雪月花 “SETSU GEKKA” Iwate Snow Trip 2020

Dec 30, 2020

雪月花 ”Setsugekka” (雪snow 月moon 花flower) …is one of those elegant Japanese expressions that succinctly describes the beautiful scenery of the four seasons.

Japan is an island nation that stretches 3,000 km from north to south and with its own dramatic set of climate conditions. From sweltering tropical summer days to freezing subarctic ones, and of course, all the pleasant in-betweens, making it, seasonally speaking, a most unique land.

Our humid high summers experience barrages of typhoons that bookend the season at both the start as well as the end, generating high winds and rough seas. While our dry winters are clouded over, all the while sucking up ocean water from the Sea of Japan hurling the vapour up high into the stratosphere to let it solidify and finally deposit as a plentiful blanket of snow over more than half of the country, which, as you can imagine makes for a massive snowfall zone. The areas on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu, Tohoku, and Hokkaido are the ones that cop the lot, an abundance of snow, especially by world-class standards. No surprise then when you compare the annual snowfall in populated cities of 100,000 or more globally, Japan has four that are ranked in the top ten. The Japanese, who have decided to live in these diverse and environmentally drastic environments, have built up some very unique values.

Nature occasionally bares her fangs at man.

The right amount of fear and confrontation with nature will heighten man’s awareness and enables him to evolve.

Born out of these harsh conditions came a uniquely Japanese culture. Called “Snow Surf.” It has for decades been refining and defining on its continued course of evolution, along the way it has developed its own culture notoriety, at home as well as worldwide.

DEUS POWDERTOOLS snowboards were launched in 2014 in collaboration with surfboard builder Takuya “TAPPY” Yoshikawa. We saw it then as we do now, as our addition to this philosophy progression. Ever since that first season, the Deus crew make their annual mountain pilgrimages to once again connect with our snow people, their mountains and while morally speaking its not the most important aspect of the trip, it is the driving force behind it, we go there to test the new season’s quiver of snow boards.

Our recent trip took us to the far north of Honshu, to the peaks of Iwate where we spent our days on a profusion of excursions, of uphill treks and of course the benefits, down again on some absolutely outstanding slides with our friends on their mountainsides.

We thank them for their indulgence, friendship and wit. For the rest of you, here are some images and video we hope you’ll enjoy.

https://vimeo.com/495904954

雪月花　

(岩手トリップ2019)

南北3000kmに渡る島国日本は、世界でも珍しく熱帯から亜寒帯を含み、夏は台風が襲い海は荒れ、冬は日本海の水を吸い上た雲が雪を降らし、国土の半分以上で雪が降り豪雪地となる。

人口10万人以上の都市の年間降雪量を比較すると、トップ10に日本の都市が4か所もランクインするのだとか。

日本海側の本州や東北、北海道などの地域は、世界的に見ても積雪の多いエリアだ。そんな厳しい環境で生きることを決めた民族である日本人は、独特な価値観を築いてきた。DEUS POWDER TOOLSは17FWより”街から山へ”をコンセプトにアパレルコレクションを展開している。もともとの始まりは2014年、

サーフボードビルダーであるTAKUYA ”tappy” YOSHIKAWAと共同でのオリジナルスノーボードの開発からスタート。それ以降、日本固有のカルチャーで有り独自の発展を遂げてきた “snow surf “はDEUS JAPANより世界に発信されている。

時に人々に牙を向くこともある自然。

自然を正しく恐れ、対峙することは、様々な気付きを与えてくれ、進化を生じさせる。

“雪月花” 四季折々の美しい景色を表す、とても素敵な言葉がある様に…

#DeusPowderTools

Snow Board designs by Takuya Tappy Yoshikawa

All photos by Atsuo Itakura

Film Director: Danny Kern
Film Edit: Tom W Carey

ENGLISH TEXT BELOW

Setiap tahun, teman-teman kita Tasix Adventure—penyelenggara petualangan ban berlumpur dan adrenalin berbahan bakar terbaik di Bali—mengadakan acara akhir pekan berkemah yang sangat dinanti-nantikan. Mereka menamakannya “ The Wild,” dan jujur saja, tidak ada kata yang lebih pas dari itu.

Ini bukan sekadar acara; ini adalah petualangan wajib bagi siapa saja yang mencintai tanah, tantangan, dan persahabatan yang hanya bisa terjalin saat tertawa melihat teman lain terjatuh.

Hal tentang The Wild adalah misterinya. Kamu tidak tahu ke mana akan pergi, bagaimana sampai di sana, atau apa yang akan kamu temui—seperti hidup, tapi dengan lebih banyak asap knalpot.

