The day started early in the morning with a two hour drive to the airport where I almost missed my two hour flight to Tokyo. Then I took the train from Narita airport to Tokyo station where I found the shinkansen (bullet train) to Nagano and then somehow found my bus to Hakuba.

Kato san was there to pick me up and bring me to my luxurious Japanese style hotel room — what a change from cramming into a small apartment with a bunch of stinky ski bums. The traditional dinner feast was fully enjoyed and then an onsen (hot springs) to finish up the exhausting day.

We woke up early to a bluebird day and I was immediately awed by the spectacular Japan alps looming pink with the first rays of sunrise. We rode the Gondola almost to tree line where we started our long day of touring and baking in the hot sun. The day became raging hot quickly and I was soon sweating in just my long underwear top.

I couldn’t take my eyes and imagination off the epic Alaska-style mountains with endless dreamlike ski lines all over. Due to the extreme hot temps and sun the snow turned to cement and was challenging to ski, but it was fun to just be out in such beautiful mountains on a sunny day with random Japanese telemark skiers.

We ended the day with yet another great meal and some beers at a local restaurant. They had me try some strange Japanese food, like fish sperm, bird something that tasted like undeveloped bone, and stingray. Delish!

Enjoy these photos from the Japanese Alps!

Also, check out Cloudveil athlete Nick DeVore and photographer Gabe Rogel’s post on night skiing in Japan.

I’ve been with Nick on photo shoots, have skied with him personally and watched him do things on teles that during my short three year stint of freeing the heel, I didn’t think could be done.

We sat Nick down this Fall to hear his favorite tele one liners and mixed it up with some of the latest footage of him from Powderwhore. Nick always has an easygoing, laid back attitude, so I don’t think he takes offense to the “telemarking is stupid” bumper stickers, he just shuts it down with some exceptional skiing.

Here’s the newest trailer from PowderWhore, coming to a ski town near you. Featuring Black Diamond tele monsters Kate and Will Cardamone, SKIING magazine’s own Female Telemark Freeskiing World Champion, Megan Michelson, as well as Cloudveil ambassador and Male Telemark Freeskiing World Champion, Nick Devore.

Check out the following or click the link to Watch Nick rip up the Jackson backcountry in the RPK Jacket.

Dr. Paré’s Telemark Training and Timing Tips from Jed Zilla on Vimeo

The close of the Summer Olympics and the advent of cooler weather here in Missoula got me thinking of the timing equipment used at our weekly telemark ski races.

The Trail Head shop where I work in on occasion has been doing the Telemark race series for 25 consecutive years. I would say it is more of a beer drinking social that involves two competitive runs on an under lit course in the middle of winter. Go to: www.telerace.blogspot.com to see more photos and information. The races are held at Snowbowl Ski Area for about six Thursday evenings running from late January to March.

The timing equipment provided by Snowbowl is well….dated. I think Nixon was in office when this system was considered State of the Art. It is a cross between Apollo moon mission and Soviet cold war technology. The only person who has the knowledge (I should say intimate knowledge) is the reclusive Dr. Paré.

Dr. Paré is only seen in the winter on the slopes of western Montana ski areas or in the intermountain west backcountry. He is an expert on training and telemark equipment as well as timing for tele racing.
I have spent many long hours compiling the results of each weeks race and Dr. Paré always comes through during each event. I have heard that he has a twin or doppelganger that is only seen in the summers in and around the rivers of the west or swinging a hammer on any number of construction sites. It’s rumored that he also goes by “Karl,” but I don’t think I know or have ever heard Dr. Paré’s first name.

I have some video footage that should help all folks who want to improve their telemark racing skills for the upcoming season. Enjoy what Dr. Paré has to offer and get ready for the snow to fly!

JedZilla lives, works, fathers and husbands in Missoula.