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news T niseko newsBy Matthew ThomasBeginners flying high on magic carpetIN what is a first for Japan, Hanazono ski resort thisseason opened its covered magic carpet lifts in a bid tocater for families and beginner skiers and boarders.With three belt lifts in total, ranging from 60m to125m in length, the magic carpets are pretty hard tomiss – long, tunnel-like conveyor belt lifts that link thelower ski runs with ‘308’, Hanazono’s centre and heartwith a restaurant, shops, media systems, entertainmentand more.Niseko mostly caters to intermediate and advancedriders with deep powder cravings – and does so verywell indeed. However, Hanazono saw an opportunityto provide ‘the perfect learning environment forbeginners’, said the resort’s marketing director, NigelAbbott. He said the magic carpets also serviced thesnow tube and toboggan tracks at Hanazono, to createthe ‘perfect snow play environment’. “Whether you’rea snowboarder or skier, child or adult, our learnerbasin with these magic carpets, combined withobstacle courses to develop skills, and good-qualitygroomed snow, provides the perfect environment foranyone who is starting out in the snow,” Mr Abbottsaid. “This makes the whole experience aroundlearning very enjoyable.”Hanazono also caters for kids, offering a fun full-day,indoor-outdoor package with an instructor, offering‘pint-sized good times’. “We also have an indoor facilityfor kids, with kids-size tables, toilets, toys and activities,”Mr Abbott said. “Kids can go in and get some shelterfrom the snow and basically just have fun. Parents candrop their kids off, hand them over to a qualifiedinstructor and pick them up at the end of the day,knowing they are safe and having a great time.”A TOUR group was caught in an avalanche recently, withone person seriously injured, at one of Niseko’s mostpopular backcountry mountains.The slide on Sunday, February 8 at the nearbyNitonupuri (southwest of Mt Annupuri) resulted inseveral people on a NOASC guided tour being caught inthe avalanche and swept into a tree line. A Japaneseman on the tour broke his femur and was taken tohospital. He was trapped 70cm beneath the slide, andwas found by the guides via beacon after about fiveMAGIC... Hanazono's magic carpet.Photo: Niseko Photography.Mr Abbott said that while the magic carpets weredesigned with novices, families and children in mind,they still helped out more experienced skiers andboarders who were simply exhausted. “If you just can’tbe bothered, and are burned out after a big day up themountain, you can hop on the magic carpet and jumpout at the top and relax at 308, sit around, and havesomething to eat or drink,” he said.Mr Abbott said that this season marked thebeginning of Hanazono achieving full day resortstatus, with plenty of plans in the pipeline for thefuture. “This is the start of the first stage of thedevelopment of Hanazono as a resort,” he said. “This isjust a taste of what is to come. We are really gearingup for the future and want to bring more and morepeople to the area that want to learn to ski orsnowboard, or simply indulge in some snow play.”JAPAN’S hottestsnowboardersconverged onNiseko earlierthis month fortwo world-classcompetitions atHanazono.The KissmarkCup (Feb 7) andHokkaido Half-Photo: Niseko Photography.PipeChampionships(Feb 8) – both Federation of International Snowboardingevents – took over the Stomping Ground for a weekend ofeye-popping trickery. “There were Olympic competitors andJapanese national teams of a very high standard,” said NigelAbbott, Hanazono’s marketing director. “There was also ajunior division from ages seven and up, and the talent ofthose kids was amazing. We were seeing what is at the forayof technique and tricks in the world at the moment.”The Kissmark Cup, a national event, went off without ahitch. However, the weather did play a bit of havoc withthe Hokkaido Half-Pipe Championships – a qualifier forthe Nissan X-Trail Asian Open – where a result wasreached from the qualifying rounds.Abbott said officials were impressed with the highstandard of Hanazono’s half-pipe and terrain park.He added that Hanazono looked forward to runningthe competitions next year.Meanwhile, Hanazono will again run the Hano FourSlopestyle on March 14, where ¥200,000 is up for grabs inthe skiing and boarding event.Avalanche strikes Niseko backcountry, man injuredminutes trapped under the snow. The owner of NOASC,Ross Carty, said he did not know the cause of theavalanche for sure, and said it ‘came out of nowhere’.Carty said the group was following normal tracks (about15 degrees slope angle) when the avalanche struck. “It’sstrange because the area we were in is normally stableand is a very popular and safe spot for tours, hiking andriding,” he said. “We think it may have been caused bysnow or ice falling from a tree, a skier above the fallline, or by the wind. We can’t be sure of the cause,Hanazono compsthough, and an investigation is under-way.”The avalanche was 10m-wide at the top and30m-wide once it came to rest 200m down the hill insome trees. The night before the slide, about 30cm ofsnow fell in the area overnight, blown in by high winds.The slide is the first serious avalanche in the Nisekoregion in some time to cause serious injury.NOASC has decided to suspend backcountry tours forall of February, until investigations are completed andthe area has once again been deemed safe.12 powderlife ISSUE 15 february 21 – march 6 2009 www.powderlife.com