Gentemstick Hirafu Demo Center To Open In December

Niseko snowboard maker Gentemstick is opening a new demo centre in December at Tokyu Grand Hirafu Ski Resort.

The existing Gentemstick Niseko Showroom’s cafe and shop will remain open, with its demo centre moving to the resort with the name Gentemstick Hirafu Demo Center.

Katsuhide Fujio, Public Relations & Sales director at Gentemstick, said the demo centre move was prompted by a concern that an increase in the number of showroom visitors would reduce the customer service the Gentemstick team could provide.

The Hirafu Demo Center will be open seven days a week from 23 December 2023 to 20 March 2024, although this is somewhat subject to change depending on snow conditions.

While Fujio san expects the Hirafu Demo Center to expand Gentemstick’s customer base, he also expects the mixed foreigner and Japanese composition of the customers to remain the same.

Gentem is the brainchild of Taro Tamai, a surfer from Tokyo who relocated to Niseko in 1991, and the company’s philosophy has always been about bringing snowboarding back to its surfing roots.

All Gentemstick snowboards are made in limited batches, but can be found worldwide at speciality shops.

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