I met David when we were both about 8 years old at summer camp in Minnesota.
Back in those days he was a punk kid whose older brothers introduced him to gangster rap too early.
Our paths stopped crossing for a few years when we both moved on and aged out of summer camp.
This fandom cemented one certainty in both our minds, we must go to Japan someday.
It wasnt what I had planned for, but amazing nonetheless.
What a world we live in.
Fast forward a few months, and Im in a car headed to the Seattle airport.
I left on a Saturday.
One hangover and a heinous set of connecting flights later I was in Sapporo.
We cruised out to the popular Niseko ski area where we would pick up our rental van.
About half of the time the driver was self selecting, simply by who hadnt cracked a drink yet.
Kirin Grapefruit Chu-Hai was the favorite morning beverage, make it a Strong for Hibbs.
Chris, however, had never been on a tour in his life.
The skiing in Japan is located in some pretty rural areas, still dominated by farming rather than tourism.
David and the rest of the crew succeeded in convincing me to go for it.
So there we were figuring out how best to strap our skis to the back of the 15 camper.
My doubt faded quickly as I realized we might just make it happen.
Our original plans had us heading for Central Hokkaido, towards backcountry zones Id been with my family.
Otaru would be our last night together with the full crew of six.
The result was a Kirin fueled shred through the streets of Otaru.
In way, this night was a fitting end to the trip.
Maybe it was a dream: the powder, the conveyor belt sushi, and way too many riceballs.
If so, Ill have another drink.
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/865772/Ski-With-Your-Friends
Video by Chris Naum with help from Michael Hibbs and David Wells
