Departure proceeds to Hakuba Village, Nagano , a land of snowfall!

On a day when Japan finally regained its "normality" after the relatively mild winter and the cold wave that swept through the country, a professional skater got into his Jeep® Renegade early in the morning with the moon still in the sky. In the early morning, with the moon still in the sky, we boarded the Jeep® Renegade with Alexander Lee Chan, a professional skater and designer with a successful eponymous brand, Daisuke Matsushima, owner of the popular coffee shop "PADDLERS COFFEE" in Nishihara, Shibuya, Tokyo, Daisuke Matsushima, owner of PADDLERS COFFEE, and Daisuke Matsushima, owner of the popular coffee shop "PADDLERS COFFEE" in Nishihara, Shibuya, Tokyo. Daisuke Matsushima, owner of PADDLERS COFFEE in Nishihara, Shibuya, Tokyo, and Jun Nakata, our famous HOUYHNHNM's editorial department editor.

Their destination this time is Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture. This time, they are going to Hakuba Village in Nagano Prefecture, a place known as the Mecca of winter sports in Japan, to try an activity called "snowboarding".

Lee-san, Matsushima-san , nice to meet you today! By the way, have you two ever done snowboarding before?" (Nakata)

This is my first time. All I know is that I ride a wooden board, so I have no idea what it is like to ride a board.

I'm the same as Matsushima-san. I'm sure it's different from snowboarding, but I have no idea what it's like (laughs).

. . as a matter of fact, so am I. I have an image of snowboarding where the feet are not fixed, but I can't wait to try it! I have this image of snowboarding where the feet are not fixed, but anyway, I can't wait to try it! (Nakada)

More like skating or surfing than snowboarding! . an activity that is more akin to skating or surfing than snowboarding.

While engaging in light-hearted conversation on the topic of snowboards, Renegade arrived at the workshop of professional snowboarder Masaru Matsuura (Tasuku). Matsuura-san is a professional snowboarder who also makes his own snowboards and holds hands-on snowboarding events, spreading the appeal of winter activities to the public.

Nice to meet you!" After greeting each other, the members immediately ask Matsuura-san, "What is a snow board? After greeting each other, the members immediately asked Mr. Matsuura what a snowboard is.

Snowboarding was created as a new winter sport by a professional snowboarder and friend of mine, Jun Gomyo. In other words, it is an activity that originated in Japan. It is also known in English as "yukiita. I saw it for the first time about seven years ago. At the time, I thought it was a maniacal activity, but when I actually tried it, it was so much fun that I was immediately attracted to it (laughs). (Laughs.) So I spend my days making my own boards and spending my winters snowboarding and snowboarding.

Snowboards are the result of the maturation of snowboarding culture and the search for a new type of activity. The biggest difference between snowboards and snowboards is in the foot.

Snowboarders have bindings to hold their feet in place, whereas snowboarders do not. . So, just like surfing or skating, you have the same freedom of footing. So, if there is a small hill, you can easily climb it with your own feet, ride the snowboard, climb the hill again, and so on. . It is much more nimble than snowboarding, where you have to ride the lift to the top of the slope and ski. And the boards are so light that you can even hold them with one hand.

When you actually hold the snowboard, you will be amazed at how light it is. . It seems that even the act of climbing up the hill after skiing will not be a hardship.

'Can you ski well even if your feet aren't locked in place?' (Nakata)

. You can see when you actually try it, the tip of the board bends up slightly as you glide along. In other words, you feel the pressure from below, so you don't have to worry about your feet coming off the board. Just as surfing and snowboarding boards come in a variety of shapes and have different riding characteristics, the shape and sole of a snow board can affect the way it rides. Some are more stable, some are faster, and some are easier to turn than others. Each board has its own unique characteristics, so please compare them and enjoy your ride today.

By the way, as an aside, Matsuura-san is also familiar with the activity of "snow skating" and produces and distributes boards.

. as you can see, it's like skating on snow. It was developed in the U.S. many years ago, but it is slowly gaining popularity these days. The level of difficulty is not that high, so if you are interested, please give it a try next time.

The beauty of a handmade snowboard as a product.

Snowboards are said to offer a variety of riding experiences depending on the shape of the board, and he was kind enough to show us a part of the process of making such snowboards. Matsuura, who is a professional snowboarder as well as a forestry worker, has a number of solid wooden boards standing in his workshop, and like a sculptor, he creates snowboards by shaving them.

. First, we use a template to draw an outline on this board. Then, using this line as a base, we rough out the board with a chainsaw.

Saying this, Matsuura-san pulls out a chainsaw from a shelf and cuts the wooden planks without hesitation. The members of the group watch him work, overwhelmed by his manly appearance.

'How long does it take to complete a single snow board from a solid board?' (Lee)

After rough shaping, we start the full-scale shaping process, which is the hardest part, and it takes about two months to complete one board. It takes about two months to complete a single board. Since we started from zero in the snowboard making process, it took us years to create a board with this level of perfection.

He made snowboards and skied them, verifying how they actually rode, and then used the results in the next production. Matsuura says that he repeated trial and error in this way to improve the precision of his work.

There are not many people like me who make snowboards from solid wood (laughs). (Laughs) "It is much easier to make them from processed boards.

. but these snowboards made from solid wood are better. . I am attracted to the process of cutting the wood and making it by hand. It is simply beautiful and cool as a product.

As Lee said while looking at the snowboards, all of Matsuura's snowboards are so beautiful and highly finished that they could be called works of art.

. "After two months of shaping, the snowboard is completed by attaching the fabric to the shaped board. This is made of dyed sheets, and I do the dyeing myself. By attaching this kind of cloth, the design is enhanced and the strength of the board is also greatly improved.

