If you have always dreamed of spending a day on the slopes with a pro skier or snowboarder, a new partnership between Explore-Share.com and the Freeride Word Tour (FWT) will allow you to do just that: cruise around the best ski resorts in Japan with some of the country’s most famous riders for a day of epic fun!
Ski Japan´s famous JAPOW with a FWT athlete. Photo: courtesy of FWT.
The FWT is the organizer of some of the most important freeriding competitions in the world, with events taking place all over the globe.
As part of the deal with the FWT, Explore-Share users will be able to pick from an impressive lineup of Japanese pro athletes competing in the FWT or the Freeride World Qualifiers (FWQ) in Japan and book a day or several days of skiing or snowboarding in some of Japan’s most renowned ski areas, including resorts in Hokkaido, Nagano and Niigata.
Participants can expect to follow their athlete of choice as he or she takes them to the best powder stashes in the resort, hits the trees, takes them to ski some moguls or even gives them some pro tips at the terrain park. Sessions, which will take place within resort boundaries, will be offered both as private and group programs.
Ski or ride with a real pro while also getting an introduction to Japanese culture. Photo: courtesy of FWT
“This is a truly unique opportunity for our users to ski Japan’s famous dry and light powder led by a local pro athlete who will not only show them to their favorites spots but also introduce them to Japanese culture,” said ExploreShare’s Ryoko Amano, in charge of Business Development in Japan and a mountain sports lover herself. “We are extremely excited about this new program,” she added.
JAPOW, as Japanese powder snow is known, has made the country’s ski resorts and backcountry a “must-visit” destination for freeride skiers and touring enthusiasts around the world. And with Japanese ski resorts receiving an average of 10 to 18 meters of snow each season, there is definitely no shortage of it!
Some of the FWT/FWQ athletes featured on Explore-Share.
The talent-packed rider roster that can take you skiing or snowboarding for a day includes some of the big names of Japan’s skiing and snowboarding scene, including Taisuke Kusunoki (ranked 1st in Men´s Freeride Skiing Japan),Yu Sasaki (ranked 2nd in Men´s Freeride Skiing Japan) and Wakana Hama (ranked 1st in Women´s Freeride Skiing Japan). Check out all of the athletes´ profiles here!
They will be offering sessions in some of Japan’s best-known ski areas, including the Hakuba Valley in Nagano, the resorts around Sapporo in Hokkaido and several spots in Niigata.
Programs will be only offered in Japan during the 2019 winter season but Explore-Share aims to extend the model to other ski areas around the world after this first test run.
Myoko, one of the most famous resorts in Nagano, Japan. Photo: courtesy of FWT.
Based in Lausanne, in Switzerland, the Freeride World Tour management has been organizing sports events since 1996. Its iconic “Xtreme Verbier” competition, held every year in April, has been transformed into the finals of a series of qualifying events that take place all over the world.
Japan was the first country in Asia to host Freeride World Tour competitions in 2017. A total of 8 events, taking place at 5 different locations across Japan, are scheduled for the 2019 season, with athletes competing both for individual wins and for the World Championship.
RIDE AROUND THE BEST SKI RESORTS IN JAPAN WITH ATHLETES FROM THE FREERIDE WORLD TOUR
Alain Kajita, one of the FWQ skiers featured on Explore-Share. Photo: courtesy of Alain Kajita.
The Hakuba Valley in Nagano is home to some of the best ski resorts in Japan. Photo: courtesy of the FWT.
Steeps, powder snow and lots of vertical make for a killer combo in Hakuba. Photo: courtesy of the FWT.
