Peak Performance | Shock of Dawn | Starring Yu Sasaki

Japan / Revelstoke, British Columbia | Active: 2018-present public freeride record | Known for: FWT Hakuba, Revelstoke big-mountain skiing, KAMASE, Home From Home, Japanese freeride culture | Current: Peak Performance-backed freeride skier and Japan/BC mountain guide figure Hakuba Powder Above The Leader’s Chair The Hakuba face was soft under January sun, sixty centimeters of new snow still hanging in the Japanese Alps while Yu Sasaki pointed into the top air. He threw a large 360, touched a hand on landing, then kept the rest of the run fast and fluid enough to sit in the leader’s chair. That 2019 FWT Hakuba run did not end with a podium, but it gave Sasaki one of the clearest markers of his career: a Japanese rider using home-country terrain, creative line choice and big-mountain calm to stand beside Markus Eder, Tanner Hall and Tom Peiffer on the same result sheet.... Read more on the Athlete page

Asian freeski region split between Hokkaidō powder and Honshū alpine terrain | Known for: Niseko snow, Hakuba Olympic legacy, Nozawa Onsen village culture, Hakuba47 park, night skiing, gate-accessed sidecountry | Season: December to April with January and February as the deepest powder window | Best for: powder skiers, park riders, freeride crews, and film trips built around snow quality Niseko Annupuri And The Sea Of Japan Snow Engine Niseko Annupuri rises to 1,308 meters on Japan’s northern island, with four linked resort areas spread around one mountain: Grand Hirafu, Hanazono, Niseko Village, and Annupuri. Niseko United sits roughly 100 kilometers south of Sapporo, inside the Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park, and its official explanation of the snow is simple enough for skiers to feel in one turn: seasonal winds cross the Sea of Japan, collect moisture, then unload it as cold powder on the volcanic group. That mechanism is the foundation of Japan’s freeski reputation.... Read more on the Location page

Austrian ski manufacturer | Founded 1955 by Alois Rohrmoser in the Alps near today’s Altenmarkt headquarters | Known for: Redster race skis, Bent freeride freestyle shapes, Maverick and Maven all mountain lines, Backland touring gear, Hawx boots and World Cup level athlete input | Focus: engineering complete ski systems for racers, freeriders, park skiers, touring athletes and everyday skiers who want precision, confidence and mountain tested design. 1955 Altenmarkt roots and the workshop that became Atomic Atomic is one of skiing’s defining manufacturers. The brand was founded in 1955 by Alois Rohrmoser in the Austrian Alps, only a few kilometers from the company’s current headquarters in Altenmarkt im Pongau.... Read more on the Sponsor page

Swedish ski and outdoor apparel brand | Founded 1986 in Åre by passionate skiers around the need for functional, clean-looking skiwear | Known for: Vertical GORE-TEX Pro, HIPE, Helium down, Rider Essentials midlayers, Magic baselayers, Scandinavian minimalism and Freeride World Tour athletes | Focus: technical outerwear and layering systems for freeride, resort skiing, backcountry days and mountain life. 1986 Åre origins and the skiwear they actually wanted to wear Peak Performance is not a ski manufacturer, boot brand, binding company or film studio. It is a Swedish ski and outdoor apparel brand born directly from mountain life.... Read more on the Sponsor page

Swedish snow protection and performance brand | Founded in 2004 in Saltsjöbaden and based in Stockholm | Known for: Fornix, Obex, Skull Dura, Calyx, Auric, Fovea, Nexal, Retina, VPD body protection, POCito, Mips, Recco, twICEme NFC Medical ID and POC Lab research culture | Focus: helmets, goggles and protection systems for skiers and snowboarders who want safety, visibility and Scandinavian design from race courses to freeride lines and everyday resort laps. Stockholm safety culture and the protection-first idea POC is not a ski manufacturer, boot brand, binding company or film studio. It is a Swedish protection specialist that changed how many skiers think about helmets, goggles and body armor.... Read more on the Sponsor page

Japanese ski, snowboard and bike rental-retail specialist | Founded in Niseko in 2005 and now active in Niseko, Hakuba and Furano | Known for: premium rental fleets, Rhythm Rides lessons and guiding, Rhythm Tunes, flagship Hirafu store, Hakuba shops, Furano powder services, evo partnership and Japow trip support | Focus: helping skiers and snowboarders arrive in Japan, get the right gear, understand local terrain and turn a powder trip into a smoother mountain experience. 2005 Niseko roots and the shop that became a Japow gateway Rhythm Japan is not a ski manufacturer, outerwear brand, boot company or film studio. It is a mountain service, retail and rental specialist built around one of the most important modern ski travel experiences: coming to Japan for powder.... Read more on the Sponsor page