The red renegade's figure stands out against the silvery white world.

The group is now familiar with snowboarding, and their minds are filled with curiosity about an unknown activity. After changing their clothes, they loaded their snowboards into the Jeep® Renegade and headed for the hill where the activity was to take place.

According to preliminary information, Hakuba had a small amount of snowfall, but the cold wave brought a large amount of snow and turned the area into a silvery white world in an instant. The sight of the red Renegade running strongly in the beautiful snowy landscape made me feel even more confident than when I see it in the city.

The Jeep is very stable," said Nakata. Even on snowy roads like this, it drives with its feet firmly planted on the ground.

The "Jeep® Renegade" can switch between 4WD operation modes depending on the road environment, such as sandy or muddy roads as well as snowy roads. This time, the car was equipped with studless tires and driven on snowy roads in "snow mode," but the driver, Nakata, seemed undaunted by the drive. Lee-san and Matsushima-san also seemed to like the car.

I love this car. Not only is it powerful and durable, but it also inherits the DNA of the Jeep, with its urban design and solidity. It is also compact in size, which makes it easy for my wife to drive, and it may be the perfect car for a family with small children like ours.

. I can really feel the Jeep's character, can't I? When I was a student in Portland, I stayed with a host family who drove a Jeep, and I felt a kinship with them. The dog they had was named "Jeepers," and the family loved jeeps (laughs). (Laughs) Perhaps because of that, Jeep cars have an "American" and "masculine" feel to them.

It's fun to try! The comfortable feeling of running on a snowboard.

The group arrived at their destination in no time at all after some light-hearted talk in the car. The hills were covered with a magnificent layer of powder snow , making the conditions perfect for snowboarding.

. Actually, snowboarding is an activity that can only be done when the snow conditions are good. . It's best to have enough powder on top of a pressured slope so that your knees are buried in the powder. The best conditions are when there is knee-deep powder on top of a pressurized slope, and that's exactly what happened today. It's a great feeling to ride a snowboard on fluffy snow that no one has stepped on. You all are so lucky!" (Matsuura)

Matsuura-san's words made the three of us even more excited. With leash cords wrapped around our waists, we hiked up the hillside! Once there, after a brief review of the precautions, it was time to start skiing! First, we watch Matsuura-san's skiing as a role model.

Matsuura-san dashed across the snow with his magnificent body movements. The three of us, who witnessed the master's skiing, put our bodies to the test and, defeated by Mr. Matsuura, put our feet on the snowboard and started down the hill.

Lee and Matsushima, who usually skate, skated on snow boards for the first time, but they skated with a sense of stability. Nakata, on the other hand, seemed to fall as soon as he started skating....

'Well, it's harder than I thought it would be - (giggles) . It's frustrating! How can I ski better?" (Laughs) (Nakata)

Nakata-san, you are putting too much effort into it (laughs). If you put too much effort into it, the board will sink too much and you won't be able to ski well. . First of all, let yourself go with the flow, as if you were sliding on water.

With snowboards in hand, the group climbs the hill again. It was fun and pleasant to climb the snow slope step by step while visualizing the next ride in their minds. Repeating Matsuura's advice to "ski on the water" in their minds, they skied from the top of the hill to the bottom.

Compared to the first round, the three skiers have improved their skiing quality significantly. Mr. Matsuura's advice seems to have been effective.

. "Don't think with your head, just go with the flow. Everyone is now able to embody "Don't think, just feel"" (Matsuura).

After many more runs, Lee and Matsushima got the hang of it and were able to ride as smoothly as Matsuura. Nakata, who often fell down in the beginning, showed us a fine run at the end.

After the activity, we will have a cup of coffee and reflect on the day.

After enjoying the activities to the fullest, it is time for coffee on the snow! Mr. Matsushima, one of the leaders of coffee culture, will make you a cup of delicious coffee.

Mr. Matsushima grinds the beans slowly and carefully , and pours hot water into the dripper with an experienced hand while taking just the right amount of time. The cold, dignified air is filled with the warm, rich aroma of coffee. With cups of freshly brewed coffee in their hands, the group takes a sigh of relief. Drinking coffee on the snow has a different taste from what they usually drink.

As the members were spending a luxurious time in the great outdoors, they were discussing how it was worth getting up early in the morning to come from Tokyo to Hakuba, and Mr. Matsuura asked, "How was the snow board? Mr. Matsuura asked them, "How was the snowboard?

It was more fun than I had imagined! . In terms of riding, I feel like it's more like surfing than skating. . It's nice to be able to go up and down hills easily. With snowboarding and skiing, your feet are fixed to the ground, so you have to move around after you skate, but with snowboards, you don't have that problem. I was attracted to the fact that I can enjoy it easily.

. It's faster than I thought it would be, and I can feel a comfortable sense of speed. . And unlike skating on concrete, I don't have to worry about falling because I'm skating on snow. Fear doesn't limit your movements, so it makes you want to go all out on your next ride.

I'm just getting used to it, but I'm sad to say that I have to go back to Tokyo soon... . I wish I could have skied more! . Thank you very much for your time today! Thank you for today!" (Nakata)

Thank you very much! . I'm glad you all had a good time. I am sure you will be able to ski better next time. Please come back again! (Matsuura)

As I immersed myself in the snowboarding, I realized that dusk was approaching. Everyone was talking about how much fun they had with the snowboards. On the way back to the hotel, they seemed to be having a lot of fun talking about snow boards. What will they try in the remaining two winter activity sessions? Please look forward to it!