Poachninja.com was built and tested in June 2008. From then on it became a user built and user moderated community of Poach Ninjas.

The Philosophy

Short

The Poach Ninja was born in the side-country of a Japanese ski resort where ski patrol had arbitrarily drawn the out-of-bounds line. A small group of freeriders took matters into their own hands, poaching lines that were deemed a big No-No. Historically, ninjas concealed themselves from samurai by wearing all black, like a cloak in darkness. We too, the poach ninjas, conceal ourselves from the clutch of ski patrol by wearing white from head to toe. We ride, ski, and slide with stealth that sticks it to the man on and off the slopes. Beta, good times, good laughs, stoke, and poach-ninja skills, we bring you poachninja.com. But remember, if you can't poach safely, you aren't a Poach Ninja.

Long

The Poach Ninja idea was born in the side-country of a Japanese resort in an area that was officially out-of-bounds.  The reason this area was permanently closed had little to do with public safety and more to do with a blind adherence to rules and a need by those in charge to set arbitrary boundaries.  The concept of using stealth tactics to poach out-of-bounds terrain in defiance of overzealous authority conjured up a humorous comparison with the ninja, Japan’s ancient stealth warriors who were free of and opposed to the strict samurai and their code.

The idea caught on amongst a small group of freeriders and began to expand.  Poach Ninja began to refer not only to the stealthy defiance of ski patrol but a healthy defiance of unnecessary rules and standards across all aspects of skiing and riding, and all with an air of humor and fun.  No riding in the trees? Poachninja them.  No skis in the park? Poachninja it.  Daffies are uncool?  Poachninja one.  Indeed, the Poach Ninja idea has morphed into the core of the freeride philosophy with a new name. 

Along with freeriding comes freethinking, and Japan’s freeride community was lacking an information forum that permitted for freethinking and expression.  Existing forums were much like resorts in their blind adherence to rules and arbitrary boundaries.  There is a need for unabridged exchange on Japan-specific resorts as well as international resorts and matters relating to freeriding. Into that void we bring you poachninja.com, Japan’s freeriding and freethinking snow community.

Poachinja.com is not just a forum but a user driven community of freeriders in Japan and all over the world. In addition to a liberally moderated forum, Poachninja.com also has a Wiki database on resorts and backcountry areas written by serious riders for serious riders. The site also hosts galleries and blogs for skiers and riders to share trip beta and stoke. In sum, Poachninja.com aims to provide information on the backcountry, the side-country, resort and park from a perspective that the official media cannot—the perspective of the rider.

And of course there is the poaching, and by poaching, we mean sticking it to the man when the man needs it to get stuck. Poaching the line under the lift or poaching the snowboard park and then riding it switch to the road when the sign clearly says not to enter—this is the spirit of the Poachninja. However, ninjas always examined risks vs. rewards and so do poach ninjas. What is the avalanche forecast? How much new snow has fallen in the last 72 hours? Wind conditions? If I poach this tree line, will I be putting others down slope at risk? The Poach Ninja is swift in his skill and respectful above all. Another aim of Poachninja.com is to help skiers and riders learn more about snow safety and snow conditions through the free sharing of information. 

So, if you are a freethinking freerider with enough sense to see the humor in “poaching,” welcome to Poachninja.com.