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| 2005.10.13 Hokusho High School Ski Team Instructor, Yutaka Kudo |
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The first time I met with Akira Sasaki, as far as my memory goes, was when he was in 4th or 5th grade. The skiing season was over and in the training camp at Niseko Weiss, he was a tall, conspicuous boy with long legs, speaking in a Hakodate dialect.
As time went by, seeing him in several training camps and races naturally brought me to speak with him, and at the same time him becoming close to team members of Hokusho blended him in a most natural way. I believe it was when he was in 6th grade that his race results became remarkable, as the name Akira Sasaki started to become famous among the Hokkaido Ski associates |
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| His skiing techniques gradually made progress during junior high, and after starting to win several races, his goal was boosted up to becoming part of the National Team. He entered Hokusho and poured his heart into training everyday aiming to further improve his skills. It was in high school where Akira Sasaki showed robust growth, becoming friends and foe with Japan’s top skiers like Kentaro Minagawa, or Daisuke Yoshioka. At the same time, I remember it was also this point in time that he realized he needed to do things on his own to go to the top, and that he experienced the harshness of skiing going abroad on training fixing his perception to the world. |
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During high school, when he was in 11th grade, at the Interscholastic Athletic Meet (IAC) in Sappro, Hokusho was on the verge of winning the competition for the 7th time, leaving the 2nd run of the SL. When I rode the ski lift before the run with Akira, he said to me “What are you so nervous about? I’ll get you the win by placing in within 5th place” and headed for the starting gate. I can imagine coming in 5th place was a mortifying result for Akira, but I felt that it was his way of showing gratitude to the school who took him in and gave him understanding.
In 12th grade, as Akira Sasaki became the ace racer in name and in reality, he strongly realized the importance of the acquisition of foreign languages and began to study German and English in between his personal training times. |
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On the day before the IAC, Tetsuya Okabe, a graduate of Hokusho far before Akira, called and requested that he would like to come and encourage all the racers. As I awaited his arrival, I told Akira, “Akira, Mr. Okabe is coming” and was returned with his reply “When he comes, I’ll be more than happy to shake his hand”. He was joking like that with a big smile on his face but once Mr. Okabe came, he was standing stiff straight saying “good evening” or “how nice of you to come”. He must have been pure nervous!! A heartwarming episode now that I think about it.
Nowadays, Akira Sasaki is one of the first seeded World Cup racers competing all over the world.
Coming in 2nd place at his debut race in Wengen, then finishing 6th place at Shiga Kogen… Akira’s potential to become a star seems numerous. |
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I really hope for his place on the center of the victory stand at the Torino Olympics.
Forza, Akira Sasaki!! |
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