REPORT

Yesterday it snowed for the first time since 3/2 (Thurs.), and this morning was sunny with beautiful blue skies! The “6th Annual Kids’ Technical Competition”, which was scheduled to be held on Nakiyama’s Public Course, instead took place on the south side of the Panorama Course, with an impressive total of 73 entrants in four categories: 1st and 2nd grade boys and girls, 3rd and 4th grade boys and girls, 5th and 6th grade boys and girls, and junior high school boys and girls.
[Panorama Course]

The competition began with a time race, and continued with long turn and short turn categories, held in that order. Even though the competitors were only children, they looked very serious as they faced their competition. I spoke briefly with a second-grade elementary school student from Aichi Prefecture entering the event for the first time, who said, “I skied hard and am pretty worn out now. I want to participate again next year.”
[Panorama Course]

Parents were able to watch their children ski from the sides of the special competition course. There I met a father from Osaka (pictured, left) who told, “I love your site! The weather was bad yesterday, so we picked strawberries in Nagano City and had Genghis Khan (grilled lamb) in Shinshu-Shinmachi. That’s why my two sons haven’t had the time to prepare properly (lol).”
[Panorama Course]

The snow has been melted quickly over the first half of March, and most of the mountain’s lower courses were closed on 3/17 (Fri.). Currently, there are only two open routes going down from the Riesen Slalom Course to the southern portion of the Nakiyama Slope or to the Shirakaba Slope (pictured). The last part, just in front of the gondola base station (pictured), had a series of irregular bumps and undulations.
[Shirakaba Slope]

　　
[Happo-One Opening Information for 3/19 (Sun.)]
*Almost All Areas Available (Except for Central, Olympic Ⅰ & Ⅱ, Kitaone, Sakka, Kokusai, OMUSUBI, Nakiyama North & Kabe)
*Available Lifts … Gondola (8:00 a.m.-), totally 13 lifts
*Fees … From 3/13 Spring Discount Adult JPY5,500, 6-17 y/o JPY2,500

*Printable Rental Discount Coupons!
Carving Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY3,000 / Outerwear JPY2,500!
Carving Ski・Snowboard High Performance Model Rental JPY500 OFF!
Kid’s Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY2,500 / Outerwear JPY1,500!

*Click here to purchase photos found in this report

reported by Snownavi