Commentary

Jeremy Jones unplugs

The first of twelve "Further Unplugged" webisodes takes us to Japan

Originally Published: November 9, 2011
By Seth Lightcap | ESPN.com

Ep. 1: Japan Ep. 2: Norway Ep. 3: Tetons Part 1 Ep. 4: Tetons Part 2
Ep. 5: Arctic Cold Cameras Ep. 6: Polar bear prank

Last year Jeremy Jones took us "Deeper" -- into the wilds of Alaska, the heart of the Alps and the steeps of Antarctica -- but that was only the warm-up. Now the big mountain snowboarding pioneer is poised to shred right off the map in "Further," the second installment of the backcountry snowboarding video trilogy from Teton Gravity Research that will debut in the fall of 2012.

Jones and the TGR crew had a stellar season filming last winter, bagging productive trips to Japan, the Arctic Circle and the California High Sierra. Good weather and even better company bolstered Jones' success, with the likes of Terje, Josh Dirksen and Forrest Shearer riding along with Jones on the expeditions.

Those who can't wait to feast their eyes on these rarefied backcountry adventures are in luck, as the TGR "Unplugged" videos are back in action. The teaser series will offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the challenges Jones and the crew face as they venture into the unknowns of the alpine.

LightcapDirksen, Shearer and Jones cherish the sun filming "Further" in Hakuba, Japan.

Press play on the first episode, "Exploring Japan," and you'll join Jones, Dirksen and Shearer as they mob through hip deep Ja'Pow and battle gale force winds splitboarding in the Kita Alps above Hakuba, Japan. With the help of local backcountry guide, 'Yeti' Dave, the crew gets a taste of the terrain before setting their sights on bigger, badder lines. For a quick lowdown on the mission, we caught up with Shearer for a couple questions:

ESPN: How would you describe the terrain in Hakuba?
Shearer: It was pretty similar to the Wasatch range in Utah in a sense. There was great forested terrain just outside the resort boundaries, but the high alpine lines we were after were more challenging to get to. Picking lines was tough as the avy danger on the open terrain was serious. Storms hit the high peaks hard so the snow conditions were constantly changing.

Heavy winds seemed to change a few plans on the trip. How was it dealing with the wind?
It was crazy. Gusts would blow you straight over and the wind-packed snow was difficult enough to climb up as it was. The winds were probably 60 plus mph one of the times we tried to push up the ridge. We turned back pretty quick at that point. It was not a good day to be climbing any higher.

Look out for a new "Further Unplugged" episode every month until the film drops Fall 2012.

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