Do Japanese Freeriders have the best style in Freeride right now?

Yea definitely. Japanese ski culture has a unique style in comparison to European/North American

IsaacNW82Just finished watching Shikaichi Ueki's season edit. It got me thinking. Him, Yu Sasaki, and Taisuke Kusunoki have a really cool style. I don't really know how to describe it, it just looks more natural and freewheeling to me, like the tricks and lines just flow with the terrain. Small 3's off side hits and 50 foot cliffs on the FWT, they both approach them with a calm confidence and flow; It never seems forced.

Anybody else agree? Or am I totally off base and unfairly grouping them together because they're Japanese?

No it’s not unfair, their terrain is very unique and therefore shapes how they ride very differently than Europeans or Americans. Japanese culture is also highly focused on discipline and absolute focus on whatever it is you’re pursuing, so their riders are very purposeful with choosing lines and how they interact with their terrain. Japanese skateboarders are the sickest skaters out there IMO and it’s the same for skiing and snowboarding.

The cultural approach makes a lot of sense. The Japanese snowboarders I always see clips of online look so stylish and effortless.

animatorNo it’s not unfair, their terrain is very unique and therefore shapes how they ride very differently than Europeans or Americans. Japanese culture is also highly focused on discipline and absolute focus on whatever it is you’re pursuing, so their riders are very purposeful with choosing lines and how they interact with their terrain. Japanese skateboarders are the sickest skaters out there IMO and it’s the same for skiing and snowboarding.

I'm always amazed that they do it without weed.

They have weed in Japan lmao it’s kind of a big deal from my understanding but one of my friends met his now wife in niseko because she was smoking and that’s what struck up their initial conversation. She’s from over there and not American if you’re wondering…

3maniaI'm always amazed that they do it without weed.

DesertStixThe cultural approach makes a lot of sense. The Japanese snowboarders I always see clips of online look so stylish and effortless.

S/O Kazu Kokubo; I should've included him. Any skiers who need some fresh content to inspire go watch him

IsaacNW82S/O Kazu Kokubo; I should've included him. Any skiers who need some fresh content to inspire go watch him

Kazu is my favorite snowboarder he’s a psycho. His Capita pro model is also super tit.

Shika hit some lines last year that had the whole town talking. Was pretty cool to see from such a low key fella.

go look at taro kudo on ig, some of the illest unique style I've ever seen. his sw dub 9s are insane, such a dope axis

IsaacNW82Just finished watching Shikaichi Ueki's season edit. It got me thinking. Him, Yu Sasaki, and Taisuke Kusunoki have a really cool style. I don't really know how to describe it, it just looks more natural and freewheeling to me, like the tricks and lines just flow with the terrain. Small 3's off side hits and 50 foot cliffs on the FWT, they both approach them with a calm confidence and flow; It never seems forced.

Anybody else agree? Or am I totally off base and unfairly grouping them together because they're Japanese?

Shikaichi’s edit is so sick

Wow, what a racist fucking thread. I guess you'd say Reed has a unique style because he's black. WOW. This is fucked.

Black is a nationality? There some place called Blackland we don’t know about? This is a 2/10 troll with no fucking effort dude come on. We’re talking about regional influence on riders, same as if we were saying Canadiens have more style than Americans. Shitty troll attempt do better.

skiermanWow, what a racist fucking thread. I guess you'd say Reed has a unique style because he's black. WOW. This is fucked.

I'd say the best style comes from the country called Candide Thovex

I spent a semester in Japan. So much of the pop culture there, especially when it comes to skateboarding/hip hop stuff that obviously heavily bleeds into skiing, revolves around steeze. Creating art that is pleasant to look at is huge. So it's not surprising that japanese riders pay extra attention to style

Idk about free ride but koga is like probably my favorite street skier rn. Mostly because he came out of no where and dropped one of the heaviest cuts of the fall with no warning or hype and absolutely mint soundtrack. Dudes insanely smooth, even falling at 40 mph on that Goliath double kink he looked like graceful

vibe.crudoIdk about free ride but koga is like probably my favorite street skier rn. Mostly because he came out of no where and dropped one of the heaviest cuts of the fall with no warning or hype and absolutely mint soundtrack. Dudes insanely smooth, even falling at 40 mph on that Goliath double kink he looked like graceful

where’s the edit?

powpatrolwhere’s the edit?

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1015110/MaTaTaBi--Koga-Hoshino-
Not to mention the Steeze on that gargantuan backflip to flat

I agree tbh. Can’t just generalize an entire ethnicity into one category of “people who are all the same”

skiermanWow, what a racist fucking thread. I guess you'd say Reed has a unique style because he's black. WOW. This is fucked.

Oh shut the fuck up. They are from Japan one could say Vermont skier or Italian skier...

skiermanWow, what a racist fucking thread. I guess you'd say Reed has a unique style because he's black. WOW. This is fucked.

skiermanWow, what a racist fucking thread. I guess you'd say Reed has a unique style because he's black. WOW. This is fucked.

People say reed has a unique style because… he HAS a unique style? Only other rider with said style either retired in 2015 or Samuel Alander.