Tahun ini, The Wild yang berlangsung pada 7 Desember 2024, mengumpulkan 135 pecinta motor enduro, trail, dan cross di Desa Kopi, Tabanan. Tepat pukul 9 pagi, kami berangkat menuju Desa Gesing, Singaraja. Rute tetap dirahasiakan hingga hari acara, meningkatkan sensasi penasaran dan antusiasme. Dengan dibagi menjadi beberapa kelompok kecil, kami melengkapi diri dengan perlengkapan motocross lengkap untuk menghadapi tantangan musim hujan.

Perjalanan? Murni magis. Jalur berkelok melalui permata tersembunyi Bali, di mana setiap tikungan menawarkan pemandangan yang memukau atau hampir membuat jantung berhenti. Rute tahun ini menghadirkan medan tanah liat merah—dijuluki tanah "keramik" karena teksturnya yang licin dan keras saat basah. Untuk melintasinya, diperlukan teknik khusus yang disebut “paddling the throttle,” sebuah manuver yang mendebarkan dengan motor yang sering bergoyang liar. Dari kejauhan, mungkin terlihat lucu, tetapi saat di atas motor? Ceritanya berbeda.

Setelah menempuh 68 kilometer petualangan liar, kami tiba di perkemahan di puncak bukit yang sudah dipenuhi tenda-tenda peserta lain dan deru knalpot. Destinasi selalu mencuri perhatian, dan yang satu ini tidak terkecuali—tempat tinggi dengan pemandangan 360 derajat yang menakjubkan dari laut, gunung, hingga kota.

Saat hujan turun, tenda-tenda didirikan, dan malam itu diisi dengan berbagi cerita tentang penyelamatan heroik dan kecelakaan yang menggelikan. Dan tentu saja, ada balapan. Bayangkan sekelompok pengendara penuh semangat meluncur di perbukitan dalam kekacauan yang terkontrol. Balapan tahun ini termasuk duel 1 lawan 1 yang seru di sekitar puncak bukit, dengan peserta menyelesaikan dua putaran penuh adrenalin.

Bukan soal menang; ini tentang hadir, tertawa, dan menikmati momen. Para pemenang dan peserta tercepat yang mencapai puncak bukit dirayakan dengan hadiah, tetapi senyuman, persahabatan, dan kebersamaan membuat semua orang merasa seperti juara.

The Wild tahun ini benar-benar sesuai namanya, bahkan lebih. Petualangan, tawa, dan cukup banyak tanah di gigi untuk menyebutnya otentik—kami tidak akan menginginkannya dengan cara lain. Terima kasih yang sebesar-besarnya kepada semua peserta yang menjadikannya pengalaman tak terlupakan. Sampai jumpa di petualangan berikutnya!

Every year, our mates over at Tasix Adventure—Bali’s finest purveyors of muddy tyres and fuel-driven adrenaline—host their much-anticipated camp-out weekend. They’ve named it “Wild,” and honestly, there’s no better word for it.

It’s not just an event; it’s a pilgrimage for anyone who loves dirt, daring, and the kind of camaraderie you can only forge while laughing at someone else’s wipeout.

The thing about Wild is that it’s shrouded in mystery. You don’t know where you’re going, how you’ll get there, or what you’ll find—kind of like life, but with more exhaust fumes.

This year’s Wild, held on Saturday, December 7, 2024, brought together 135 enthusiasts of enduro, trail, and cross motorcycles at Desa Kopi, Tabanan. The route was kept a secret until the event day, heightening the thrill of the unknown. At exactly 9 am, they shared the destination, Desa Gesing, Singaraja, Divided into small groups, we geared up with full motocross kits to tackle the rainy season’s challenges.

The ride? Pure magic. Twisting trails through Bali’s hidden gems, where every turn promised either breathtaking views or breathtaking near-misses. This year’s route featured red clay terrain—nicknamed "ceramic" soil for its slick, hard texture when wet. Navigating it required a special technique called “paddling the throttle,” a nerve-wracking maneuver that had bikes swaying wildly. From a distance, it might have looked hilarious, but on the bike? It was a whole other story.

After 68 kilometres of this wild adventure, we arrived at the hilltop campsite already alive with the buzz of activity and the roar of exhausts. The destination always steals the spotlight, and this one was no exception—a high-altitude perch offering stunning 360-degree views of the sea, mountains, and city.

As the rain came down, tents went up, and the evening was all about swapping stories of heroic saves and laughable crashes. And then there were the races. Picture a pack of overexcited riders tearing up the hillside in what can only be described as controlled chaos. This year’s races included thrilling 1-on-1 duels around the hilltop, with participants pushing through two laps of sheer adrenaline.

It wasn’t just about winning; it was about showing up, laughing, and embracing the moment. The race winners and the fastest hilltop arrivals were celebrated with prizes, but the smiles, the camaraderie, and the shared triumphs made everyone feel like champions.

This year’s Wild lived up to its name and then some. Adventure, laughter, and just enough dirt in your teeth to call it authentic—we wouldn’t have it any other way. A massive thank you to all the participants who made it unforgettable. See you on the next adventure!