First of all... to all the riders who flew all the way over here, thanks so much. It was great to see some of the world's best riders in action.
Second of all... I feel like I need to apologize for the event itself. Joetsu Kokusai is not only the worst resort I have been to in Japan, it's also the worst resort I have been to globally. It's a classic hangover from the 1980's, where they thought bigger is better for everything. I'm going to send a letter to the organization (in Japanese) begging them to change the venue next year... there are so many great places in Japan that there is absolutely no reason to hold it there. The funny thing is that there are better places to have the event even in exactly the same area (i.e., Gala Yuzawa, Ishiuchi Maruyama)... get on a different bus from the station and it could have been much better event.
Please don't write off skiiing in Japan after this weekend... if they change the venue next year, I'm sure it's going to be a much better event. Hopefully the snow that you all saw on Saturday night / Sunday is enough to keep your curiosity peaked for next year...
Did anyone else in the forum go to this event? Felt like I was the only foreign person there watching most of the time... again, another reason why the venue should be changed...
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