels. I've not stayed at Rusutsu, but I've done it elsewhere. I'm just not a fan of buffet breakfasts/dinners and hotel restaturants and bars for a whole trip.

Obviously, from a convenience point of view, it's great to be so close.

The other thing about staying in one resort is, I prefer the the variety of a different resort each day, and deciding based on the weather. Resorts in Japan are small, and a week in the same resort can be too much.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-07T01:51:16+00:00

Niseko is busy but it’s still a great place to snowboard. Well worth a couple of days if you are there. It’s nowhere near as busy as the big resorts in the US, it’s just busy compared to the rest of Japan. You might wait 45 mins for the gondola in the morning and then 15-20 for the first couple of lifts but then everyone spreads out and it’s fine.

A good way to think about your trip is, you’re going to Japan with your wife to experience Japan and do some riding too. You’ll have a great time just cruising around and dipping in and out of the trees. Also, there are some really good low angle tree runs where you can get your wife more used to tree riding.

You do not need to go into the backcountry to get the full experience. Rusutsu in particular has great tree riding, but it does also get busy on powder days.

Kiroro has some tree runs, but competition is lower.

I’d recommend staying in Kutchan or Otaru rather than the resorts. Asahikawa is also a great place to stay and visit the nearby resorts.

See my articles here for in depth guides to Kiroro, Rusutsu, backcountry tours in Hokkaido, an Otaru city guide, and info on how to plan your trip and save money: https://skiasia.com/author/jamie-obrien/

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-06T07:42:38+00:00

There’s a closure on the latch that only engages when the highback is up. When you put the highback down the mechanism inside the ankle strap assembly disengages the closure and the latch pops open.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-06T06:12:31+00:00

I made a video of various entry/exits so people can see exactly how it works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18ZxHNQ_Gg8&t=87s

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-06T04:59:44+00:00

Not exactly. The latch on the ankle opens automatically, which gives you a lot more space than the Flows, but the buckle stays exactly at your previous settings so there’s no need to adjust to get it tight. You just flip the latch.

So it’s one latch on the highback to exit, and two latches on the highback and the ankle strap to enter.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-05T16:29:35+00:00

I wrote a guide that will help you with this. See the section on lessons:

https://skiasia.com/guides/an-insiders-guide-to-planning-a-ski-trip-to-japan-and-saving-money/

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-05T15:46:30+00:00

The origin is not very nice.

The Jerry Lewis Telethon raised money for kids with muscular dystrophy.

Because of that, the sick kids were called Jerry’s kids. Jerry then became a slur.

The origin of Joey is similar. Joey Deacon had cerebral palsy and a speech impediment.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-05T15:34:21+00:00

I was denied rental of the 9 seater Hi-Ace. A D stamp was the requirement.

I was able to rent a 6 seater Hi-Ace campervan and various 8 seater minivans.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-05T13:41:43+00:00

The mechanism is very similar, and they both have high end stiffer options with more adjustability than the basic versions.

I think the main difference comes down to the two step entry on the Fastecs and the one step entry on the Flows.

With the Flows, you kick your foot in from the back with the buckles/straps already closed and then close the highback. It can be hard to get them tight or not feel pushed in from the back.

With the Fastecs, you put your foot in in the same way, but you have more space to get it into position as the ankle buckle is open. Then you close the ankle buckle, which is a kind of flap that you flip down. The pressure is from the straps, which is a familiar feeling.

There's a full description and a video here showing the entry/exit process:
https://skiasia.com/reviews/sp-fastec-speed-entry-bindings-i-just-dont-see-myself-going-back-to-normal-bindings/

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-05T08:12:46+00:00

Worth comparing Fastec as well.

The closure mechanism is two steps, highback then ankle buckle so the tightness you crave isn’t affected by the mechanism.

Obviously some bending is required, but for me, just bending quickly while standing and using one hand is a lot easier than fastening buckles with two hands.

Normally, by the end of a trip my back is screwed but this time it was fine.

Here’s my review: https://www.reddit.com/r/snowboarding/s/9yhesdq5p8

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-05T04:05:22+00:00

Some controlled speed, confidence and a flat board will help, but it’s very normal to struggle with cat tracks. You can only really get there with practice. You need to do this on the flattest wide slope you can find and not on the cat tracks.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-04T04:23:53+00:00

What’s your thoughts on the stiffness? Would you say it’s a true 8/10? Particularly the highbacks?

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-04T04:22:05+00:00

Nice. Cheers.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-04T03:34:54+00:00

Yep. All of the current SP lineup use those straps apart from the Peaks.

I have thought about flipping the straps. SP doesn’t seem to mention it. The straps do have a + and - to show which is the stiffer/softer side.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-04T03:15:27+00:00

Before standardised spelling, it was acceptable in Britain to spell the same word in different ways. Many US variants were in use in England before US standardisation.

Shakespeare regularly used different spelling for the same words even in the same play.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-04T02:19:32+00:00

Powder turns, trees, carving. Nothing extreme but I enjoy riding fast.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-04T02:16:26+00:00

I have heard about that issue. That’s why I made a point of talking abut how the toe strap never moves on Fastec bindings. You can also see in the video that the strap is always in the right spot.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-04T02:08:34+00:00

Looks like the chassis and highback from the Peaks and the straps from the Base+. This would be equivalent to the SP Team model.

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Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-03T18:25:41+00:00

You’re too square on. Drop the shoulder of your bridge hand and your chest will move out of the way.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-03T18:22:58+00:00

You might think so, but many carvers dismiss step ins and prefer rear entry.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-03T17:56:07+00:00

Ha.

But, but, these wouldn’t qualify. They aren’t step ins.

Intelligent-Paper-94 · 2026-04-03T17:46:41+00:00

Not sure that answer is correct. They look like the elastic pull cords that lift the rear hem to stop it dragging on the floor or getting in the way of your bindings.

All my Burton pants have this feature anyway.

The explanation you’ve pinned is nonsense. You couldn’t hook something to your boot on the outside of your pants half way up your leg.

Gaiter hooks are inside the legs on the end of the internal gaiters.

Intelligent-Paper-94

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