“Enriching people’s holidays” What an outdoor missionary wants to achieve

Kohey is said to be shy, slow-talking, and generally has a reserved personality. But Lehmans members agree that once he puts on a snowboard, he has more fun than anyone else on the slopes.

We asked Kohey about what he hopes to achieve through his work and activities at Lehmans.

◆ Snowboarding allows me to be my true self

``Normally, I subconsciously try to coordinate with the people around me, but when I snowboard, I slide the way I want to slide, and I just say what I'm thinking and scream.I don't know why. No, but snowboarding allows me to be myself.”

Why does snowboarding have the power to reveal the true Kohey?

``Since I'm spending so much money to come snowboarding, I may have a stronger sense of ``I have to have fun without wasting my chance'' than most people.

I've always loved outdoor activities like skydiving and bungee jumping. Perhaps they are looking for a ``feeling alive'' through such stimulation. ”

Taiga was my first encounter with snowboarding.

"Taiga and I have known each other since nursery school, and we went skiing and camping every year as a family. When we were in sixth grade, Taiga started saying, ``Let's try snowboarding!'' I did it.”

After entering junior high school, each of them focused on different club activities, and it was hard for them to touch snowboarding. Time passed, and his fever accelerated after he resumed snowboarding when he was in college.

"It's a common story, but for some reason everyone starts snowboarding like there's a boom when they get into college. In my case, that boom never passed."

He says he fell in love with snowboarding because it's a sport that offers thrills and allows you to feel nature.

``When you climb to the top of the peak, the air is so cold and clear that frost forms on the surface, and the view is amazing, and it makes you feel like you're alive.

Also, the thrilling part is appealing. Normally I don't try to do things that I don't know if I can do, but when I realized I was snowboarding, my body seemed to go first. I have a sense of speed, so maybe I'm making decisions without going through my brain (lol)."

Snowboarding is perhaps the tool that fuels Kohey's wild instincts.

◆ Snowboarding experience in Canada

When Kohey entered university, he realized that he wanted to be able to speak English and work overseas. In his fourth year of university, he decided to study abroad in order to experience living abroad before entering the workforce.

I narrowed down my study abroad destinations to countries where I could go on a working holiday and snowboard. As a result, I decided to study abroad in Canada for a year. What did Kohey feel while studying abroad?

``It was tough when I first started studying abroad. I'm a shy and talkative person, so it was difficult to keep up with the enthusiastic foreigners. I didn't have any snowboarders among my working holiday companions, so I basically snowboarded by myself. I was going to

Kohey moved from Toronto to Banff in search of a mountain to snowboard. When he arrived in Banff, he was surrounded by many Australians who had come to see snowboarding, and he struggled with the lack of Japanese people.

Although I struggled with communication, it was an experience that greatly expanded my view of the world of snowboarding.

``Japan has better snow quality, but Canada has the best terrain.I think you can go around one ski resort in Japan in one day, but in Canada you can't do it all in one day. What's more, each course has a completely different look, so I never got bored while skating."

◆ Work to help with “holiday design”

What kind of work does Kobey usually do?

“Currently, I work at an athletics facility called Forest Adventure.Generally speaking, most athletic facilities are geared towards children, but Forest Adventure offers experiences that allow adults to become children. Masu."

The majority of people who come to Forest Adventure are looking for nature, so they can have a lot of fun just playing in the athletics. However, by adding the added value of ``customer service,'' he says he works hard to make the time and experience even more special.

``I try to serve my customers in a way that puts them in their shoes.Depending on the customer's character, I might be messing with them within five seconds of meeting them (lol).

In my normal life, I can't do it because I'm not good at talking, but for some reason I can do it when I'm out in nature. I also ask customers about places they are planning to go to and give them recommendations. I am able to provide information that I would not have known if I had not talked to you.

When a customer leaves, of course I want them to feel like, ``I had fun there,'' but I also try to provide customer service in a way that makes them remember, ``That staff was really fun.'' ”

Kohey joined a specialized trading company as a new graduate, but quit due to stress due to the harsh working environment. I still remember the strange feeling I felt during the conversation with my boss and colleagues at that time.

