Summer Snowboarding on a Glacier
in July 2001? Yes!

AC's Mike Kai flying high

     Just imagine, you're carving turns in firm corduroy snow and catching air with your friends. But wait, its July, 2001! This dream for millions of recreational and pro skiers and snowboarders is actually a reality for many.

     Each year, hundreds of avid snow goers from all over the world flock to snowboard camps in Oregon, and Canada. This year I had the opportunity to travel to Whistler, Canada which is only a few hours drive from Vancouver International Airport. Although Whistler is a mecca for snow sports in the winter, many do not realize that it has some of the best summer riding terrain in the world. Professional snowboarders and ski racers congregate on the large glacier to train during the summer, some hoping to compete in the next Winter Olympics in Utah. While in Whistler, I was able to meet a few very interesting personalities, many of which came from Japan.

Here are new friends, Japanese natives Satoru Nemoto, from Lake Tahoe, California and Yukiko Ishikawa. They live in Bend, Oregon, and say snowboarding in Japan has grown tremendously in the past few years. 

Satoru Nemoto & Yukiko Ishikawa

     Nemoto says, the high cost of enjoying snowboarding has limited it to only a small culture in Japan. For example, according to the two, it costs over a hundred dollars US per day to snowboard in Japan. For these reasons and also to enjoy the snowboard experience in North America, many Japanese people have chosen to spend their summers in Mt. Hood.

Name:  Keijiro Kasahara

Age: 23

Nationality:

Japan, Nagano

Experience:

Snow Maintenance for HCSC - 2 years
Snowboard Camper - 2 years
Snowboarding - 5 years

Favorite part of camp:

Halfpipe and dinner time (camp served both Japanese and American cuisine)

Achievements:

Japan Nippon Open 17th
US Open 47th

Sponsors:

Burton Japan, RSS Burton, Von Zipper, Parrot Boardshop, Area 51