Freestyle Skiing World Cup Moguls in Tazawako

On 28th February, hubby and I went to see Freestyle Skiing World Cup Moguls event held at Tazawako Ski Area in Senboku City of Akita prefecture. Tazawako Ski Area is a beautiful place where visitors can enjoy the beauty of nature along with skiing. The skiing area is located about 105 kilometers northeast of our home and it took us about 2 hours of car ride to reach the area. We parked our car at a car parking lot and walked up to the ski facility where World Cup Moguls event was held. The path was very slippery and it took me almost 20 minutes to walk 500 meters up to the facility. Hubby was patient enough to walk slowly along with me. On reaching the area, I was very surprised to see the facility as I did not expect it to be so huge. We saw that the staffs were busy with some last-minute preparations of the moguls hill facility. It was wonderful to see so much whiteness all around us. We clicked a few photos standing right in front of the facility. There were many visitors who had come to cheer their favorite moguls skiers, and there was almost no space to stand near the base of the hill facility. So we walked to the right side of the facility, climbed up a bit, and waited for the event to start.

I am standing in front of moguls hill facility

Hubby standing in front of the facility

Waiting for the World Cup Moguls event to start

Wonderful whiteness all around us

Japanese freestyle skier Uemura Aiko was the ambassador of the World Cup Moguls event. Uemura Aiko is unarguably the most famous moguls skier of Japan who has participated in 5 Winter Olympic Games. We were thrilled to see her in person. She gave an opening speech, after which we waited for about 15 minutes for the event to start.

Uemura Aiko (red arrow) along with other staff members

Uemura Aiko giving an opening speech

Many visitors waiting for the World Cup Moguls event to start

I am always ready to pose

Finally the World Cup Moguls event started. There were men’s as well as women’s competitions. Initially I could not understand much about the event as I had absolutely no idea about mogul skiing. So hubby explained a little bit that it is a one timed run of free skiing on the steep moguls course with points given to the skier for turns, aerial maneuvers, and speed. Soon I caught up and enjoyed various kinds of jumps and technical turns performed by the moguls skiers. We enjoyed seeing the moguls skiers ski down the moguled hill, hit the kickers at a very high speed, launch themselves some 20-25 meters in the air and perform somersaults and twists, before touching down on the landing hill and continue skiing down. Seeing the moguls skiers perform turns, 3D, back flip, front flip, side flip, and many other technically challenging aerial maneuvers was really captivating. It was wonderful to see world-class moguls skiers participate and perform at their best in the event. We took many photos of the participants skiing down the hill and performing spectator-captivating aerial maneuvers. I also compiled a video of time-lapse photo sequences of many moguls skiers.

A moguls skier performing 3D (I call this one 3D - 1)

Zoomed in view of 3D - 1

Another moguls skier performing 3D (3D - 2)

Zoomed in view of 3D - 2

Yet another moguls skier performing 3D (3D - 3)

Zoomed in view of 3D - 3

A moguls skier performing back flip (Backflip - 1)

Zoomed in view of Backflip - 1

Another moguls skier performing back flip (Backflip - 2)

Zoomed in view of Backflip - 2

Yet another moguls skier performing back flip (Backflip - 3)

Zoomed in view of Backflip - 3

A moguls skier performing front flip (Frontflip - 1)

Zoomed in view of Frontflip - 1

Another moguls skier performing front flip (Frontflip - 2)

Zoomed in view of Frontflip - 2

A moguls skier performing side flip

Zoomed in view of side flip

A moguls skier performing turn

Zoomed in view of turn

A compiled video of time-lapse photo sequences of many moguls skiers

Afterwards we enjoyed seeing the award ceremony. A Japanese woman named Hoshino Junko was placed second on that day’s women’s competition. We were happy that a Japanese participant was amongst the top three winners.

A moguls skier participant being interviewed by a television crew

Award ceremony of the women’s competition

The award ceremony as viewed from another angle

After the award ceremony, we left the area and walked back to the car parking lot. But before leaving the area, we again clicked a few photos of us standing right in front of the moguls facility. It was the second time in my life to stand outside in such cold weather for almost 4 hours but it was worthwhile as we thoroughly enjoyed the World Cup Moguls event. It was a fun-filled cold day for us.

I am standing in front of moguls hill facility

Hubby standing in front of the facility