``My boss and colleagues said to me, ``I don't know what to do on my days off.'' They said, ``No, no, there are so many fun things to do like snowboarding, camping, wakeboarding, and surfing, so why waste Saturdays and Sundays?'' I wondered, 'What?'

So, he decided that he wanted to do a job that would provide value during his free time on Saturdays and Sundays.

 

``At first, I was thinking of joining a company that operates a reservation site for activity experiences, but just as I was thinking, ``I'd like a job where I can see customers having fun right in front of me,'' a friend of mine happened to work with me. He introduced me to Forest Adventure, so I decided to try working there."

First of all, I decided to work at Forest Adventure because I wanted to increase the number of people who had fun in front of me through my work.

``Snowboarding and surfing are too difficult for beginners to try, so I think it would be difficult to go without someone with experience.However, forest adventures can be enjoyed by beginners as well as couples, friends, and families. It has become a place where you can come.

I would like people to use forest adventures as a way to enjoy their free time, and then design their own holidays from there. ”

Kohey's future goal is to work on the theme of Kanagawa's nature.

“I love nature, so I would like to continue working with nature as my theme.I was born and raised in Kanagawa, so I would like to work there if possible.

My father used to have a family home on the Miura Peninsula, so I used to go there often. The Miura Peninsula is full of interesting cliffs and hills, so I think you can have a lot of fun.

Therefore, I would like to start a business that allows everyone to enjoy their holidays to the fullest, including lodging. ”

◆ Design holidays for even more people with the power of Lehmans

Taiga decided to join Lehmans a year ago, saying, ``I'm going to ask everyone to become a rider, so please look forward to it!''

"I didn't have any intention of saying no, but Taiga's words made me decide immediately. When I was approached, I was honestly happy."

Kohey is responsible for the sticker design. His job is to convey his image to a designer he knows and have him bring it to life.

``Also, when winter comes around, I want to be able to show people that I'm a no-money rider, but I'm having so much fun skating.I'll just be careful not to break any bones (lol).''

It seems that there are several riders at Lehmans who break bones every year, but I hope they will be careful about injuries and have as exciting a ride as possible this year.

We also asked Lehmans what he likes about him.

``The good thing about Lehmans is that it feels familiar because it's a private brand. Major brands use pretty cool snowboarders as riders and use really cool videos to promote their products, don't they?

While I think it's cool, I also feel like we would never be able to capture this kind of video. I think Lehmans can create videos that make snowboarders feel closer to the general public. We want to be a brand that is close to the general public. ”

"Lehmans is a place where you can get what you want," Kohey said. What kind of challenges do you think you would like to take on in the future?

``For example, I would like to buy a mountain and build a ski resort filled with things that Lehmans riders want to do.Isn't it wonderful to have a ski resort where you can experience all kinds of things before coming down from the peak?What I want to do in the future I would like to continue doing so.”

Lastly, we asked him to give a message to office worker snowboarders.

"It's a cliché, but you only live once. I believe that the Lehmans brand helps you ask yourself, 'How do you enjoy that life?' I want people to think they've been fooled and try the Lehmans board. is not it."

Although his tone was modest, his enthusiasm for ``designing people's holidays'' was more than evident.

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■ Question and answer profile

Main instance: 15,-9

Stance width: I tried it on and found it to be the perfect width (I don't know the value lol)

Binding used: flux ds

Boots used: salomon

Home slope: Yuzawa Nakazato

Favorite location: View of the horizon while hiking

Happy moment: The moment I dropped into the steep powder slope

Special move: Strange voice ride

Snowboarders I respect: Snowboarders who ski happily

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■ Forest Adventure Hakone

https://fa-hakone.foret-aventure.jp/

Forest Adventure is an athletic facility, so it's a place where everyone can play, and since it's located in the forest, it's a place you can visit when you feel tired from daily life. Please come visit us on your day off!

 

Kohey

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[Interview/Written by: Kazuki Yasui]