For one special week this winter (February 7-13), Method Mag is joining the infamous Pow Feast provided by Mint Tours for many years! This time it will be in central Hokkaido, Asahikawa, and it consists of shredding with two of the finest from the Method Mag gang!

Method Magazine owner Chris McAlpine is joining Mint Tours guide and Bataleon team rider Roland Morley-Brown, aka Roly, to host Mint's Asahikawa Freeride Tour. Roly will be guiding the crew, with Chris along for the full week, riding, exploring Asahikawa and bringing a lifetime of snowboard stories to the van.

Between your powder-sinking sessions, there'll be loads of hanging and learning about the behind-the-scenes of running an established publication like Method Mag. Chris joined Method in 2012 and has spent the past 14 years travelling the world riding, writing and producing snowboard content. He and Roly are longtime friends who’ve shared some wild adventures together, from Slovenia and Montenegro to Bulgaria, so there will be a lot of hilarious stories, you can bet on it!

Asahikawa in Central Hokkaido is Mint Tours’ base in Japan, surrounded by mountains, local resorts, backcountry zones and world-class powder. With Roly guiding the crew,  the calls will be made each day based on snow and weather, exploring everything from quirky old-school ski hills and deep tree runs to lift-accessed backcountry loaded with pillows, banks and wind lips. And when conditions line up, there’s Asahidake, a steaming stratovolcano and a genuine Hokkaido bucket-list day.

By the way, you can even leave the board bag at home. Guests on Mint Tours Asahikawa Freeride Tour get free access to our Japan Demo Fleet of snowboards and bindings. And for this special edition Method Magazine x Mint Tours week, our partnership with Bataleon snowboards gives you exclusive, complimentary access to a fleet of Bataleon snowboards and bindings throughout the week. Switch between different shapes, get team rider Roly's insight into the range, and put the boards to work in the deep Japanese powder and terrain they were designed for. Check out the demo fleet HERE

Here's Roly sharing his tech knowledge in Method Mag issue 26.1 "Battle of the Bindings" feature:

Back in Asahikawa, you’re staying in a proper Japanese city rather than a ski resort town. Think local onsen after riding, 7-Eleven missions on the way home, ramen and izakaya at night, and even night riding at the local hill. With Chris and Roly along for the week, expect plenty of stories and some all-time van banter along the way.

Check out how it went when Beyond Medals joined Mint Tours a couple moons ago and get a little taste of what's waiting for you:

Here are the basic information for the Method Mag X Mint Asahikawa Freeride Tour
Dates: February 7-13
Cost: $4,190 USD
Highest value inclusions:
- 6 Nights accommodate in private ensuite room
- 5 days riding with Gimbal God
- 5 days riding with Mint Tours Guide
- Free access to Mint Demo Fleet of snowboards and bindings
- Transportation 

More details and booking HERE

Cover photo from issue 25.2: Craig Robinson