I've been mentioning my snowboarding trips every once in a while but I haven't really talked about them, so I'm dedicating this post to my absolute favorite hobby in the world. If you've ever felt the exhilaration of flying down a mountainside at break-neck speeds or wound your way through a snowy slope of trees, you'll understand what I'm talking about.. and why it's so addicting.
I'm just going to compare my experiences snowboarding in the only two places I've ever been: Hokkaido and the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. Now, the Rocky Mountains, in terms of size, wins hands down over Hokkaido. Its highest peaks are over a lofty 4,000m while Hokkaido's Daisetsuzan mountain range tops out around 2,000m. While the sheer size of a mountain is one of the aspects that makes skiing and snowboarding so enjoyable (like Kicking Horse in Golden, B.C. with its 10km run), you get to a certain point and you realize it's less about how long the runs are and more about the quality of the snow. The holy grail for every skier and snowboarder in the world is light, fluffy, knee-deep powder. For those of you who've been fortunate enough to both surf and snowboard, it's an amazing sensation. I tried surfing once but didn't like the whole paddling out and swallowing salt-water part. I definitely prefer the cold and the snow, but snowboarding through powder is literally like surfing on water, relying only on your stance and balance. In my 10 years of skiing in the Rocky Mountains, I've only ever had two times where I experienced knee-deep powder. Once was on my 22nd birthday where it had been snowing so hard at the ski hill I went to that it caused an avalanche the week before. In my short three Winter months in Hokkaido, I've had amazing powder almost every single time I've went!

The difference between the Rockies and Hokkaido is simple geography. It boils down to the fact that Hokkaido is an island surrounded by water. More humidity = more snow, and it just happens to have the right amount of moisture that the snow is light and fluffy when it falls.. and falls.. and falls.. It's been one of the warmest winters on record, but its already dropped more snow than an average snowfall in an entire Albertan Winter (and its supposed to dump 40cm here in the next three days alone!). Simply put, if your a fan of skiing or snowboarding, Hokkaido is the place to be. The mountains aren't as large, but the quality of the snow more than make up for its size. The entire island is dotted with ski resorts (you can find one within 45 minutes in any direction), the lift passes are cheap, there are never lineups and the best way to end a day of riding is in a nice, warm onsen. Ahhh! It's the fact the Japanese have embraced downhill sports so openly and enthusiastically which makes Winter here so enjoyable. Japan definitely gives you one of the best skiing experiences in the world. I'm doing my best to take advantage of this magic powder wonderland in my time here because I know I will miss it when I leave. Here's to another three months of snow!

Edit: Here's that 40cm of snow I was talking about!