Rental Swaps: Different Rides For Different Conditions

Everyone knows a rider that looks outside and goes, ‘oh, it’s overcast – better take out the Hovercraft today’, and to the everyday rider who rocks the same set of skis or snowboard for a decade at a time, you’re probably thinking, ‘like it makes a difference…’

In actuality, it really does. I know, I know, saying that makes us sound like a millionaire claiming they need a convertible for every day of the week, but truly, it makes a difference. From the style of riding you’re doing, to the weather conditions, to the kind of terrain you’re tackling, your choice of rental gear while visiting Japan can dramatically impact your time out on the slopes.

But the great thing about hiring rental gear from Rhythm is that we offer free gear swaps, so if you’re unsure what setup will best work for your style of riding, you have the option to try out multiple options throughout your stay!

Even still, unless you’re brand loyal, knowing which new model will best suit you can be a hard choice to make. So to make things easier for you, we chose some of the best rental gear available this season and offered some handy suggestions on which ones we recommend taking out depending on the conditions you’re facing throughout your stay.

rental rides for Furano pow

Looking to tackle waist-deep pow far away from the busy crowds you’ll find in Niseko? Furano. Situated within the Hokkaido powder belt, Furano offers up extensive backcountry terrain, endless treelines and some of the best pow Japan has to offer. So if you’re looking to dive face-first into some fresh powder, here’s the rental gear that our Rhythm Furano store manager Taka thinks you should be shredding on this winter:

Rental Powder Skis: K2- Disruption 78C

“This rental gear is perfect for enjoying Furano’s tight, pressurised snow. The carbon in the nose and tail allows for good power transmission and good edge engagement for beautiful runs. Mainly for intermediate to advanced skiers.”

Rental Powder Board: Burton Navigator

“It is light and soft, making it easy to handle for both beginners and advanced users.”

freestyle rides to thrash park laps in Hakuba

If you think of Japan’s mountain resorts as a family, Hakuba is like the cool older cousin. Huge alpine mountain riding, massive freeride gaps, steep terrain and a huge park scene, if you’re into the more extreme side of winter sports, Hakuba’s the spot to go.

So if you’re visiting the valley and want rental gear that’ll help you finally stomp those rails this winter, here’s our picks from this year’s rental fleet:

Rental Freestyle Board: Season Eqpt – Kin

If you’re hunting a freestyle board for this ski trip, look no further than season eqpt’s Kin – everything else is just ‘next of Kin’…. A versatile, light-weight and playful twin tip, the Kin is designed to be a gender-inclusive all-mountain board equally as suited for launching off side hits as it is slashing down kink rails.

Rental Freestyle Skis: Armada – ARW 94 (Womens)

Looking to send it big off kickers this season? Armada’s ARW have you covered. Looking for snap and stability when smashing treelines through deep pow stashes? Armada’s ARW have you covered. More into lapping rails through the park? Armada’s ARW have you covered.

Spring Rides for backcountry touring in Niseko

Little known fact: In Niseko, spring is actually much better for touring the backcountry than winter.

Ok, it may not actually be a little known fact, but so many of your still don’t want to listen when we drop these truth bombs. So don’t take it from us, take it Rhythm Rides’ Backcountry Lead Guide, Stef, who said,

“Generally in Japan, if you’re looking at backcountry touring in the winter, you’ll mainly be sticking to tree lines.”

“When it comes to springtime, it’s finally time to venture out into the alpine. There are beautiful mountains over the back of Niseko like Chisenupuri, Iwaonupuri, and Nanupuri that offer stunning views of the island. From there, you can see the Japanese Sea, and there are a lot of different trails you can ride down, so you can really plan out a great day. It’s one of the reasons I really like March; it has much more stable weather, we still get great snow, and it’s much quieter, which makes it perfect for proper tours with beautiful views.”

If you’re finally sold on spring being the best time to go out and explore Niseko’s backcountry, here’s a couple of sweet options from our rental fleet to take out with you:

Rental Spring Skis: K2 – Reckoner 102 / Reckoner 102W (Womens)

Reasons why spring is king: lesser crowds allowing you to shred more laps, added access to the backcountry due to a firmer snowpack, slushy park laps. Reasons why the K2 Reckoner is king: it was designed to be suitable for three of these styles of riding. Strapped with Spectral Braid construction, full sidewall and Aspen Micro Block core, the Reckoner is a versatile and playful ski perfect for spring bluebird days.

Rental Spring Board: Jones – Dream Weaver (Womens)

The perfect high performance all-mountain board, the Dream Weaver offers all-mountain cruising, carving and freestyle – what more could you need?

any day, Any Way, you can shred these bad boys

If an all-rounder is more your style, we recommend shredding on these this JaPow trip:

Rental All-Mountain Board: Burton – Hometown Hero

If you’re a skier who has ever sat on a chairlift looking down at a snowboard smacking into your skis every two seconds, you might recognise the Burton Hometown Hero. One of the most popular boards around any mountain worldwide, the Hometown Hero is built to be able to blast through it all. A directional board with enough taper to float comfortably through powder on deeper days, a directional camber and added flex to maintain pop when heading through the park, and a light-weight and nimble design perfect for racing through the trees, the Hometown Hero is a model that really lives up to its name.

Rental All Mountain Skis: Black Crows – Mirus Cor

If you’d never been to a ski village before and were asked to look around and report back on your findings, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Black Crow Mirus Cor’s were some form of initiation badge to a skier’s cult. They are EVERYWHERE – but for good reason. Built with a long rocker tip and swallow tail, Mirus Cor’s are equally as suited for hitting playful sidehits as they are for carving through narrow icy terrain, making them the perfect all-rounder choice for skiers of all riding styles.