I see what you’re saying but BMOS is a horrible example. He didn’t invent the Dre flip for you to to drag his name into any racial discussion in the ski world

Ski culture here is influenced a bit differently.

Snowboarders and skiers here seem to be soo into deep, slow, smooth, carving. Additionally, maybe there's like, something deep in the japanese psyche that makes people here subconsciously want to take anything foreign and improve it in a way that nobody else has done before - the Japanese don't invent much, but they make everyone else's inventions way better, and add a practicality to it that generally is omitted elsewhere. This also translates to artforms, where you'll see some pretty unique and impressive takes on modern art, that actually have practical applications that matter (just look at japanese metabolism for example)

Technique is seen as extremely important over here - just as it is with the rest of Japanese traditional artforms, but really can be applied to anything... and because Japanese are often always taught how to ski by other japanese, it tends to lead to some pretty homogenous, and technique-driven skiing styles that are not shaped by the skiing styles of Europe or North America - which tend to have a lot more crossover due to fewer language barriers, and history.

Subtle variations of technique seem to be what's celebrated here, and you can often tell if someone is japanese or a foreign just by watching them ride - especially the snowboarders, and especially on a non-powder day. There's a level of smoothness and control that I often see that's just.. I don't know man, it's different. It feels very 1990s in one way but also very future in others. It's hard to describe, but It's fuckin cool.

^^ that is an excellent explanation of the Japanese mind set overall and specifically how it applies to skiing. I watch lot of Japanese skiing, mostly moguls cuz they don't have too many park edits, but you can tell how they are very technique driven.

This is a shot of Ikuma Horishima, 2nd best on the Mogul WC after Kingsbury. Look at the tweak on the cork 7 mute.

rdhans24everything is racist

Bruh there are 125 million people on some islands who speak a language without any close relatives, and who spent centuries completely cut off from the rest of the world.



and you think it's racist to say they have different skiing style.

**This post was edited on Nov 14th 2021 at 9:07:52pm

Shut up you fucking bitch

Cream_SauceBruh there are 125 million people on some islands who speak a language without any close relatives, and who spent centuries completely cut off from the rest of the world.



and you think it's racist to say they have different skiing style.

**This post was edited on Nov 14th 2021 at 9:07:52pm

DingoSeanthe Japanese don't invent much, but they make everyone else's inventions way better, and add a practicality to it that generally is omitted elsewhere.

I agree with the rest of your post, but this statement... cmon man.

rdhans24Shut up you fucking bitch

Sorry you feel the need to go out of your way to get triggered by anything that might increase your woke cred, but it's not racist.



Japanese ride different, especially snowboarders, surfers and skaters. Ask @PacificRimJob , he actually lived in Japan.

**This post was edited on Nov 14th 2021 at 9:24:20pm

No I’m racist you whore I hate other races

Cream_SauceSorry you feel the need to go out of your way to get triggered by anything that might increase your woke cred, but it's not racist.



Japanese ride different, especially snowboarders, surfers and skaters. Ask @PacificRimJob , he actually lived in Japan.

**This post was edited on Nov 14th 2021 at 9:24:20pm

rdhans24No I’m racist you whore I hate other races

Yo in that case fuck you dude.

Unless you're just trolling and not really racist, in which case still fuck you not a cool way to joke.

Also fuckkk you

Cream_SauceYo in that case fuck you dude.

Unless you're just trolling and not really racist, in which case still fuck you not a cool way to joke.

skiermanWow, what a racist fucking thread. I guess you'd say Reed has a unique style because he's black. WOW. This is fucked.

Don't know if you're trolling or not but I'll answer honestly bc I don't see the harm in addressing any racial undertones straight up.

I only mean this as a regional style, like how Alta kids have a style, Eastern skiers have a style, PNW has a style, Alps have a style, NZ has a style. "North American style" has been a phrase for a while and doesn't carry a racial connotation. Skiing is a super-white sport and Japan is one of the few exceptions. I don't mean to imply a white dude from Japan would have a "white style" or a Japanese dude raised in Utah would have a "Japanese style". Of course not everyone goes with the local style anyways; groups aren't monoliths whether they be ski regional styles or racial groups. Nobody should be boxed in for shit they can't control, especially not something charged with a violent history like race.

Cultural racism is kind of its own thing and I don't want to speculate too much on Japanese culture nor put it down. All I mean to say is basically "this aspect of X culture is really cool".

rdhans24I agree tbh. Can’t just generalize an entire ethnicity into one category of “people who are all the same”

I hear what you're saying. I'm not trying to box anyone into a group, just appreciate a tendency that skiers from a region often have a similar style. Obv the region in question is also correlated with a specific race, but I don't mean for to be a racial topic and my bad if it came off that way

rdhans24No I’m racist you whore I hate other races

Can you seriously not tho

Cream_SauceI agree with the rest of your post, but this statement... cmon man.

It's really not a statement. It's true and I have receipts. Buckle up.



The Japanese are not known for their inventions... They were a feudal society until 1868 dude... by which time a shitload of other societies had invented all the industrial stuff.

