Boarding Extreeeeeme! In the Cold of Shiribeshi

Winter in Hokkaido is a snowboarder's paradise.

Expert snowboarders carve deep tracks in the world-famous powder snow.

This adventurous duo even heads

for the frigid sea to try carving some waves.

They'll be taking on some extreme winter activities unique to Hokkaido.

Let's go.

Wild Hokkaido!

Niseko is one of the few areas of the world that gets powder snow.

It is extremely dry and soft to the touch.

This particular snow is called Japan Powder Snow.

It has gained worldwide popularity.

It's also known as JAPOW.

Countless skiers and snowboarders come here

in search of this top quality snow.

Visiting Niseko today are the snowboarding duo Toni and Evan,

who have been drawn by the lure of JAPOW.

Toni is a snowboarding instructor and a professional photographer.

He is great at taking dynamic photographs.

On this trip, Toni and Evan are hoping to carve out

some great snowboarding tracks.

The feelings are really nice and it's playful.

And it's a nice place to be.

I think what makes the snow here in Niseko special is the quality.

It's very, very light.

There is a lot of air.

There's a very low percentage of water in it.

Toni and Evan often come to these slopes.

They do a quick once-over to check on the conditions.

In snowboarding, a key point is to stay upright

and balance your bodyweight perpendicular to your board.

When turning, Toni moves his center of gravity into the turn,

which forces the edge of the board into the snow,

creating a beautiful curve.

He only slightly shifts his upper body even on sharp turns.

He uses angulation to keep his upper body straight,

and twists his hips, leaning from one edge of the board to the other.

Between the outside of the turn and the inside of the turn.

So we would lean in the turn according to the speed.

If we go faster, we will lean a little bit more.

If we go slower, we don't need to lean that much

because it's more like a compensating movement

to avoid being pushed out of the turn

by the centrifugal energy force.

As Evan winds his way through the snow, Toni starts taking pictures.

Now for "SENSEI's Tips."

Taking a camera into a heated room immediately

after shooting in the cold will cause condensation to form on the lens.

To prevent this, let the camera warm up slowly in an area like an entryway.

So even in snowy conditions, you could take magnificent shots like these.

Try it out!

With so many skiers on the slopes,

Toni and Evan begin to long for something more.

Suddenly, Toni changes course.

He enters an area covered in freshly-fallen snow.

On untouched snow, he's free to make his own board tracks wherever he wants.

He sends plumes of snow up into the air,

having the time of his life.

Boarding on fresh snow is a feeling that can't be beat.

Although fresh snow can quickly bury the board,

Toni swishes through with ease.

What's his secret?

Looking closely, you can see that the end of Toni's board has a unique cut.

The snow will go through here, here, and here,

so it kind of sinks better in the snow,

creating kind of like a fin in surfing, like the fin that we have below.

The snow comes out from here easily.

Board tracks carved into the pure white snow...

They swish through the powder snow with billowing clouds in their wake.

They are snowboarding to their heart's content.

But then, the weather abruptly changes

and the mountain is hit by a blizzard.

The wind picks up, and the lift stops.

They had planned to snowboard at night,

but checking on the weather, they discuss their options.

Maybe over there, the wind looks a little better.

We will cancel the plan of today.

We won't stay for the night right here.

We're going to go home, rest a little bit

and get ready for tomorrow.

Driving early.

And you will see, because Hokkaido's winter is not only about JAPOW.

With that said, they get ready to leave.

What are they planning for tomorrow?

The next day, Toni and Even set off before dawn.

Is there another popular snowboarding spot around here?

They stop their cars, but not in the mountains.

They've come to the beach.

Out of the car they pull... a surfboard!

That's right! They've come to do some surfing.

Besides snowboarding, Toni also gives surfing lessons.

He's a veteran surfer who has surfed all over the world.

Snowboard and surfing is different,

but at the same time it's really similar

because we have the sideways gliding effect.

I think the Sea of Japan is pretty special to surf in winter because it's close to us.

It's close to the ski resort. So I think that's what makes it special.

But can people really surf in such freezing temperatures?

They seem to be unfazed by the cold, and get their boards ready.

Even their hands must be freezing without gloves.

Yeah, it's cold.

It's colder than I thought.

Brrr, that looks cold!

Let's go.

But they're really going in...

They head for the water over the snow-covered beach.

Let's go!

Let's have fun.

It looks so cold!

They head out further into the waves.

They are in search of some nice waves.

They wait in the cold looking for the perfect wave.

Deciding on the right wave is an important surfing skill.

Looks like he sees a promising swell.

He's got it.

But then...

That's got to be cold.

Hurry up and come back!

The two have returned to shore.

It must have been cold out there.

The water is actually warmer than the air.

It is better to be in the water than out there, somehow.

Seawater in December is about ten degrees Celsius.

It has a greater heat capacity than air

so the temperature doesn't drop very quickly.

That helps keep the cold at bay.

Snowy mountains or frigid seas...

These thrill seekers can have fun in any environment.

They make tracks through both water and snow.

Like in snowboarding, they make repeated sideways turns.

They say there's a secret to keeping their balance.

We will go like this always.

So we balance here and here.

The center of the mass drops between both points of contact,

on the surface and in the direction that we are sliding.

In the center, so we can keep the balance.

And the arms are supposed to balance it up here.

This is a natural human way to slide.

So, that's the secret! It's a lot like snowboarding.

In both cases, they use their waist as the axis,

and adjust their arms and knees to keep their balance.

They use the same principles to make beautiful turns.

Some say snowboarding originated from surfing.

That explains why Toni and Evan are so well-versed in both.

These wild guys love shredding on snow-covered mountains

and carving through mid-winter waves.

Can you imagine...

enjoying both the snowy mountains and sea in winter?

There's no place like Hokkaido, an extreme sports enthusiasts' dream.

I've been snowboarding for many, many years and surfing as well.

And I think the main reason that I love it so much is

because it forces me to be in the present moment.

You don't really have a choice when you're riding a wave

or snowboarding through the trees to think about anything else.

You have to focus on what you're doing.

And that's special for me.

You are surrounded by nature, and you have to go through some challenges,

that is the waves or the powder or the steepness or whatever you find on the slopes.

It's kind of like preparing you a little bit for life.

These two are sure to find more fun on this winter island paradise.

Wild Hokkaido! Discover great activities in the great outdoors of northern Japan.

Join us next time for another adventure!