It’s not like we were doing any serious “pole training” or anything. But just placing a few markers on the slope makes skiing suddenly way more fun and engaging. Why? Because the difference between “I did it” and “I messed up” becomes crystal clear and obvious.

If you move like this here, you’ll smoothly pass the pole. But if you couldn’t do that there?if you were late, if you got pushed off your line?you end up missing the course. And you can feel that for yourself. And because you know what went wrong, you naturally want to do it better next time.

And sure enough, when you do get it right, you carve around the poles nice and smooth. And you know that, too. That’s why it’s fun!

Which is how we ended up skiing for five straight hours on snow under the blazing sun... Oh man...

Huge thanks to I-san and Y-san?great job out there!　And the next morning. Clear blue skies again right from the start!

I headed off with I-san toward Ichinokoshi. We climbed using step cuts, linking together all the nice-looking slopes as we went. It was really good.

By the way, I-san’s Pinnacle skis?where the base had peeled off the day before?somehow still seemed okay for now…

But man, I have to say?those boots I-san is using are probably the thinnest-soled version among all the 75mm-standard boots out there. They’re basically just rubber-soled boots. Watching him ski downhill in those made me feel like... maybe I want to try it too?

For reference, I’m wearing CRISPI SYDPOLEN GTX. These are pretty soft too?definitely on the flexy side?but they’re still way more supportive than I-san’s, I’m sure.

Hmm... here I am at the end of the season, and I’m starting to feel like I might end up buying something weird again...

Namu~ (a little prayer for my wallet, maybe?)　June 28?29, 2025