During the years where they enforced a closed door policy, there were limited amounts of foreign scientific works trickling in, especially from dutch traders, but they were always playing catchup during this time. They were still building things like they did in 1668... or maybe even 1268...

Japanese inventions are either really old, traditional, and super Japanese - such as sushi or katanas or kimonos - or they're really new, and... still pretty dang Japanese such as the Emoji, or QR Code -which is used EVERYWHERE here- or... I guess the Selfie stick? Which, cmonnn of course a Japanese invented the damn selfie stick lol they LOVE selfies here.


What the Japanese have been always good at, ever since the meiji restoration when they went from feudal to industrialized in like a decade - maybe 2 decades, is taking inventions from other places, and engineering/manufacturing the FUCK out of it until it exists in every household.

Here's some examples...

Sony Walkman... reel to reel audio recording had been around since like the 30s or something, but all of a sudden it was in your pocket and you could listen to AC/DC on headphones while walking down the street. The 80s were the hype BECAUSE of Japanese ingenuity here.

Quartz Watches... The swiss invented the quartz clock, and the quartz wristwatch... but then Seiko, a Japanese company, made a quartz watch in 1969 and started making them faster than any mechanical watch, and cheaper as well thanks to automation... and all of a sudden a cheap watch went from 100$ in todays money to 10$ within a decade. You went from your cheap timex which cost you a whole days wages to a cheap Casio that took you an hour or two to afford. Nowadays you can get a quartz watch from the dollar store. Thats like less than what a penny was worth in 1969.

Digital Cameras... Kodak invented the digital camera in the 1970s for NASA projects... but they didnt really want to use them commercially because film has a high ass profit margin, and they wanted to retain that... but when y2k came around, and the digital imaging technology had been matured enough to be affordable in pocket sized cameras, many Japanese firms embraced it while other companies just, plain didnt. Kodak didn't really make cameras like the Japanese companies - even Fujifilm made cameras, both amateur and professional while Kodak got out of that game decades prior and focused on things like Film, Paper, Printing, etc... They were used to selling the products not the tools... and instead of seeing the writing on the wall, adapting, maybe being the market leader in memory cards or something, they tried to compete with Canon and Nikon and got stomped when those companies were able to manufacture their own digital sensors better than Kodak ever could. Now, if you buy a digital camera, its a Sony, Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, or Ricoh/Pentax. Sure, there are Hasselblads and Leicas out there, but their sensors are made by one of the aforementioned companies... hell, even the lenses are mostly made in Japan. Japanese firms completely dominate the digital imaging and optical markets worldwide to this day.

Cars? LOL The Japanese took that industry over HARD. so hard that now Subarus, Hondas, Nissans, and Toyotas are often assembled by Americans in America, Australians in Australia, and by Europeans in Europe.




So yeah. The Japanese are just... really good at taking something someone else invented or introduced, and improving the shit out of it. It's a well-known ethos and they own that shit. They're proud of that shit. Fuck, they didn't even invent RAMEN - (the chinese did that), but what's the food that got you through college? Top motherfuckin ramen... made by Maruchan or Nissin - Japanese firms. They don't care that they didn't invent it... they care that they made it better than you. They make other countries inventions so good you THINK they invented it.


America invented Baseball. Ohtani Shohei is now breaking the sport. That's Japan.

DingoSeanSki culture here is influenced a bit differently.

Snowboarders and skiers here seem to be soo into deep, slow, smooth, carving. Additionally, maybe there's like, something deep in the japanese psyche that makes people here subconsciously want to take anything foreign and improve it in a way that nobody else has done before - the Japanese don't invent much, but they make everyone else's inventions way better, and add a practicality to it that generally is omitted elsewhere. This also translates to artforms, where you'll see some pretty unique and impressive takes on modern art, that actually have practical applications that matter (just look at japanese metabolism for example)

Technique is seen as extremely important over here - just as it is with the rest of Japanese traditional artforms, but really can be applied to anything... and because Japanese are often always taught how to ski by other japanese, it tends to lead to some pretty homogenous, and technique-driven skiing styles that are not shaped by the skiing styles of Europe or North America - which tend to have a lot more crossover due to fewer language barriers, and history.

Subtle variations of technique seem to be what's celebrated here, and you can often tell if someone is japanese or a foreign just by watching them ride - especially the snowboarders, and especially on a non-powder day. There's a level of smoothness and control that I often see that's just.. I don't know man, it's different. It feels very 1990s in one way but also very future in others. It's hard to describe, but It's fuckin cool.

In the car world ppl tend to say the germans come up with new inventions, and the japanese take them and perfect them. I have no qualms about saying that many japanese cars today and at times in the past have been more refined than german cars. The nissan gtr would be a good example. But i dont think you will see something like variable turbine geometry coming from a place other than porsche.



But i think some japanese ppl like kazushi sakuraba and yuto horigome make the case that japanese ppl can be great sources of originality and creativity.

This guy definitely put together an awesome montage tho. I really liked the backflip off the huge water tank.

Yu Sasaki has the best IG page of any skier
love that guy