Bio
In 2011, Ayana Onozuka switched from alpine skiing to halfpipe skiing, winning a bronze medal in the halfpipe at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. She then won the World Cup overall title two seasons in a row and the World Championships in 2017. She is a three-time World Champion and finished 5th at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. Ayana retired from halfpipe skiing for the 2018-19 X-Games season and switched to freeriding. In the same season, she became the first Japanese female skier to win a Freeride World Tour wildcard. In 2020 she became a mother and is still challenging herself every day as an athlete. She is currently based in her hometown of Minamiuonuma, Niigata, where she also runs SUP (stand up paddleboard) tours at Shakunage Lake and teaches special classes at elementary schools.
Message
In the summer, I offer SUP tours in Minamiuonuma and Shakunage Lake (by Mikunigawa Dam). SUP yoga tours can also be offered upon request. Since Shakunage Lake usually requires a permit to use the lake, most of our tours are like private tours. In the winter, I am a professional skier. Currently, I mainly freeride on the mountain, but as a former world champion in halfpipe skiing, I can offer a wide range of lessons from alpine skiing to freeriding, having been the first Japanese to compete in the Freeride World Tour.
Guide Q&A
Q: What is your most memorable experience in nature?
Filming in Rishiri Island in 2019. I spent the early mornings and evenings in the mountains and have deep memories of skiing down runs into the sunset.
Q: What does nature represent to you?
A demanding and inspiring place to learn.
Q: What has nature taught you?
Everything
Q: What do you hope that people will get out of experiences with you as a guide?
That feeling of being allowed to play in nature, which is something we take for granted, and the experience of wanting to tell someone about it.
Highlights
・ THE NORTH FACE Athlete ・ 2014 Sochi Olympics, 3rd place in Halfpipe Skiing ・ 2017 FIS Freestyle World Championships Halfpipe Skiing Champion ・ 2015, 2016, 2017 X-GAMES 2nd place ・ 2014 - 2015, 2015-2016 World Cup Annual Overall Champion ・ 2018 PyeongChang Olympics Halfpipe Skiing 5th place ・ 2019, 2020 Freeride World Tour Athlete (first Japanese) ・ Completed National Yoga Alliance RYT200 / RTYT85 (Maternity) ・ Language: Japanese
