monolog

I first played skiing around the end of middle school or the beginning of high school. It was a group ski trip organized by the school. A colleague of my father's lent me his skis and poles. He was about the same height as me, so they must have been easy to handle. Of course, at the time I didn't have the luxury of thinking about such things; I was just focused on standing and walking on the snow. The skis were made of hickory and the poles were made of Tonkin bamboo. Compared to today's skis, the edges were thick and intermittently screwed to the skis, giving off a metallic, glittering shine. I think it was at the Myoko ski resort.

When I selected Hokkaido University, I can't deny that the appeal of being able to ski, in addition to academic ability, was a major factor. Hokkaido University's entrance exams didn't only three main subjects, and it suited me because I had all-around academic abilities, though not outstanding in any particular area. Dr. Clark's words, "Boys, be ambitious!" also inspired my dream. Fortunately, I had two or three companions, which made it easier to try. One of them passed the exam while still in high school, and the following year, the rest two took the exam while staying at the Keiteki Dormitory where the first successful candidate had lived. They passed the following year. It was still winter in Sapporo in February, and I remember feeling a shiver of surprise when I saw the frozen pile of feces in the Keiteki Dormitory's pit toilet and asked, "What do you do with it?" The answer was, "You hit it with a shovel, scrape it, and break it down." Then came the added, "It splashes, and the ice that sticks to your cheek melts."

Hokkaido University's system is unique; I entered as a science student and ended up in the physics department a year and a half later. At that time, science students could go to any of the faculties: agriculture, science, engineering, veterinary medicine, or fisheries. It was excellent for carefully exploring one's interests and strengths.

When I went to Clark Hall upon entering university, I was recruited by various clubs. There were several clubs promoting skiing, so why did I join the basic skiing club? Perhaps, coming from mainland Japan, the word "basic" gave me a sense of security. My studies began in the Faculty of Liberal Arts. Within a year, my classmates had spread to various faculties, from agriculture to fisheries. Furthermore, the first six months were marked by student protests and a lockout, so most of the classes were off-campus workshops. For some reason, I was sometimes co-worked with students from the humanities. It was very interesting. I met my current partner in an English workshop.

At the freshman welcome camp at Nakayama Pass in early June, over 30 people participated. The skill levels of the freshmen varied greatly, from beginners like me to seasoned skiers who could handle the steep slopes of Otaru Tenguyama. My assigned task was the stem Christiania, and by the end of the camp, I was able to perform stem turns at a considerable speed. Of course, this came after countless falls. So, I appreciated the advantage of Sapporo's location, where the ski season lasts until May or June with just a short trip.

In the summer of my first year, I participated in a camp at Mount Asahidake in the Daisetsuzan mountain range. Since joining the club, I had been training twice a week starting after 3 PM. The run was about 3 km, starting from in front of the gymnasium, going around the central lawn, and returning. The person who came in last had to do 20 sit-ups as a punishment. It was a self-imposed rule that everyone tried their best not to come in last. After the run, we did radiocalisthenics, stretching exercises, strengthening abdominal and back muscles and were especially thorough with stretching. On rainy days, we did trampolining in the gymnasium. It was quite fun and made for good exercise. Our routine included a simulated Badeln jump, where we kept our hips still in the air and bent and straightened only our legs from side to side, followed by a "stop at moment" jump from the central corridor on the second floor towards the trampoline below. We absorbed the shock with the movement of our knees and stopped the boundings. Everyone found it fun. That's why climbing Mount Asahidake and skiing down the Daisetsuzan slope on the back side was no big deal for us.

November 3rd, Culture Day, marked the start of the winter season. The Nakayama Pass ski resort opened on this day. After that, we often went to Niseko for fresh snow. My home ground in Niseko wasn't Hirafu, but Chisenupuri, a local ski resort with only one town-run lift. I would sometimes encounter members of the Northern Self-Defense Forces, clad in pristine white clothing and carrying rifles slung diagonally across their backs. The few groomed slopes, besides the tree-lined routes, were always covered in deep snow, and the snow would pile up so quickly that there was no time for grooming, so there were no groomed skiers. Now the lift is gone, and it's become a mountain for backcountry skiing, accessed by snowmobile. As the new year began, Teine Olympia Ski Resort became my practice ground every weekend. It was an hour's bus ride away, a bit far, but I could practice to my heart's content on the slopes that had been used for the giant slalom course in the Winter Olympics. I naturally learned mogul skiing and high-speed turns with jumps at Teine. Skiing at Teine felt more like competitive skiing than basic skiing, which was great because it gave me a good all-around skiing experience.In my private time, I often went to Moiwayama Ski Resort in the city with friends. There was a class there run by a basic skiing instructor, so some club members started as students, while others worked part-time there after obtaining SAJ Level 1 or assistant instructor qualifications. In my third year, I was in charge of coordinating the club. Listening to and respecting the opinions of these unique individuals, exchanging ideas, and bringing everyone together was not easy, and I learned a great deal. My seniors often helped me out. In my fourth year of university, I discussed my future with my current partner, and we decided to return to mainland Japan and get married after graduation.Because of all this, I gradually withdrew from skiing.