What is a Fu`s?

Spoiler: Our local ski hill

Jr. High Ski lesson

I thought I would share some shots from our local ski hill to remind everyone that Hokkaido, Japan is not all deep powder face shots, sushi hot springs and celebs wearing Moncler! The harsh reality of life for the Sapporo city dweller is usually more like the scene in the photos shown here. A small hill with a thin layer of snow and some slow pair lifts with no safety bars…. This is not a complaint, I love these little local hills and the rate that they go out of business is rather worrysome. There is a nostalgic feeling you can sense when visiting little ski areas like this one. A throwback to a time when the Japanese population was booming and skiing was a very popular activity.

On this day I drove my 14-year-old daughter to the hill to join the school ski lesson outing. This is one of the things I love about life in Hokkaido, the fact that the kids all get to learn skiing as part of the mandatory education system. It is a nice bonus as far as I am concerned. Some people do complain about having to purchase skis for kids and the costs etc., but there is always a way to find some cheap or free gear or hand-me-downs etc., The city of Sapporo even has support programs that loan out ski gear to families in need, pull there are clean and organized used shops that specialize in hand-me-down snow gear.

In the first gallery set of images, we travel from our house about 15 minutes to the hill. The ticket window line-up is non-existent this morning. The local self-defense force is the majority of the customers and they lug their heavy backpacks up the stairs in preparation for a training session. The military is visible at every ski hill except maybe the major resort in Niseko. They have their own private small ski hill and training center in the deep mountain area near the famous Goshiki Onsen. They take ski training very seriously. They use special telemark style skis with classic leather bindings and boots. Multi-purpose boots that can ski and then run through the mountains, I guess…. I have no idea how they stay warm in those boots, but that is another story.

The base station is a classic mix of old-school Japanese mountain architecture with a semi-recent renovation that probably added silver windows and new signs. Which brings us to the name of the hill. It used to be called the “Fujino ski area”. Some years ago the Fujino (name of the area) was shortened to Fu’s. It is pronounced Futsu by the locals.

The conditions have not been very kind to Fu’s this season. A late opening due to a lack of snow at the beginning of the season. A few powder days (maybe 2) and then warm temps turned the mountain into a lump of ice. Here a skier avoids the crowds in Niseko by choosing to spend a day skiing among Military and Jr. High school kids.

The kids head up the stairs to prep for the lessons with the teachers in blue.

My daughter always heads off to these events with a little apprehension. She snowboards a lot more than she skis, so the confidence level is not very high. However, on this day, she came home happy. The teacher was good and she was able to ski the steepest slope on the mountain. She started the day in the beginner’s group and ended the day in the advanced team. She came home with a lot more energy than when I dropped her off in the morning and that is what I love about snow sports. The physical exercise, the cold, the views, and the thrill of speed all combine to energize the body and mind.

I didn’t stick around the see the lesson or make any turns myself. Not that I have anything against some icy skiing… I just had a lot of work to do that day.

Final shot. The local propane gas supply truck arrived to refill the tanks. Somehow the mundane scenes like this one are always attractive to me. No fancy tour buses, no Guchi one-piece suits, just camouflage and kids and ordinary life. So if you ever need a break from the powder hunting and the long lift lines why not search out one of these little local hills?

My photos of Fu’s that morning concluded with this random shot of the ever-present parking lot security guard. Not that any guidance is really needed for the few cars that do show up.

Thanks for making it this far. Not a special story or award-winning photographs, but I thought you all might enjoy a look at the ordinary. The daily happenings of life here in Hokkaido!

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