SB-issue59_digital

Across the ditch
Winter
isn’t A
season
It’s about this time of year that I really
start to feel the chaos that can be
the wonderful world of retail. As we’ve
brushed past the extremes of Christmas and
New Years and balanced against stocktake
and Easter sales, now it’s time to get that
fresh winter product on the shelves ready
for another crazy snow season.
# 59 // smorgasboarder //
24 28
Words by Jase John
Each year we are privileged to get NZSHRED brands, products,
and staff on the ground in Japan to trial, test, and experience the
workings of gear before we present it to our customers over the
impending southern hemisphere winter season.
This year was unique – we managed to tag-team our staff in the
shop, with Jon and Federica heading over in late 2023 as the first
wave. On their return, Nick, Aabhi, and myself set off again (with
about 10 crew from New Zealand, Australia, and Scotland) on our
traditional sojourn, extending through to mid-February. Finally, Nat
snuck away to catch up with one of our returning staff, Brooke,
through late February and into March.
As usual, there’s a large amount of kit to take and a variety of
products to test-drive in this Yuki mecca – from Dakine Low Roller
board bags to Burton boots, socks, and gloves, and helmets from
Smith and Oakley, as well as Eivy and XTM baselayers.
We took our traditional quiver of powder boards to report on,
particularly offerings from Nitro and Jones Snowboards. A highlight
for most was the Jones Storm Chaser as a dedicated powder stick.
The graphic of the limited edition speaks for itself, with a number of
Jones aficionados pulling us up to ask what it was and get a photo.
Getting your outerwear wrong can make or break you anywhere,
let alone on a trip to Japan. Appreciating the functionality of the
garments is where it really comes down to ‘science in the field’.
This year, we had the opportunity to try out both jackets and pants
from the Oakley snow range. The quality of the offerings was
it’s a feeling
never in question – however, it is always interesting to analyse the
features, understand the pocketing, comprehend how the cuffs
and hoods perform, and try out the overall thermal qualities of
each piece – especially when immersed in -28°C off the top two
chairlifts... that was a chilly morning!
We also had the opportunity to try a new lens offering from Oakley
– Prizm Argon. Using the lens in the Line Miner frames, it is set to
replace the Prizm Jade in the range. Argon only differs in visible
light transmission by 1% from its predecessor – however, everyone
in the group felt the tint offered a much broader range of use,
only needing to be changed up on the brilliant blue bird days or
those welcome dumping, blizzard conditions that give Japan the
traditional 12 to 16 metres of snow across the two islands.
As always, there are plenty of stories out of trips such as these –
that uncomprehendably deep powder through the trees, the smiles
and yelps in the lift lines, the uncontrollably excited explanations
as you travel back up for another
run, and that amazingly pleasant
exhaustion that generally hits after
your second post-playtime beer.
When combining these with the
chance to test-drive products in the
field, it just simply adds an extra
dimension to something we are truly
privileged to partake in.
www.nzshred.co.nz
ARIGATOU
GOZAIMASU