Niseko, Japan

An All-star Cast of Pros around the World is Ready to Judge 2021 Niseko Shootout ProAM Photo Competition, Kicking Off Today!

American freeskier Eric Pollard and Olympic snowboarder Torah Bright are among those who will cast their votes remotely for the prestigious ¥120,000 Judge’s Choice prize. The Public Vote winner will take home ¥80,000.

The Niseko Shootout ProAM is one of three categories under the 2020-21 Niseko Shootout photo and film competition banner.

A total of 35 professional and amateur athlete-photographer teams will take to the mountains in and around Niseko between January 7-10 with the aim of capturing the best photo of the period, with ¥200,000 (US$2,000) up for grabs.

Contest organiser Winstead Heyward said unlike last year there was plenty of powder around and possibly even a bit of sunshine around for teams to work with.

“That’s the beauty of this competition – it’s held on set dates so teams have to work with whatever conditions Mother Nature throws at them,” Heyward said.

“We’ve just come out of three weeks of non stop snow so the mountains are loaded with snow. I’m expecting to see a few mushrooms shots  and more photos taken in resort due to the lack of peak-season crowds due to the pandemic. However photos can be taken anywhere in the Shirebeshi region of Southwest Hokkaido, so there is bound to be a few backcountry shots, maybe with some ocean in the background thanks to the nearby Sea of Japan. I’m excited to see what everyone produces!”

Teams

VOTING & JUDGING

ProAM Judges' Choice Winner: ¥120,000

Our 2021 judge panel includes: Taro Tamai, Tsutomu Nakata, Yoichi Watanabe, Neil Hartmann, Torah Bright, Eric Pollard, Lena Stoffel, Mattias Fredrikson, Aline Bock and Alex Yoder. You can read all about the Judges on Niseko Shootout Instagram or Niseko Tourism Facebook - Niseko Shootout ProAM Album

ProAM Public Vote Winner: ¥80,000

For the Public Vote we need you – the public! Public judging will take place over four days from January 15 to 18 –

You can register your votes by by liking photos that will be uploaded into the 2020-21 Niseko Shootout ProAM photo album on Niseko Tourism’s Facebook page during that time. Voting ends at 23:59 on January 18  – make sure you VOTE and help decide the winner!

Winners will be announced at an Award Ceremony on January 20. More details to come.

Sushi Catering in Niseko - Sushi Japan

Acclaimed sushi caterers "Sushi Japan" is currently taking reservations!

Avoid the crowds and dine in the privacy of your own accommodation.

The Sushi Japan chefs will come directly to you, so you can enjoy your meal without the need to step out of your accommodation.

Visit the Sushi Japan website for reservations and for any inquiries.

Niseko Transportation Guide 2020-21

The official Niseko Transportation Guide has been released.

 The comprehensive guide contains useful information about how to get to Niseko as well as how visitors can get around the area on public transport.

More info and PDF download HERE. You can easily access it via the official Niseko APP as well.

For Inquiries:

Niseko Tourism
Tel: 0136 21 2551
Email: [email protected]

Free Entry to This Year’s ¥200,000 Niseko Shootout ProAM Announced

Grab your best partner and capture your Niseko moment between 7 - 10 January, 2021!

There are no barriers to entry for this year’s Niseko Shootout ProAM – Niseko Tourism has announced entry is free, giving anyone who wishes to enter a chance at sharing the ¥200,000 prize pool.

Two person photographer and athlete teams will compete over a 4-day window in January 2021. Each team will submit just one shot which will be posted  on Niseko Tourism’s Facebook page. There are two categories to win – Judges Choice  and Public Vote. Each winner  shares from a cash prize  pool of ¥200,000!

This year, we invited world-renowned riders and photographers to join us as guest judges, including Eric Pollard, Torah Bright, Taro Tamai, Tsutomu Nakata & Matias Fredrickson just to name a few. Full list to come soon.

Contest Timeline:

• Registration is open from now until January [email protected]:59pm
• Contest will run from January [email protected]:00am - January 10th,@11:59pm day and night

• Shots will be posted from January 15th(~10am) - January 18th (11:59pm)

• Contest winners will be announced on January 20th, 2021 at the Award Ceremony.

Prizes:

• ProAM Judges' Choice Winners: ¥120,000 
• ProAM Public Vote Winners: ¥80,000
  

Teams are rolling in so make sure to claim your spot in the comp before time runs out! Registration ends January [email protected]:59pm.

To register, entrants must fill out the ProAM registration form.

Terms & Conditions

Entrants may be sponsored by a company. The sponsoring company will be given credit along with photographer and athlete names.

The titles “photographer” and “athlete” are interchangeable amongst the team of two.

Shots may be taken at any time of day in the given window in Shiribeshi area.

Paid votes are not allowed. Niseko Tourism reserves the right to disqualify and remove entries at their own discretion regarding the suspicion of paid votes.

The high resolution Entry Shot must be submitted on January 11th by 10AM JST via email to [email protected]

Entry shot must be take from January 7th 12:00am to January 10th 11:59pm JST 2020.

Voting will be open from time of posting on January 15th (~10AM) to January 18th at 23:59 JST SHARP! 

Contest winner will be announced on January 20th at the Award Ceremony. If winners are not present in the Niseko area for cash prize pick-up at Niseko Tourism, winnings can be awarded via bank transfer. 

Submitted photos must be original, created and/or taken by the contestant. It must not contain any materials owned or controlled by a third party for which you have not obtained a license, must not infringe the copyright, trademark, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity.

Submitted photos must not depict scenes of action deemed illegal by Japanese law. This includes, but is not limited to trespassing and the damage of public/private property, i.e. Avalanche barriers, rails, public/private structure, etc.

All entrants grant the Niseko Shootout presenters permission to repost shots (along with a name credit) on social media, websites and blogs.

EZO, Pub will open from this Saturday, 26th Dec!

Your perfect Après-ski option at Niseko Village!

This winter, EZO offers new menus including burgers, pizza and beers!

In addition to the classic "Ezo burger", three new ones are available: "Black Burger" made by premium venison and Hokkaido Yama-wasabi, "Grilled Salmon Burger", and "Little Italy" vegetarian burger. A wide selection of Japanese beers can be enjoyed with Beer Flight or Tasters’ Choice - beer tasting sets that you can choose your favorite 4 beers. EZO serves a total of eight different Japanese beers.

Enjoy your Après-ski time at EZO with your friends and family. Open 4pm – 11pm, Last order: Food 9:30pm / Drink 10:30pm

More details HERE.

Please note that EZO Pub will be closed temporarily from Jan 6 – Jan 11. Restarting operation from Jan 12^th.