Back to Japan for the winter

Yep I left Aussie summer and headed into Winter back in Japan . I have been coming here for 8 yrs now and just love it.
  
I work at the Freestyle Mogul SKi World Cup which is held at Listel Ski fantasia in Inawashiro Fukushima.
I help build the course and I shape the jumps which I love to do. The best skiiers and olympic champs come and play on our course, can’t get better than that I reckon. Getting to do this every year even though it is a bloody hard job I’m just so happy.
  
  
With awesome views to look at everyday and well a super steep course of 40 degress to work on it doesnt get much better.
Now below you can see what it looks like before we start, not the flattest hill and yes bloody steep. No machines are used at all so yes that means lots of shoveling. I mean LOTS . it takes about 4 – 5 weeks from start to finish to get it in perfect condition as we have to make snow most nights and move it in the days.
   
then sometimes as here we might go home at night with a jump 3/4 done and arrive in the morning to it being gone.
  
we had heaps of snow this yr which yes is a good thing but when the course is almost done it just means you have to dig it out again. and when 1 meter of snow falls that7s a lot of digging. Thanks to Pete Jackson at Pembroke Plumbing Im not bad on a shovel. hehe
  
But this was so much snow, about 1.5 mtrs on the jump area. nothing half a day on the shovel wont fix aye.
  
This year we didnt have any staff so it was made by just 4-5 of us, depended on what day it was to how many people there were. Somedays just me.
  
But this Listel team are amazing I mean there is no way that this event wont go ahead. They have been doing it for yrs now and have some great skills and power when it is nended.
I love shaping the jumps and they are my babies, There is nothing better than the olympic and world champion coming up to you as well as all the amazing athletes telling you you have the best jumps out there and are kept so clean it is amazing. I will back my back to have that said to me and I couldnt do it without my team here. You guys and girls ROCK.

  
  
There is 2 days of training before the 2 days of competition   and with the course looking SIC it’s on.
We get great crowds here at Listel as they have had comps here for over 20 yrs now. It is famous for this Mogul course named DAFFY.
  
Not a bad view from my work place here at the 1st jump . Bloody busy here as we are at 36 degress and being so steep means the snow moves when the guys ski it so always and I mean always shoveling something .
Below is some of the amazing Skiiers that take part here and it’s always great to see them each yr.
  
  
Once the comp is done I’m pretty broken, 5 weeks digging everyday is one way to get the body fit . I wake up at night with champs from holding the shove to much, but its all good.

Then for the rest of the season I work with the ski patrol and ell relax in the sunshine. cant beat it!!
Thanks Listel again for a great season!