JAPAN GRABS - Hakuba Blog 2013 / 2014
Once again (this has been a recurring theme this whole thread) your posts make me massively envious.
Thank you.
Thanks Deano 
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2014 F-Stop Mountain Shoot Out (in Hakuba)
Hey guys, this is a really cool event where four ski/snowboard photographers have three days in which to make a banging slideshow for a chance to win fame, respect & lots of Fukuzawa’s*
The slideshow presentation night is on Saturday, February 22nd from 7:30pm at the Mominoki Pub in Hakuba.
Entry is free!
If you’re in or close to Hakuba, make sure you come out for this. All the photographers are heavy hitters, and there is no doubt the slideshows will be better than what we could put together in a whole season.
The photographers are:
Yoshiro Higai (2013 F-Stop Shoot Out Best Shot winner)
Neil Hartmann
Joel Fraser
Tomoki Fuse
Oh yeah, there will be giveaways too - 3 snowboards!!!! and lots other quality stuff too. One of the boards is a 154 Nitro Quiver powder board. Looks awesome for deep tree runs. 
Austin Smith rides one in the Nike video, Never Not. It’s the small swallowtail board at 1:50.
I’m honoured to be a judge for the event, so should have a half decent write up for you guys if you can’t make it.
Here is Yoshiro Higai’s slideshow from last year:
and Takahiro Nakanishi’s slideshow :
For up to date info and interviews with the photogs, like the F-Stop Mountain Shoot out facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/mtnshootout
See you there!
* (Yukichi Fukuzawa is the guy pictured on the Japanese 10,000 yen bill).
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Sunny day Nikon V2 photos
It was a sunny day and we hit some roadside trees to try and get a little pow before it warmed up too much. I was excited to try the Nikon V2 in nice weather, as it does get good reviews in optimal lighting conditions. Well, check them out, I’m very happy with the quality.
Seeing 3 Kamoshikas has got to be lucky…right?
I was waiting for a slash, but he opted for ollieing the whole way down. Splash landing.
So here’s the ollie
and here’s another
and then a slash at the end
Boom! Short & sweet. Sums up the day nicely. I drove back to Toyama after that run and got some sledding in with my daughter. What a great Dad!
Marc you are absolutely killing me!!!! 8 days and 3 hours til I drive into Hakuba! Can’t wait!!!!!!!!!
Hey unremarkable,
looks like there will be rain just before you arrive and then some snow. Can’t see further than that. If you stay high in the resorts when you first arrive it should be ok. Hopefully the spike of high temperatures will disappear. This week initially said heavy rain on Thursday, then heavy snow, then nothing!
We arrive late Saturday night, first day with snow under me on Sunday; heavy snow before Sunday sounds perfect!! Even poor conditions in Japan would be epic for us as none of us have boarded outside Aus/NZ before. The days are slowing dooowwwwn….
can’t see as far as Sunday, but on Saturday there is 2cm forecast. Not much but….
Have you got your lift tickets sorted?
Yeah man everything all sorted, we all have our own gear etc. The only thing we lack is ANY grasp of Japanese language and culture but it’ll be a pleasure learning.
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Matsun in Toyama
So I had taken the day off and arrived at the ski resort expecting to go shooting with Yuta and Masato again, but when I called it turned out that they had gone to ride park elsewhere. Thanks for the heads up, guys.
So, I was in mellow mode and ran into a girl I knew, who introduced me to “Matsun”. It was his birthday and after destroying some corduroy groomers, I offered to take him into the woods for some leftover pow runs. He was thrilled.
In the forest, we disturbed a white rabbit and two kamoshika - a common occurrence these days!
So, we passed by this big pillow in a gulley, that’s about a 3 meter drop, followed by a smaller drop then the gulley narrows drastically.
Matsun was interested in hitting it so we did a quick lap and I grabbed my camera bag.
I’ve shot it before and can never find a good angle for it. Shooting it down low from the landing makes it look small, shooting from the side is blocked by trees. I considered climbing the trees but eventually just gambled on shooting it from the right side. (I had hiked back up from the landing and was fed up with walking around, so I was over it.)
I yelled up at Matsun to go for it and I crouched down for my angle.
He started off well
notice how it doesn’t look that big? grrrrrrr!
then things started going wrong
Uh oh
I thought he was going to hit me so I was starting to move away and he got chopped in half in the shot. I don’t think he was too worried about that at the time 
Luckily, he was fine, and we went to the next spot. This was actually dangerous. It was a 2 meter drop through trees, and there was a tree on the right of the landing. If he messed up and hit the tree, we’d be calling an ambulance. In hindsight, after his half front flip off the first pillow, I should have called it off. But anyways, he nailed it so all was good….except for my crappy angle.
I’ve been wanting to get a shot from the top of the jump looking down, but this was not the day for it.
Hey Marc, any chance you could do a bit of a review on your F-Stop Loka bag and the different ICU’s?
Hey Marc, any chance you could do a bit of a review on your F-Stop Loka bag and the different ICU’s?
no problem! are you in a rush?
haha yes and no. Just when you get a chance mate! Im prob gonna get one regardless, but really keen to hear your opinion on all aspects of the bag 
btw, have you seen the new colourway? looks sick. But I know black will always look good and go with anything. But the blue is killer
Yeah, the blue is super nice. Looks great in person too. Have you decided on the ICU?