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ContestHappening 02 2017/18 | FWT in Japan

FWT Hakuba already tonight

by Tobias Huber 01/22/2018
The FWT hopes to be able to hold the first tour stop in Japan as early as tomorrow or tonight! The 2* FWQ in Kappl, AT, was canceled last weekend due to the heavy snowfall.

--- UPDATE --- The attempt to start the competition today or last night has been postponed due to fog and snowfall and the resulting poor visibility ---

Since the article from last week, little has happened in the contest area, at least in the Alps. In contrast to the last few years, this time it is not the lack of snow, but the continuing heavy snowfall that has forced the organizers to postpone the competitions. As a result, the 2* FWQ in Kappl/Tyrol planned for Saturday 20.01.18 had to be postponed to February 3.

The current situation in the Hakuba Valley

On the main Japanese island of Honshū, the entire FWT circuit and a few older, relatively well-known, wildcarded snowboard pros (Travis Rice is now also back) are waiting in the Hakuba Valley for the start of the 2018 contest season. Over the past few days, heavy rain up to high altitudes has led to a problematic snow situation. Now it looks as if renewed snowfall tomorrow, 23.01.2018, could allow a contest to take place.

For us Europeans, this would mean a start time of 00:15, in the coming night from 22 to 23.1! However, a final OK will only be given at 5 am (local time), as guides will ride the face at 4 am to test its actual suitability. Accordingly, it will be announced during the course of the evening, probably from 10 p.m., via the known channels whether the contest will take place or not.

The conditions on site are not easy after the aforementioned rain: it is still uncertain whether the fresh snow on the rain crust was sufficient, at the moment it seems that the old hard layer is still being used. At the same time, a change in the weather with lots of wind and fresh snow is forecast for the next few days, starting tomorrow afternoon, which makes it extremely difficult to carry out the tour stop in the remaining time window in terms of avalanche conditions. The weather forecast for tomorrow morning is not perfect either, but the organizers are determined to go ahead with the contest as soon as they get the OK from the guides. The face in question is "Petit Triangle", which you can see in the picture above and at Google Maps begutachten könnt!

Livestream

As usual, the livestream will be available on the FWT website (www.freerideworldtour.com), where you can click on the riders' runs afterwards. Have fun watching it live or afterwards!

In our latest SpotCheck Hakuba there are a few more impressions from Japan from ex-FWT rider Neil Williman.

This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

Show original (German)

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