As triumphant as a child proclaiming dominance over the school yard snow mound, I watch the “First Claim” on Misoshiru in Niseko, Japan: my run. Ok, so maybe it’s juvenile, but truth be told there is a rush to being the first at something. Not only have I pioneered the trail on the interactive map, but it’s out on the world wide web for all to see. This is the essence of Claim MY run.
On Skype with Brett Hills, founder of Claim MY Run (CMR), I learn about how the operation came to be. The die-hard skier tells me about his “aha” moment when after an epic day on the slopes of Taos Resort (NM) he wished he could show the world the point-of-view footage of his day. In his words: “how cool would it be if everyone could experience the mountain through my eyes?” This sparked the inspiration for interactive maps that skiers and riders could link footage to; the world would see trails through the collective eyes of downhill enthusiasts.
In this day and age, gadgets such as GoPros have made it possible to make anyone an action star. Discussing the world of possibilities a site such as CMR offers to skiers and mountain operators alike, I made a comment that Brett said hit the nail on the head: people don’t want advertising pushed at them. In other words, seeing resorts through “marketing goggles” is so out. As a small but passionate community, skiers and riders are perfectly capable of showcasing the best that mountains have to offer; by skiers, for skiers.
CMR currently hosts hundreds of interactive trail maps for resorts in the US, Canada, Europe and most recently in Japan. If you want the real lowdown on the best runs, choose your destination and get the skier’s-eye-view. Alternately, stake your claim and become queen/king of the mountain yourself.
Winter is coming,
K
*Photos provided by Brett Hills of ClaimMYrun