REPORT

Today the finals of COWDAY, Japan’s premier slopestyle contest, were held under sunny skies typical of the spring ski season! The 10 men and 6 women who made it through yesterday’s qualifying rounds skied 2 runs each and competed using a points system, where the best score from the two runs is adopted. (Kaito Hamada, who competed in the men’s slopestyle at the Beijing Olympics, is pictured here.)
[Route 4]

At this year’s competition, the performances of Kira Kimura (pictured), who placed third at the World Cup in Austria in January, and Kaito Hamada, who competed in the Beijing Olympics, attracted a lot of attention. The special competition course included a 3m flat rail to 3m flat rail, a down rail to double down, a 15m kicker, a 12m kicker, a 2-way rainbow rail, and 7m up rail.
[Route 4]

Even during the open practice session just before the competition, athletes were attacking the various sections of the course, including the down rail (pictured), with the level of tricks that they would later use in the actual competition. The most spectacular part was watching the athletes fly off of the 15-meter kicker (first photo). The riders soaring high into the air, landing grabs and nailing rotations with beauty and power. (Inokuchi Wayu is pictured here.)
[Route 4]

The groomed, granular snow surfaces of Route 6 and Route 5 (pictured) were pretty hard-packed first thing in the morning. By 10:00am, when I finished covering the competition, the snow had softened up. The granular snow on the lower part of Route 1 was also soft, making it easy to set and control my edges. Route 7, the descent course for beginners, has an area in the middle of the course that requires walking, due to the rapidly melting snow.
[Route 6]

　
[Hakuba Goryu & Hakuba47 Availability Inforation on 3/29 (Wed.)]
*Over half of areas open (=All courses are available except for Iimori Area, Champion Expert)
*Available Lifts … Goryu Tele-cabin (8:15-), Line-8 (8:00-) and totally 9 lifts.
*Lift Fees … 3/11- Spring Discount 1 Day Ticket 18-79 y/o JPY5,000, 13-17 y/o JPY4,300, 6-12 y/o 2,600 *Ticket Deposit JPY500 required.
　　
＊Printable Rental Discount Coupons!
Adul 1 Day Pass + Rental 1 Day Coupon = JPY11,000 → JPY7,800!
Child 1 Day Pass + Rental 1 Day Coupon = JPY7,000 → JPY4,400!
Adul 2 Day Pass + Rental 2 Day Coupon = JPY20,500 → JPY15,200!
Child 2 Day Pass + Rental 2 Day Coupon = JPY12,900 → JPY8,400!

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!

＊Goryu47 will be updated 5 times a week from December to March, 2 to 3 times a week from April.
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