Hakuba Ski & Snowboard Rentals

You      won’t   have   any   difficulty   in   getting   rental   gear   in   Hakuba.   There are   so   many   rental   shops   the   bigger   problem   will   be   to   decide   where to   get   it   from.   It   is   better   to   pre   book   your   gear   since   even   though   all   of the   ski   resorts   do   have   inhouse   rental   shops   they   do   tend   to   be   more expensive   then   elsewhere   since   a)   they   rely   exclusively   on   walk   ins, and    b)    they    cater    for    Japanese    sizes,    so    your    size    might    not    be available.      Some   of   the   shops   with   online   booking   also   offer   an   online or earlybird booking discount so that makes it a no brainer. Hakuba   is   a   very   spread   out   place,   so   it   is   important   to   make   sure   that if    you    do    pre-book    rentals    that    the    shop    is    either    near    your accommodation   or   that   the   shop   does   free   pick   ups   and   drop   offs.   A wide   range   of   gear   is   available.   If   you   are   a   beginner   then   it   is   a   waste of   money   to   rent   the   most   expensive   gear,   but   on   the   other   hand   if   you are   already   shredding   it   then   you   will   benefit   from   having   better   gear.   It is   better   to   be   realistic   about   your   choice   of   gear-powder   skis/boards are   great   in   deep   powder   but   not   so   great   on   groomers   or   in   the   park. Contrary   to   common   belief,   Hakuba   does   not   have   deep   snow   every day   (unless   perhaps   you   are   going   backcountry). All   mountain   or   an   all purpose set of gear is a better option. Depending   on   how   deeply   you   want   to   get   into   the   sport   it   is   often worthwhile   to   purchase   items   such   as   gloves,   googles   etc   and   only rent   the   stuff   that   is   hard   to   carry   on   your   flight   like   the   skis   themselves and   the   boots.   Having   said   that,   it   is   no   point   to   go   off   and   buy   a   cheap pair   of   goggles   from   K’Mart-   they   just   won’t   cut   it   on   the   days   that   you really   need   them   (the   heavy   snow   day).   Thin   gloves   will   have   you wishing    you    were    back    in    your    warm    hotel    room    and    not    on    the mountain. The   following   shops   can   all   be   recommended   by   SkiHakuba.com   and all have online booking facilities.

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Rhythm Sports Hakuba

This    well    known    Australian    base    snowsports    shop    not    only    does rentals,   but   also   has   an   excellent   retail   section.   Located   in   the   Wadano region   of   Hakuba,   near   the   Mominoki   hotel.      Their   huge   shop   has   a wide range of gear, especially top of the range gear.  

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Hakuba Central Snowsports

Another    popular    and    well    known    Australian    company    which    has branched   into   Japan.   Central   Snowsports   has   3   shops   in   Hakuba   in Happo,   Wadano   and   Goryu,   as   well   as   offering   free   pick   ups.   They also have a wide range of premium gear.

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Spicy Rentals

Japanese   owned   chain   with   the   most   number   of   shops   in   the   greater Hakuba   area   including   shops   at   Tsugaike   and   Iwatake   as   well   as   in Hakuba itself.

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The Boarding Co.

Locally   owned   by   a   long   term Aussie   expat,   this   shop   has   an   extensive range   of   skis   and   snowboards,   particularly   backcountry   gear.   They   do free pick ups of course and are relatively close to the station.