Hakuba, Japan’s premiere alpine region is abuzz as the Freeride World Tour Qualifier event gets ready to drop in the coming days. Currently on hold due to weather conditions, yesterday the sun poked its head out in time for the competitors to get a feel for the terrain during Face Check–the Freeride World Tour’s photo op and course preview for athletes that kicks off each event.
Locals and foreign visitors alike are pumped for the qualifier, which will take place in Hakuba for only the second time in subsequent years. Travis Rice and Terje Haakonsen are here and have been given wildcards into the main event (this weekend) to compete alongside the likes of Japanese snowboarding legend Tadashi Fuse and Austria’s Gigi Ruf, in what will no doubt be a spectacular display of the world’s best freeriders.
Freeskier Bernard ‘Bumsti’ Rachiller was among those at Face Check yesterday, ready for his second attempt at the FWT Qualifier Hakuba leg. In Japan for his second season, Bumsti came to Hakuba first in December of 2016 and was immediately blown away by the Japanese Southern Alps.
“I knew there were mountains here, but I never had imagined them to be this stunning, impressive and awesome,” he said. “The first time I climbed a peak here in Japan alone, I was amazed by the incredible mightiness of Hakuba’s giants. It felt like I was back home in he Austrian Alps.”
Freeride World Tour Hakuba Team. Photo: Hiroya Nakata
Bumsti has enjoyed the opportunity to truly get to know Hakuba’s mountains through his work as a guide and ski trainer at the Evergreen Alpine Academy, a high performance alpine education center based here in Hakuba. Owned and operated by Canadian and long-time Hakuba resident Dave Enright, the academy has fast developed a reputation of excellence with its professional ski and snowboard programs run by world-class professionals.
Dave, who was the guide for Jeremy Jones during the Hakuba filming of Jones’ movie Further, guided the FWT’s rescue team around the event’s location at Happo-One ski resort on Monday morning during the Face Check. Dave has been an advocate for opening up some of Hakuba’s best off piste areas to the public, training the local patrol teams in beacon and rope rescue before creating Evergreen Backcountry Guides where he now spends a great chunk of his time teaching people more about the dangers and pleasures that can be found in Hakuba’s vast backcountry.
Dave Enright, guiding the Freeride World Tour Hakuba rescue team at Happo. Photo: Evergreen Backcountry Guides
Both Dave and Bumsti are stoked the FWT is coming to Hakuba for a second time.
“My passion for the mountains, snow and skiing enticed me to join the Freeride World Qualifiers five years ago,” said Bumsti. “I took a three-year break from competition to get my guiding and training certifications, and I was back to competing last year for the two-star event in Hakuba. It didn’t work out for me as I crashed so I am super stoked to enter this year’s three star to shred and share the passion with the Japanese freeriding elite. This event is perfect to show the world that Japan is more than just nipple-deep tree runs in winter!”
Bumsti will join fellow Evergreen team members Mel Wiese and Luke Smith (pictured below) when the event kicks off this week.
Evergreen Alpine Academy team: Bumsti, Mel and Luke ready for the Freeride World Tour, Hakuba.
Editor’s note: According to its Facebook page, the Hakuba event will be broadcast live at Freerideworldtour.com with the event window from January 20-27. Learn more at Freeride World Tour Hakub and Evergreen Alpine Academy. This article was updated to show more clearly that there is a qualifying event, and a main Tour event this weekend.
