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| 2005.2.28 Skier, Kenta Uraki |
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I traveled with Akira to the U.S. and Europe during the 2 years in the Japan National Team. Though I was not well acquainted with him because of our age difference, but I have a vivid memory of his first impression on our first trip abroad.
The place, Mammoth Mountain in the U.S. Within the facilities, there is a park for skiers and snow boarders where a large jump hill was set up. Of course, this park was nothing of my interest. But here, Akira easily made a back flip; my words to him were “it’s so-so” but to tell you the truth, I was very surprised. This was an encounter with a new type of alpine skier, never one like it before. This was not the only action that surprised us. On our days off, though most of us were relieved that we didn’t have to ski that day, Akira would take off to the slopes riding the bus by himself. After he returned, he actively skates on his inline and skateboards. I took interest in him as days passed, and started to tease him whenever we met. My word to him were always the same: “Akira, you smell a bit!”. After a while, I left the team but my relations with Akira still exist.
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| I have something I entrusted to Akira. It is a black pad he started to wear on his GS races. It was something I had been using since around 1990, when I was still a high school student and I gave it to him a few years ago. He told me he found it while sorting out his house before the season started. First race of the World Cup season, the GS at Solden. I was broadcasting live from a studio in Tokyo. Being the only Japanese to participate in the race, he wore the pad and made a heroic achievement by making the 2nd run. |
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| Going back to the previous story, I think the first time I met Akira was at Breckenridge, Colorado in the U.S. around 1997. We were both participating in the camp as members of the national team, but I was part of the World Cup team and Akira was only about 16 years old and was part of the junior national team. There once was a joint GS training, where I skied through the poles with extreme straightness, as I was under my best condition. The ski tracks the junior team made did not meet the lines I skied through, and I remember thinking “these kids’ lines are dull”. I heard afterwards that junior team, including Akira, was calling me “a reckless angel” watching me ski. I would like to give this same naming to the current Akira. |
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