Photo/Illutration A snowboarder jumps high off a halfpipe at the Yudonosan Ski Field in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture. (Provided by the Yudonosan Ski Field)

TSURUOKA, Yamagata Prefecture--Snowboarders are in for a heavenly experience at a ski resort here that offers a halfpipe carved out of the snow that allows aerial tricks to be performed like the pros. 

The Yudonosan Ski Field is even known as R Tengoku (R heaven) because snow walls for halfpipes are referred to as “R” in Japan’s snowboarding community.

The facility has slopes at elevations of between 530 meters and 700 meters. It is characterized by abundant snowfall of 3 to 4 meters as well as quality powder snow.

The winter sports resort is owned by Tsuruoka city. It is managed by the municipal government’s semi-public body Gassan Asahi Shinkokosha.

Though the Yudonosan Ski Field had not been well-known until a few years ago, its Valley Course has recently soared in popularity.

Taking full advantage of its natural terrain, the slope is fitted with curved walls cut into the snow on both sides.

Many other sections at the Yudonosan Ski Field are similarly marked by snow walls along routes.

Snowboarding through slopes at the Yudonosan Ski Field allows the sensation of floating in the air speedily in the same way as in halfpipes. This is the secret behind the establishment’s growing reputation.

Few ski slopes of this type exist across Japan.

After the Yudonosan Ski Field was featured in a snowboard magazine, visitors from outside Yamagata Prefecture who learned of it through the magazine or word of mouth started showing up more frequently.

The Yudonosan Ski Field was admired for its “heaven for R” among users.

The resort officially began promoting its slope arrangement as “R heaven” in a pamphlet and elsewhere in the 2021-2022 season. The operator applied last year for the nickname in Japanese to be registered as a trademark, too.

The halfpipe paradise was born thanks to Jun Maruyama, 50, who once competed in snowboard halfpipe competitions. He currently works at the Yudonosan Ski Field as a snow park designer.

Maruyama one day tried creating halfpipe-like walls during his course checkup.

“A satisfactory pattern was unexpectedly perfected,” he recalled.

He started to create halfpipes during the 2017-2018 ski season. Such designs can now be found in 18 locations at the ski resort.

For maintenance, Maruyama spends four to six hours from early in the morning every day during the winter. Two snowplows and a heavy machine equipped with an arc-shaped component to make halfpipes are utilized.

Carving snow into halfpipes, Maruyama exercises his imagination in a 3-D fashion over what it would be like to try his creations. His own experience of ranking fourth in a nationwide halfpipe competition helps in this process.

Maruyama can churn out one-of-a-kind courses that way.

Daigo Kobayashi, 47, editor-in-chief of Diggin’ Magazine for snowboarders, explained how special the Yudonosan Ski Field is.

“It is a miracle place that is only possible with the combination of the rich snowfall, the appealing geography and the presence of Jun Maruyama,” Kobayashi said.

A 560-meter-long lift was newly incorporated during the last season with the aim of making the Valley Course much more accessible.

T-shirts decorated with the “R heaven” logo have been pitched this season to enhance promotional activities.

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