Mt. Bachelor is a good analogy to Niseko in scale and pitch but has more above tree line. The NY places look visually similar as like most Japanese ski areas, they are completely below tree line. But Bohemia and Japan are steeper than upstate NY. I measured Bohemia with the Google Earth ruler. It is pitched similarly to Mt. Bachelor's Summit lift but for 700-800 vertical vs. 1,700.
I am comfortable on many powder days on my 98mm Blizzard Bonafides. They are particularly effective in the Alps when I may be skiing a range of conditions from powder to hardpack. The Bonafides have a long and gradual early rise that prevents hooking into fresh snow prematurely and are better powder skis than my first two (1996 Volant Chubb, 90mm, 2009 Head Jimi, 110mm but no rocker).
But from sbooker's pics, this trip clearly calls for dedicated powder skis. It's not only the width and the rocker that would help greatly; it's the 5-point design where the widest part of the ski is set back from the tip and tail. There is dispute whether the Armada JJ (I first saw at Eagle Pass Heli in 2009) or Rossignol S7 (which is ubiquitous in LCC) was the first with 5-point design.
My DPS Wailers are 112mm and Liz' ON3P Jessies are 108. The less experience in powder you have, the more important it is to be on fat skis in Japan's current conditions. Kylie needs to get off those 92's ASAP.
I am comfortable on many powder days on my 98mm Blizzard Bonafides. They are particularly effective in the Alps when I may be skiing a range of conditions from powder to hardpack. The Bonafides have a long and gradual early rise that prevents hooking into fresh snow prematurely and are better powder skis than my first two (1996 Volant Chubb, 90mm, 2009 Head Jimi, 110mm but no rocker).
But from sbooker's pics, this trip clearly calls for dedicated powder skis. It's not only the width and the rocker that would help greatly; it's the 5-point design where the widest part of the ski is set back from the tip and tail. There is dispute whether the Armada JJ (I first saw at Eagle Pass Heli in 2009) or Rossignol S7 (which is ubiquitous in LCC) was the first with 5-point design.
My DPS Wailers are 112mm and Liz' ON3P Jessies are 108. The less experience in powder you have, the more important it is to be on fat skis in Japan's current conditions. Kylie needs to get off those 92's ASAP.
Last edited:
